While some couples have rules to keep family and business separate, it’s seamless at Refined Homes. “We talk about projects at the dinner table. It’s good for our kids to see mom and dad working together and to experience what it looks like to operate a family business and earn clients’ trust,” Tricia explained. Going into business with Ian has only deepened their relationship and mutual respect.

The project is an “accessory,” so the lines, continuity, repetition, color, and symmetry of the ADU enhance the primary residence. Stucco, trim, and hardware were all sourced to match the home’s interior and exterior. At the same time, the homeowner selected upgraded doors and windows for efficiency, durability, and low maintenance to complement the home’s design. The complementary design of the ADU adds to the overall appeal of the residence and, with less-restrictive local ADU codes, has become an inspiration to the neighborhood.Tricia is the National Association of the Remodeling Industry's (NARI's) 2020 Minnesota Member of the Year. She joined her husband to grow Refined homes in 2016 after a thriving career in corporate staffing, management and sales. Having grown up with a family business that valued its customers and focused on the needs of the community, she always had ambition to do the same. Lisa Stoll of Sparrow & Stoll is one of the award-winning designers Refined Homes works with to remodel Twin Cities area homes. She is responsible for learning how clients want their living environments to look and function. Then she blends these insights with decades of design experience to create space planning solutions and guide clients on selections. Lisa’s drawings will enable you to visualize your completed project before you commit to construction. Sustainability is a big topic and, when you have the responsibility of building your home from the ground up, you have the option to create a home that you’re proud of, from the moment you begin. Whether through the use of sustainable and locally sourced materials, the practices used when crafting your brand-new home, to the energy efficiency when it’s ready to live in such as the use of LED lighting and solar panels, there’s plenty to bear in mind here. Natural materials Tricia’s contribution is a systems-level understanding of business management and a true heart for customer service that meshes beautifully with Ian’s attention to detail and old-world craftsmanship. While he cares for the projects, she minds the business and the clients. The result is a concierge-level remodeling team that partners with homeowners to produce outstanding projects. We initially consulted another contractor to remodel our basement. He looked at the job and referred us to Refined Homes. He explained that Ian was an expert at remodeling hundred-year-old homes like ours. The fact that another contractor was willing to give up a job to Ian says a lot about his reputation in the industry.

Their first impression was on point. They are genuinely nice people. They are honest, straight forward and flexible. Simply put, they seem to get it. Remodeling projects can take a toll on a homeowner. Whether it’s the money, the time, or the inconvenience… They understand that and help you manage the ups and downs. It helps that their workmanship and service are top-notch.Authentic craftsmanship. Ian literally crafted paneling, crown-molding and trim by hand -- the kind of work that was done when this house was built. It blew me away. I had just expected he would find something close at Menards or Home Depot. This is probably what I appreciate the most about Refined Homes. Building your luxurious dream home is a monumental task, if you don’t get everything exactly as you’d hoped, will you be disappointed at the end of it? What if, when you’re done, you think of something that you wish you had known of before? Don’t let the doubt creep in before you’ve even started the project, instead, make sure that you’re well informed from the outset so that you are free to consider every possibility and make the best choices for your luxurious new abode.