SGC Entryway Refresh: From Tired to Functional & Fabulous

We recently gave the SGC lobby a new look! Thanks to the help of the amazing Christen Joy Homes, SGC has never looked better! Here’s what Christen had to say about working on this project:“One of my most recent projects was partnering with Roers to do an entryway revamp at the SGC Apartments.If you’re not already familiar with the building, the SCG Apartments include 25 unique floor plans of urban loft-style apartments, located close to the NDSU campus and the Fargodome. Residents range from students in their final year of college to young families and professionals, which makes for a diverse and interesting community.

In real estate, everyone knows it’s all about location, so being close to concerts, Bison games, and downtown, all while offering ample parking make this particular building extra appealing. It’s a great spot for people who work downtown or in North Fargo as it’s prime location also offers easy access to the interstate.

Best of all, the building is made of concrete, so it’s quiet, which is always a concern when it comes to apartment living.

First Impressions of SGC

When I first saw the space at the SCG Apartments, I was immediately struck by what a great foundation I was being given to work with.

There were so many unique features for me highlight, including exposed brick and tray ceilings. The challenge was that the space lacked personality and functionality — two things that are “must haves” when it comes to your living space.

To make this building stand out and really showcase what it had to offer, I knew I needed to echo Roers’ unique brand and lifestyle. My goal was to create a wow factor in the entryway, so it would welcome residents while being functional for the high level of foot traffic and volume of deliveries.

The Plan

First, I needed a concept. I determined the needs of the space and used that as my jumping off point to come up with a perfect blend of functional and “Wow, this place is awesome!”

My concept for the entryway was “a breath of fresh air.” I wanted people to feel relaxed and calm when they walked into the space.

To create this vibe, I recommended white walls and black flooring for a high-contrast statement which makes the walls feel ever more crisp and vibrant! Then, I wanted to use North Dakota oriented photography that highlights the state outside of the city.

I thought a new built-in next to the mailboxes could be used for deliveries so that they’d stay dry and out of the common walkway. I also wanted to include a splash of greenery that welcomes people on their way in and out of the elevator, along with a mirror so they can take a glance before they head out.

I began my process by creating a mood board to pull my ideas together and to give Roers a vision for the entryway.

As you can see, this included shiplap walls, natural wood shelving, polished nickel lighting for a bit of bling (or as I call it jewelry) for the project.

I knew I’d be able to find photography that highlighted North Dakota nature and had vibrant colors and would look great off what would be all white walls.

Putting It All Together

Once the look was approved, I started looking for the perfect items to make the vision come to life.

Carpet

I chose to go with a mix of black with dark grays as this was key to creating the high contrast concept we were looking for. It’s also perfect for high traffic areas for wear and tear, like a lobby/entryway.

Paint

For the shiplap: Alabaster from Sherwin Williams 7008

For the mailbox trim: Tricorn Black from Sherwin Williams 6258

Furniture

I worked with Grain Designs to bring my ideas to life. With the natural wood options and dark piping that echoed the high contrast look I was going for it was the built in shelves they created were the perfect match for the mailbox area.

I also had Grain Designs create a matching table that’s light enough to move when renters are moving in or out. It was important for the small, high traffic space to remain practical.

The Grain Designs team created custom built-in shelves next to the mailboxes that offered equal amounts of character and functionality. The natural wood paired with dark piping provided the perfect solution to store the deliveries that had previously been placed on the floor.

Photography

A little secret I discovered is that Grant Koenig of Grain Designs is also a photographer! I mentioned to him what I was looking for, and he had the perfect piece to highlight the “outside of the city limits” theme I was going for with grains of wheat, stalks of corn, and that blue, blue North Dakota sky. What a stroke of luck!

The Jewelry (aka Lighting)

If you look closely, you’ll see that we squared up the top of the mailboxes for a more contemporary look.

To echo the clean design and to include lighting that was a conversation piece, I went with two Restoration Hardware polished nickel sconces, the Double Claridge with metal shades. They’re elegant enough for a hotel and take this entryway to a new level.

Accessorizing

For the SGC entryway, I wanted to add a bit more fun to what was already a great refresh, so I pulled in two of my favorites vendors, Cory and Jared of Upper Hand Signs.

I added a “Hello” sign in a fun, flowing styled font near the elevator that can also be seen in the new mirror as you walk in. In addition, they replaced placards with mini-pieces of artwork and arrows.

For a pop of greenery, I added a large fiddle leaf tree from Wayfair with a Restoration Hardware planter topped with moss for a finished look. I also brought in two unique moss planters for the entryway table. Again, these are easy to relocate temporarily should people be moving in/out or should Roers want to set something out like they tend to do, such as free breakfast, snacks or other treats.

Often, people forget to add finishing touches from top to bottom, so I layered two rugs for a bit of interest, including one with a fun saying “Make Today Awesome!”

The End Result

If you’ve read about Christen Joy Homes in the past, you know I love working with clients that embrace color, personality, and creativity! Roers has been an amazing client as they let me run with my ideas and trust my instincts.

Any project always comes with its challenges, and for this one, it was the size and use of the space. It challenged me to get creative to ensure I added personality while keeping the space functional.

When I asked Danielle Paulus, the Director of Roers Property Management, what she thought of the final results, she had this to say: “What a difference! The feel of the building completely transformed with the smart efficient changes that were made. Christen was able to take something dated and bring it back to life with a clean and modern feel. We love the renewed feeling of the crisp and clean space — it’s fresh and welcoming.

By making sure each selection was a unique and purposeful enhancement, I was able to achieve the end result Roers was looking for. Personally, I was thrilled to see my vision come to life, and I know it exceeded the expectations of my clients and the residents of the building.”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you’re interested in any of the materials I used, here’s the complete list:

Stay tuned for more guest blogs around my work with Roers. You can follow me on Instagram or Facebook, or contact me for more information for your own projects.

The T Lofts Transformation: Modern Comfort Near NDSU

Roers partnered with Christen Joy Homes for this project! We are so satisfied with how it turned out. Here’s what Christen had to say about the process!“As a decorator, one of the most exciting things about working with clients is when they ask me to revamp and redesign existing spaces. So when Roers asked me to work on updating some of the spaces in the T Lofts Apartments, I was excited to transform the space and give it some personality!The goal of the T Lofts refresh was to create inviting common spaces, with a focus on providing a comfortable space for residents to enjoy.

Located right on the edge of the NDSU Campus, the primary occupants of T Lofts are college students. The design needed to be creative, student-friendly and instantly inviting.

The refresh project included two entrance common areas, communal restroom, and the exercise room – plenty of spaces to bring my ideas to life!

Roers granted me the freedom and flexibility to truly take this project in any direction I wanted. Throughout the project, I maintained consistent communication and had frequent checkpoints to ensure we were all on the same page.

Bringing the Local Flavor

For the T-Lofts design, I wanted the space to include hints of local North Dakota flavor coupled with sustainable yet modern comfort and welcoming, vibrant character.

I’m a big believer in including local talent whenever possible, and this project was the perfect place for me to show some of the amazing design pieces this community has to offer.

Inspired by their work on Roberts Alley in Downtown Fargo, I called upon Upper Hands Signs to use the concrete walls as a canvas throughout the space.

The hand-painted wall art is used to highlight the T-Lofts logo while serving up some North Dakota pride. We also added quirk and personality in unexpected places, such as the mailboxes and exercise room.

I layered in photography from J. Alan Paul and custom wood furniture from Grain Designs to create an instant wow factor and feature these local artists.

Sustainable, Modern Comfort

When you’re working on a common space that’s going to see a lot of traffic, sustainability is key. You want furniture that is not only well-made but will also stand up over time. In the open common areas at the T-Lofts, I opted for large sectionals and wingback chairs to provide ample seating with the right amount of color, texture, and comfort.

Paired with a custom high-top table are industrial stools which add to the overall design while being practical.

The restroom refresh included two full walls of high-gloss subway tile creating a fresh and clean vibe. I layered in a fun puppy print to provide a fun, unexpected twist in the restroom.

Vibrant and Welcoming Character

The most well-loved communal spaces have one thing in common: they’re welcoming. My goal was to make these spaces not only visually appealing but to make them places that people would want to spend time.

By including extra touches, such as a shuffleboard gaming center and a bookcase unit displaying local magazines, we signaled to residents they were welcome to use and enjoy the space.

For the exercise room, we installed large mirrors and arranged the equipment to better fit the space. The result was an immediate transformation.

The Final Product

For this project, the challenge was to find the right balance between making it inviting and keeping it comfortable while still ensuring the pieces had great durability. Trying to meet all three of these goals certainly pushed the boundaries of my creativity.

While I personally was thrilled with the final results, in the end, it’s the client’s opinion that matters the most. Roers wanted a refresh that would offer residents an inviting and comfortable space to use and enjoy, and at the end of the project, I was confident I had delivered.

The day following project completion, residents were taking photos of the wall paintings, conversing on the couches, and playing shuffleboard. Seeing their excitement and how they were using the space meant the mission for the refresh had been accomplished.

While I loved the creativity this project required, it was the opportunity to incorporate so many local, talented artists that brought me so much joy. Their talents made my vision a reality, and knowing I’ve created an ongoing showcase for their work is so gratifying.”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you’re interested in any of the businesses used for this project, here’s the complete list:

 Stay tuned for more guest blogs around my work with Roers. You can follow me on Instagram or Facebook, or contact me for more information for your own projects. 

2018 Chili Feed Kick Off

The countdown has begun! We have officially began preparing for this year’s Chili Feed for the United Way of Cass-Clay. This is one of our favorite events of the year. It is such a fun day giving back to the community and getting to work with some pretty awesome people. We recently had our kick off meeting, which is when we did the big goal reveal! This year we are aiming to raise $46,000! We are so confident in our committee, our companies, and our community. Last year’s Chili Feed was a total blast and we can’t wait to do it even bigger and better in 2018.

There are so many ways to get involved with the Chili Feed. If you’re interested in donating, sponsoring, being a chili chef, volunteering, or would just like a little more info, check out our website here: http://www.chilifeedfargo.com/

If you want to learn more about the United Way of Cass-Clay and what they do for our community, click here: https://www.unitedwaycassclay.org/

Want to read more about Roers partnership with United Way Cass-Clay, you can read it here! 

Bright Sky Grand Opening

Roers has been a part of the Bright Sky project since the very beginning.

 

     

U32 at 100% Occupancy

You read that right… U32 is at 100% occupancy for August 1st of 2018. This is such an amazing accomplishment for our RPM team! We could not be more proud of them.

We decided to reward the team for their hard work! Jim, Larry, and Danielle all agreed to be apart of making human sundaes…. and things got messy.

Congrats RPM Team! Way to go!

2018 Annual Company Picnic

It was that time of the year again! When employees from all over the spectrum – construction, property management, accounting, marketing, you name it – everyone comes together, brings their families along, and enjoys a night of fun at the Roers Summer Picnic.

This year we held our annual Picnic at Bonanzaville in West Fargo. And boy was it hot! No AC is a bit of an issue on an 80 degree afternoon…..

But it was still an awesome night. We had a photo booth with fun, western-styled props, face painting and yard games for the kids, and bingo led by the legendary Clyde Trautmann. Bonanzaville was a fun place to hold the picnic because it is a village filled with historic exhibits and buildings for everyone to walk through.

   

We catered Panchero’s for the second year in a row, and it was a big hit! We also got ice cream bars and Insomnia Cookies for dessert.

Overall, the picnic was a huge success. Tt’s all about coming together as a company, catching up, celebrating our hard work, and having fun! Thank you to everyone who was able to make it. Now it’s time to plan the Christmas Party!

     

U of Mary

Construction workers at the University of Mary put away the hard hats and put a halt to all the construction for one hour today to celebrate the grand opening of the school’s new residence hall at the center of campus.

Students, faculty, staff and honored guests officially marked the opening of the all-female, 276-bed residence hall with a festive ribbon-cutting ceremony, the unveiling of its new name, Roers Hall (pronounced Roars), and tours of the facility. Roers Hall is just steps east of Welder library tucked between two other residence halls, Greg Butler Hall and Hillside Hall, forming a neatly nestled quad that fosters more interaction among students.

“We are extremely grateful to the Roers family. Their faithfulness and devotion to Catholic higher education and their love for our students and the Benedictine Sisters of the Annunciation Monastery, founders and sponsors of the University of Mary, is an inspiration to us all,” said University of Mary President Monsignor James Shea. “Over the years Roers has expanded west from their home in Fargo, so they understand first-hand the growth we are experiencing in North Dakota, particularly in Bismarck and on our campus…”

Read the full article here! 

For full project information click here!

Jeremiah Program

Fargo, ND — Jeremiah Program broke ground on its new Fargo-Moorhead campus in early June. The new campus, located at 3104 Fiechtner Drive South in Fargo, will provide safe and affordable housing for 20 determined, low-income families, as well as an on-site early childhood education center, classrooms where the mothers can build confidence and life skills, and spaces where they can meet with coaches to support them in achieving a career-track, college education.

“We have worked hard together to get to this day,” said Diane Solinger, Jeremiah Program Fargo-Moorhead Executive Director. “Many of our community board of trustees and supporters have been with us since the very beginning, even though the peaks and valleys. They have given us unwavering commitment, and together we are building a campus to bring this excitement to life.”

Why is this campus and Jeremiah important to Fargo-Moorhead? Currently, more than 2,300 single mothers are living in poverty in the Fargo-Moorhead area, a number that has increased 16 percent over the last six years. The majority of these mothers have children under the age of four with fewer than half of them enrolled in pre-school…

To read the full article click here! 

For full project details look here!

U32 Neighbors Like What They See

FARGO (KFGO) – It’s called U-32.

The 5 story, $22 million apartment complex at 32nd Avenue and North University Drive in Fargo just opened. It didn’t always look that way. Neighbors fought the initial proposal, built on a 25 acre site that was a horse pasture. They took their concerns to Roers, the developer, and to city hall.

After months of meetings and discussion, changes were made to meet neighborhood opposition, and the project got the final city okay last summer. Pepper Eisenhardt helped lead the protest. He lives a block away. He was among several dozen neighbors invited to tour the complex this week. He calls the building “state-of-the-art” and “very impressive.”

Roers executive Larry Nygard says 80% of the 115 apartments are rented. He says there’s a nice mix of tenants, including students from NDSU, only a mile away, along with those with the North Dakota Air National Guard, and the Fargo V-A hospital, both nearby.

Nygard says plans for up to three more similar sized apartment buildings on the property could start two years from now, depending on demand.

To read the full article click here!

For all project information you can read it here!

MacKenzie River Pizza Breaks Ground

WEST FARGO — MacKenzie River Pizza has broken ground at 819 24th Ave. E. in West Fargo for its second restaurant in North Dakota.

Glacier Restaurant Group out of Whitefish, Mont., operates MacKenzie River Pizza, which also has a location in Bismarck. This will be the fourth location for franchisees Lance and Shoni Robinson.

“Shoni and I are thrilled to be opening a MacKenzie River here and know the community will love our scratch recipes and the fresh ingredients we use for our gourmet pizzas, juicy burgers, fish tacos and other offerings,” Lance Robinson said in a news release. “We are also excited about our beverage offerings including specialty cocktails, craft beers and our exclusive Driftboat Amber Ale, brewed by Great Northern Brewing Company out of Whitefish, Montana.”

The restaurant is set to open in the third quarter of 2018 and is expected to employ 80 to 90 workers.

Current MacKenzie River locations feature a casual rustic atmosphere with refurbished and felled lumber furnishings, antique outdoor sportsman finishes and photographs of the Rocky Mountains.

For the full article you can read it here!

For Information on the full project, you can find it here!

Spring Parade of Homes: Crestwood

Spring Parade of Homes features homes for families in different life stages
FARGO — This year’s Spring Parade of Homes focuses on the homebuyers’ stage of life — and how it affects their home’s size and design.
The Home Builders Association of Fargo-Moorhead’s Spring Parade of Homes features 93 newly constructed homes by 50 local builders, including options for those age 55 and older, first-time buyers, families looking to expand and those wanting to downsize.
Builder: Roers ConstructionValue: $243,900Size: 1,450 square feet, two bedrooms and two baths (For those who need a little extra space, there is a three bedroom, three bath (2,200 square feet) option with an elevator, valued at $322,900.)Address: 2860 Calico Dr., Unit D, FargoStand out details:    – 9′ ceilings – Heated 2-stall garages – Large private patios and courtyards“What makes these homes special is that they are truly one-level living, says Matt Nygard, Roers development research analyst and executive of residential sales. “You pull into your garage and you walk right into your condominium.”During the fall of 2016, Roers – which primarily builds multifamily and commercial housing – decided to build reasonably-priced Crestwood Condominiums for buyers 50-and-older.“We did some research and saw that there were a lot of people in the 50s and 60s looking for this,” Nygard says. “We decided to build these homes at the mid-$200,000 to lower $300,000 price points.”Nygard says by building a spacious one-level condominium at this price point, many people could downsize their current home without going into debt to purchase a new home that would include some aging-in-place features, like the wide, wheelchair or walker accessible doorways and spacious bathrooms.“All units have butler pantries which helps keep the kitchens less cluttered with coffee pots, mixers or toasters,” he says.Nygard also points out the mobility and freedom each home allows its owners. Conveniently located between 45th Street and 42nd Street and just north of 32nd Avenue South, each unit includes snow removal and lawn care.“Owners have peace in mind going on extended vacations knowing that the condo property is secure and taken care of,” Nygard says.
Read the full article here: http://www.inforum.com/lifestyle/home-and-garden/4431329-spring-parade-homes-features-homes-families-different-life-stages