Shou Sugi Ban - The Avon House
"It has been a joy to work with you and better yet to find in you a kindred spirit. You have a gentle way of listening to my desires, acknowledge them and even praise them; and if you believe something might look even better, you present is as an option to consider without putting down my thoughts. I always felt that I was first. You work with clients’ needs and desires, to achieve something the client will love and will ultimately fit the whole plan and you do it with flair."
-Debbie and Steve
Located in Avon, MN just west of St. Cloud, the owners of this unique new-construction timber framed home, featuring Shou Sugi Ban (charred cypress siding) from Japan, wanted to weave their love of the area and respect of nature into their passion for style.
Designed by the client’s son who is a partner at SOM Architect in New York, was inspired by architect Marcel Breuer, who designed many of the nearby St. John’s architectural features. The Avon home was built with distinct, modernist elements. The home is built around a courtyard that offers views into an old growth forest, while the front overlooks a recently restored prairie.
Fusion Designed worked with the family to build their dream home which rivals any sanctuary retreat. The ever-changing views found in each room of the home were considered when making selections for the finishes and furnishings. A symbiotic relationship was created between the indoors and the outdoors. Sustainable design choices include Low VOC paint finishes, custom furnishings that offer soy-based cushions, wood frames from certified sustainable forests, water sense plumbing, geothermal heating, and a host of other sustainable features.
Within the home, the entire space is flooded in natural light from the floor-to-ceiling windows. A custom-built walnut dining room table and buffet anchors the main living space, while the dramatic waterfall center island is the queen of the kitchen. The focal point of the living room is the board-formed concrete wood-burning fireplace that was inspired by St. John’s architectural features. Custom cabinetry was used throughout the home to maximize space and keep a clean aesthetic the family was aiming for.
Create an environment in your home that fits you.
Photos by Ben Clasen
Photos by Ben Clasen
Lakeshore Kitchen
"I loved working with Sheree and her team at Fusion Designed for my kitchen remodel. This was a total makeover and Sheree gave me ideas and suggestions I hadn’t thought of, transforming an ordinary space into an extraordinary dream kitchen that is as functional as it is beautiful. She made the process easy and guided me but always respected my choices and style. She was prompt, knowledgeable and responsive, in short she was great to work with".
-Margaret Grosskopf
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Create an environment in your home that fits you.
Costal Chic Living Room
Inspired by their former home in the British West Indies, the clients of this award-winning remodel wanted their home to feel like an island getaway—and truly be a retreat for their family.
People’s Choice Award Winner- 2015 ASID Showcase Home Tour
This coastal escape design swims in vibrant colors and brings that sense of destination-feeling the moment you enter the room. The watery fabrics, in a stunning cobalt blue and turquoise color pallet, really lend themselves well to this shoreline inspired plan.
The driftwood inspired floor and reclaimed wood ceiling contributes to the relaxed rustic feel the homeowners were seeking. We used a white-wash finish to accent the built-in features of this home and anchored the room with a cocktail table in the same light finish. Adding a little more color and flair with some throw pillows and accessories completed the transformation of their retreat inspired remodel.
Create an environment in your home that fits you.
Photos by Page Photography
Commercial Projects
Lakeside Renewal Center
"Fusion Designed not only met, but exceeded, our expectations for design. She was immediately passionate about our mission and making our space a special place for guests to feel at home. A recent guest told us it was “understated elegance” and made her feel like she was in a home that had been here for 100 years."
-Holly Kreft, Executive Director
"We originally were drawn to Fusion Designed because of Sheree’s background in sustainability and Feng Shui. Our project is very unique – we are a retreat center that we want to feel like a home. We found Sheree to be knowledgeable, approachable, and budget conscientious.
Fusion Designed not only met, but exceeded, our expectations for design. Sheree is well-connected with resources throughout the design community. She was able to help us find the perfect pieces that met our needs for balancing design with durability for use by the public. She also helped us find unique artisans that gave our place that special touch.
Most of all, Sheree designs with her heart. She was immediately passionate about our mission and making our space a special place for guests to feel at home. A recent guest told us it was “understated elegance” and made her feel like she was in a home that had been here for 100 years. Sheree was not only our interior designer, but became a dear, trusted friend."
-Holly Kreft, Executive Director
Recognizing that the renewal center serves the general public, it was very important that the finishes, fixtures, equipment and furnishings selected were durable, functional and aesthetically pleasing to fit the diversity of the guests coming to the center.
The clients requested that the design be inspiring and beautiful, it needed to be as sustainable as possible and meet ADA guidelines. It must be comfortable and durable, feel like home and yet serve the needs for lecture style or collaborative meetings. And finally, that the building and the interior spaces include an overlay of Feng Shui design to ensure the peace, comfort and harmony of the space.
The renewal center consists of 9 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, a four season sun porch, living room, dining room, butler’s pantry, library, residential style kitchen for prepping your own meals or bringing in a preferred local caterer, intimate seating lounge, meeting/classroom space with a large screen and seating for 30 theater style or 20 with tables, and an outdoor covered porch.
Feng Shui:
Fusion Designed developed an overall Feng Shui Analysis of the building and its interior spaces. A 15-page analysis covered all recommended adjustments needed to support the energetic integrity of the overall renewal center, while simultaneously providing soothing, peaceful places in the smaller rooms used by individual guests.
To quote one guest:
“This is such an incredible place to stay. I was very impressed by the beauty of the building – design, colour of the paint, ornaments, paintings, artworks, etc. I felt all the thoughtfulness of the details”.
Create an atmosphere your customers will love.
Video by Jacobsen Creative
Photos by Ben Clasen
Photos by Alyssa Lee Photography
The Boat Club
Located in Duluth’s Historic Fitgers Inn, The Boat Club Restaurant is situated on the shores of Lake Superior. The new owners requested a design aesthetic that took the existing space from a Mediterranean design to one that showcased the beauty of the lake.
A small, but impactful architectural change was done by shifting the front entrance from an obscure walkway, to a stunning grand entry where you absorb the Great Lake the moment you walk into the space.
Nautical design elements include a color palette of navy, cream and gray, ship lap. The porcelain flooring in the bar is reminiscent of worn wood decking. Existing “I -beams” were exposed and the bar was refinished giving it a new life. Overall, the design compliments the setting and creates a cohesive harmony between the indoors and the outdoors.
Create an atmosphere your customers will love.
Feng Shui Library
In Feng Shui there are five elements which are: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. Each of these elements is represented by shape, direction, color and ideal use. Libraries and other places of learning are fire elements. Architecturally, buildings with pointed or sloped roofs are representative of the fire element. Fireplaces are also fire element objects and when placed in the Fame and Reputation area of the space, as in this building, it reinforces the fame and reputation of the library.
The second key Feng Shui concept for this project was the use of curvilinear lines. In nature, straight line winds are destructive, whereas gentle blowing breezes are soft and soothing. The same is true in architecture and design. Straight lines encourage the energy to just whiz by; but curved lines encourage you to take your time, pay attention to where you are going and appreciate the pathway you’re on.
Color is also used in Feng Shui as a supportive element. In this case because the library is a fire element the use of red in the exterior block work, the interior beams and wall color are purposeful. The color red encourages activity and energizes you. The color green is also used in this space; green represents growth, abundance, and new beginnings. In the color wheel, green and red are complimentary colors and will always feel good being next to each other. The materials associated with the element fire are leather and wool, which is why the fabric choices for the coffee and lobby seating area chairs and young adult chairs are either leather or faux leather.
Create an atmosphere your customers will love.
Photos by Page Photography
Organic Sophistication Home
“Love how the upper level has come together…..Do LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT. Even if Don admitted he also ‘liked’ it…..and that is a BIG compliment from him since he was not enamored with the idea of the complete make-over to start with! Thank you Sheree!”
-Rosalyn Fineran
This 1990’s home was in need of an update that would bring functionality, sustainability, and beauty for years to come. The clients requested a sophisticated, clean, uncomplicated, and sustainable design with a modern touch.
Situated on a lake, the homeowners were looking for materials that would withstand the wear and tear of lake living such as wet towels and gritty sand from the beach!
Sustainability was incredibly important to the homeowners—and it started at demolition. We gently removed all oak trim, doors, cabinets, decorative lights, faucets, appliances, existing furniture – and literally the kitchen sink! — were all donated for reuse.
This home project required an immense amount of customization in order to transform it into the sophisticated style the clients were hoping for. Kitchen and bathroom cabinetry, furniture and decorative wall finish were all custom-made for the families living space. However, there is one piece that is the center of the home’s unique attributes:
The custom designed coffee table that took inspiration from the lily pads found in the lake is made from Aurastone, which is a solid surface made from taconite tailings leftover from mining taconite in up in the Iron Range of Minnesota.
The end result is this beautiful, organically sophisticated home!
Create an environment in your home that fits you.
Bathed in Beach Glass Bathroom
When Fusion Designed Owner, Sheree Vincent, and her husband Darrell decided to remodel their 1978 bathroom, they were determined to create a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere. Inspired by their love of the ocean, the space is personalized by using the treasures of their travels such as shells, beach glass and personal photography taken on their vacations to California and Mexico.
Other considerations included an ergonomic design which offers storage solutions as well as an ageless design, allowing the homeowners the opportunity to live in their home from retirement on.
Create an environment in your home that fits you.
Photos by Page Photography
Photos by Josh Stokes Photography
Summit Ave. Porch
The design goal on this project was to restore an incredibly outdated and unusable porch in a Victorian home on Summit Avenue in St. Paul, MN.
People’s Choice Award for “Favorite Gathering Space” | 2007 ASID Showcase House
Victorians had a love for travel, and their habit was to bring back accessories from faraway places to furnish their homes. This concept was the perfect design inspiration for the space. The space could then be updated to reflect the excitement of traveling and river life, and take full advantage of the splendid view of the Mississippi River Valley. It was also important to create a space that encourages lingering and reflection.
A unique menagerie of antiques, globally sourced accessories, and pieces complimenting river life are blended together seamlessly. Thai carvings and a beaded hat from Burma live easily alongside a hand-carved chair from Tanzania and pair of 19th-century bronze leopards from the Benin Kingdom. All of these luxuries are finished off with the addition of some lush greenery to help bring the outdoors in. This space has been transformed from being left open to the elements and underutilized to a space that no one wants to leave behind—truly a Midnight at the Oasis.
Create an environment in your home that fits you.
Additional Projects
