Award-Winning Homes

Reggie Winner:
Hans Hagen Homes
Million-dollar style is within reach for buyers looking for a quality home in the mid-price range with this detached townhome by Hans Hagen Homes. At $372,800, this model home in The Lakes development in Blaine features architectural details and customized touches that can be found in homes for three times the price. And just as appealing, homeowners can enjoy the benefits of an association-maintained home without having to share a wall with the neighbors. One of the home’s most stunning visual features is its two-story vaulted family room and two-story fireplace—rarities in most town homes. The smaller details, however, are just as impressive: decorative trim, ten-foot ceilings, and accent painting throughout the entire home; maple flooring on the entire main level; rain glass on some of the doors; a glass-tile backsplash in the kitchen; and crown molding in the master suite. The spacious second floor features a master suite and bath, an additional bedroom and full bathroom, a home office, a laundry room, and a loft overlooking the family room. The thoughtful design continues outdoors as well. Paver stones cover the driveway, while in the rear of the home, privacy screens surround the patio. The builder has also installed two gas lines near the patio, which are ideal for a gas grill and fireplace.

Peoples Choice Winner:
Smuckler Custom Builders, Inc.
This 8,640-square-foot European-style home overlooking Rush Creek Golf Course in Maple Grove was built for entertaining. The homeowners are actively involved in charities and occasionally host 100 to 200 guests for a variety of functions. But the home still needed to be livable. Jack Smuckler of Smuckler Custom Builders in Edina created a five-bedroom structure that exudes both elegance and comfort. For starters, he ensured that most rooms in the house maximized golf-course vistas. The great room, which has views of approximately six different holes of Rush Creek, features a barrel-vaulted ceiling that reaches twenty-two feet at its highest point. Smuckler added a sense of warmth to the room by using soffits with indirect lighting so that regardless of whether there were two or twenty people in the room, everyone would feel at ease. A see-through fireplace separates the great room from the kitchen, which features two islands. A domed ceiling with a stylish chandelier hangs over the main foyer, yet another natural gathering space for visitors. Faux painting, a blend of hardwoods (including birch floors), and décor in earth tones ensure warm, welcoming spaces throughout the entire home. Entertaining space also extends under the garage, which houses a stage where bands can perform, as well as an adjacent dance studio.

Reggie Winner:
NIH Homes
Located on an acreage dotted with rolling hills and tree-filled vistas, this model home in the Kingdom Estates near Elk River features a blend of classic architecture with modern amenities. The exterior offers the first hint of the home’s craftsmanship, with its cultured stone, staggered shakes from James Hardie, swooping rooflines, and a stamped-concrete front porch. A bright two-story foyer signals the perfect blend of openness and warmth found throughout the home. Each room has distinctive design elements. Featuring an antiqued enamel center island and a custom hutch with interior lighting, the kitchen diverges from the typical trends in today’s homes. Wood beams on the ceiling and rich built-in cabinetry warm up the main-floor office. Upstairs, the master bedroom and bathroom are an ideal escape, thanks to details like a recessed ceiling and radius glass-block shower wall. Three more bedrooms and an additional bathroom round out the space on the upper level. Designed for entertaining, the lower level houses a built-in entertainment center, fireplace, and elaborate cabinetry in the wet bar. Even the home’s two garages are a seamless part of the home’s design. The most impressive feature of the home, however, could be what’s hidden within: a geothermal heating and cooling system that’s environmentally friendly and saves on heating and cooling bills.