Our Luxury home tour model, on Maxwell Bay of Lake Minnetonka is featured on the cover of this month’s issue of Midwest Home Magazine. Pick up a copy and see all the interior shots of our home and the others that were featured on the tour.
Click on the cover shot for the full article:
A great article on our Artisan home Tour model from this past June. An amazing home!
Check it our Here
Our in-house magazine featuring some of our work for the past year. Featuring:
““What a builder builds for his family”, Revision, LLC’s latest remodel for a growing family, Design inspiration from our friends at Studio-M and Mingle, thoughts on the design process from Alexander Design Group, and words of wisdom from Ryan Wegeman at Cox Insurance on protecting your investment. Check it out! Download Here
This is a home you need to see! A departure from what we’re normally building. Mountain Modern architecture, stone, steel, reclaimed barn wood, flat roofing. 8700 sq. ft, 5 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, pool, custom glass and steel elevator, and so many other amazing features.
Come check it out August 10-12, 17-19, 12:00 – 6:00 PM.
Home #1, Luxury Home Tour https://midwesthome.com/luxury-home-tour/
Non-MLS – These are THE best lots available in Orono! Stonewood exclusive 5 lot development with lot price from $699,000. Orono School district, 3 minutes from downtown Wayzata, right next to the Orono golf course. Only 3 lots remaining. www.Stonewood.com
Wow! What an exciting week this is! Things are really coming together as we gear up for the Artisan Home Tour beginning this Friday, June 8th. This tour is one of our favorites because it gives our incredibly talented team a chance to shine. This “Nantucket meets Lake Minnetonka” style home on Bohns Point Road in Orono is proving to be the perfect canvas for them to display their exceptional work. From the skilled tradesmen who are custom cutting and installing the gorgeous copper gutters, to the landscapers who are busy building a beautiful stone wall next to the lake in the backyard, to the interior designers who are working right at this moment making sure every dish, pillow and piece of artwork is in exactly the right place. We’re so excited for you to see the finished product! Some highlights to look for during the tour: the custom cabinetry in this home is unmatched. The gorgeous colors and beautiful hardware are unique to every room. The living room has lots of drama with a beautiful vaulted ceiling and a wall of windows that frame a spectacular view of the lake. The technology throughout the home is state of the art — even just flipping on the lights is fun! And pro tip: save the master bathroom for last because it will literally take your breath away! Click here for more info and tickets. We can’t wait to show you around!
NFL Alumni Artisan Home Tour
The Builders Association of the Twin Cities-Housing First Minnesota, producer of the Artisan Home Tour by Parade of Homes, and the NFL Alumni Association have partnered together to present the NFL Alumni Artisan Home Tour. Spend Saturday morning of Super Bowl weekend riding in a luxury motor coach to tour four amazing high-end residences located in the western Twin Cities suburbs (see below). Then be transported to a special lunch and reception hosted by NFL Alumni at the historic Lafayette Club in Minnetonka Beach! Tickets are limited! Proceeds benefit the BATC Foundation and NFL Alumni.
More info and tickets: https://www.nflalumniartisanhometour.org/
CLICK HERE TO VOTE for Stonewood !
The 2018 Best of Lake Minnetonka survey is here! Don’t miss your chance to vote for Stonewood! The results of our annual readers’ choice survey will be printed in May, in our special Best of Lake Minnetonka edition of Lake Minnetonka Magazine, and we’ll need your help to fill it with the best Lake minnetonka has to offer. (The results will also be posted here at lakeminnetonkamag.com on May 1).
Take a look at this year’s voting rules and guidelines and our full list of categories. Voting is open from December 15, 2017 to January 15, 2018.
$1,995,000 (Lot)
Build this 6600 sq. ft., 5 bedroom, 6 bath concept plan for approximately $3,950,000. The rarely available, park-like 1 Acre estate-setting features panoramic water views and stunning sunsets on serene, North Arm Bay of Lake Minnetonka and offers 166 feet of prime, sandy shoreline. Concept plan provided by Alexander Design Group, to be built by Stonewood, LLC. (Price varies w/selections)
More info:
https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/resources/real-estate/home-of-the-day/gallery/63943/426810
As featured on Houzz.com this week….
Camille LeFevre November 4, 2017
The newly built cottage-style Craftsman home is clad in cedar-shake siding, with limestone accents, zinc roofing and zinc half-round gutters. The house is heated and cooled via a geothermal well field.
Designed by Kathryn Alexander of Alexander Design Group, this is a home that embodies the character and charm of an authentic Lake Minnetonka lake home – true to it’s setting. Nearly 300′ of lakeshore on Tanager bay, connected to the larger lake, and nearly 3 and a half wooded acres. 5 bedrooms, tons of entertain space, pool… This homesite is available, and construction can begin spring 2018. Call for more info!
Click here for plans and elevations: Lot 3
In conjunction with Peterson Keller Architecture, we’ve developed a modern concept for Tanager Estates. Set on over 3 and a half acres, 350′ of lakeshore, this home takes full advantage of the amazing views. A quiet setting in a new 3 home development. Tanager lake connects to the larger lake near North Shore marina.
2 master suites on the main level, 2 bedrooms in the lower level, sport court, infinity pool, lots of entertaining space. Priced in at $5.85m
Click here for Plans & Elevations
We’re excited to be building another mountain modern home on Lake Minnetonka. This one is located on Maxwell bay and will be featured as one of our 2 Artisan home tour homes in June 2018.
The exterior is a mixture of reclaimed barnwood, stone & corten steel. We’ll be posting more photos as construction progresses.
Lakeside features a convertible screen porch overlooking a pool.
Open steel cage staircase flanking a 3 story glass elevator in the foyer.
2 sided, steel warehouse window wine cellar in the foyer & gathering rooms. And some pretty nice views of the lake….
Sleek architecture, exposed beams, floor to ceiling glass. Plaster finished walls and ceilings….
More to come.
The Builders Association of the Twin Cities, producer of the Artisan Home Tour by Parade of Homes, and the NFL Alumni Association have partnered together to present the NFL Alumni Artisan Home Tour. Spend Saturday morning of Super Bowl weekend riding in comfortable motor coaches to tour four amazing high-end residences located in the western Twin Cities suburbs (see below). Then be transported to a special lunch/reception hosted by NFL Alumni at the historic Lafayette Club in Minnetonka Beach! Tickets are limited! Proceeds benefit the BATC Foundation and NFL Alumni Association.
You’ll be picked up at a designated location (in Minneapolis or Minnetonka – pick-up locations TBA). Then you’ll be motor coached in comfort to four amazing high-end residences located in the western Twin Cities suburbs in Eden Prairie, Orono, Shorewood and Wayzata. These homes have been built by regular participants in the annual Artisan Home Tour. The homeowners and/or builders will be in attendance. Afterwards, you’ll enjoy a special lunch/reception hosted by NFL Alumni at the historic Lafayette Club in Minnetonka Beach! Finally, you’ll be transported back to your starting location. The NFL Alumni Artisan Home Tour will only happen once on Saturday, February 3.
Darrell Thompson will be one of the NFL Alumni players at a reception/lunch at the Lafayette Club. Darrell played college football for the MN Golden Gophers, where he became the school’s all-time leader in career rushing yards. He then played in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers, where he played in 60 games, gained 1,640 rushing, 330 yards receiving, and scored eight touchdowns.
(More players to be announced soon)
The BATC Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)3 composed of members of the Builders Association of the Twin Cities who contribute their time, materials and expertise to help Twin Cities families in need by building and remodeling homes.
The NFL Alumni Association is a non-profit 501(c)3 that offers a variety of medical, financial and social programs to help members lead healthy, productive and connected lives, as well as community initiatives under its “Caring for Kids” programs.
More information can be found here: http://www.nflalumniartisanhometour.org/
6 years ago, Stonewood built a ‘playhouse’ for donation to the Minneapolis institute of art. Designed by Alexander Design Group, and built with donations from many of our trade partners, it’s the only ‘tiny house’ that Stonewood has built to date.
2 stories, hardwood floors through, a front porch, a deck off the 2nd level, ships ladder to the 2nd level, fireplace, elaborate millwork detail including wainscoting and wood ceiling details…
It was a nerve-racking 3am drive from our office parking lot to the institute – the first overpass was a bit scary! 
We’re proud to have built a new home for this wonderful family, recently featured in the Artisan Home tour.
When Minneapolis entrepreneur Tashitaa Tufaa came to the United States from his native Ethiopia he quickly embodied the American spirit.
The political refugee, now in his late 40s, came to this country in 1992 with nothing to his name and worked his way up from washing dishes to running his own transportation company that still continues to grow.
Tufaa says that his drive was inspired by his adopted home.
“I had read a lot about America,” he said in a recent interview with Fox News. “Even though I had never been, I have always been a fan of the American way.”
Tuftaa was born in the Ethiopian village of Aloo and grew up working on his family’s farm with his 13 siblings until he attended an American college in Zimbabwe. He eventually returned to Ethiopia, where he was a history and English teacher until the early 90s when he decided to leave due to his native country’s changing political climate.
“I wasn’t forced to leave my country,” he says. “I just knew that it was time to leave when I saw politicians fleeing. I knew it wasn’t safe. I came here and decided not to go back.”
“Even though I had never been, I have always been a fan of the American way…”
He was granted political asylum and wound up in the city of Minneapolis, where he stayed in low-income housing with old college friends who had emigrated from Zimbabwe. He recalls the first day he stepped on American soil:
“It was a very beautiful day,” he says. “I was in downtown Minneapolis. I was amazed by the tall buildings and how clean it was compared to where I came from.”
Tufaa says that during those initial days in the U.S. it was difficult to find a job, but he never once thought about wavering.
“It was definitely hard. If you wanted a white-collar job, there were not many available,” he says. “My first job was as a dishwasher at the Minneapolis Hilton for $5.60 an hour and I thought at the time that it was great.”
Tufaa washed dishes for about ten months before moving on to a manufacturing job and a security position before enrolling in graduate school at the University of Minnesota. He continued working security jobs as he went through school.
Tufaa says that those initial days in the U.S. were difficult to find a job, but he never once thought about wavering. (Courtesy of Metropolitian Transportation Company)
“I would work until midnight and during the day in between my morning and afternoon classes,” he recalled. “I had few hours to sleep, but the biggest thing was these opportunities for work. We were not able to get this back home. You were lucky if you were able to get one job, here, I could get three jobs.”
Tufaa eventually graduated from school and wanted to pursue a career as a diplomat but quickly found out that he would have to be a U.S. citizen to do so (he became a citizen in 2000). Instead, he started working for the Minneapolis School District and then the city’s housing authority. He also worked extra jobs as a taxi and bus driver.
“I would leave work at 4:30 and then go drive a bus,” he says.
In 2003, he was laid off from his job with the city.
“That’s when I decided to form my own company.”
The determined Tufaa set out to market himself to school districts in the area, looking to provide transportation services for students.
“It was rough building it up,” the entrepreneur said. “On paper, my company was incorporated, but technically, I had no experience. People generally don’t trust you if you can’t show them your experience.”
In September of that year, Tufaa finally started gaining that experience when he started providing bus services to a handful of special needs students. School administrators took notice of the stellar job he did and he started receiving more and more work from the district, putting nearly all of his profits back into the business.
The entrepreneur says that he is looking to expand his company into other facets of public transportation. (Courtesy of Metropolitan Transportation Authority)
Eventually, Tufaa was able to establish his company, Metropolitan Transportation Network (MetroTN) and soon after he received his first large contract with the Beacon Academy School after their original bus provider went out of business mid-year. About 300 of the school’s 400 plus students ride MetroTN buses to this day.
Business continued to grow for Tufaa and MetroTN now boasts three facilities in the state, with a fourth on the way in October. The company currently includes 300 employees, including several family members who also emigrated from Ethiopia.
“They had to apply like everyone else,” he says, half-joking.
Along the way, Tufaa maried and he and his wife have five children ranging in age from eight to 21.
He looks to continue the expansion of MetroTN and serve other facets of public transportation in the city he has called home for nearly 25 years.
“I believe in the American dream because I appreciate what this country can provide to people like me,” Tufaa says.
“If you are free, you can exercise your talents in many different ways. I am free as long as I don’t do anything illegal. I can do anything.”
Stonewood and Revision support a number of projects around Guatemala. Most recently, we’ve funded an addition to the primary school in San Juan la Laguna run by Francisco Perez. The cement is poured (in the rain) and work is nearly complete. The construction techniques, and equipment is just a bit different than on our projects! A beautiful backdrop for the new classroom and patio!
Revision, LLC, Stonewood's Remodeling company, named one of Inc. 500 fastest growing companies. Under John Daly's leadership revision has grown dramatically over the past several years.
The fastest-growing private firms in America are creators. They create companies, they create value, and they create jobs–619,631 of them over the last three years. Here, by sector, are the companies whose creativity propelled them to the top of this year's Inc. 5000–from the chart-topping No. 1 company (mobile-gaming platform Skillz) to No. 5000 SBG Technology Solutions (a technology support provider). You'll also discover the newest hot spots, the coolest products, and the people who make it all happen.
For more than 10 years, Stonewood has been a member of the National Association of Home Builder’s – Premier Builder’s Group. One of less than 20 members that are considered to be top custom homebuilders in their market. All possess a portfolio of architecturally significant, high-end custom homes, have well-developed business and marketing processes & a construction volume of more than four homes per year, but less than 20. Their well staffed businesses are composed of project managers, designers, estimators and architects. In short, the members of the Premier Builder’s Group are builders that will inspire, cause others in the industry to improve their businesses & raise the bar.
Read more here: Premier Builder’s Group
We’ve developed a concept for an amazing home to be built on this property! Click here for more info: Casco Property
To be built – by Stonewood. Close in Lake Minnetonka lakeshore build-site, hard/sandy bottom, 60′ lakeshore and almost 1/2 acre. Stunning sunsets with large west facing views over Spring Park Bay. Plenty of room to build your dream home.
For the past 5 years, Stonewood has provided funding to build homes in Guatemala for those that could never afford a home of their own. For every home Stonewood builds in Minnesota, one is built in the suburbs of Guatemala city.
Most of the homes built recently have been in the town of Sumpungo, Guatemala. Here’s the story of one of the most recent builds!
The JUÁREZ CRUZ family.
Jeimy and her son Emmanuel Lainez Juarez, 2 years old. She’s is a single mom and the daughter of the local pastor. Jeimy is an entrepreuner and has a small business selling used clothing to her neighbors.
Jeimy’s parents agreed to give her part of the family’s land so she would ask to build a space for herself and her son.
Plumbing, if any, is outdoors.
The homes are built on family land, where ever it might be. Often it is difficult to get to and to build upon.
This is definitely a post close to our hearts. Stonewood is happy to share that this year, we have supported St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital by purchasing artwork from the ABC’s of Cancer project. Patients at St. Jude’s selected words to match each letter of the alphabet. The words they selected represent their interpretations based on their personal battles with cancer. After creating the ABC’s, the children made magnificent pieces of art to go along with their interpretation of the letter.
Stonewood is thankful we had the opportunity to sponsor the letter “C”, which to Roman, the 8 year old artist, represents CURE!!! We could not think of a better letter and word to select. Roman won us over!
We are pleased to share with you this one-of-a-kind piece of art and cannot wait to have a copy of it hung in our office! We will be praying for Roman, and praying for a CURE!
Dutch Girl Chronicle made a visit to Stonewood’s 2016 Artisan Home and shared her experience with all of her readers! She’s a Minnesota blogger that brings her topics to life; she can make you laugh, make you smile, and you can find yourself often being able to relate to her quotes and personal experiences. Take a look at how her visit to one of Stonewood’s custom homes went!
Click HERE!
Stonewood was featured in the 2017 February issue of Lighting & Decor magazine! Editor-in-Chief Nicole Bowling said, “Smart homes incorporate technology but are also designed thoughtfully, efficiently, and with a multifunctional slant”. Stonewood’s custom home on Casco Point proved to have all the necessary goods to land it as the ‘Last Look’ feature in the recent issue.
The home features Smart Technology through a main control system, Savant. Lighting, blinds, music, television; all this can be controlled from an iPhone or iPad. In the kitchen, homeowners can enjoy coffee just the way they like it with a programmable Miele built-in coffee maker. Lastly, a separate vacuum system including a hand-held vacuum that rests in a specific disguised compartment of the counter, as well as a floor vacuum, make for easy clean up!
The Stonewood ‘Last Look’ feature is on Page 48!
Here’s a fun aerial shot of a couple of homes on Tonkawa road in Orono on North Arm bay of Lake Minnetonka. From the left, a Mediterranean style home that was featured in the Luxury home tour, then a rustic mountain home also featured in the Luxury home tour, next a hole in the ground that is soon to be a mountain modern home to be completed early summer 2017. That makes makes 11 homes built by Stonewood on North Arm Bay!
North Arm Retreat, of Orono, Minn., is a Best in American Living Award Platinum winner for One-of-a-Kind Custom or Spec Home 6,001 – 8,000 square feet. It’s also our Home of the Week!
The cottage-style Craftsman exterior with cedar-shake siding, rustic, reclaimed barn timbers and handmade cement tiles and countertops add unique architectural accents to this home.
Gorgeously crafted warehouse style doors open to a climate-controlled wine room. A Marvin bi-folding door with Phantom Screen opens the sunroom to the outdoors.
This five-bedroom, six-bath home also features white-oak hardwood floors and lofted ladders in the children’s suites. Other amenities include a 566- square-foot art studio, boathouse with cantilevered deck and a three-car garage. Read more…
Judges’ Comments: “Nice big windows…for a traditional house it’s all decked out with contemporary on the inside | The roof pulls it together well. Love the white rooms with black doors and trim.”
Architect/Designer | Alexander Design Group
Builder | Stonewood, LLC
Interior Designer | Studio M Interiors
Photography | Spacecrafting
This is what really gets us excited. Fingers dark with graphite. Layers of trace paper. Ideas that exist more in our mind than on paper but that come to life through conversation, sketching, wadded up discarded drafts, then… it starts to feel right. A great week of seeing dreams become real.
Please think of Stonewood when voting for the 2017 Best of Lake Minnetonka Awards.
All you have to do is vote for a minimum of 5 categories, and when you get to BUILDER, select the bubble for STONEWOOD! Less than two weeks until voting is closed- we’d appreciate the support!
Click HERE to be taken to the survey. Thanks!
This is a fun article about dedicated spaces designed specifically for the unique needs of our clients. From built-in bunk beds on a 3rd level, to a kid friendly craft room, we’ve done some pretty fun spaces.
Click the image for the full article.
Turn the page, and you’ll find some great info on our good friend Gus Rubio of Gabriel builders – one of our partners in the NAHB Builder 20 High Ender’s program. Gus is one of the finest builders in the nation. Check out his website: www.gabrielbuilders.com
It’s fair to say Stonewood had another great year! Nine more families were able to move into their custom dream house, and can now make lasting memories and call it “home.” The 9 homes built were located throughout Minnesota: Orono, Wayzata, White Bear, Dellwood and Lakeville.
Two of our clients this year shared some fun photos of their first Christmas in their new home!
The Stonewood team has been working hard and we made it a point to find some time for “Team Bonding” and FUN! This year, the company went on the annual pheasant hunting trip and also tried something new- The Esacpe Room! All of the Stonewood employees were locked in a room and given an hour to diffuse the ‘bomb’. It was amazing to see everyone contribute and brainstorm to solve different puzzles, and we diffused the bomb with time to spare. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
We are currently working on several more projects and have some amazing and unique homes that will be completed in 2017! We wish our clients, subcontractors, friends and family a wonderful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year!
If you haven’t had a chance yet, take a look at the December Issue of Professional Builder Magazine. Stonewood had a project featured in one of the articles, highlighting the custom finish work in the kitchen and the beautiful landscape at our project titled, ‘Stubbs Bay Custom Cottage’.
You can view the online editorial here: Professional Builder December Online Magazine. Scroll to Page 54!
Stonewood’s 2016 Fall Parade of Homes house is featured in great detail today over at the Home Bunch blog. Click any of the photos below to be taken to Additional Photos and Selection Details that provide a lovely recap of this cozy lake cottage.
We are in the holiday spirit and want to share one thing we are really THANKFUL for this year… our employees!
We added a new tab to our website where you can put a face with a name and learn a bit more about the Stonewood team. Each and every person working at Stonewood plays a very important role and our company wouldn’t be where it is at today without them.
To see their smiling faces, swing on over to the “About” page on our website and click “The Stonewood Team” (Or, take shortcut and click HERE!)
It’s the last weekend of the 2016 Fall Parade of homes. Our home in Orono is fantastic. It’s really, really fabulous. Just terrific. (Maybe we have been watching the political debates a bit too closely…). It really is a special home and worth a visit. Stop out this weekend and take a look.
Visit Paradeofhomes.org for more info
Nestled on Lake Minnetonka, this custom cottage is colorful and cozy. The home includes a split master with his/hers master bedrooms, closets and bathrooms. Upstairs, the office features vaulted ceilings, custom cabinetry and lake views while a bonus room down the hall includes built-in bunk beds and extra living space. The lower level provides entertainment space with an exercise room, pool table, poker table, two bars and a sunken media pit with theatre seating. Special features such as French bleed hickory floors, copper gutters, copper flower boxes and a cantilevered deck on the lakeshore make this home one-of-a-kind.
We are approaching the final weekend for the 2016 Artisan Home Tour and trust us when we say, ‘You don’t want to miss the opportunity to see inside Stonewood’s Artisan Home!” The spectacular 6,600 square foot house on Lake Minnetonka is truly one-of-a-kind.
There are so many unique details we could go on and on but we’ll pick a select few to share and leave the rest for visitors to experience in person!
Below are a few ‘Sneak Peak’ photos to give you a taste of what you can see this Friday, the 24th through Sunday, the 26th during the Artisan Home Tour. Swing by between Noon and 6pm to tour this beautiful Stonewood home. (House No.16 in the Guide Book)
The home address is:
3928 Cherry Ave, Orono MN 55364
Tickets can be purchased at the tour home, Bachman’s, Holiday Station Stores or online at ArtisanHomeTourTickets.
We are excited to share with you a glimpse of eight Stonewood homes that are currently under construction. The location of the homes stretches from Deephaven to White Bear Lake, Minnesota. The styles of the homes vary- Mountain Modern, Farmhouse Chic, Lakeside Cottage- no two homes are alike. Check out the photos and descriptions below!
Douglas Fir Timbers, Steel Framing and Floor-to-Ceiling Marvin Windows at a Mountain Modern home being built on Lake Minnetonka.
Custom Stone Siding at a home being built on Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis.
Beautiful custom carpentry gives this ‘Den’ a Cathedral feel at a home in White Bear. Keep an eye out for another progress update of this room!
The exterior of this Stonewood home on Lake Minnetonka is ready for paint!
Douglas Fir Timber Beams await staining and distressing in this beautiful home located in Deephaven.
This home will not only be gorgeous inside and out, it will have gorgeous views of Lake Minnetonka.
Another Stonewood progress photo of a home on Lake Minnetonka. The Marvin bi-fold doors sure will open up to a beautiful view!
A sneak peak into the 2016 Artisan Tour House. A few finishing touches remain before it’s open to the public beginning Friday, June 10th.
