Lower Level Lovely

2/7/2020

[ Mosaic Design + Build ]

Story by Melanie Iverson
Photography by Penny Burns, Northern Stories

Lower Level Lovely, Mosaic Basement, Mosaic Design and Build, Midwest Nest Magazine

Melanie Iverson, Mosaic Design and Build, Midwest Nest Magazine

As the married couple behind Mosaic Design + Build, James and I are most often working from scratch - knocking out walls or clearing the ground for huge remodels and overhauls. I was delighted when my friends, Cyndy and Mike Skorick, asked me to start on a design to finish their basement. Their beautiful home is nestled back in the comfy coves of Horace, N.D., and as an added bonus, their basement project was already roughed in. When it comes to the design and build process, we love a blank slate.

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Serene & Seamless

The upstairs of Cyndy and Mike’s home is a relaxing mixture of soft blue tones, rich textures, and custom art thoughtfully hung throughout each level. I knew I wanted to bring pops of color into their space, but only in a way that coordinated seamlessly with Cyndy’s iconic style.

Mike is a retired farmer, while Cyndy enjoys her career as the Executive Director at Sanford, among many other hats she wears. Together, we envisioned family, grandchildren, and friends spending time in their space year-round. Despite our cold, dark winters in the Midwest, we all agreed that the basement shouldn’t feel like a cave.

In addition to our vision, we knew that adding the three bedrooms would increase the value of their home and multiply the possibilities for resale - the future of this budding neighborhood, just south of West Fargo, is undoubtedly bright.

Lower Level Lovely, Midwest Nest Magazine

West Coast Inspiration

On a trip to Beverly Hills to visit family, Cyndy was inspired by West Coast design and wanted to find a way to bring some of those elements home to the Midwest. With her travels as inspiration, we determined the color palette and got to work.

From the ceiling down, each detail was carefully planned and installed, with lighting as one of Cyndy's top priorities. We added a number of WAC LED lights that would elevate the value and increase the functionality of their space.

Maximize & Minimize

Wanting to maximize the use of their basement, we designed a custom-built wet bar, floating shelves, and a peninsula that faces coordinating built-ins designed to hide the TV components. In the interest of accentuating the layout, we opted to flip-flop a typical bar direction, and instead have it face the TV and other furniture for better conversation and flow. To finalize the details and minimize the number of fingerprints on the door fronts, we installed champagne bronze finger pulls that offer a Scandinavian feel to the shaker-style cabinet fronts.

Because this is a basement, we opted for durable, waterproof ceramic planks for the main area, bedrooms, and steps from Showcase Floors. Instead of basic stair noses, we gave the steps more personality using champagne bronze metallics.

The bathroom vanity and fixtures reflect the rich navy and gold metallics that are tastefully repeated throughout the home. Our waterproof 12x24-inch flooring in the bathroom was an intentional, warmer alternative to traditional ceramics that can feel much cooler to the touch.

With Cyndy’s exquisite taste, she picked out almost all of her furniture, and I had the pleasure of adding warmth, texture, and decor throughout for final, finishing touches. I was so honored when she wanted a custom art piece I painted in acrylic on canvas; this was hung neatly in her creative zone and office.

Midwest Nest Magazine, Mosaic Design + Build

Meet the Owner: Cyndy & Mike Skorick

“Mosaic Design + Build is an outstanding one-stop for all my design and contracting needs. Melanie’s design and vision fit my personality perfectly. The design and construction process was stress-free and easy to keep track of changes and upgrades. My style and needs were carefully considered and played on the future of our family and home. I am so thrilled with the results and recommend Mosaic Design + Build to all my friends.”