We’ve had North Star do three projects for us: first, a kitchen remodeling; second, our big sunroom and new entryway; third, a master bathroom suite. The house was built in 1968, and by 1986, when we moved in, it needed updating.

Our kitchen faces east toward the lake, while the sunroom faces west, toward the sunset. The sunroom is a whole new wing, maybe about 700 square feet, plus a basement underneath for storage and HVAC equipment. My wife was quite a gardener, and she wanted a place to show, and grow, all her plants. The perimeter of the room is tiled, the rest is wood flooring. There’s a wet bar or sink adjacent to the room that services our gardening needs.

On the kitchen project, Carolyn and I looked at three different contractors. When North Star came out and started planning with us, they were very creative. We never needed an architect, because North Star had all these good ideas and they would listen to you.

Their work on the job was very good. There was no profanity on the job. They played their music softly. They cleaned up everything. When they said they would do something, they showed up and did it. They stuck to their schedule, and if they had to leave they'd tell you why. We got real close to them, in fact, and felt like relatives.

The kitchen work was spectacular, especially North Star's creative woodworking. They remodeled it with new ceiling woodwork, matching beautifully what was there. Guests think it must’ve been some old European craftsmen who did it. North Star's carpentry is spectacular.

The sunroom plan was very creative as well as the master suite. Reed Okerstrom was the key guy who came up with some very creative ideas on how visually to use the space.

North Star must be doing things right, because they’re doing a project for my son now.