This is one of the older houses in Stillwater, built in the late 1800s, with wood-frame exterior and lots of detailed woodwork inside. In the dining room, for example, North Star worked hard, and accurately, to match the intricacy of the trim. They devoted time and attention to this, and did a great job of blending the old and the new, maintaining integrity with the historical details.

My husband and I and the kids stayed in the house during the remodeling, and I was glad because there were so many decisions that came up every day.

We had a few ideas of our own to begin with, and also used a local architect, who sketched out the garage and how it should connect to the house and echo the house’s roofline. So we had a bit of a plan, but the execution was a real team effort.

We consulted a couple of other contractors besides North Star, but went with them because of their reputation; they’re known for their work on kitchens and bathrooms, and our project was a big kitchen remodel, among other things. North Star has a reputation statewide, in fact, plus we talked to people who had used them and were satisfied with the quality of the work. Furthermore, they were just real easy people to work with. They were used to doing changes. They were fast, efficient workers, and yet engaging and kind to us. I always felt safe having my little kids around them. They paid attention to the family as well as the work details.

The garage is great. I use the studio overhead as a workspace. It’s a perfect space for my sewing alterations business. Everybody who sees it oohs and ahs. Who did this? they ask. It has beautiful wood floors. Though the garage is brand new, it does look like an old carriage house, so it echoes the period when the house was originally built. Some people don’t realize the garage is new, it’s such a good adaptation.