River + Ranch Magazine - Volume 9: Issue 2 April/May 2026

THE DESIGNER

Discover Meadowlark Crossing, Bismarck’s newest 55+ residential community, featuring luxury single-level homes designed for comfort and convenience. Enjoy abundant natural light, first-floor owner’s suites, and private outdoor courtyards, perfect for relaxing and enjoying the fresh spring air.

Residents will also enjoy a welcoming clubhouse with a fitness center, pool, and pickleball court, offering plenty of ways to stay active and connected.

Now accepting homesite reservations.

Reserve early to secure your ideal location, take advantage of introductory pricing, and become one of the first members of this vibrant new community.

Visit the Model Home

4501 Silbernagel Dr, Bismarck, ND

Open Tuesday–Thursday | 2–4 PM or by appointment

AWARD-WINNING QUALITY. LOCALLY OWNED FOR OVER 35 YEARS. Second Generation builder with long lasting relationships with local sub contractors

“Working with Lisa and the whole Spaces staff took the stress out of building our new home Lisa spent the time to get to know our tastes. She helped us pick out all our finishes and furniture and then installed all of it. We are thrilled with the final product that perfectly reflects our aesthetic.”

-Debbie

“Working with Lisa is an absolute joy. She treats you more like a friend than just a customer. Lisa brings a mix of talent, creativity, and genuine fun to every project. She doesn’t impose a style on you. Suggestions she makes feel personal and perfectly aligned with your vision. Lisa has a gift for transforming “Spaces” into places you love to live in.”

- Mike and Sue

RIVER

+ RANCH MAGAZINE

Volume 9: Issue 2

River + Ranch Magazine is a collaborative effort to showcase the creativity and design of the West. The two publishers of Bismarck Magazine decided to embark on a new adventure and create a different magazine focusing on design, art, and western living.

Publishers

Layout Editor

Copy Editor

Contributors

Cover Image

Advertising

Hannah Haynes hannah@bismarck-magazine.com

Caroline Crary

caroline@bismarck-magazine.com

Jenna Kluting

Jennifer Kranz

Maria Brezny

Melanie Sioux Photography

Caroline Crary

caroline@bismarck-magazine.com

River + Ranch Magazine Corporation, Copyright 2018 River + Ranch and riverandranchmagazine.com. All rights reserved. This periodical cannot be reproduced without the written permission of River + Ranch Magazine. River + Ranch Magazine will not be held responsible for any errors found in the magazine. Bismarck Magazine Corporation accepts no liability for statements made by advertisers.

RIVER +

RANCH TEAM

The Design Issue

Timeless by Design

The Making of Home

Understated Elegance

Designing Outside-the-Box

Designer Features

Elegance

LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHERS

There is something deeply personal about the spaces we create. A home is more than walls, finishes, and furnishings; it is a reflection of the people who live there, the lives they are building, and the stories they want their spaces to tell.

In this special Designer Issue of River + Ranch Magazine, we step inside the homes of several talented designers who are shaping the aesthetic of our region. Rather than simply showcasing their professional work, this issue offers a glimpse into something even more meaningful—their own spaces. The homes featured in these pages reveal the styles they love most, the pieces they hold onto, and the thoughtful details that make their houses truly feel like home. Seeing where designers live is always fascinating because it tells you so much about who they are.

We also hear from other incredible designers across our community who share their insights for creating beautiful spaces.

What stands out most in this issue is the passion these designers have for their craft.

Design is not simply about trends; it’s about helping people create spaces where life unfolds. It’s about understanding how a home should feel, not just how it should look.

We hope this issue inspires you to see your home with fresh eyes and reminds you that great design begins with authenticity and intention.

Sincerely,

Hannah Haynes + Caroline Crary

STRUCTURAL

TIMELESS by design

STORY BY MARIA BREZNY | PHOTOS BY MELANIE SIOUX PHOTOGRAPHY

High-end interior design incorporates impactful choices, layering of elements, and careful consideration of function. Design is exciting because it necessarily changes to fit the person, so no two projects, homes, or rooms are the same. Lori Malloy, interior designer for Decorating Den Interiors, loves the variety of clients she takes on, helping them with everything from accent pieces to full home interior design. Everything she offers her clients she tests first in her own home to ensure a smooth process and high-quality end product.

Lori’s personal home was built almost 30 years ago, but the classic elements of her home keep the design timeless. Natural light floods the home from large windows finished with inviting drapery, while a traditional layout creates a warm, welcoming atmosphere. The details of Lori’s design complement this atmosphere both in look and function.

After a challenging remodel in 2018, Lori was inspired to open her own interior design company to provide the area’s homeowners with a smooth, high-quality experience when doing interior design. She purchased the franchise Decorating Den Interiors and now has access to over 200 suppliers all with different styles and price points. Lori specializes in furnishings, providing help with everything from upholstery to lighting to artwork. “After the house is finished, that’s

when you call me,” she explains. Whether you need a new sofa or an entire home redesign, Lori has the resources and expertise to accomplish any project.

Whatever style her client wants, Lori can execute, from modern trends to timeless classics. However, there are some trademarks of her work that make her projects stand out every time. “I like old things. I like new things. I love fabric and texture. I like layering, so when you look at something, your eye has the chance to see all those different things,” Lori describes. “I don’t think a home is complete without drapery. It’s like leaving the house without mascara on.” Intentionality, creativity, hard work, and expertise go into every single one of Lori’s projects.

During the design process, Lori likes to meet people in their homes, not only to see the home first-hand, but also to observe how they live day to day. “I always say, don’t clean your house, don’t put all your stuff away because I need to see how you live,” she explains. Her ideas for the home come from the client, whether it is expressed verbally or more subtly. The unique pattern of each home inspires all Lori’s design choices. “That’s my job,” she explains. “The home should function well. Furniture should fit the client. It should fit their lifestyle and their pet’s lifestyle.” The joy of interior design comes from solving the oneof-a-kind puzzle that is each individual project.

While Lori considers her home “a lab” for her business, the design also reflects many of her personal favorite styles. The home is warm, inviting, and bright with timeless choices that

avoid trends while remaining current. Lori uses intentional layering to achieve a dynamic setting in the different spaces of the home which creates interesting movement without overwhelming the senses. Blends of patterns and textures are complementary to one another in furniture, wallpaper, accessories, flooring, and more.

Over the years, one of the rooms in Lori’s home that has undergone the most change is the living room. The large stone fireplace wasn’t wired for a TV when it was built, so many iterations of the living room with various pieces of furniture have come and gone to determine the best arrangement that accommodates a TV. Finally, Lori discovered a TV that could be mounted higher up but pulled down to eye level for use. “That took me 20 years to figure out,” jokes Lori.

One thing that hasn’t changed since the home was built is the wood flooring. Lori loves the timelessness of wood, and the different tones and textures within the planks weathers the years well, never needing to be redone. The only room with carpet in the home is the primary. Every other floor is wood, besides the wet areas with tiling. “It lasts forever, and it’s timeless,” she explains.

Timeless encapsulates the feeling of Lori’s work. Intentional design is irreplaceable in curating spaces that feel both welcoming and high-end. Her expertise lends itself beautifully to the design of stunning spaces, no matter the style or lifestyle she is working with.

THE MAKING of home

STORY BY MARIA BREZNY | PHOTOS BY MELANIE SIOUX PHOTOGRAPHY

Lisa Bohrer, owner of Spaces, is known for her incredible ability to curate a beautiful and meaningful space for her clients. Each of her projects takes into account the story of the people who will live there. But perhaps no project has been more meaningful than the design, construction, and finishing of the home she built with her husband Richard, a testament to the power of place, memory, love, and hope.

Lisa and Richard first met in 1992. After a brief period of dating, the two separated, realizing they both needed time to grow as individuals. Still, they remained best friends, working together, traveling together, and spending free time together. They valued their friendship too highly to risk losing it, so 13 years passed as just friends.

In March of 2005, Richard took Lisa out to celebrate her birthday. He had a cake delivered to their table which Lisa thought said ‘Happy Birthday,’ until he prompted her to look more closely. To her shock, it said, ‘Will you marry me?’ “It’s like those Hallmark movies,” Lisa describes. “He was the type of person who was going to go big.”

They married less than five months later. To their surprise, Lisa got pregnant immediately with their only son, Ryan. “I think that was God’s way of allowing us to have a baby,” she shares, because only four months into their marriage, Richard was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer. During visits to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, the couple received two devastating diagnoses; Richard only had five more years to live, and they would not be able to have more children.

Despite the bleak prognosis, Richard fought for 14 years. “One of the reasons why he kept fighting was, first, he had this baby he wanted to see grow, and then whenever he was starting to get a little in a funk, I would say, let’s do the next big thing on your bucket list,” explains Lisa. The first project Richard hoped to complete was an office building for his architectural firm which was constructed in Downtown Bismarck in 2007. He encouraged Lisa to open her own interior design studio, Spaces, and move into the same building as him, which she did in 2011. “He was my biggest cheerleader. And I was his,” she shares. With their two businesses under one roof, the couple saw each other all day, every day.

The next major personal project Richard hoped to complete was building a home. “Building our home was his dream,” Lisa explains. “I wanted to remodel.” Their first home was small, so building a new home meant they could better accommodate their friends and family when hosting and entertaining. “The house was built to be filled with people,” she explains.

That decision was one of the only ones the two fully agreed on together when designing the house. “We didn’t argue much, but we had a lot of disagreements on the floor plan,” Lisa recalls. “He saw everything very cut and dry, and I saw everything- the texture, the color, the details.”

After nine months of developing the floor plan, they broke ground in April of 2019. Acting as their own general contractor, they did much of the manual work themselves. Richard installed the hardwood floor, among other projects, while Lisa handled all the painting and trimwork.

As a professional designer, Lisa made most of the interior design decisions, but still compromised on details, such as the groin vault ceiling Richard wanted that was installed in the foyer and hallway. “It blends classic elegance with a modern style,” she describes. “He put what he wanted, I put what I wanted, and we made it all come together.”

Structurally, it was important to Lisa to build in a timeless style that would survive the era it was built in. Where current fashion comes more into play is in the furniture and decor. “I own a furniture store,” she says, “so my artwork changes regularly. This is my second set of furniture. I just decide I want something new, and I sell it and get something new.”

The couple poured countless hours into the design and construction of their home. “This house was built with a lot of love,” tells Lisa. Richard and the civil engineer spent a lot of time placing the home during the design process. “Now, I have the best sunsets, and in the morning, I have the best outdoor coffee nook. After we moved in, we would sit out there all the time together,” she recalls.

After eight months of construction, their family moved in on December 19th, 2019, and they hosted a Christmas party just five days later on

Christmas Eve, fulfilling their dream that the house would be full of people. However, the construction and move marked a turning point in Richard’s health. “[His] health maintained really, really well until we started building the house,” says Lisa. “This was one of the last items on his bucket list, and I think he was just tired of fighting.”

On a Tuesday in late September 2020, Richard left work early, feeling sick. On his way home, he stopped at Cashman Nursery to buy Lisa a topiary lilac tree. “When he started the landscaping, he said, ‘What do you want?’ she recalls. “I said, ‘I don’t care, I do the inside, you do the out, but I just want one of those lilac trees,’ and he bought that the night before he got sick.” The next morning, Lisa brought her husband to the ER. He asked her to call

his work and let them know he would be in at noon. He never spoke again after that. “Mayo always told me that when the disease took over, it was going to take over like the devil, and it really did,” says Lisa. Richard passed away just a few days later. “He passed before he saw the house finished, before the landscape was finished,” she says. “It breaks my heart, but he’s here.”

The abrupt end to Richard’s life left Lisa without a chance to prepare, mentally, emotionally, or practically. “I didn’t even have the chance to mourn, I was just thrown in,” she describes. “Here I had a new house that I barely knew how to live in. I didn’t even have grass. I had a little boy. I had a staff that needed me. I had an architectural firm that I had to figure out. He had fifteen projects I had to finish

up… [but] I’ve continued on like you have to. Richard was a fun, happy guy. His laugh was contagious. So anytime we were sad, I would say, Dad wouldn’t want us to be sad, we have to laugh.”

Now, six years later, Lisa is ready to move forward in a more tangible way. With her son Ryan at college and out of the house, the home feels too big for just her. “This house is meant to be filled with people,” she emphasizes. “I don’t know for sure my next chapter, but the house is ready for its next chapter.” She hopes to see a new family move into the home she and her husband cherished, and she looks forward to her next project. “The next chapter for the house will probably be a new family,” she says, “and the next chapter for Lisa is a new house to make beautiful.”

ELEGANCE understated

STORY BY MARIA BREZNY | PHOTOS BY MELANIE SIOUX PHOTOGRAPHY

Self-taught and passionate, Alexa Kingery carved her own space in the interior design world. Experience in her early years taught her the joys of the building industry while working for her father Gerry Rudnick, owner of Rudnick Construction, while a decision to move to Minneapolis to do home staging revealed her innate talent for the craft of interior design. “I loved it,” she describes. “It was so fun. I felt like it was the first time I actually enjoyed my job.” About three years ago, Alexa made the move back to Bismarck, knowing she had a unique opportunity to establish herself as an interior designer for the area. She began by designing her own home, built by her father, then began taking on other Rudnick Construction designs, slowly expanding her portfolio, making connections, and now regularly designs homes for multiple builders through her business Alexa Kingery Interiors.

BY:

Despite not having a formal education in interior design, Alexa’s designs are intentional, elevated, and perceptive. Growing up, Alexa spent a lot of time helping her dad with various aspects of his projects and is very comfortable with the building process. “I feel like it’s in my blood,” she says. To round out her natural talent and experience, Alexa took a few courses to learn how to produce renderings for her clients. With that step, Alexa is able to help with any sized project, from choosing artwork for a room to helping design a home from the ground up.

If you are looking at a more intensive project, either remodeling or building, Alexa encourages you to involve a designer from the start. “I love meeting with people at the very beginning,” she says. “When you know you want to build, reach out to the designer because I’ve changed a lot of the plans, architecturally even, to function better, so it’s easier when the designer gets involved right away.” From the initial meeting, Alexa begins to learn her client’s style and vision, helping steer them towards a design that feels timeless, elevated, and comfortable.

Alexa is passionate about interior design and the European style inspiration behind most of her designs. “I truly love it,” she says. “I’ve been really lucky with really awesome clients so far. The builders have been really great. It’s been really fun so far.” The results of Alexa’s involvement speak for themselves, and since moving back to Bismarck, she has experienced increasing interest in her work. Alexa’s style combines understated elegance with everyday practicality for a space that looks refined but feels lived in. “You want it to feel like people actually live there,” she explains.

Alexa’s personal home is a prime example of how European inspired design creates an incredible style that is timeless. “I truly believe when you go toward that European look, it’s never going to go out of style. Those natural materials, plaster, marble, unlacquered brass have been around for hundreds of years,” she describes.

Many of these natural design elements are present throughout the interior of Alexa’s home. Plaster, brass, wood, marble, and natural light permeate the home. While neutral tones dominate the color palette, the occasional pops of color bring life to different rooms. For example, in her daughter’s bedroom, a pink accent wall, half-wood, half-wallpaper, is a fun accent to the rest of the room. Feminine and delicate, the room is perfect for a young girl.

Each room in Alexa’s personal home is carefully designed, with natural elements that will stand the test of time, lending a warmth and an elegance to her home for years to come. No matter the project, Alexa knows how to highlight the best of a home while accommodating the lifestyle of its inhabitants, designing an intentional, refined, and warm space.

DESIGNINGoutside-the-box

STORY BY MARIA BREZNY | PHOTOS BY MELANIE SIOUX PHOTOGRAPHY

From a young age, Amber Flick fell in love with home projects and interior design. Her parents were constantly working on a new home project, and she loved helping along the way, whether that was painting, roofing, or something in between. Her mom often took her thrifting and rummaging, inspiring her love of both, and her dad as a business owner sparked her entrepreneurial spirit. Throughout her childhood, Amber constantly redid her bedroom, curating new themes, changing her bedding and wall color.

With this background, Amber’s passion for interior design was ignited, and she always harbored a desire to pursue it as a career.

However, when the time came to choose a major in college, she went with graphic design instead. While still an outlet for her creativity, nevertheless, she found herself drawn to the interior design world.

To give herself experience, Amber took various jobs in interior decor retail, before moving back to North Dakota and working for Interiors by Design. Over her nine years there, she learned the practical processes and skills needed for interior design. After that, she took a job managing Kirkland’s, where she discovered a market of people wanting help with interior design at different price points. That inspired her to open her own business, A to Z Decorating, and offer her interior design services at an affordable price.

Whether you are looking for help utilizing your existing decor, you want guidance on how to incorporate new decor with your current decor, or you want a total refresh of your home’s design, Amber loves to bring her out-of-the-box thinking to any project.

“Starting A To Z Decorating is like a dream come true… to me it’s more important than just bringing all the new stuff,” explains Amber. Her process often begins by sitting with her client and going through everything they have, helping them clean and organize, then think through what their redesign could look like.

Creating lasting relationships with her clients is one of the greatest joys of Amber’s work. “The relationship with the clients is the most important thing because they are bringing you into their home, and then you become friends and family,” she describes. This personal relationship gives Amber better insight into both the aesthetic and the functional design, allowing her to design a space tailored to her client. “When doing this, you have to be a chameleon and listen to everyone else,” she describes. “Do and give them what they can’t even see, building them magic out of nothing.”

In her personal home, Amber’s personality is on display. “Everyone knows I love Paris,” she says. “Everyone knows I am a little over the top. I would say [my personal style is] a French country style.” Blacks and neutral tones rule the color palette with bold fabrics like tuft or damask bringing a dramatic yet feminine flair. Another personal favorite of Amber’s, nailhead furniture, can be seen throughout the home, in the dining room, bedrooms, office, and more.

Never one to follow trends, Amber prefers to lean into what design aesthetic makes her or her clients happy. Intentional, well-crafted design is what makes a home feel timeless, but above all, she wants her clients to truly feel like their house is a home. “If you feel comfortable in your own home, that’s a big deal,” she says.

designer spotlight:

BRIDGET GERHARDT

How many years have you been in the industry?

I started my business here in Bismarck 24 years ago. It’s amazing to look back and see how much the industry has changed over the years, but the heart behind what I do has always stayed the same, creating spaces that truly reflect the people who live in them. Being able to build a business and relationships in this community for nearly three decades has been incredibly meaningful to me.

Your work feels incredibly personal and layered. How do you pour your heart into a project while still elevating it to that high-end, luxurious level that feels completely unique to this area?

I don’t approach design as something performative or trendy; it’s very real and very personal to me. I care deeply about every project we take on, and I think that emotion naturally finds its way into the work.

I love layering textures, materials, and pieces that feel curated rather than expected. Luxury, to me, isn’t about being flashy. It’s about thoughtfulness and detail. When everything is chosen with purpose, the result feels elevated, yet personal and authentic to the client and their lifestyle.

When you’re designing for a client, how do you tap into their emotions and translate that sensitivity into a home?

Design is very emotional. A home should make you feel something the moment you walk in the door. I spend time getting to know my clients, how they live, what inspires them, what makes them feel comfortable and at peace.

From there, the design becomes a reflection of those emotions. It might be the warmth of certain materials, the way a space flows for gathering, or small details that hold meaning to them. When you design with that level of understanding, the home feels truly theirs.

Over your long and successful career, what makes you most proud?

Without a doubt, the people. I’m incredibly proud of the team we’ve built. I truly love the people I get to work alongside every day. They care deeply about what we do and about our clients, and that kind of passion is really special. Seeing that collaboration come to life in each project is something I’m truly grateful for.

I’m also incredibly thankful for the relationships we’ve formed with our clients over the years. Many of them have trusted us with their homes time and time again, and that trust means everything. At the end of the day, it’s not just about the design, it’s about the people behind it.

designer spotlight:

JEAN HOLWAGNER

PHOTOS PROVIDED

SUBMITTED

How many years have you been in the industry?

I opened my interior design company while living in Missoula in 2001, so 24 years. You’re known for creating homes that feel completely personal to the client and true to the architecture — not stamped with a recognizable “designer look.” How do you immerse yourself in a home’s era and a homeowner’s personality to ensure the final result feels authentic rather than styled?

After 24 years in this industry, I’ve learned that authenticity comes from listening before designing. I spend time understanding the architecture as well as the people who will live there. I ask about who they are as a family, what they love, what feels like home to them, and even the places they have traveled. When you understand both the bones of the house and the soul of the family, the design unfolds naturally. The result isn’t a “look”; it’s a layered, personal story that feels timeless and completely theirs.

Many designers are known for a signature aesthetic, yet your strength is adaptability. How do you balance creative expression with restraint so the homeowner — not the designer — remains the story of the space?

Over the years, I’ve learned that great design isn’t about leaving my signature on a space; it’s about bringing out the homeowner’s story. I use my experience to guide, edit, and refine, but I stay mindful that the home should reflect the client, not me. I’m constantly asking, “Is this about the client, or is this about me?” When I listen carefully and design with intention, the result feels natural, personal, and authentic — never forced or overly styled. Over your long and successful career, what makes you most proud?

What makes me most proud is building a career that allowed me to be fully present as a wife & mom to my two wonderful children while still pursing work that I love. The flexibility of this profession gave me the gift of balancing family and creativity. I’m also incredibly grateful of work relationships I’ve built; many clients have become lifelong friends. Designing homes means being invited to a client’s most personal space, and I do not take that for granted. It’s a privilege to create spaces that bring happiness to my clients as well as myself.

designer spotlight:

MAREN AHNEMAN

PHOTOS BY MELANIE SIOUX PHOTOGRAPHY

How many years have you been in the industry?

I’ve only been working in the residential design industry for about a year since graduating from North Dakota State University with my bachelor’s in interior design. I’ve always been drawn to interior design and architecture. When growing up, I loved playing online home-building simulation games and would spend hours at my parents’ computer designing houses and imagining different spaces. That curiosity naturally evolved into a passion for residential design.

As a young designer working with one of the most respected builders in our area, how are you finding your own creative voice while still honoring the company’s signature style and standards?

I was so thrilled to join Big River Builders because I felt my design style aligned with their signature aesthetic. I’m drawn to timeless, elegant interiors with natural materials, layered textures, and clean lines, qualities that Big River does beautifully. Working with their established aesthetic has actually helped me refine my own creative voice. It allows me to contribute fresh ideas while still honoring the quality, craftsmanship, and elegant style that Big River is known for.

What excites you most about being a part of the designing process for homes at this stage in your career, and how do you hope to leave your mark on the homes you’re helping to create for clients today?

The part that excites me most about the design process is seeing a vision come to life and watching clients light up with joy and love their home just as much as I do. Every client has a different lifestyle and vision, so it is rewarding being able to translate that into their space. At this stage in my career, I am still constantly growing and learning. I hope to leave my mark by inserting my own personal touch into these homes but also making them unique to each homeowner.

Although your career is just starting, what makes you most proud of what you have accomplished?

I am incredibly proud and lucky to be able to start my career working alongside such a talented team at Big River Builders. I remember telling myself that it would be a dream to work for them, and here I am living it! Being trusted to help guide clients through important design decisions early in my career has been incredibly rewarding. Each project has helped me grow as a designer, and I’m proud to be contributing to homes that families will live in and enjoy for many years.

SHANNON KOSKI designer spotlight:

PHOTOS PROVIDED

How many years have you been in the industry, and what inspired you to become a designer?

I’ve been immersed in the industry for well over a decade now, but my love for design started long before that. For me, designing wasn’t just a career decisionl; it’s a natural extension of who I am. I’ve always felt like I see possibilities where others see limitations. What inspired me to design professionally wasn’t just the aesthetics, but the transformation. I’m passionate about taking what feels underwhelming and elevating it into something extraordinary and deeply personal.

You’re incredibly skilled at working across a wide range of budgets. When you walk into a project, how do you instinctively determine where a client will get the greatest return — both visually and functionally — and where it’s wiser to scale back?

One of the greatest advantages of having a background in real estate and design is that I naturally look at every project through two lenses: design impact and long term value. I believe in investing where the eye naturally lands and where daily life happens most. Thoughtful details in cabinetry, lighting and layout flow can elevate the entire experience of the space. At the same time, I’m intentional about where to scale back. Not every surface needs to be the hero. Some elements simply need to be clean and supportive rather than statement making. Experience teaches you that not everything needs to be the focal point. The magic is knowing what does.

You’ve worked in both commercial and residential spaces. How does your creative process shift between designing for a business environment versus someone’s personal home, and what do you find most energizing (or challenging) about each?

Designing commercial and residential spaces requires a different mindset, but the foundation of my process remains the same. In residential design, the work is deeply personal. You’re creating the backdrop of someone’s daily life. The emotional layer is stronger, and sometimes listening is just as important as designing. What I find most energizing is translating someone’s personality into a space that feels entirely theirs.

In commercial design, on the other hand, it’s about designing for functionality, brand identity and flow–often all at once. It requires a sharper focus on efficiency and durability without sacrificing aesthetics.

Over your long and successful career that lead you to this latest phase, what makes you most proud?

What makes me the most proud isn’t just the beautiful spaces; it’s the trust. Clients rely on me to shape their homes or businesses–the places where their families grow, gather and evolve.  They’re trusting me with a part of their story, and that’s something I never take lightly.

Over the years, I have built my career on that trust. When a client walks into a finished space and feels truly seen, that’s the purpose behind everything I do.

SOMMER JACOB designer spotlight:

PHOTOS PROVIDED

SUBMITTED

How many years have you been in the industry?

Over the past two decades, I’ve built businesses and led strategic design work that spans brand development and spatial environments. My path into interior design wasn’t traditional. Rather, it evolved naturally from entrepreneurship and business strategy.

As I worked with founders to define brands and build environments for their companies, I began to see how deeply space impacts behavior, clarity, and function. Interior design became a natural extension of that work.

You’re known for diving deep into research and layering meaningful details into your designs. What does your research process look like, and how does it translate into a home that feels intentional rather than trend-driven?

I don’t begin with trends. I begin with understanding. My research process starts with how the space is used: movement patterns, daily rituals, light exposure, and friction points. I look at architectural bones, proportion, material longevity, and emotional tone before selecting finishes or furnishings. By grounding design decisions in function and structure first, the final space feels intentional rather than trend-driven. Aesthetic layering becomes the finishing step — not the foundation.

SUBMITTED

Once you’ve uncovered a direction, how do you build a cohesive theme that feels both imaginative and personal to the space?

Once direction is uncovered, I define a clear design narrative — not a theme, but a structural framework that guides every decision. That framework considers proportion, flow, material integrity, and long-term functionality before aesthetic layering begins. Cohesion comes from disciplined restraint and repetition, not excess.

What energizes me most are the intelligent details layered within that structure. I listen carefully for friction points clients may not fully articulate — patterns in their questions, hesitations, or daily habits. Those moments often reveal opportunities to improve how the space truly functions.

Over your long and successful career that lead you to this latest phase, what makes you most proud?

I’m most proud of the evolution. Across every phase of my career — business development, brand strategy, and now interior design — the common thread has been helping people live and operate more intentionally. This latest chapter feels aligned because it integrates everything I’ve learned: entrepreneurship, structure, psychology, aesthetics, and strategic thinking.

Design, at its best, creates clarity. And clarity changes how we experience both our businesses and our homes

Custom Elegance

Highly-crafted custom stonework effortlessly blends into a home while making a statement. Under the expert guidance of a team like Coldspring Stoneyard, fireplaces, countertops, and backsplash can be customized to match any style while being simultaneously elevated as an eye-catching focal point. Designing this home’s custom stonework brought together some of the most talented people in the region for a stunning end result.

Shannon Koski, owner and designer of Studio One Designs, was hired as the designer on this custom home project, and when it came to custom stonework, she knew Coldspring Stoneyard was the right choice. “[Their] responsiveness and professionalism always makes the entire process effortless from a designer’s perspective,” she describes. “They’re also the only supplier who carries this mantle profile I love designing with which gave this fireplace the timeless architectural presence the space deserved.”

The fireplace is placed in an elegant cast stone surround with a natural stone overmantel veneer reaching to the ceiling. The natural stone bricks are made in even cuts moving horizontally. “It has a lot of character and rustic aspects, but because

everything is so clean cut, it comes out very modern,” describes James Madsen, assistant sales manager at Coldspring. The fireplace itself is a new Mendota gas fireplace. “The two crisscross logs in the front actually lay on the burner so the flame wraps around the logs realistically,” explains Wayne McMahen, fireplace sales technician at Coldspring. White oak logs were chosen to match the light and bright style of the stone and home’s overall style.

In the kitchen, the team at Coldspring installed the backsplash behind the stove and provided the slabs for the countertop. The stone is Taj Mahal, a natural quartzite from Brazil. The stone comes in different textures and hues, but is unmistakable.

On a sidewall facing the river, the same stonework that makes up the fireplace creates an eye-catching accent wall.

The custom stonework in this home elevates their spaces, blending expert craftsmanship and highquality materials for a design that will stand the test of time.

Crafting Dreams, Building Futures

J.E. Builders’ philosophy is to build homes with a team approach, addressing the client’s wants and needs. We emphasize and achieve practical results in a timely and skillful manner.