From Lookbook to Living: Wood-Forward Interiors Featuring Cambria Quartz Surfaces Throughout

Stepping into your newly constructed dream home starts with selecting the right home builder. That’s why it’s important to understand the differences in builder types from production to custom. Think of it like shopping for a new outfit. You could buy a great look off the rack available in certain sizes and colors. Or, you could have something made just for you with fewer constraints on material and detail options.

The tradeoff can be efficiency of decision-making through limited options for the creativity of endless possibilities. There are financial, practical, and personality considerations associated with either direction. The custom builder path consists of many more decisions from a wider pool of options. This can be overwhelming for some.

Designers like Julie Biorn at Wooddale Builders, a custom home builder in Minnesota, get to know their clients’ style and tastes to guide them smoothly through the decision-making process. She asks clients to share Pinterest boards and why they chose Wooddale Builders. “We’re known for our millwork and details you won’t get from national firms,” says Biorn, who works to pinpoint the specific design details clients prefer to help them achieve the look and functionality they want in a home.

PRO TIP: COMPILE INSPIRATION IMAGES THAT SHOWCASE YOUR STYLE.

For this project, Biorn’s clients had a clear vision and documented much of it in a binder they shared with her. “That was great,” she says. “Their lookbook showed me instantly what style they wanted,” and served as a North Star for their project planning.

Her clients’ inspiration images helped Biorn determine their style as classic modern. “They like clean lines but nothing ultra modern,” says Biorn. “They were very aware of what the trends are and lean into classics with a modern touch.”

PRO TIP: SELECT A FOCAL POINT LIKE A LARGE KITCHEN ISLAND, GOURMET RANGE, OR A DISTINCTIVE RANGE HOOD.

This kitchen design prioritizes function as well as beauty. Of note are two access points to a prep kitchen or butler’s pantry for easy flow and a main sink located along the wall rather than on the island.

Biorn prefers a full countertop island without a sink to offer more space for food prep and presentation. In this case, an uninterrupted slab of Cambria Everleigh on the island is an expanse of serene beauty that’s visually mirrored in the Cambria backsplash behind the range.

PRO TIP: REQUEST A CABINET DOOR SAMPLE IN YOUR EXACT WOOD SPECIES AND FINISH TO ENSURE IT’S THE LOOK YOU WANT.

She notes her clients’ selection of all wood cabinetry as a little cutting edge in terms of current design trends. It’s white oak with grade variations between the flooring and cabinets. White Oak #2 Common, more typical of flooring, will have more color and grain variance between boards. For a more uniform look, your installer may need to pull individual boards or provide rift-cut oak which has a more consistent grain.

Crown moldings, paneled appliances, and customized routed wood edges that visually tie the home’s cabinet doors with its interior doors are details that differentiate builders like Wooddale.

PRO TIP: DEFINE KITCHEN ZONES BY SHIFTING CABINET PAINT COLORS OR ADDING GLASS PANELS OR OPEN SHELVING FOR DISPLAYING DÉCOR, DISHES, OR GLASSWARE.

The brass wrap on the range hood and gooseneck lighting over the sink were informed by the clients’ lookbook. There is also a lookbook-inspired beverage station set apart by black and glass upper cabinet doors. Biorn says, “All we did was paint inside the trim. That detail makes it a little more special where you can display something beautiful.”

PRO TIP: DEFINE MATERIALS THAT CREATE CONSISTENCY AND FLOW BUT ALLOW YOURSELF TO HAVE SOME FUN WITH DESIGN IN MORE CLOSED-OFF SPACES LIKE BUTLER’S PANTRIES AND POWDER ROOMS.

A practical butler’s pantry is hidden just behind the main kitchen where Biorn’s clients wanted to dial up the design aesthetic. A checkerboard tile floor, blue painted cabinetry, and boldly patterned Cambria quartz countertops bring some unexpected drama to this utilitarian space.

You’ll find more drama in the powder room where Biorn says, “I tell clients to maintain some consistency and flow when designing but that it’s okay for some areas to be a little bit quirky. The powder room is a great place to do that and this really works. It has its own touch of character.”

White oak cabinetry and flooring provide the flow. An asymmetrical sink, colorful wallpaper, and a beautifully fabricated Cambria Rose Bay vanity top provide the whimsy.

PRO TIP: SYMMETRY CREATES VISUAL BALANCE AND COHESION; WITHOUT IT, YOUR DESIGN CAN FEEL VISUALLY DISJOINTED.

The en suite bathroom assumes the role of elegant retreat tailored for daily getting ready rituals. Floor-to-ceiling white oak storage cabinets flank a vanity topped with Cambria Lakedale. Biorn points out the soffit above the vanity with continuous crown molding to frame the space. Glamorous sconces provide flattering side lighting without casting harsh shadows from above.

The trick, according to Biorn, is ensuring adequate space to accommodate four sconces in proportion to your mirror selection. Or, you could mount sconces on a full size mirror.

Finally, make your way back to the living area, and you’re greeted with the home’s most modern space. “They wanted this room to be very minimal in design and not compete with the beautiful nature views out those huge windows,” says Biorn. “So we kept it very clean and simple.”

Cambria’s Claremont design on the fireplace brings warm taupe, chocolate, and white veins together on a warm, creamy background, contributing to a neutral palette that’s both soothing and elegant. Forgoing stained wood built-ins helps maintain an airy, modern feel, rather than the weightier presence that wood built-ins can create. Biorn notes, “We did put an oak accent along the ceiling soffit, another cohesive wood detail that just elevates the space.”

Biorn’s takeaway design advice is to invest in timeless design features for the architectural elements of your home, things you’re less likely to update later, if ever. And when following current trends, do so with elements that are simpler to update later like wallpaper, paint, or hardware.