Last
July, my husband asked me to reserve some time to take a trip to Crosslake, MN.
He was going to be touring some homes and wanted me to be with. I never know
quite what I’m getting myself into when my husband wants to take me on a “tour”,
as I don’t always have the same vision that he does, but what an experience I
had! I vaguely remember the moment that I walked in the front door. However,
once I was inside, what I saw was unforgettable. The first thing I noticed was
the paint texture on the walls.
“How in the world did they do this?” I asked Neil.
“Wow… I don’t know!”
“Oh my Gosh, look at these beams. What are these holes from?”
“These are old beams from a barn. The holes are most likely where those old monster pegs were pounded in. And look at this tin overhang, it’s probably a piece of tin off another old barn or shed.”
“Look at the stonework on this fireplace. It’s incredible!”
“Neil, look at the trim work in this bedroom and bath. Isn’t it gorgeous!” (Neil, sensing the excitement in my voice just smiles)
“Check out the paneling up here in the loft. How did they get this little bit of red worked into the wood?”
Neil smiles, “Siding off the same barn, I’m sure. It must have been a red one.”
As I continued to explore the home, I found myself in awe of the workmanship, creativity and the attention to detail. What an average person would see as junk was artistically “changed” into something exquisite. The wash basin in the laundry room was an old coal bucket set into a huge work space made of reclaimed wood with an antique hand pump as the faucet. There were old wine bottles set into the mortar at the entrance of the wine cellar. No space was left untouched, including the detail worked into the door frame as you left the wine cellar. The rustic feel of the cabinetry and the reclaimed wood blended together perfectly with all of the modern conveniences in the kitchen, right down to the pot filler above the range. The outdoor living area was a wonderful retreat from the wind that day. And the view of the house from the lake… “Wow. Can a home get any better than this?”
Yes!
Why? Because just like their creativity, the capabilities of Edward K. Anton cannot be confined. It doesn’t matter if the project is rustic, log, contemporary, or modern.
George and Jill Moore have owned Edward K. Anton for about 4 years. They are a combination of two companies. The first is Edward K. Anton consulting, specializing in project management, woodwork and design. What type of projects? Well, like I said, Edward K. Anton can not be confined. They can put together a vanity, work with you on decorating the interior of your home, do design work in a specific area, or work with your builder to create your home in its entirety, just as unique as you are. One year ago they added Edward K. Anton Wood Products to their business, which specializes in cabinetry. Everything they do is 100% their creation. “We really shine when someone wants something out of the box!” says George. George and Jill do the majority of the design work, but are excited to have a kitchen and bath designer on staff as well. The goal of Edward K. Anton, no matter how big or small the project, is to give a great value and provide the best product for the money.
As the Moore’s are considered a great husband and wife team, their “team” would not be complete without Jill’s brother, Matt, and the seven additional people that make up their staff. As a matter of fact, Edward K. Anton wouldn’t be complete without Matt’s contribution to answering the question of “who is Edward?” Creativity doesn’t just stop at the design table. Edward K. Anton is the combination of George, Jill and Matt’s middle names.
When a project comes to the attention of Edward K. Anton, it will undergo a basic three step process from start to finish. First, George takes a concept or idea and puts it together on paper. “I can express an idea much easier on the drafting table than I can in words” George admits. Once the idea has been communicated on paper, George takes the draft to Jill. Jill is the practical side of the design. “I make sure that the floor plan makes sense, that there is enough storage, and so on”. George laughs and says, “She makes sure it’s not too masculine.” Once the design reaches its final stage it goes to Matt. Matt breaks the design down and figures out what products are needed and then finds them. Once he has done that, he creates a timeline to coordinate with the contractor of the project. This is a huge attribute to the success that Edward K. Anton has had. “What has impressed the contractors we’ve worked with the most is our efficiency,” George states. “Often times, clients just don’t know exactly how to piece some of the intricate details together, which can slow the project down.” Edward K. Anton is a tremendous asset to the client when it comes to choosing beams, woodwork, lighting, stonework, etc. They are also a tremendous asset to the builder by then making sure all items are on site when the builder needs it. Currently, George, Jill, Matt and staff are working with Northway Construction out of Baxter, MN. As a builder, Steve Northway is looking forward to working with Edward K. Anton. “When I first got together with George, I wasn’t quite sure what they really did. But after touring one of Edward K. Anton’s projects, we found that when we compared our company’s strengths to their company’s strengths, we complemented each other very well.” In addition to Northway Construction, Edward K. Anton has worked with Lands End, Lake Country Builders, and Glenz Construction.
George
and Jill love what they do, and it shows. George’s individual strength is in
the Wood Products side of the business. He is really loving the addition of the
cabinet shop. Especially now with
the economy on the downside, people are choosing to remodel homes verses build
brand new homes. New cabinets can totally change a space, whether they are the
everyday cabinets, the rustic, or the “all-out, one of a kind” cabinets where
George really has fun. Outside of cabinetry, his creativity can take a tree
stump and turn it into an incredible bathroom vanity. Or give him a building
that is totally falling down and he’ll take the mess and turn its resources
into small little masterpieces. Jill excels in taking simple, ordinary stuff
and turning it into something more as well, in a decorative sense. This is a
concept passed down from her Grandmother. “My Grandmother didn’t have much, but
was able to do amazing things with what she did have. Whenever anyone in our
family needed help decorating, we called my Grandmother! She’s my inspiration.”
Remember the wash basin with the antique water pump in the laundry room? George
isn’t the only one who excels when working outside of the box! Perhaps you are
like me, with a husband who can’t seem to part with that ugly brown sofa. I’m
convinced that Jill could transform even it, to gracefully fit into our space. “Creating
something that works together requires a lot of elements combined with a lot of
layers,” says Jill. She’ll go with you to the lighting shop, the furniture
store or the paint store. Jill has a unique ability to create cozy spaces, full
of depth and richness, and it’s her goal to make sure that your home is perfect
down to the very last detail.
Edward K. Anton is located on the east side of Hwy 371 in Brainerd, MN, just south of Crow Wing Power. George and Jill want to invite you to stop in to their showroom anytime. If you don’t find yourself in the Brainerd area, visit their website at www.edwardkanton.com to view photographs or to take a virtual tour of some of their work. Take it from me… You’ll walk away with ideas that you would not have been able to dream even possible on your own.
