Episode 1: The Green-Grossfield Remodel from Beginning to End

Green Grossfield Project family home

This 1947 rambler is a lot like Marc and me.  It’s been around a while, had some fabulous years, had some hard ones, and was ready for a new beginning. I’m Jordana Green, I am a radio show host for WCCO radio. You may remember me from my days as a TV news anchor at FOX 29 (UPN), and at KARE 11. I’m originally from New Jersey, but after FOX brought me here 15 years ago, I never wanted to leave. My fiancee, Marc Grossfield was raised in St. Louis Park and he never wanted to leave. You may know Marc as the founder of AVIV 613 Vodka. Between us we have five children and one dog. His kids are grown and launched; my three and Dolce (the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) live with us.

Marc and I bought a house to start our new life together.  It’s fitting that we are totally renovating it as we have both recently had to totally renovate our lives. We have both been through painful divorces, near financial ruin, the loss of a job or a business, and a few really, really hard years. Then we found each other. (On J-Date… Jewish dating service, yes, it does work.) Together we are rebuilding everything.

Green Grossfield Project Kids

We wanted to move to the Eruv in St. Louis Park. An Eruv is a symbolic boundary where Jews, who live within its borders can observe Shabbat more easily than outside the area. Finding a home was nearly a yearlong process, and when we finally found the perfect location, the house on that location…was a disaster! A 1947 rambler that had been untouched since it was built. We planned a massive renovation.

While we are connected to our heritage, we are an ambitious couple who love the big, modern world. We wanted a modern kosher kitchen with two dishwashers (to separate milk and meat dishes), but we also want a radio studio where I can do my show from home and tuck the kids in bed during the commercials. We wanted an extra sink near the dining room so we can wash our hands and say a blessing before meals, but we also wanted a fantastic bar to showcase AVIV and entertain investors.

Blending a family, two high-powered careers, a religious journey, and a complete remodel of a dilapidated rambler into a modern, light-filled home in the Eruv sounded like a challenge…and that’s just how we wanted it!

We have both learned enough to ask for help when we need it. Neither of us had ever totally gutted and rebuilt a home, so we asked. Help arrived in the form of Jim Huber of JR Structures, and Billy Beson and Kyle Snyder of Bill Beson Company. Jim is our builder and Billy and Kyle are our designers and architects.

I hope you’ll join me, Marc, the kids, and our team as we give this house the Act 2 it deserves. Thanks to Midwest Home magazine, we recorded our remodel from day one and have distilled it into an 8-part video series for you. Join us for the ride, check out #greengrossfieldproject, and come party with us at our completely remodeled home as Luxury Remodeling Tour begins.

Save the date for the Luxury Remodeling Tour, two weekends, August 13 & 14 and 20 & 21. Tour luxury remodeling projects across the Twin Cities.

By Jordana Green

 

Personal Designer

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