Executive Homes

And when Otto has more time to spend with clients, the results are striking. Take a remodeling job the company did in Anoka at a 1908 colonial on the banks of the Mississippi River. In the course of Otto’s detailed client meetings, he found out that the homeowners were interested in green design and Asian culture. The couple was particularly fascinated with feng shui, an ancient Chinese practice that seeks to enhance the flow of chi, or energy, by creating harmonious environments.

It happens that Chen knows a lot about it—her father is a feng shui consultant in China. When Chen’s dad was in town, he visited the clients’ home. Together the Chens made several recommendations, including moving a doorway so that two doors in a hallway don’t open directly onto each other—a violation of feng shui principles.

The overall remodeling project involved relocating the kitchen and opening the space onto a living room and informal dining room. The firm also built a new garage with a master suite above it, appended a mudroom, and refurbished the siding.

Now every room takes advantage of the river views—including the master bath, where soakers can enjoy vistas of the water from the tub. And all of the large windows and the southern exposure flood the home with natural light, warming the house and reducing energy costs.

A Personal Practice

Otto and Chen put this East-meets-West aesthetic to work in their own home, an 1887 Victorian in Champlin. Perched near the Mississippi, the home needed a major overhaul. The couple restored the homes’s Victorian charm while giving it a modern infrastructure and some Asian flair. They expanded the kitchen by combining an existing porch with the kitchen and converted a mudroom into an office area. Throughout the house, Chen and Otto matched existing woodwork and used period door knobs, hinges, and other materials.

Chen’s heritage is on display as well. She hand-painted a floral motif on the dining room walls to reflect her love of Chinese watercolor paintings. The parlor walls are a deep red—a lucky and cherished color in Chinese culture—and they display Chen’s red wedding dress next to Asian artwork. “Some of our house is Asian and some is American. It’s a blend,” Chen says. “I wanted parts of the house to show a sense of who I am, my culture.”

The partnership enriches both the personal and professional lives of the couple. Chen and Otto like to entertain, though it’s not something Otto would have done before Chen joined his life. The company is more lucrative because of the new approach, and Otto enjoys his work much more.

“My satisfaction in the business went up because it was more about helping people,” Otto says. “I feel like I can contribute better solutions for people that make their lives better.” And he thanks his wife for it all.