We’re thrilled to spotlight another one of our talented Minnesota design partners who knows how to make reclaimed wood truly shine! This month, we’re featuring the exceptional work of Ruby + Suede, a full-service interior design studio based in Savage, MN.
With so many gifted luxury home design professionals across the Twin Cities, we love highlighting those who not only create beautiful interiors, but who also understand how to bring soul and character to a space through thoughtful material choices like reclaimed wood. At Manomin Resawn Timbers, we supply the weathered wood, antique beams, and heritage-rich flooring, but it’s partners like Ruby + Suede who turn these materials into show-stopping features in stunning, one-of-a-kind homes.
Founded in 2005, Ruby + Suede has grown into a sought-after design studio offering a complete range of services, from new construction design and remodeling to furniture selection and styling. Their team of award-winning designers brings an expert eye to every project, blending classic touches with modern warmth to create livable luxury for real life.
More Than Luxury Home Design – A Relationship-Driven Process
At Ruby + Suede, the design process is about so much more than paint colors and furniture layouts. From their very first project in 2005 to their latest luxury home designs, they’ve built their reputation on endless enjoyment, strong relationships, and lasting inspiration.
As a long-time preferred partner to luxury home builders and remodelers, Ruby + Suede knows how to collaborate with architects, contractors, and homeowners alike to ensure every detail is thoughtfully considered. Whether you’re building your dream home from the ground up, remodeling a well-loved space, or simply looking to refresh your interiors with custom furnishings, they offer a seamless and personalized experience.
What sets them apart is their ability to infuse each home with a sense of story and timelessness, often through the use of natural materials like reclaimed wood. These elements bring texture, depth, and a bit of history into brand-new spaces, and Ruby + Suede knows exactly how to balance them within a clean, modern aesthetic.
We’ve loved seeing how their designs make use of Manomin’s reclaimed wood—from weathered ceiling beams to warm antique flooring—and we’re excited to showcase a few of our favorite projects from their portfolio.
Rustic Meets Refined on Prior Lake
One of our favorite collaborations with Ruby + Suede is the breathtaking Fish Point Road new construction home on the shores of Prior Lake, MN where natural materials and expert craftsmanship come together with luxury home design in a truly elevated way. Designed to feel both grand and grounded, this luxury lake home is a stunning example of Ruby + Suede’s ability to blend modern elegance with timeless, organic textures, especially through the thoughtful use of reclaimed wood.
At the heart of the home is a spacious great room with soaring vaulted ceilings and a full wall of windows framing panoramic lake views. The interior is open, airy, and filled with natural light—yet it’s anchored by rich materials that bring depth and warmth to the expansive space.
Ruby + Suede used rough sawn antique oak flooring throughout the home, giving every step a connection to history with subtle grain variation and a warm, lived-in feel underfoot. Above, the ceilings in both the great room and the bedrooms are finished with skip-planed antique oak paneling, creating a mosaic of earthy tones and textures that shift beautifully in the light. The varied colors in the skip-planed boards give each ceiling a dynamic, one-of-a-kind look that adds both movement and artistry to the architecture.
A standout focal point in the great room is the floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace, flanked by impressive stone columns that bring a sense of permanence and rustic elegance. Atop the fireplace sits a weathered antique reclaimed wood mantel, rich with natural patina, visible knots, and old mortise holes that speak to its long history. The mantel not only grounds the space, but also bridges the modern and organic elements with quiet authority.
This home is a perfect example of how reclaimed materials, when paired with a designer’s creative vision, can bring timeless authenticity to brand new spaces. Ruby + Suede’s attention to scale, texture, and light transforms this lakefront build into something truly unforgettable.
Rustic Charm Luxury Home Design: A Cabin Remodel In Balsam Lake, WI
This inviting Balsam Lake Retreat is a perfect example of how Ruby + Suede seamlessly blends functionality, style, and the soul of a space. The project began with a small, outdated cabin that no longer suited the needs of the family who loved spending their summers on the lake. Their vision? A more spacious and welcoming retreat for hosting and entertaining, without losing the rustic charm that made the original cabin so special.
Ruby + Suede took this vision to heart, expanding and updating the home while carefully maintaining its character. The result is a beautifully modernized cabin that feels relaxed and timeless, thanks to the strategic use of reclaimed wood elements from Manomin Resawn Timbers.
Throughout the home, darker skip-planed antique oak flooring and stair treads anchor the luxury home design with warmth and rich texture. Their deep tones and subtle wear patterns speak to a past life, giving the new space an immediate sense of history and permanence.
In contrast, weathered antique reclaimed wood with a lighter grey patina was used to add softness and brightness. This wood clads the ceiling of the main sitting area, bringing an organic feel overhead that draws the eye upward and balances the darker floor below. The same grey-toned paneling was also used on the bathroom walls, introducing texture and rustic elegance to a more private space.
Structural and decorative elements throughout the cabin are finished with weathered antique reclaimed timbers and box beams, including the support beams, stairway balusters, and handrails. These pieces are not only functional, they also add visual rhythm and authenticity to the space. The contrast between the rich antique oak flooring and the lighter, patinaed timbers creates a layered and lived-in atmosphere, perfectly suited for lakeside living.
With this remodel, Ruby + Suede has achieved what every great luxury home designer strives for: honoring a home’s history while preparing it for a new generation of memories. This Balsam Lake cabin now offers spacious living, modern comfort, and timeless materials that invite connection and relaxation—exactly what a cabin should be.
Modern Tuscan Elegance in Hastings
One of Ruby + Suede’s most show-stopping luxury home designs to date is this gorgeous Tuscan style home in Hastings, MN, perched to take full advantage of its peaceful lake views. Designed for clients who love to entertain in high-class style, this home was crafted to blend modern Mediterranean influences into a refined, textural masterpiece. It’s no surprise that this home was featured in the 2023 Artisan Home Tour—every corner is a study in luxurious detail and thoughtful design.
At the heart of this project is a rich palette of color, texture, and natural materials that make the entire home feel curated and intentional. Ruby + Suede balanced elegant finishes—like stone countertops, mixed-metal fixtures, and bold, pattern-rich wallpaper—with rustic reclaimed wood elements from Manomin to bring warmth, depth, and an Old World feel to the otherwise contemporary layout.
Throughout the home, dark weathered antique flooring and stair treads ground the space with rich, moody tones and a naturally aged surface. Their texture plays beautifully against the smooth stone and soft textiles used throughout, adding a layer of timeless character beneath the modern polish.
Above, antique elm paneling lends a refined rustic charm to the ceilings, including in one of the home’s most striking features—an octagonal sitting nook crowned by a custom chandelier. This architectural moment, made even more special by the natural grain and warm tones of the reclaimed elm, creates a cozy space that still feels dramatic and elevated.
The main living room features a stunning coffered ceiling design, crafted using dark-stained antique elm box beams that add depth and dimension to the open space. The same material is echoed in the bedroom ceiling beams, where it brings a touch of rustic structure to a calming, luxurious retreat.
And for the wine enthusiast in the family, Ruby + Suede designed a fully custom wine room that doubles as a showpiece. The walls are clad in reclaimed mushroom wood paneling, bringing an earthy, weathered texture that contrasts beautifully with the sleek wine racks and subtle lighting. It’s the kind of room that feels tucked away and special—like stepping into a private cellar in a European villa.
This home is a prime example of how intentional design and reclaimed materials can work together to create a space that feels both refined and inviting. Ruby + Suede brought their clients’ dream of Modern Tuscan luxury to life, and with the help of Manomin’s reclaimed wood, they infused every room with a sense of story, substance, and soul.
Bring Timeless Style Into Your Home
From lakefront retreats to modern Mediterranean estates, Ruby + Suede continues to impress with designs that are both luxurious and deeply personal. Their expert eye for texture, tone, and balance—paired with the authenticity of Manomin Resawn Timbers’ reclaimed wood—results in homes that are as soulful as they are stunning.
If you’re dreaming of a custom space filled with warmth, history, and elevated design, reach out to Ruby + Suede to bring your vision to life. And when you’re ready to infuse your home with the timeless beauty of reclaimed wood, contact Manomin Resawn Timbers to find the perfect material for your project.
Let’s build something unforgettable—together.
