Ideas

“Don’t wait” to create a space for connecting

When the world stopped, one mother and daughter found themselves closer than ever inspiring them to make the most of the time they have before the daughter “flies the nest.”
two women walking up sidewalk

One of our greatest joys is helping our customers live their best lives. We do this by contributing to homes that support their passions, connect them to the people they love, and ground them in the environments that feed their souls. That’s why we’re so excited to share this story of a mother who decided to tackle a long dreamed-of remodel while her daughter is still at home to enjoy the space.

“As your kid gets older, you need to find different ways to connect,” Leslie Kinsman, a Minneapolis homeowner and former Andersen employee, said of her relationship with her 14-year-old daughter, Grace.

That connection was the silver lining that Kinsman found when she and Grace were isolated from the rest of the world during the pandemic. It prompted her to ask herself

“What am I waiting for?” So, she decided to take on the screen porch remodel she’d been planning since buying her home years earlier. “She’s only got a few years left before she flies the nest and heads off to college,” Kinsman said about her daughter, “and I wanted a place for her and me to spend some time together.”


The time that I’ve gained by having this extra space in my home as Grace gets older and gets through high school is a big deal

Leslie Kinsman

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