Custom Floors Lend Period Authenticity to a 17th-Century Library Renovation

When the owners of the Pillsbury Castle in Minneapolis prepared to renovate the home’s centerpiece – a 17th-century library imported from England – they knew the original floors would have to go. The wood-paneled library was located below ground on a sand substrate, and a century of Minnesota’s dry winters and humid summers had long since taken their toll on the original wood flooring.

Dissatisfied with typical below-ground options such as luxury vinyl flooring, the owner and entrepreneur, Matthew Trettel, wanted something more elevated to reflect the historic room’s nature and the elegance of the Castle’s architecture.

Pillsbury Castle is a 12,000-square-foot Tudor Revival built in 1903 by a member of the Pillsbury family, the founders of Minnesota’s famed Pillsbury flour mills. The mansion was designed around the imported library, which features a hand-carved plaster ceiling, original millwork, and quartered White Oak wall panels crafted without nails, thanks to an old-world hole and peg mortise and tenon joint system.

The library’s renovation was part of the 2023-24 ASID Design Home Showcase, organized in partnership with the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI). Over nine months, 30 designers and eight remodelers collaborated to transform the castle’s interiors, celebrating the finest in remodeling inspiration, interior design, and preservation craftsmanship.

The Joy of Finding the Perfect Solution

Alexandra Anderson, a Carlisle Wide Plank Specialist, hasn’t quite gotten used to the exuberant reactions from clients who are thrilled to find the perfect flooring solution. “I can’t tell you how many times a client has hugged me! Flooring is such an emotional decision for a lot of people. It’s a joyous moment when you finally achieve what your client is looking for.”

Alexandra and Scott arrived at the Pillsbury Castle on a cold day in January 2024 with a few samples of Carlisle flooring options. Since the owner and entrepreneur, Matthew Trettel, had expressed interest in a warm wood-like Walnut that would match the dark tones of the library’s paneled walls, Alexandra brought a sample of a Carlisle-engineered Walnut floor. This custom floor option would perform well in a room below grade like the original library. While many engineered floors look and feel inauthentic, Carlisle’s are indistinguishable from solid wood. So, when she pulled the sample from her bag, Matthew was sold immediately.

“We were extremely challenged when we discovered  that the floors in our 400-year-old English library were badly deteriorated,” shares Trettel. “The historic significance of this room weighed heavily as we looked for solutions for a replacement that could withstand the challenges of a below-grade location. Fortunately, Carlisle Wide Plank Floors had a custom-engineered option that blended perfectly with the space. The random-length walnut planks in varied widths mimicked the feel of the original floor while bringing a heightened sophistication to the space. We could not be more thrilled with the final results. The room is absolutely stunning!”

“When I pulled the Walnut sample out, his face lit up and he said: ‘This is exactly what I was looking for!’ He was hugging it – he loved it!” says Alexandra. “It was the perfect wood to reflect the history of the room but also modernize it for years to come. We were happy to offer an alternative to luxury vinyl and to find a hardwood solution that was so historically accurate.”

From Antique Library to Modern Billiards Room

Designed by Spencer Design Associates and Abitare Design Studio and installed by Vujovich Design Build, Inc., the library renovation transformed the space into a billiards room complete with original artwork, intimate seating, custom floors and a cozy gas fireplace. An adjacent vault, once used to house the Pillsbury family’s renowned Asian bronze collection, was converted into a speakeasy featuring a barrel-vaulted wall and ceiling, crystal chandelier, and custom furnishings for an ambiance of posh refinement.

Carlisle contributed 555 square feet of engineered Walnut wide plank flooring. “The opportunity to work directly with Matthew and alongside some of the best designers, architects, and builders in Minneapolis made our decision to participate in the Pillsbury Castle showhouse an easy one,” says Scott Cook, Carlisle’s Director for Central USA. “Knowing our custom Walnut floors were chosen for the iconic 17th-century European library renovation made it even more memorable.”

Why Carlisle Engineered Floors Are the Perfect Match for a Period Home

Carlisle’s engineered Walnut flooring was the perfect choice for the remodeled library for several reasons:

An Authentic Hardwood Plank

Engineered floors are constructed with a top hardwood layer—known as the “wear layer”—which can be refinished similarly to solid wood flooring. All Carlisle wood planks are guaranteed a minimum of three refinishes, providing a tremendous investment return. Unlike solid wood planks made from a single piece of hardwood, engineered planks have a top layer adhered to multiple layers of backing material, making them more stable in moisture-prone environments like below-ground rooms. Carlisle’s engineered floors use the highest quality wear layer and stable backing, producing an extremely durable and authentic floor. This allowed Matthew Trettel to make an accurate choice that honored the library’s historic integrity.

Floorboards Cut to Random Widths

While many homeowners prefer the evenness of single-width floors where every plank is cut equally, a floor with random widths suits a period home exceptionally well. Alexandra explains: “In early American homes, the wood was sourced from very large mature trees that could yield planks up to 20 inches wide, which was considered a luxury. Homeowners at that time weren’t focused on milling everything down to be the same width. They were thinking more about getting the most yield from each tree and would take whatever widths were available.” Cutting Carlisle’s engineered Walnut planks to widths of 6, 8, and 10 inches better reflected the character of the original floor.

A Grade That Embraces Walnut’s Big Personality

Grading is a way of classifying the planks of a hardwood floor by how much “personality” – knots, mineral streaks, and color variations – are visible in the wood. Most homeowners today prefer a grade with minimal personality (the “Heirloom Grade” at Carlisle) rather than a grade with more character (Carlisle’s “Original Grade.”) However, when choosing planks for a period home, floorboards with more character may be a better match to the original floor.

“Historically, you would’ve had character in the floor,” says Alexandra. “Homeowners at the time would not have rejected planks with more knots and variations because they didn’t have that luxury – they needed to use all the material possible, so some planks were clean, and some had character.” For the Pillsbury Castle, Carlisle’s Signature Blend was chosen, a custom combination of Heirloom and Original Grades, to achieve an accurate period look.

Carlisle: A Partner From Design To Installation

For Alexandra, the chance to be part of each customer’s wide plank journey is the thrill of working for Carlisle. “We consider ourselves stakeholders in the process. We have just as much in this as our clients, and we will truly be with them every step of the way – from concept to completion and even after installation. It’s why we have so many repeat clients, and that’s the ultimate testament, right? To have a client that’s so happy with their floors that they come back for their future projects.”

For the Pillsbury Castle project, Alexandra and Scott were able to see the project through to completion at a public gala hosted by ASID MN in July 2024. Her impression? “Absolutely blown away. It was beautifully installed. The floors looked great, and the space was really cool. It was a very rewarding project to be involved in.”

Are you ready to transform your space with the timeless elegance and unmatched durability of wide plank flooring? Explore our Collections and speak to a Carlisle Wide Plank Specialist to learn how Carlisle Wide Plank Floors can bring your vision to life.

Designers, Remodelers and Sources for the Billiards Room, The Pillsbury Castle

DESIGNER: Shane Spencer, Associate ASID, Spencer Design Associates, and David Wehrspann, Associate ASID, Abitare Design Studio
REMODELER: Vujovich Design Build, Inc.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Spacecrafting Photography

WOOD FLOORS – Engineered Walnut Signature Grade Wood Floors, Carlisle Wide Plank Floors
BENCH – Steel Plate Bench, Abitare Design Studio
CHANDELIER – Daley LED Large Chandelier, Visual Comfort
VESTIBULE SCONCES – Ellis 5″ Solitare Flush Mount Sconce in Brass/Quartz Crystal, Visual Comfort
BOOKCASE WALLCOVERING – Birchbark in Golden Cloud, Innovations, Blended Blue
HALLWAY WALLCOVERING – Realm in W1109, Weitzner, Blended Blue
AREA RUG – Lamis in Ink, INTERSOURCE by STARK
BILLIARDS TABLE – Hampton Billiards Table, Olhausen Pool Tables, Peters Billiards
COPPER SCULPTURE – “Evertide”, Mel Tudisco, Art Girls
WALLPAPER INSTALL – Cutting Edge, Inc.
FIREPLACE INSERT – Ortal North America
HOME AUTOMATION – NorthStar Home Technologies
BERGÉRES – Cocoon Swivel Bergére, Gamma Italy, Fabric in Lagune Tempete, Métaphores
CREDENZA – Brass and Wood Credenza, Inturi Vision Spain
ROOM SCONCES – Savile Large Rectangular Sconce, Restoration Hardware
FLOOR PILLOWS – Panthera in Gold, Catherine Martin for Mokum
PAINTING – “Take It”, Oil on Board, Jeremy Szopinksi

Header Image: ID#13077