Building An Okoboji Haven
Stunning comfortability! Tony and Sheila Thelen’s beautiful home remodel, located in West Okoboji with Jones Beach on one side and Garlock Slough on the other, has become their family’s Okoboji Haven.
Initially purchased as a vacation home in August 2019, while beautiful, much of the residence remained in the early 1990s. Many rooms were dark and small, and the pool room was the home’s main entrance.
“It was beautiful, but everything was very dark, from the wood to the paneling to the painted wallpaper. The staircase was located in the middle of the main room, making spaces smaller, and I was so worried someone would fall into the pool when we weren’t watching,” Sheila shared.
The timing of the purchase ended up being an answer to a prayer, not knowing what the upcoming year would entail. The family lived in Des Moines, but Tony’s job with John Deere was nearing retirement stage. Initially, their plan was to make Okoboji a place to vacation, creating space for Sheila’s extended family to meet. Then several years later, once Tony retired and the girls were all in college, the couple would make Jones Beach their permanent residence.
“Actually, my dad saw the house first. My parents live in Alton, and we regularly meet them in Okoboji during the summer and make wonderful memories,” Sheila shared. “Then Covid hit and everything shut down in Des Moines! We said let’s go to Boji!”
Sheila and her girls spent the spring and summer of 2020 at their new home in Okoboji.
“It was absolutely perfect timing, and we had a wonderful time together,” Sheila exclaimed. “We had thought about remodeling eventually, but living there earlier than planned made me rethink some ideas I had.”
Nichole Johnson Designs helped Sheila with the initial changes, and Tony contacted John Leusink, an architect out of Des Moines, for remodeling suggestions.
“He has designed homes like Bedell’s Peace Harbor, so he came very qualified,” Tony said. “He brought wonderful ideas to the table and is very talented. He also recommended using Elijah Cornell of Bob Cornell Construction Company.”
Leusink walked through the residence with the Thelen’s and provided the couple with house-transforming ideas. At this point, the staircase was located between the kitchen and a small living space, dividing the main floor in half. Another major concern was the pool, as it was the main entrance to the home.
“This was my biggest concern—the pool! How can we make it secure and keep someone from falling in,” Sheila explained. “John suggested closing in the pool and adding a outside entrance and walkway, alongside the pool. The other thing he said was, ‘Would you like to move the stairs?’ We both said ‘YES!’”
The plan was to start building in Fall 2021 and give up a summer at the Lakes, but then their daughter Carson decided she would like to finish her junior and senior years at Okoboji Community Schools, rather than going back to the Des Moines area. Sheila and Carson rented a condo at Sunrise Harbor Condos for the upcoming year, which allowed Sheila to be a part of the building process on a daily basis.
“Bob Cornell Construction was unbelievable—their work was invaluable,” Sheila said. “We had moved nine times in 14 years, so I lived in a lot of houses but had never built one. It was a major learning curve for us, but I also knew what I liked and didn’t like, and Nichole Johnson was so helpful in my decision-making.”
Everything but the master bedroom was gutted down to the studs, and 900 square feet of living area and 1,000 square feet of deck space were built over the pool, where master suites and office space were added. Consumers Lumber Company was the main material supplier throughout the project.
“Remodels are usually more difficult and time consuming than new construction,” said Elijah Cornell, President of Bob Cornell Construction Company. “This project, in particular, presented many structural and logistical challenges. We were able to overcome these challenges through detailed analysis of the existing structure and thorough communication between all parties involved.”
One of the first major obstacles for Bob Cornell Construction Company was to fix the house’s aging foundation.
“The staircase was only part of the challenge. Basically, the entire house needed to be shored up in order to repair the failing block foundation,” Cornell added. “After that was done, we installed structural beams in both floor systems, along with structural steel for the three stories of the lakeside wall. The whole process was quite extensive.”
While it took some creativity to complete, the best part of moving the staircase was how it opened up the main living area, which Cornell said created a much more usable and enjoyable space for the family. “It also drastically enhanced the view to the lake,” he said.
Another area Cornell’s crew had to provide reinforcements was throughout the indoor pool structure. In the existing house, the pool room and entry were basically the same room.
“John Leusink, the architect, deserves all the credit for transforming the existing entry and pool area into what is now two separate areas, with a designed entry that is warm and inviting,” Cornell explained.
Combined Pool & Spa removed the pool’s old liner and pump system and installed all new components. Hanson's Plumbing & Heating (C.W. Suter) also added a separate climate and humidity control system in order to control the high level of moisture in the pool area, as well as heated flooring.
The remodel process was intense, but Sheila said the construction crew was extremely helpful explaining the process. “They kept telling me while it doesn’t look like much now, all we can tell you is that you will be happy with it at the end. They were totally right,” she said.
Carpet One of Spirit Lake laid all the flooring, including hardwood, carpet and tile, bringing in out-of-town support to make sure measurements were correct with the uneven floors.
“They did a good job with making sure the flooring was correct, especially in a house where the foundation had settled,” Tony added.
Bob Cornell Construction installed new Marvin windows from Consumers Lumber Company throughout the entire home, many of which were larger in size, adding much needed natural light in many areas of the house. Another source of lighting was electronic Lutron SMART lighting and shade system, which was suggested by Tony's good friends, Brenda and Jarret Golwitzer.
“Now, I wonder how I lived without this type of lighting system before,” Sheila said. “Our friend Jarret helped us plan the lighting but unfortunately passed away during the process. His wife, Brenda, helped us complete the project and I always think of him when our lights go off and on.”
The lighting system is filled with different layers and provides lighting modes such as movies, morning, afternoon sun, etc. The outdoor shades come from Progressive Screens out of Florida, and Ben and Jill Christoffel of Okoboji Technology helped install the Lutron shade system in the home.
“Ben is really good with understanding and installing the Lutron shades,” Sheila shared. “It was a huge improvement to the house and eliminates screen maintenance, which is much appreciated.”
G & E Cabinetry out of Sheldon built and installed beautiful white oak cabinets. The Lorien white quartz countertops perfectly matched the rest of the kitchen. Blue quartz was also used in the color scheme and both were supplied by Loring Countertops of Milford, IA.
Appliances came from Nielsen Appliances, which Sheila said did a fantastic job in helping her pick out the right pieces for their family.
Thelen’s both appreciated Elijah Cornell’s attentiveness to the project. “Elijah was super transparent and would always figure out ways to make an idea work,” Tony explained.
Sheila added how she never received a “no” to an idea or question but more let’s figure this out. “I never got a ‘no’ but, more ‘we will see’ or ‘we can do that.’ As an accountant you want to know how much it costs, but it always remained reasonable even when he said, ‘We can do that.’”
In the basement, another bedroom and exercise room were remodeled, with storage built under the stairs. Unfortunately, the 2024 flooding caused considerable damage in the remodeled basement due to water coming through the sewage system.
Both Bob Cornell Construction Company and Carpet One helped with the restoration needed to replace damaged areas. Dulin Contracting of Okoboji also came and cleaned the house’s drainage system.
“We hopefully never have to deal with sewer backage ever again,” Sheila exclaimed.
Throughout the home, the overall design is simple and timeless. Sheila really appreciated Nichole Johnson’s expertise throughout the project, from when they first purchased the home to the remodel’s completion.
“Sheila was so good to work with and I enjoyed helping her with the entire process,” Nichole Johnson said. "She knew what she wanted it to look like—great Pinterest board ideas. I helped make sure we picked things that wouldn’t date themselves over time.”
Nichole added, "I love when I build friendships with my clients. There’s this connection that’s developed and the design becomes better—you learn what they think and help them communicate that with the other parties.”
Thelen’s beautiful home was completed in late 2023 and the family has made the house their permanent residence. They are appreciative of the countless experts who helped transform their home into their Okoboji haven.
“Tony and Sheila were absolutely wonderful to work with,” Cornell added. “They understood that an extensive remodel like theirs is a dynamic process and required on-the-fly problem solving and changes. We were very fortunate that they chose to work with us on their project.”
For more information on Bob Cornell Construction, contact Elijah at 712-336-3503 or via info@bobcornell.com.
