Elegant & Elevated

Inside Gold Buckle Homes’ stunning Fresh Water Lane retreat

Walking into this modern delight of a home on Billings’ Fresh Water Lane, you’d never think its builder, Cree Minkoff, was a relative newcomer to the homebuilding scene. Step inside and you will find both functionality and a design full of harmony.

As the owner of Gold Buckle Homes, Cree knows that putting in the hard work and extra effort pays off. He learned this commitment as a former standout wrestler for Billings Senior High School and as a professional bronc rider on the rodeo circuit.

“I learned a lot, saw a lot, and now I’m in the next season of my life,” says Cree. He and his wife, Lorrie, (also a former rodeo competitor) raise their children, 2-year-old Marlee and 6-month-old Max, on their ranch near Joliet, where Lorrie trains horses.

That commitment shows up in the Fresh Water Lane home, which was a hit in last fall’s Billings Parade of Homes, earning the distinction of “Best Kitchen.” It also drew the attention of one couple who visited the home a half-dozen times during the event. The 2,842 square-foot home checked a lot of their boxes, and they wanted to buy it.

“The couple called two hours prior to the home going live on the market,” says Shawna Morales, broker/owner of Engel & Völker’s Real Estate Billings. “I knew once this one-level home was on the market, it wouldn’t last long. The home offers indoor-outdoor living and is an elevated experience.”

One of the new homeowners described their decision, saying, “We’re buyers from out-of-state and lived in Billings in the ’80s. We’ve traveled a lot, and it’s our favorite place to live. Cree did a really nice job on the one-level. He’s a good builder with high integrity.”

Cree launched his general contractor business five years ago, before shifting his focus to the Magic City. He specializes in building spec homes, and it was during construction of a custom home when one of Cree’s clients introduced him to Shawna.

A synergistic partnership formed, which allowed Cree to concentrate on his and his team’s high-quality craftsmanship, while Shawna handled the real estate services for Gold Buckle Homes.

The house on Fresh Water Lane sits on a fully-landscaped half-acre lot. Its location provides the ideal setting for the three-bedroom, two-and-one-half-bath luxury home. Clean air and clear views lend a country feel. The covered back patio, with a stained wood tongue-and-groove ceiling, creates a Montana-style living space. It features a stone fireplace surround with a 60-inch linear gas insert.

“There are 600 more square feet of living on the patio,” says Cree. “With two heaters and the fireplace, it stays cozy.”

The indoor-outdoor living comes to life through a triple sliding glass door from Benchmark Window and Door. It opens into the home’s dining and kitchen area.

Designers Ryan Hart and Kady Hardt of Kitchens Plus executed the design plan for this sophisticated space. White oak cabinets with shallow shaker-style doors emphasize the upscale architectural look the designers were after.

“People are getting away from the painted look, and we wanted something different,” says Ryan. “Tall cabinets are placed down on either side of the range for a linear look. This accentuates the ceiling beams, which are the same color as the cabinets.”

A Moen bronzed-gold faucet adds flair to the white granite inset sink, as does the pot filler perched above the six-burner Smeg gas range. Other top-end appliances include two panel-ready Liebherr refrigerators, two roll-out freezers, a dishwasher and a built-in ice maker.

Round sconces adorn each side of the range hood. Globe pendants and candlestick chandeliers offer a minimalist approach, yet punctuate the richness of the space. “Lighting is such a big deal,” says Shawna. “Plus, the home is filled with natural light.”

The center island spans ten feet in length, Ryan says. “Waterfall edges that rest on the apron at the bottom of the island are about a foot off the ground,” he adds. “It’s something different and it adds depth.”

The island’s white-and brown-swirl countertop, as well as the perimeter countertop and backsplash, are made of a material called Dekton, from Magic City Granite. “It’s impervious to heat,” notes Ryan, “and it’s made with a mix of porcelain, glass, and quartz. The backsplash rises higher than the bottom of the range hood, and the hood mirrors the great room’s fireplace with its textured stone look.”

Meticulous details are the hallmark of the home.

The “elevated experience is definitely the goal,” he says. “It’s not easy to design a new home every time you build. It’s the effort you put forth doing different things.”

That includes a special innovation, the butler pantry off the kitchen. The star of this deluxe pantry is the dry-age fridge, a Montana-inspired way to enhance any home owner’s culinary creations. The co-star of this space covers the wall across from the meat fridge. Aluminum frame glass doors complement charcoal-color shelves, the ideal place for pantry items.

“The pantry was popular during the Parade,” says Ryan. “It turned out pretty cool and you can see what’s on the shelves.”

Creativity continues in the home office, at the front of the home. The space is designed to be calm and inviting. Framed glass doors allow a graceful transition from the front foyer. Natural light streams through a large window, offering a view of the outdoor water feature and the pastoral scenery.

Built-in shelves paint a dramatic contrast to the interior alabaster wall color. Under-cabinet lighting makes an impression, Cree says. “It gives a definite pop to it,” he adds.

Unique qualities appear throughout the home, such as the luxury vinyl plank Colorado Hickory flooring from Covering Broadway in Red Lodge. Covering Broadway owner Ryan Brajcich, calls the flooring “a high-quality product.”

“Cree’s good at paying attention to the details,” Ryan adds. The flooring “pulled all the finishing touches together and complemented all aspects of the home.”

White oak beams create a seamless flow between the kitchen and the great room within the open trey ceiling. The architectural detail of the beams and the natural warmth of the hickory flooring form a strong aesthetic look that links the open spaces.

Off the dining area is a theater room that sports a 100-inch TV. The room features a wet bar with a smoky mirrored subway tile backsplash and comes complete with cabinetry, a beverage center and sink.

The attention to detail continues in the primary suite, which sits on the opposite side of the dining space. The suite offers simple elegance with a spacious bedroom that provides a snug and comfortable feel. In the neighboring ensuite, bold wallpaper treatments define the two vanities and mirrors with strokes of blue. Gold accented sconces on either side of the gold-frame mirrors keep with the lighting theme.

An antique glass walk-in shower door with black hardware includes both a Smart shower complete with body sprays. This is where you’ll also find a large soaker tub with Roman hardware. Nearby, the huge walk-in closet is filled with organizers.

Cree and his team of local artisans built this home with precision and an eye for each and every detail.

It’s the hallmark of excellence in a cultivated Montana home.