Building Memories

After interviewing Chicago architects, the owners saw a home on the Sears Architects’ website and knew that Rob Sears and his team could design a Cape Cod-inspired cottage that paid homage to its surroundings.

Sears lived in Nantucket early in his career and his deep appreciation for shingle-style architecture significantly influenced his firm’s work. “Most of the work of our architects is traditional in nature,” Sears explained. “Even though the home’s exterior detailing is a reflection of life hundreds of years ago, we’ve brought the classic northern Michigan cottage current with modern technology and a dramatically different open floor plan to reflect how people live today.”

The Sears Architects’ team sought to strike the right balance between classic and casual with a timeless design that will never be associated with a discernable decade. From its river rock base and wood shingle cladding to the gambrel roof, there are many small touches that read and work well together offering an approachable respite.

The gambrel roof comes from 18th-century Dutch colonial architecture and offers a wider roof span with the advantage of increased interior space to accommodate many friends and family who will gather there.

“From the beginning, Sears Architects understood the look we wanted while including features that would be needed at a lake house. This proved to be invaluable since we had never built a lake house before,” shared the homeowners.

Since the owners were challenged with making project decisions from over 300 miles away, it was also helpful that Sears and his team were adept at working with clients across the U.S. Although FaceTime provides a great platform for some decisions, nothing compares to initial meetings in person for programming and design. Sears explains that the key to good design is getting to know the client and how they live and interact with their family so their personality translates into the project.

The homeowner selected the build/design team who were so instrumental in creating the look of the home they admired on the architect’s website and coincidentally, they also had many special memories growing up vacationing at Glen Lake.

Both Amy Darooge of Villa Décor and Eastmark Construction’s Eric Darooge appreciated being a part of the project in its early stages.

“Starting to work on the design concept and layout of the floor plan sooner than later helps keep everyone on the same page,” commented Amy. “This was very much a collaboration to create a home that was uniquely the owner’s. Villa Décor determined how the interior spaces would live based on the homeowner’s wants, needs, and inspirational image selections, so we could periodically tweak spaces. With everyone communicating, it made the process easier in the long run.”

The owner’s original family cottage had the potato-sized tumbled stone popular in the early Glen Lake cottages and this historic element helped make the new structure fit seamlessly in place. The roof has old-growth, Western red cedar shingles which will naturally weather to a soft grey; flashings and gutters are dark brown color clad steel for architectural contrast; and the Northern white cedar siding is very durable since it grows in swamps and has a natural defense mechanism from rot and decay.

Glen Lake is the main focus of this home, so even though the home is perched on a high bluff, solid surface landscaping brings the residents close to the action with meandering steps leading to a lower level fire pit and exclusive beach. A great deal of thought went into other lakeside living spaces including a screened-in porch, private owner’s suite porch, and a kitchen easily accessible from the outdoors.

Eric’s goal was to present cost-cutting options where it made sense, but also ensure build quality incorporating the latest technology to keep the home in good stead for future generations. The owners agreed to use a highperformance building system of insulated foam core sandwiched between structural facings called Structural Insulated Panels (SIPS). “It’s almost like building the house twice because you skin the original structure to add the panels, but it results in an amazingly well-insulated, energy-efficient home,” explained Eric.

“Eric had many ideas on how to value engineer the project without sacrificing aesthetics and quality,” continued the homeowner. “He gave us real world knowledge of how certain aspects and features would play out in the Northern Michigan landscape. We had total confidence in him and his team after our first call with him.”

Step through the front door and you immediately appreciate how perfectly the home has been situated. Glen Lake is the focal point and its iridescent shades of blue will be reflected throughout the day from morning light to sunset. What’s also quickly apparent are the gifts of Villa Décor.

“As a builder, I’m focused on the minutiae of the project where Amy and her team looks at the big picture and brings an overarching artistic view. Sometimes you

can easily identify an interior designer’s ‘look’ in any house, but Villa Décor’s style is casual, easy to understand,” shared Eric.

“The interior design process with Amy and Alex at Villa Décor was wonderful,” said the homeowner. “We’re so happy they were brought in during the design process as Amy really thought through how we would use each space and suggested architectural changes that we haven’t regretted. She and Alex found the perfect paint colors for each space and furniture that can accommodate a house full of people.

Once inside the front door, you’re met with cheery white shiplap walls stretching from floor to ceiling, and a stunning custom staircase with wrought iron and natural wood banisters. “The staircase is such an important part of the vertical circulation in a house and we like to get that right,” commented Sears.

It wouldn’t be right without the custom millwork of Eastmark Construction’s master finish carpenter, Mark Andres, who took the house from drywall to finish with custom cabinetry and liveedge sink vanities. In addition to being skilled with the adze used to craft the exposed rustic barn beams used throughout the home, Andres created a teamwork atmosphere and kept a steady hand on the tiller in a calm, reliable way.

The home’s casual lived-in look is due to its distinctive European oak wood floors which undergo convincing surface scarring and edge marking making it indistinguishable from vintage hardwood. Discovered by the homeowner, the tongue and groove planks were shipped overseas from France. Villa Décor was able to use their worn, dull surface as a canvas to create a home where textures and colors add pop, but carefree living is welcomed.

With friends and family filling the home every weekend, the main floor has a circular entertaining flow from the kitchen to dining room to deck with built-in bar. Sunbrella became the logical fabric of choice plus a custom raffia-finish coffee table cured for durability.

Although minimalistic, the kitchen is bright and cheery with white subway tile and thick engineered quartz that offers the look of marble without the maintenance. Stainless steel highlights and balances out material finishes. Allweather bar stools are tough but add character to the space. Villa Décor designed a transom feature to add light and reduce the tunnel-like feel of entering the hallway with its high ceilings.

Thinking forward to busy weekends, the team provided a spacious main floor laundry room directly off a lake entrance. On the second floor, they borrowed space from a guest walk-in closet to create a brilliant solution for crucial linen changeovers when all five bedrooms are bursting with guests. Two sets of stacked washers and dryers are housed behind barn doors.

The gambrel roof made the area over the garage the ideal place to sleep boisterous children, and Mark Andres crafted bunk beds with queen size trundle pullouts and sectionals designed to sleep up to 14. The kids’ bathroom is splash-proof with a massive trough sink, antique life preserver, and vintage children’s bathing suits. In case the rules weren’t clear, penny round tiles were laser cut for increased legibility.

Contrary to typical homes and harkening back to traditional family cottages, the owner’s suite is on the same floor with the other bedrooms.

Although original plans called for flat ceilings, the design team used the interesting roof lines to vault the ceiling adding character reminiscent of an older era.

French doors open onto a private deck for peaceful contemplation of the lake. A private bathroom oasis was created for the adults with a dream steam shower, blue-honed Carrara marble counters, and hexagonal marble tile floors.

The lower level recreation area accommodates adults with a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace, full bar with stained oak cabinets and granite countertops, a pool table, and poker table. There’s kid-friendly activities as well with a Pac-Man arcade, built-in game storage, and direct access to the outdoors.

Due to the efforts of all involved, this home exceeded the owner’s expectations and will stand strong for future generations while it weathers gently into its surroundings.

TEXT BY LYNN BAKEMAN

PHOTOS BY ASHLEY AVILA