The New Urban Cottage

WHAT TO DO WITH A VACANT LOT ON HARBOR SPRINGS’ WATERFRONT? THE COTTAGE COMPANY ANSWERS THE QUESTION WITH A MODERN INTERPRETATION OF COTTAGE THAT BLENDS BEAUTIFULLY WITH ITS GRACIOUS OLD NEIGHBORHOOD.

TEXT BY ELIZABETH EDWARDS // PHOTOS BY BETH SINGER

he white clapboard cottage, with its exposed rafter tails

and wide porches that beg for lazy days, nestles perfectly

into its neighborhood of early 19th-century Victorian

cottages on Bay Street in downtown Harbor Springs.

Only the handsome black-framed windows and doors are

a hint that something fresh and new is going on here.

A renovation perhaps?

That’s precisely the reaction that the home’s builder and developer, Rob

Mossburg of the Harbor Springs-based Cottage Company, welcomes when people

see his 275 E. Bay Street project. For years, Rob and his wife, Vee, searched for

the perfect way to develop a large, very desirable parcel in downtown Harbor

Springs that runs from Main Street to Bay Street and fronts on Little Traverse

Bay. Throughout their 20-plus year history of building and providing interior

design services, the couple has been big proponents of New Urbanism—a term

that basically means building and renovating within existing cities and neighbor

hoods to decrease sprawl and to promote old-fashioned, close-knit communities.

“Our goal was to create a project that appeared to have organically developed

over time,” Rob explains. This cottage is phase one of a plan that includes a

neighboring cottage on Bay Street and a mixed-use commercial property on Main

Street with residential condominiums above—all currently under construction. ➤

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To make the cottage a reality, the Mossburgs assembled one of the most

renowned design-and-build teams in Northern Michigan: architect Nick White,

kitchen and bath designer Liz Firebaugh of Signature Kitchens and their own

Cottage Company for the construction and interior design. Rob and Vee’s

daughter, Kelly Konoske, took the lead on the interior, imbuing the home with

her innovative, young coastal style that still manages to stay true to Harbor

Springs’ vintage vernacular.

A deep front porch, six-inch-planked white oak floors, shiplap walls and

handsome black industrial windows set the stage for a home that makes the view

of Little Traverse Bay across the road center stage. Kelly’s touches shine in her

own line of soothing, neutral-toned furniture, most upholstered in performance

fabric (perfect for a vacation home’s relaxed living), a couple funky, fun mid

century modern floor lamps and two-toned chrome-and-black hardware fixtures.

“Personally, I feel that lighting and plumbing are two areas where design has

been lacking and where the boundaries can be pushed,” Kelly says.

Liz Firebaugh created a timeless kitchen that seamlessly mixes cottage ele

ments (white shiplap walls and ceiling) with a Euro-classic, La Cornue Fe range,

a sophisticated marble-like quartz waterfall countertop and transitional frameless

white cabinetry. Black industrial windows anchor one side of the space, and

opposite, flanking the island, is a stunning glass-doored hutch framed in black.

“Black doors are big for 2020,” Liz says. ➤

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The second-story master bedroom is a masterpiece of soothing natural shades and textures. “You just breathe easier when in this room,” Kelly says. The thoughtful design includes a small sitting area between the walk-in closet and the bedroom. “I imagine the homeowner enjoying a glass of wine while getting ready to go out for the evening,” Kelly says.

In the adjoining master bath, also designed by Signature Kitchens, the glassed-in shower and free-standing tub are separated from the vanity area by an industrial metal-and-glass room divider that Liz calls another 2020 design favorite. A roof-top terrace with an outdoor kitchen, fireplace and wide-open view of Little Traverse Bay is the climax to this home that harmonizes so beautifully with Harbor Springs’ past and present.

Elizabeth Edwards is managing editor of Northern Home and Cottage. lissa@traversemagazine.com

Old Mission Windows is a true partner in the “Design Build” homes we produce for our clients. Their attention to detail, professionalism, and dedication to exceeding our expectations is second to none. It is a true team we have created and a relationship that has served us well. Old Mission Windows is a true partner in the “Design Build” homes we produce for our clients. Their attention to detail, professionalism, and dedication to exceeding our expectations is second to none. It is a true team we have created and a relationship that has served us well.

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resources The New Urban Cottage, page 20

ARCHITECT White and Liebler, Nick White and Nick Liebler, nickwhite.com GENERAL CONTRACTOR AND INTERIOR DESIGN Cottage Company, cottage-company.com

KITCHEN AND BATH DESIGN Signature Kitchens, signaturekitchensonline.com

FLOORING J. Chattaway

MOST OF THE LIGHTING Visual Comfort, visualcomfort.com

PLUMBING Fergusons, ferguson.com/branch/ petoskey-mi-plumbing

TILE Emmet Brick & Block, emmetbrick.com Bradley J. Butcher, AIA 989.705.8400 • sidockgroup.com Novi • Wyandotte • Lansing Muskegon • Gaylord • Sault Ste. Marie • Tampa