FITTING IN

By ELIZABETH EDWARDS

Understatement : it isn ’ t hard to fall in love with the idea of a home on Sleeping Bear Bay in Glen Arbor. Especially for these homeowners, who for years had spent winters snowboarding and skiing Sugar Loaf and The Homestead along with summer vacations mooring their boat in the bay and offshore near South Manitou Island. When it was time to upgrade to a cottage of their own, the couple homed in on Glen Arbor, eventually narrowing their search to two houses, one on each side of the bay. Both homes, while different, were lovely, met their requirements and had drop-dead gorgeous water views.

In a stroke of genius, they asked their Realtor if they could spend an evening on each deck to watch the sunset while getting a feel for the property and setting. Cottage #1, they found, was a masterpiece of serenity. It offered a few more days of sunsets over the bay before the sun slipped behind Sleeping Bear Point at summer’s end, but it had less protection from the prevailing winds. At Cottage #2 they fell in love with the raised deck, bigger windows and open floor plan. The cottage’s layout made them feel more connected to the beach and the outdoors in general. A surprise was that the height of the deck nearly eliminated mosquitoes. They also observed a hive of activity on the beach. As they would learn later, the home next door was owned by people known far and wide as the gold standard for a big, friendly, funloving and active extended family.

The homeowners debated the need for a screened-in porch but now admit it is the “best room in the house.” The nautical-vibe light fixture is a Tracer Bar by Luke Lamp Company. Teak furniture is by Sutherland Furniture Franck Collection.

Their decision? The deck and the more protective westward setting of Cottage #2 triumphed. Bay Cottage, as it was named, was a comfortable 1980s two-bedroom, three-bath home with an open floor plan and no garage. The couple knew that eventually they would need more space for their own big, friendly, fun-loving and active extended family. After 10 years, they decided it was time for Bay Cottage 2.0—a new cottage that would include the features they’d come to love about the old one, while adding bedrooms and storage.

Drawing on the inspiration from a folder of ideas the couple had meticulously gathered over the years, Caleb Norris and the team at Norris Design Productions worked with them to design a home that added space and storage while retaining the features of the existing home. They kept the expansive raised deck and open floor plan they had come to love, replicated the original living space so that it lived small when it was just the two of them, but added space for

Kitchen countertops are Polished Elite Quartzite. A Pelle Designs Bubble Chandelier hangs above the dining room table. The cabinetry is custom by Crystal Cabinets.