Northern Home & Cottage, Aug/Sept 2023

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2023

northern home & cottage

FOR THE WAY YOU LIVE UP NORTH

VINTAGE STYLE

A 1910 CARETAKER’S BUNGALOW REIMAGINED

MAKEOVER

INSIDE AN ECLECTIC COASTAL COTTAGE

BRIGADOON REBIRTH OF A CLASSIC MACKINAC ISLAND COTTAGE

COVER PHOTO BY CHRISTINE MAGEE

northern home & cottage

Wnek

Cara McDonald

Edwards

Carly Simpson Allison Jarrell Rachel Soulliere Elizabeth Aseritis

Caroline Dahlquist

Tim Hussey Theresa Burau-Baehr

Rachel Watson Julie Parker

Mike Alfaro

Ann Gatrell

Julie James

Meg Lau

Erin Lutke

Ashlyn Korienek

Nichole Earle

Beth Putz

Traverse NORTHERN MICHIGAN

See this finished home in the 2023 Northern Home & Cottage Virtual Tour

Bradley J. Butcher, AIA 989.705.8400 sidockgroup.com

Novi • Wyandotte • Lansing Muskegon • Gaylord Sault Ste. Marie • Tampa Williamsport, PA

Read informative articles about us at MyNorth.com: search Sidock Group

Environmental Consulting & Contracting Since 1990

Edward A. Radecki, C.P.G. PRESIDENT

Environmental Consulting & Contracting Since 1990

Offices: Petoskey, MI email: met@sault.com St. Ignace, MI www.mackinacenvironmental.com

RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • INDUSTRIAL Asbestos Survey, Assessment, Remediation Protocol Indoor Air Quality Services, Including Mold Testing and Air Monitoring Lead-based Paint Survey • Hazardous Material Survey for Demolition Permit

4 Pennsylvania Plaza P.O. Box 244 Petoskey, MI 49770 231-439-9921

Edward A. Radecki, C.P.G. PRESIDENT

Offices: Petoskey, MI email: met@sault.com St. Ignace, MI www.mackinacenvironmental.com

300 Ferry Lane P.O. Box 485 St. Ignace, MI 49781 906-643-9948 www.mackinacenvironmental.com

Total Commitment to Quality

More than 25 years of experience in building distinctive homes while exceeding the expectations of discriminating clients.

jim@cooleycontracting.com

THE DRAMA IS IN THE DETAILS

How do you pick a favorite Victorian cottage on Mackinac Island—a place graced with dozens of them? I truly love them all, though Brigadoon on Main Street has always stood out to me. The home was built by George Arnold, the founder of Arnold Line ferries (now Star Line Mackinac Island Ferry Company). Not coincidentally, Arnold built his home across from his dock. I love to imagine Arnold, prominent citizen that he was, strolling confidently to work from his gorgeous Queen Anne home—surveying the stunning and wild Straits of Mackinac that he’d conquered to make himself a wealthy man.

On my island trips, I walk slowly past, head turned to gaze at Brigadoon’s domed turret and gracious veranda, while horses and bikes dart by narrowly missing me. But never did I think I would get to go inside. Lucky me! In the process of writing this issue’s story on the restoration of Brigadoon after a devastating fire, its generous owners, Jay and Janet Stingel, gave me a personal tour of their home. To see the historic details—the carved woodwork, antique furniture, puddled drapes and much more firsthand—was truly unforgettable.

In Brigadoon those details are original. But what if you have a vintage home that is begging to tell its story even when the original elements have been lost over the years? In our feature “Storied Style,” Erica Harrison, a former designer for Ralph Lauren, shows us how to channel another era in her renovation of a 1910 bungalow. Hint: It’s all about the details, as you’ll see in the special two-page spread she put together for us called “Get the Look.”

Lastly, our story "Curating the Maximalist Cottage" is a lesson in what to do when you are overwhelmed with collectibles you can’t part with. Designer Wendy Buhr gives us the answer: artfully display them. Taken together, these three features are a deep dive into the power details have to bring out the drama in our homes. After all, while some of us prefer subtle drama and others bold, as George Arnold might have said, who wants boring?

Elizabeth

Lissa@traversemagazine.com

Edwards is senior editor of Northern Home & Cottage.

Adding distinctive style to small spaces is easy when you start at Wittock Kitchen and Bath. Metallics or marble, pastels or high pigments, vintage or contemporary, you’ll find all the design options you need to inspire your next kitchen or bath renovation. Just stop by our showrooms or book an appointment with one of our consultants.

BLOSSOM BLISS

A contemporary take on fine-art tiles makes the perfect statement piece with a nod to Mother Nature.

By ELIZABETH EDWARDS

THE HOME trends universe has been immersed in neutral subway tiles forever, so these bloomingly brilliant beauties immediately caught our eye. Each handmade tile in Motawi Tileworks’ latest series, Blossom Bliss, possesses subtle variations of color and texture, unscripted touches from the artisans who work in the company’s Ann Arbor pottery studio. The flower motif, created by print

and textile artist Cary Phillips, comes in orange (shown here), pink and light blue. The 6-by-8-inch Arts & Crafts – style tiles make lovely stand-alone statements (each one has a notch in the back for hanging), but we love using them for a bolder impression, embedded in backsplashes and other installations. Purchase directly or find a store that carries Motawi tiles at motawi.com. $132.

photo courtesy of Motawi

Tiles

my favorite space PORCH, PERFECTED

Designer Carrie Long transforms an under-used porch into the best room in the house.

by ELIZABETH EDWARDS

THIS BEAUTIFUL retreat-like sunroom was once a decrepit covered porch used for housing the garbage. Its full renovation included enclosing it with large picture windows and adding forced air/heating and radiant heated tile flooring that makes the space extra cozy.

Designer Carrie Long kept the existing woodpanel ceiling and accentuated it with warm LED tray lighting along with a pair of contemporary hand-blown oval sconces by Fuse Lighting.  The room features four Kardiel lullaby rocking chairs in gray velvet, a fun twist on relaxed seating, and an upholstered ottoman with matching velvet accent pillows from Romo.  An early 1900s art frame was repurposed into a mirror, adding light, depth and color play to the room. A vintage chrome and glass side table is just right for setting down morning coffees or evening cocktails. The Stark rug pulls the abstract accents, gray tile floor and white walls and window treatments together.

The expansive windows and a new glass door to the outdoor porch connect the indoors to the rolling backyard that’s home to a small herd of deer.

Carrie Long, founder of Carrie Long Interiors, is a Michigan-based designer who has worked in places as diverse as Israel and Australia. She specializes in high-end primary and secondary residences, as well as custom furniture.

house and home

SAVING BRIGADOON

AN ICONIC MACKINAC ISLAND HOME RISES FROM THE ASHES AFTER A DEVASTATING FIRE.

By ELIZABETH EDWARDS

For nearly 125 years , brigadooon , a lovely cream-colored home on Main Street with a signature domed turret, has been a treasured piece of the island landscape—a setting accented with historic treasures, including dozens of other Victorian cottages, Fort Mackinac and the elegant Grand Hotel. At four stories and 20 rooms, all loaded with ornately carved oak woodwork, the Queen Anne–style Brigadoon is a veritable monument to the wealth of the man who had it built: George Arnold, founder of the Arnold Line ferry (now owned by Mackinac Island Ferry Company).

In 1989, Jay and Janet Stingel purchased Brigadoon turnkey from the home’s previous owners. Though virtually the entire house was original to Arnold’s era, Brigadoon had become a bit tattered over the century. The Stingels’ loving restoration included new wiring and refinishing the beautiful woodwork and furnishings through-

Photos by CHRISTINE MAGEE

AT FOUR

STORIES

AND

20 ROOMS,

ALL LOADED WITH ORNATELY CARVED OAK WOODWORK, THE QUEEN ANNE–STYLE BRIGADOON IS A VERITABLE MONUMENT TO THE WEALTH OF THE MAN WHO BUILT IT: GEORGE ARNOLD, FOUNDER OF THE ARNOLD LINE FERRY.

Previous spread: After the fire, the Stingels received letters and emails from around the world—including one all the way from Saudi Arabia—expressing their sympathy and concern for the beloved landmark. “Other people would stop and prop their elbows on the wall out in front and watch the work, and some even cried,” Janet says.

Above: In their 1989 redo of the home, the Stingels had chosen Victorian-inspired shades of rose for the furnishings. This time, working with Sharon Grzech of Petoskey-based Pumco Interiors, the couple opted on a blue and pale-green palette to reflect the island’s woods and water.

Right: The beautifully intricate underside of the dome was recreated by John Fehner of Mertaugh Boat Works. The Stingels have left it open on the interior, and even had it lit, to show off the craftsmanship.

out the home. For the next 32 years, the couple spent glorious summers relaxing on Brigadoon’s veranda, basking in the breezes off the Straits of Mackinac while watching horses clip-clop and bicyclists mosey past—motorized vehicles having been banned on the island since the year before Brigadoon was built.

At around 6 p.m., May 30, 2021, that blissful lifestyle went up in flames. The evening was just chilly enough for a fire in the living room hearth where the Stingels were enjoying a glass of wine when they noticed strangers racing up to their porch yelling that the roof was on fire. Not really believing, the couple ran up to the home’s third floor and as they rounded the corner in the hallway Janet recalls hearing crackling in the walls. “I knew then that we were in trouble,” she says. The couple grabbed their two dogs and some random belongings and fled outside to see a terrifying blaze devouring the cedar shingles along the main roof gable—flames that were headed for that signature dome.

Within minutes, Mackinac Island’s fire department, including their two fire trucks—motorized emergency vehicles are permitted on the island—screamed to the site, and additional firefighters were immediately dispatched from St. Ignace and Mackinaw City, the closest cities across the water. The crews worked furiously for 90 minutes and amazingly had the fire put out by 7:30 p.m.

It didn’t take the Stingels long to count their blessings: no one (or animal) had been hurt. The wind was quiet that evening so the

The parlor table and ornate chair are original to the home, as is the piano. The new drapes “puddle” at the bottom—a style in Victorian homes used to help keep drafts out. The water-damaged oak woodwork, including the ionic columns, were restored to their former beauty.

Landscaper Jack Barnwell of Jack Barnwell Design recreated the original landscaping that had been largely destroyed in the process of putting out the fire and by the heavy equipment used for reconstruction.

With the exception of the matching pewter chandeliers, the kitchen was a total loss and had to be completely renovated with the help of Preston Feather of Harbor Springs.

fire didn’t spread as it could have along the close-packed line of historical buildings on Main Street. And given that the fire broke out over the primary bedroom, it was beyond fortunate that the couple wasn’t asleep when it happened. Then there were the heroic Mackinac Island firefighters who, well versed in the importance of saving historic island artifacts, carried out valuable paintings, an antique chandelier and other heirlooms.

Still, the devastation was staggering. The entire roof—dome included— and third floor were a total loss, and water damage from the hundreds of thousands of gallons sprayed on the home had ruined the interior. The renovation would cost more than a million dollars.

Cost aside, the logistics of rebuilding a historical home on an island where supplies are moved from the ferry to the site by horse and dray were mind-boggling.

Nevertheless, the Stingels were determined to restore Brigadoon—and did so by pulling together a team of contractors and craftsmen that was consummately tailored to the needs of their restoration.

Job one was to hire a crew ASAP to get a roof on the home before winter set in. That issue was solved when a friend, Steve Seibert (then the vice president of construction for the Saginaw-based contracting company Wolgast Corporation), called the Stingels and offered assistance. “We have a restoration division,” Seibert explained. “We do this on a daily business.”

That said, Wolgast had never done a project on the island with all its logistical complications, but the company was game. Beyond having to barge all of the heavy equipment and supplies across the Straits, every move had to be planned minutely so that the work

Left: Restored by Hensler Furniture Restoration, the Eastlake Victorian dining room set and buffet are once again ready to welcome dinner parties—as they have since George Arnold’s time. A number of years ago, Janet found the chandelier in an antique store in Florida. Made in 1899—the same year Brigadoon was built—its grape motif even matched the dining room’s antique beveled glass window. Hearing how special it was, a Mackinac Island firefighter jumped on the table, cut it down and whisked it to safety. Firefighters also nailed plywood up on the outside of the beveled window to protect it.

Below: Refinished after the fire, the gracious stairway made it through the blaze. ServPro of Gaylord—fire and water damage specialists—transported dozens of antiques, including the dainty Eastlake Victorian chair in the lower right of the photo, to Hensler Furniture Restoration in Saginaw for refinishing.

Photo by Maconochie Photography

didn’t block the daylong crowds on Main Street. “We had to work on island time,” Seibert explains. “Even the trash had to be picked up early in the morning before tourists were on the street.”

Fortunately, enough of the dome remained intact after the fire for it to be replicated. Jay figured correctly that the wooden boatbuilders at Mertaugh Boat Works, the Hessel-based company where the Stingels keep their two vintage boats, had the needed skills to build a new one. “A dome is more like a boat than a house,” explains Geoff Hamilton, Mertaugh’s general manager. “Everything on a boat is curved.”

Working with a small team, Mertaugh’s master craftsperson, John Fehner, constructed the 2,450-pound dome that measures 12 feet in diameter. To assure that the dome was as historically accurate as possible, it was fabricated from custom-cut, roughsawn cedar from the Upper Peninsula. “It’s not off-the-shelf lumber from Home Depot,” Hamilton says.

To place the dome atop the turret, the Stingels hired Midwest Helicopter Airways of Willowbrook, Illinois. On an October day five months after the fire, pilot Kurt Hanneman transported the dome from St. Ignace (where it had been trucked from Hessel) and laid it neatly on top of the turret—a process that took just 15 minutes from start to finish. The restoration was far from complete, but the turret was on and the crew from Wolgast was closing in on the completion of the roof. Brigadoon’s interior would be protected from the elements through the long winter while work continued.

On a May night in 2022, almost a year to date after the fire, the Stingels lit a fire in their living room fireplace, confident that the home’s two chimneys—both re-built by a Straits-area m ason—were safe and sound. Nevertheless, as they poured themselves glasses of wine, Jay called the Mackinac Island fire chief and joked: “Don’t drink tonight, we’re starting a fire.”

In the upstairs bedrooms, a pair of metal beds, a pair of sleigh beds, a brass bed and matching chandeliers were all restored after being severely water damaged.

FIREWISE ADVICE: To make it easier to navigate your insurance claim, Janet Stingel recommends shooting a video of your house and its contents—open closets, drawers, bathrooms, cupboards, everything. The video does not have to be professional, but it will document the level of fixtures, finishes and the contents of your home should the y need to be replaced.

resources

General Contractor

Wolgast Corporation

Architect Seidell Architects

Restoration & Mitigation

ServPro of Gaylord

Dome Reconstruction

Mertaugh Boat Works

Dome Delivery

Midwest Helicopter Airways

Plumbing & Heating

Belonga Plumbing and Heating

Electrical Northern Power Electric

Kitchen & Baths

Preston Feather

Countertops

TJ Marble & Granite of Northern Michigan

Masonry

Aaron Winberg

Interior Decorator

Pumco Interiors

Furniture Restoration

Hensler Furniture Restoration

Landscape Design Jack Barnwell Design

STORIED STYLE

A FORMER DESIGNER FOR RALPH LAUREN CHANNELS THE SPIRIT OF A 1910 BUNGALOW IN A TOP-TO-BOTTOM RESTORATION THAT BALANCES VINTAGE STYLE WITH MODERN GLAM.

By CHASE EDWARDS /

by NICK JOHNSON

When the owners of an old vacant bungalow tucked into their large Northern Michigan property went searching for the right person to restore it, they found her in Erica Harrison, principal at the Detroit-based interior design firm Hudson & Sterling. For more than a decade, before she launched the company in 2016, Harrison worked as a concept designer for Ralph Lauren. “I was basically his storyteller,” she explains. “I would create a world that he would walk in to, where his imagination could create a design—of Chamonix in 1920, or it might be the Sedona of the 1940s or Santa Fe, 1910.  I would create the aesthetic, the mood and the feeling of the time period using lighting, furniture, clothing, books and even the plaster on the walls to create the concept.”

At Hudson & Sterling, Harrison bases her work on the skills and vision she honed at Ralph Lauren, scouring antique stores and modern design houses that specialize in authentically vintage home elements to find just the right pieces. “We create spaces that have a conversation and tell a story,” she says, adding that her firm excels at “creating a space that feels new but also like it’s been there for a long time.”

Photos

Previous spread: The couch and chair fabric are from House of Hackney, Rose Tarlow and Schumacher. The chair to the left of the fireplace is custom-designed and covered in Hishi by Robert Kime—a designer known for his historically authentic textile designs. The rug is a bleached ivory basket weave jute area rug from World Market. The white tulip chair is by John Derian. The original period Swiss lithograph is from Chairish.

Harrison’s design philosophy is well tailored to the bungalow homeowners, who wanted to celebrate the heritage and aesthetic of the building and “not rip everything down and turn it into a white box,” she says. At the same time, Harrison’s new clients wanted the Caretaker’s Bungalow (so named because it once housed the estate’s caretaker and his family) to be outfitted with modern comforts.

Built in 1910, the 3,500-square-foot cabin had been vacant for the past 35 years. By the time Harrison—who eventually became not only the designer but also the general contractor—went to work, the roof was caved in and the structure had been invaded by animals and insects. Adding insult to injury, sometime ar ound the 1960s the walls had been painted “crazy colors” and the floors were covered in a hodgepodge of shag rugs and tacky linoleum.

Job one for the former Ralph Lauren employee was calling an exterminator. Fixing the roof came next. After that, Harrison oversaw new wiring throughout the home and the bracing of the floor so that it could hold the weight of new appliances.

One of the goals of the renovation was to use only wood from the time of the bungalow’s construction. To that end, Harrison searched the homeowners’ property for period wood, pulling it from an old barn and from what she describes as rundown little huts. While she had most of the wood stained a rich, dark shade, typical of the early 1900s, Harrison opted to paint the kitchen—both walls and ceiling—white to give it a light, airy feeling. “I love color and I love texture and I love warmth and wood,” she says. “But there

The table is from Restoration Hardware and the French bistro chairs are from Cafe Tables. “I wanted the table and chairs to ground the kitchen, but not be super heavy,” Harrison says. “The bistro chairs felt light and welcoming—like the heart of a home.”

The chandelier over the table is Italian mid-century Murano handblown glass by Seguso from Chairish. The retro refrigerator is iio and the Nostalgie 30-inch dual fuel liquid propane freestanding range in antique white with brass trim is from ILVE. The handmade Moroccan tiles on the floor are by My Moroccan Tile. The vintage pink flowers still life pastel painting is from Chairish.

“I WOULD CREATE THE AESTHETIC, THE MOOD AND THE FEELING OF THE TIME PERIOD USING LIGHTING, FURNITURE, CLOTHING, BOOKS AND EVEN THE PLASTER ON THE WALLS TO CREATE THE CONCEPT.”

Get the Look!

DETAILS round out the story that designer Erica Harrison tells with her interiors. Here she singles out some of the individual elements that build the drama in this 1910 bungalow.

Wisteria

Robert Kime

3. Painting Beyond Pollock

M organ Falconer, Phaidon 100

A Way of Living: The Art of Willem de Kooning

Judith Zilczer, Phaidon 100

4. Sweet Clarity tea

House of Waris

1. Odile Bistro Chair

2. Hishi fabric

5. Cocotte , 7-quart Staub Cast Iron

6. Blue Elements high-handle 12 oz. mug by Royal Copenhagen Amuse

7. Faded Peony mug

Ralph Lauren

8. Artemis large tassel velvet cushion House of Hackney

9. Adélaïde dinner plate John Derian

10. Modern Farmhouse Brick Clé Tile

11. Los Cotorros Cutting Board Jan Barboglio

12. 1955 Pablo Picasso Polychrome Bird Ceramic Plate Chairish

13. MARY (candle), Cedar and Gaiac Trudon

14. French wine glass Crate and Barrel

15. Beatrice napkins Cabana

has to be a little bit of a departure from that in order to give some lightness.”

Like the entire bungalow, the kitchen is a blend of old and new. Sanded and repainted, the original hutch is now ready for another century. Harrison had the original sink restored but left a circle of rust near the drain for authenticity. The brass drain plug and faucet, however, are new. The floor, laid with handmade Moroccan tiles, has the weathered but ornate look Harrison was looking for. “There’s a smokiness to them,” she says.

During a photo shoot, Harrison realized that the space behind the stove felt empty, so she moved one of the antique paintings she’d collected for another room to fill the space. “It fits so perfectly above the stove,” she says. “It provides this beautiful warmth and almost a conversation.”

Authentically old woodwork welcomes guests in the foyer, as does the Piaf single sconce from Visual Comfort & Co. and the antique Oushak rug.

In the bedrooms, Harrison mixed bedding from The Company Store and Pendleton with pillows in fabrics from House of Hackney, Schumacher and Rose Tarlow.

Of all the rooms she’s ever designed, the bungalow’s living room is Harrison’s favorite. “The living room makes you want to play a game, to sit down and have a glass of wine, or some tea,” she says. Many of the furnishings are antique finds— among them a gilded early last-century mirror for the fireplace mantel, assorted early 19th-century artwork and a wicker couch “with horrible weird cushions.” Harrison sanded down the couch to bring out the grain and made new cushions for it. She also repainted the original red brick fireplace blue: “Blue makes it look modern but like it still has some heritage, too,” she says.

While the restoration, which also included two bathrooms, four bedrooms and a laundry room, ended up being a far bigger project than Harrison ever imagined, its wrap was bittersweet for the designer who had become so invested in its story. “I was happy it was done,” she says. “But I actually felt really sad when I left it.”

Painted blue years ago, the original pedestal bathtub was sandblasted back to its former glory. The sink is by Waterworks, the chandelier from Lumens and the light over the sink from Circa. The tile is Fireclay and the rug is from LoLoi Rugs. The artwork is from Chairish.

“WE CREATE SPACES THAT HAVE A CONVERSATION AND TELL A STORY .”

2023/24

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resources

Interior Design, General Contracting & Product Sourcing

Hudson & Sterling

Windows

Andersen Windows & Doors

Paint

Sherwin-Williams, Gaylord

Benjamin Moore

Meyer Ace, Gaylord

Antiques

Assorted Northern Michigan shops

Chairish

Soft Furniture & Pillows

Hudson Sterling

Fabrics

Pindler

Schumacher

House of Hackney

Pierre Frey

Robert Kime

John Derian

Ralph Lauren

Rugs

Crowther Imports

LoLoi Rugs

Appliances

iio ILVE

Tile

My Moroccan Tile

Fireclay Tile

CURATING THE MAXIMALIST COTTAGE

By LYNDA TWARDOWSKI WHEATLEY / Photos by JACQUELINE SOUTHBY

Not much in the style and design world intimidates Wendy Buhr; she’s been a part of it since birth. The owner and lead designer of Ella’s Interiors was raised by a builder who flipped houses and an antique dealer who owned a shop that teenage Buhr was often entrusted to run. By age 17, Buhr was working for an interior designer in Chicago. In 1999 she launched Ella’s, a vintage clothing and jewelry shop in downtown Traverse City that has since spawned Ella’s Interiors headquartered in the same building.

Along the way, loyal boutique customers have become clients of Ella’s Interiors and vice versa. So, it wasn’t unusual when a frequent customer had a small request: she wanted Buhr’s help selecting new lighting for the dining room in her little cottage in Leland. “I went out just thinking I was going to help her with some light fixtures,” says Buhr.

Opening spread: In the living room, Buhr had niches built to artfully display the homeowner’s collection of railroad lanterns passed down to her from her father.

Opposite: “For every house [Ella’s Interiors touches], we make our own pillows out of traditional woven fabric from cottage industry makers, people who weave and embroider,” Buhr says. “For example, In Laos, the colors they use are so vibrant—bright pink, indigo, green. That’s what I wanted in her home because that’s her personality.”

The lights are hand-blown from Kuzco Lighting.

Right: Buhr had the pretty pink pantry built to store and display the homeowner’s collections of linens and dishes. The Indonesian doors give it a storybook feel even when closed. Below: The newly reoriented and rebuilt kitchen is outfitted with cabinetry painted in Cooking Apple Green by Farrow & Ball. The custom hood is by Darin Fetter. A bleached white oak floor replaced the former cherry floor.

“And all of a sudden, we were going from room to room tearing the entire cottage apart.”

Normally, Buhr doesn’t blink in the face of an interior design challenge. But she admits she was daunted by the size and lack of light in the home, as well as the sheer number of collectibles—some even spilling out and around the modest cottage. There were art collections, clock collections, fishing rod collections, linens and dishes—hundreds of pieces each.

Job one for Buhr was opening up the cottage to its lake view and providing more light in the rooms. Buhr started, she says, “by blowing out the kitchen and dining room,” then added a four-season porch, whose walls

“I WENT OUT JUST THINKING I WAS GOING TO HELP HER WITH SOME LIGHT FIXTURES, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, WE WERE GOING FROM ROOM TO ROOM TEARING THE ENTIRE COTTAGE APART.”

Left: Stunning handmade Pewabic tile faces the new gas fireplace on the screened-in porch. All of the rugs in the home are antique, sourced through Ella’s Interiors.

Below: The custom window treatments in the relaxing room match the wallpaper.

can automatically change to either all-screen or all-glass depending on the weather.

Meanwhile, Buhr turned the garage into a staging area, removing everything from the house, then grouping and cataloging every piece of each collection. She worked with the owner to select specific art pieces to act as a springboard for each room—its textiles, finishes and furniture— then brought in multiple cabinet makers to build functional but beautiful storage and display options that treated the collections as one would art installations.

In all, Buhr expanded the home’s footprint by only about 400 square feet, but completely transformed the space from something that felt cluttered and closed in, to a joyful retreat with loads of personal character and enough room to dance about. “Some people want cookie cutter,” Buhr says. “But our clients are about telling a story, having individuality, interest. They don’t want their homes to look like anyone else’s.”

Above: The lemony-yellow in the new butler’s pantry joins the joyous chorus of color in the home.

Opposite: The homeowner wanted to keep the home’s original knotty pine paneling so Buhr turned it into a backdrop for her extensive art collection.

resources

Designer Wendy Buhr, Ella’s Interiors

Contractor

Maple Hill Builders

Antiques, Pillows & Throws

Ella’s Interiors

Counters

Cadillac Cut Stone

Genesee Cut Stone

Bathroom Vanities

Olive Creek Furniture

Custom Closet & Other Pieces

Gary Cheadle, Woodbine, Inc.

Custom Range Hood

Darin Fetter

Cabinetry

Wolverine Cabinet Co.

Flooring

Villagio Wood Floors

Window Treatments

The Shade Store

Doors

Thomas & Milliken Millwork

Hardware

Armac Martin, Rocky Mountain Door Hardware

Plumbing Fixtures

WaterWork Plumbing

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