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Houzz Tour: Family-Friendly Coastal Style in Michigan
Three generations share a chic and comfortable home on a lake
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta... More »
When designer Laura Davidson of Dwellings was hired to design this floor plan and interior design, she already had a strong relationship with her "dream clients," who gave her free reign. The home was designed for three generations: The couple has three grown children and one in middle school, and they wanted an apartment for one set of grandparents included in the design.
The overall feel of the home is comfortable, subtly coastal, cohesive and family-friendly. "I love to weave subtle themes throughout a home," says Davidson. Let's take a look at how she accomplished this.
The overall feel of the home is comfortable, subtly coastal, cohesive and family-friendly. "I love to weave subtle themes throughout a home," says Davidson. Let's take a look at how she accomplished this.
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| Davidson had a hand in everything from the plan, built-ins, layouts, "right down to the doorknobs," she says. The built-ins in the living room were designed around the television, which Davidson believes we should stop trying to hide and just embrace. The stone is a Beuchal stone veneer — real stone, but lighter and less expensive than full-size stones. Art over the fireplace is by Jeff Condon, a local artist. Ottoman was custom made by Vanguard. Almost all of the lighting in the home is by Visual Comfort. Sofas and chairs are by Miles Talbot. |
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| "I love symmetry," says Davidson. "I designed the home to be very family-friendly and to have a very easy and functional flow." The overall palette of the home is subtly coastal. "Subtle pops of color move through the house, and I tweaked the hues for different floors to give them a different feel." |
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| Transoms over doors and windows are a another repeated element, and their aesthetic is mimicked in the built-ins, like these cabinets that separate the living room from the kitchen. |
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| A subtle seaglass blue on the island makes it stand out, and the Viking stove is the exact same hue. The tiles on the backsplash by Jeffrey Court repeat the sea-glass feel. The counters are Caesarstone, which Davidson chose because "it has that sand feel." Toward the end of the kitchen, you can see a transom over a swinging restaurant-style door that leads to the pantry. "All of the doors in the home are painted the same pale gray," says Davidson. "We saved some dollars by painting all of the interior doors rather than using solid wood doors, which are much more expensive." |
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These saddle seat counter stools emphasize a horizontal stripe theme that runs throughout the house. When the original stools Davidson had ordered fell through at the last minute, Michael Thomas Furniture custom made them for her in about a week. This was very lucky, as 6,000 people were scheduled to come through during a Parade of Homes!
The transom-like element is repeated at the top of the cabinets.
The transom-like element is repeated at the top of the cabinets.
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| The dining chairs are a sea-glass blue hue carried over from the kitchen island, but are covered in a metallic leather, which establishes this as a more formal area. Dining Table by Somerset Bay Chandelier by Visual Comfort Rug by Dash and Albert. |
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| The window seat was designed with the clients' middle schooler in mind. It's a favorite perch, complete with storage underneath. To the right are doors that access the covered portion of the upper deck, and they are often left open when the family entertains, allowing easy flow from indoors to out. "The ceiling has subtle paneling; a V-groove with a crown," says Davidson. The V-grooved paneling is another subtle theme that repeats throughout the house. |
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The upper deck is accessible from several rooms. The in-law apartment has its own private deck area which connects to the deck of the main house. The ceiling is a gray/tan stain that coordinates with the front porch, tying the front of the house to the back.
Furniture by Joe Ruggiero for Miles Talbot
Fabric by Sunbrella
Furniture by Joe Ruggiero for Miles Talbot
Fabric by Sunbrella
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The master bedroom on the main floor has a serene cool coastal palette. Davidson also used symmetry to help achieve a relaxing and calm feel.
Chests by Somerset Bay
Bed by Corsica
Mother of Pearl lamps by Jamie Young
Settee by Wesley Hall
Chests by Somerset Bay
Bed by Corsica
Mother of Pearl lamps by Jamie Young
Settee by Wesley Hall
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Again, Davidson considered the television in the planning stages; the chair-rail height paneling was installed so the flat screen wouldn't seem to be floating on a big empty wall. A sitting area that includes a settee and chaise provide a relaxing spot in this private retreat. A rain chain outside the window provides a delightful sound during inclement weather.
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A large, multi-functional laundry room includes this island for folding clothes and doing crafts. It also has a drying cabinet, where one can hang clothes to dry slowly or warm visitor's cold coats on winter days (this gets a lot of use during cold Michigan winters). The floors are honed travertine.
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Beach glass tiles are interspersed between 4"x16" brick-shaped tiles in this space. "I love to use different textures," says Davidson. The cabinet doors are metal mesh, more casual than the cabinets in the kitchen.
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Because the owners like to entertain in this house so much, there is an extra full-sized refrigerator and freezer in the laundry room.
Island by British Traditions
Barstools by Go Home
Island by British Traditions
Barstools by Go Home
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| These seeded glass doors let the natural light from the laundry room into the hallway and are also an interesting architectural element. Around the corner is a landing strip. "I always try to incorporate a back hallway message center," explains Davidson. "It's a great place to come in, dump the mail and keys and keep that clutter out of the kitchen." |
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Moving downstairs, a second kitchen services the pool and patio area, which is right beyond the French doors. "During parties, the owners open up the doors to let people flow in and out from the pool area," Davidson says. They had 200 people over for a party soon after the home was completed.
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"I wove the same colors through to the lower level but tweaked them with deeper hues for a more casual feel," says Davidson. Horizontal stripes appear again on the rug and the boards on the kitchen island.
A more casual trestle table by Regina Andrews is fashioned from reclaimed wood. The aluminum chairs from Home Decorators provide a nice material contrast, and the Dash and Albert rug brings in more of the deeper blue. The custom drum pendant is by Stonegate Design.
A more casual trestle table by Regina Andrews is fashioned from reclaimed wood. The aluminum chairs from Home Decorators provide a nice material contrast, and the Dash and Albert rug brings in more of the deeper blue. The custom drum pendant is by Stonegate Design.
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Woven barstools (by Four Hands) in the kitchen contribute a casual beachy feel. The countertops are quartz, and the pendant light is by Kichler.
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The backsplash tile color is darkened a bit, while its glossy finish still feels beachy.
Backsplash tile by Olympia Tile
Backsplash tile by Olympia Tile
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The television wall built-ins include panels. "Beware of open shelves," warns Davidson. "They can leave a lot of empty space for too many objects. Here, the panels gave us a place to hang art, and they fit the scale of the 9'x15' wall," Davidson says. The horizontal V-groove panels are a subtle detail that repeats on the base cabinets.
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Davidson deliberately left the glass out of the transoms on the lower floor "I just love how casual they are," she says. The sectional from Pottery Barn was the one piece in the home the owners gave her to work with. Its deeper tan hue fits right in with the way she tweaked the lower floor's color palette.
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"This room was my biggest challenge at first," says Davidson. The teen daughter "knew she wanted black and white, and she knew she wanted Parisian." The room wound up being a lot of fun. Two mirrors flanking the daughter's bed (Hobby Lobby finds) reflect the light and silhouette of two chandeliers. The fanciful upholstered headboard is by Annie Selke.
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Davidson had simple drapes from IKEA hemmed in black, an easy and inexpensive custom trick.
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The home overlooks a lake south of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Most of the living space is on the main floor you see here, and the floor beneath it. Because the home is sited on a hill that overlooks a lake, the lower floor opens up to the outdoors.
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| A path leads from the home through wetlands to the lake. More: Houzz Tour: Coastal Chic Family Getaway Houzz Tour: Eclectic Country Beach House Interview: Life in the Fun Lane |
Ideabook published on Nov. 7, 2011.
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http://www.houzz.com/professional/7667/Dwellings
You can always click on an individual picture on Houzz and that will show you who designed it and link over to their professional page with this information. Laura is an absolute joy to work with!
We Private Label all of our Miles Talbott--great, custom, mid-grade line.
I used to have those chairs in black, in my home in Saugatuck/Douglas.
Michael Thomas really pulled through for you--an excellent example of why we all should be buying American--custom-made stool in a week? Are you kidding me?
If there is anything else you need, Laura. I'd be happy to wholesale to you. http://www.ashshowroom.com/manufacturers/