The Eagle Harbor Cabin is located on a wooded waterfront property on Lake Superior, at the northerly edge of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, about 300 miles northeast of Minneapolis.
The wooded 3-acre site features the rocky shoreline of Lake Superior, a lake that sometimes behaves like the ocean. The 2,000 SF cabin cantilevers out toward the water, with a 40-ft. long glass wall facing the spectacular beauty of the lake. The cabin is composed of two simple volumes: a large open living/dining/kitchen space with an open timber ceiling structure and a 2-story “bedroom tower,” with the kids’ bedroom on the ground floor and the parents’ bedroom stacked above.
The interior spaces are wood paneled, with exposed framing in the ceiling. The cabinets use PLYBOO, a FSC-certified bamboo product, with mahogany end panels. The use of mahogany is repeated in the custom mahogany/steel curvilinear dining table and in the custom mahogany coffee table. The cabin has a simple, elemental quality that is enhanced by custom touches such as the curvilinear maple entry screen and the custom furniture pieces. The cabin utilizes native Michigan hardwoods such as maple and birch. The exterior of the cabin is clad in corrugated metal siding, offset by the tall fireplace mass of Montana ledgestone at the east end.
The house has a number of sustainable or “green” building features, including 2x8 construction (40% greater insulation value); generous glass areas to provide natural lighting and ventilation; large overhangs for sun and snow protection; and metal siding for maximum durability. Sustainable interior finish materials include bamboo/plywood cabinets, linoleum floors, locally-grown maple flooring and birch paneling, and low-VOC paints.
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Siller Stairs wrote:
stairs - Hi, I have seen you have done some super modern houses with stylish stairs... we are also doing modern design stairs with glass, wood, steel and concrete (also cantilevered stairs, all glass stairs, helical stairs…). May I ask you to pass by our web site if you are working on a modern exclusive project in the future?? www.sillertreppen.com Thanks for your consideration and attention, Benjamin Friedl benjamin@sillertreppen.com »
FINNE Architects Thanks for your kind words. The wood paneling is locally-sourced northern Michigan white maple (the Eagle Harbor Cabin is on the shore of Lake Superior). The milled pattern is a "1x4 tongue-and-groove" and we used a lower grade (C or D grade) in order to save cost and make the space more informal.
--Nils Finne
Is your railing system a custom build? - Can you tell me if your railing system was fabricated on-site? Was it a kit/system? Or custom fabrication all around? Are there turnbuckles involved? »
FINNE Architects Hi Amy,
I am glad you like the railing. Cable railings are both elegant and economical. We use cable components from either CS Johnson or Feeney. The steel railing vertical supports and the wood top rail are custom.
Best Wishes,
Nils Finne
This is more than a loft bed. A lot more. This entire light-filled bedroom floats above the sitting area below, maintaining a clutter-free sleeping area.
Finne placed the master bedroom in the top of the tower, creating an aerie-like perch in the trees. It is open to the main living space below and enjoys spectacular lake views, but is also made cozy by well-placed tongue and groove birch paneling. "Most of the wood we used throughout the house is grade-D quality," Finne says. "Usually I'd go for something more consistent, but my clients kept telling me, 'It's just a simple cabin!'"
take out knee walls upstairs around stairway opening and install steel/cables? Would it open things up like this? Or keep the walls and integrate built in storage somehow?
Nils Finne
Benjamin