As written in Northern Home & Cottage by Elizabeth Edwards Sara and Paul Matthews call their head-turning home, located in a sweet neighborhood just up the hill from downtown Petoskey, “a very human story.” Indeed it is. Sara and her husband, Paul, have a special-needs son as well as an energetic middle-school daughter. This home has an answer for everyone. Located down the street from the school, it is ideally situated for their daughter and a self-contained apartment off the great room accommodates all their son’s needs while giving his caretakers privacy—and the family theirs. The Matthews began the building process by taking their thoughts and needs to Stephanie Baldwin and her team at Edgewater Design Group. Beyond the above considerations, they wanted their new home to be low maintenance and to stand out architecturally, “But not so much that anyone would complain that it didn’t work in our neighborhood,” says Sara. “We were thrilled that Edgewater listened to us and were able to give us a unique-looking house that is meeting all our needs.” Lombardy LLC built this handsome home with Paul working alongside the construction crew throughout the project. The low maintenance exterior is a cutting-edge blend of stacked stone, black corrugated steel, black framed windows and Douglas fir soffits—elements that add up to an organic contemporary look. The use of black steel, including interior beams and the staircase system, lend an industrial vibe that is courtesy of the Matthews’ friend Dan Mello of Trimet Industries in Traverse City. The couple first met Dan, a metal fabricator, a number of years ago, right around the time they found out that their then two-year-old son would never be able to walk. After the couple explained to Dan that they couldn’t find a solution for a child who wasn’t big enough for a wheelchair, he designed a comfortable, rolling chair that was just perfect. They still use it. The couple’s gratitude for the chair resulted in a trusting relationship with Dan, so it was natural for them to welcome his talents into their home-building process. A maple floor finished to bring out all of its color-tones envelops the room in warmth. Alder doors and trim and a Doug fir ceiling reflect that warmth. Clearstory windows and floor-to-ceiling window banks fill the space with light—and with views of the spacious grounds that will become a canvas for Paul, a retired landscaper. The couple’s vibrant art pieces play off against modernist furniture and lighting that is due to an inspired collaboration between Sara and interior designer Kelly Paulsen. “She was absolutely instrumental to the project,” Sara says. “I went through two designers before I finally found Kelly.” The open clean-lined kitchen, butler’s pantry outfitted with a beverage center and Miele coffee machine (that allows guests to wait on themselves when Sara is cooking), and an outdoor room that centers around a wood-burning fireplace, all make for easy, fabulous entertaining. A den just off the great room houses the big-screen television and Sara’s loom— making for relaxing evenings of weaving, game watching and togetherness. Tourgoers will leave understanding that this house is everything great design should be. Form following function—and solving very human issues with soul-soothing style.

This modern home, near Cedar Lake, built in 1900, was originally a corner store. A massive conversion transformed the home into a spacious, multi-level residence in the 1990’s. However, the home’s lot was unusually steep and overgrown with vegetation. In addition, there were concerns about soil erosion and water intrusion to the house. The homeowners wanted to resolve these issues and create a much more useable outdoor area for family and pets. Castle, in conjunction with Field Outdoor Spaces, designed and built a large deck area in the back yard of the home, which includes a detached screen porch and a bar & grill area under a cedar pergola. The previous, small deck was demolished and the sliding door replaced with a window. A new glass sliding door was inserted along a perpendicular wall to connect the home’s interior kitchen to the backyard oasis. The screen house doors are made from six custom screen panels, attached to a top mount, soft-close track. Inside the screen porch, a patio heater allows the family to enjoy this space much of the year. Concrete was the material chosen for the outdoor countertops, to ensure it lasts several years in Minnesota’s always-changing climate. Trex decking was used throughout, along with red cedar porch, pergola and privacy lattice detailing. The front entry of the home was also updated to include a large, open porch with access to the newly landscaped yard. Cable railings from Loftus Iron add to the contemporary style of the home, including a gate feature at the top of the front steps to contain the family pets when they’re let out into the yard. Tour this project in person, September 28 – 29, during the 2019 Castle Home Tour!

Structured wiring panels provide a centralized location for all low voltage wiring. The wiring is punched down into keystone jacks or patch panels, which are then connected to the appropriate equipment. This centralized location makes it easy to manage and troubleshoot any issues with the wiring.

Relocating from their home in Brisbane, Australia with ocean views to the Pacific, our clients envisioned a refresh for their new lakefront cottage on Pine Lake in West Bloomfield, Michigan. Completed in July 2024, we created new spaces, reimagined old ones, and even swapped places for a primary bedroom and its en suite bath. Our goal was to create a serene and soothing spa- like experience for the bathroom, all while maintaining gorgeous lake views. But this reconfiguration presented some challenges. The primary bedroom was oversized, while its adjacent bath was tiny and crowded. We completely flipped the locations of the bedroom and bathroom, even rerouting plumbing over the bar in the lower level to accommodate the freestanding tub. To maximize space, we designed large, walk-in dressing pantries that are as functional as they are beautiful, and lead to the large dual custom vanity. The vanity itself is freestanding to provide access for hand towel bath hardware on its sides. The his-and-hers unit contains built-in dividers, laundry hampers and trash pullouts to maximize its function. An enclosed water closet allows for privacy in the open concept bathroom, and is placed beyond the cabinetry. The star of this space is the large enclosed wet room. As the focal point of the bathroom, its oversized tiled walls and deep built-in bench allow for a steam or soaking in the tub while enjoying stunning lake views. The wet room is spacious and serene, and perfect for an end to a Michigan winter day.

Located in the heart of the Plateau Mont-Moral district of Montreal. An intimate court patio garden, integrating a multi-use terrase surface with a custom designed privacy fence, sliding gate system and green space. The court garden also incorporates a grass paver driveway, which solves a myriad of local parking issues and provides added security and peace of mind.

Example of a transitional l-shaped brown floor kitchen design with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, multicolored backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and gray countertops

A new-construction, year-round vacation home was custom-built for a family to enjoy the natural beauty of West Marin, California. The home is sited on the beach, so understanding how to build on sand (instead of soil) and selecting the right materials that would withstand ongoing erosion from the ocean and salt air were both critical to the success of the project. Even in the most ideal circumstances climate can present challenges, but as this was a COVID-era project in a relatively remote location, we also faced supply chain issues and labor issues. Fortunately, we were able to draw on our decades of experience to identify solutions and work collaboratively with the geotechnical engineer, structural engineer, and subcontractors to ensure that everyone was aligned on the design vision and how we would achieve it. Our backgrounds as craftspeople and the project manager’s experience as an architect allowed our team to work in lockstep with the design team.

Located in the heart of the Plateau Mont-Moral district of Montreal. An intimate court patio garden, integrating a multi-use terrase surface with a custom designed privacy fence, sliding gate system and green space. The court garden also incorporates a grass paver driveway, which solves a myriad of local parking issues and provides added security and peace of mind.

Located in the heart of the Plateau Mont-Moral district of Montreal. An intimate court patio garden, integrating a multi-use terrase surface with a custom designed privacy fence, sliding gate system and green space. The court garden also incorporates a grass paver driveway, which solves a myriad of local parking issues and provides added security and peace of mind.

Located in the heart of the Plateau Mont-Moral district of Montreal. An intimate court patio garden, integrating a multi-use terrase surface with a custom designed privacy fence, sliding gate system and green space. The court garden also incorporates a grass paver driveway, which solves a myriad of local parking issues and provides added security and peace of mind.

The homeowner wanted to have her backyard professionally designed addressing a persisting drainage issue that compromised the pool maintenance. The design addressed the drainage issue by installing an underground system with PVC piping and catch basins to deviate water to the street. The homeowner's main desire was to create a walking area behind the pool with space for quiet reading and a new landscape to provide privacy and enjoyment. Sphere boxwoods are the protagonists of the scene over limestone gravel along with agapanthuses; both adapted to partial shade from the many pine trees located along with the property. The main accomplishment was to provide a lush landscape in a previously problematic area with no drainage and shade. The flow of the walking area continues with liriope and mondo grass leading to a peaceful reading area surrounded by beautiful boulders and muhly grass.

Marvelous Desk
Inspiration for a mid-sized modern freestanding desk light wood floor and beige floor study room remodel in New York with white walls

Full-scale interior design, architectural consultation, kitchen design, bath design, furnishings selection and project management for a home located in the historic district of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The home features a fresh take on traditional southern decorating, and was included in the March 2018 issue of Southern Living magazine. Read the full article here: https://www.southernliving.com/home/remodel/1930s-colonial-house-remodel Photo by: Anna Routh

Located in the heart of the Plateau Mont-Moral district of Montreal. An intimate court patio garden, integrating a multi-use terrase surface with a custom designed privacy fence, sliding gate system and green space. The court garden also incorporates a grass paver driveway, which solves a myriad of local parking issues and provides added security and peace of mind.

Located in the heart of the Plateau Mont-Moral district of Montreal. An intimate court patio garden, integrating a multi-use terrase surface with a custom designed privacy fence, sliding gate system and green space. The court garden also incorporates a grass paver driveway, which solves a myriad of local parking issues and provides added security and peace of mind.

Inspiration for a large transitional l-shaped dark wood floor and brown floor enclosed kitchen remodel in Jackson with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, white backsplash, stone tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Kath & Keith Photography
Mid-sized elegant u-shaped dark wood floor enclosed kitchen photo in Boston with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, stainless steel appliances, an island, white cabinets, granite countertops, beige backsplash and porcelain backsplash

Photo: Margot Hartford © 2016 Houzz
Inspiration for an eclectic living room remodel in San Francisco

A new-construction, year-round vacation home was custom-built for a family to enjoy the natural beauty of West Marin, California. The home is sited on the beach, so understanding how to build on sand (instead of soil) and selecting the right materials that would withstand ongoing erosion from the ocean and salt air were both critical to the success of the project. Even in the most ideal circumstances climate can present challenges, but as this was a COVID-era project in a relatively remote location, we also faced supply chain issues and labor issues. Fortunately, we were able to draw on our decades of experience to identify solutions and work collaboratively with the geotechnical engineer, structural engineer, and subcontractors to ensure that everyone was aligned on the design vision and how we would achieve it. Our backgrounds as craftspeople and the project manager’s experience as an architect allowed our team to work in lockstep with the design team.