Mr. Bharat Aggarwal

Elayne Barre

Synergy Property Design Consultants

Proto Homes, LLC

New colonnade was designed to separate living and dining rooms and better define these spaces. This is a familiar bungalow era detail, but we found no evidence one had been earlier removed. Our design continues line of plate rail and is deep enough for china cabinets. By reducing width of center opening the corners of rooms are more useable. Cased opening allows for different decorative treatment in rooms, and space no longer resembles a bowling alley. Living room walls are BM "Huntington Beige" and dining room BM "Confederate Red."

Grant Keller

Going up the Victorian front stair you enter Unit B at the second floor which opens to a flexible living space - previously there was no interior stair access to all floors so part of the task was to create a stairway that joined three floors together - so a sleek new stair tower was added. Photo Credit: John Sutton Photography

The natural finishes of the maple floor, walnut millwork and quartzite tile make this modern space feel both contemporary but warm.

Photo by Marcia Prentice

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.

Addition and remodel of mid-century rambler

© Lisa Russman Photography