ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH COMES TO LAKE CHARLEVOIX

MODERN EXCELLENCE

within nature

Written by Brittany Darga Kat Alves Photography

NATURE has a lot of color hues to offer. From trees, flowers, and plants alive with greens, reds, oranges, and yellows, to the vibrant blue of the sky, and even the darker earth tones. That is why this modern dream home has wall-to-wall windows and has only natural and textured tones throughout.

“The color is outside,” said Melody Collins who with her husband, Jeff Collins, own Glennwood Custom Builders and built and own this home. The home in the photos featured here was built in Lake Tahoe, Calif. and the couple are currently replicating the home in Northern Michigan on Lake Charlevoix.

“We looked at our Lake Tahoe house, which fits into the mountain setting very well, and realized it would also fit into the woods and lake scene of Northern Michigan,” Jeff said. “This house lets the beauty of nature surround you indoors and Northern Michigan certainly is beautiful enough to allow for that.”

Jeff and Melody take pride in the fact that this house is modern. “It’s modern but not stuffy,” Jeff said. “It still has a very cozy, inviting feel. It will fit into Northern Michigan well.” Architect Ryan Marsden, who is also licensed in Michigan, designed the home, and Mike Branan, president of Glennwood Custom Builders, was a key player as well.

Drive up to this house, and it is instantly noticeable that the house lacks something – drywall. Every single outside wall is comprised of mostly all windows. In the western home, one side looks out into the woods, the other to the mountains. In the Lake Charlevoix house, the mountains will be replaced by the lake.

“Some people walk into our house and say they don’t feel as if they’re in a house at all – they feel like they are outside,” Melody says. “That is exactly the intent.”

THE FIRST STEP guests take in the house is in the foyer, where two unique pieces of “artwork” can be seen. These pieces are actually huge slabs of granite placed ever so carefully on the walls. “It was a project,” laughs Jeff. “We had to reinforce the walls to get these hung up.”

Turn a corner, and guests are in a gorgeous living area with a gigantic striking view of outside through 12-foot-tall by 25-foot-wide lift and slide doors. The distinctive, substantial fireplace is made of black rolled steel, which can also be found on the ceiling. On the left side of the fireplace is a gas fire; on the other is a television.

“While sitting in the living area, we wanted the fireplace, TV, and the view all at the same level,” Jeff said. “That way, we can see all at the same time.”

FOLLOW WALNUT FLOORS to the open concept kitchen and one will notice double islands – a butcher block island for prepping food, and a quartz counter top island with waterfall sides for sitting and dining. There is room for seating at both sides of this island, and also room for more at the dining table. “We set it up for entertaining,” Melody said.

DETAILS certainly do not get missed in this house and that is evident in the textured, impeccable tile work in the kitchen, drawing attention to the wine and cocktail shelf. The smooth, glossy cabinets in the kitchen are black acrylic, made by Stillwater Custom Cabinetry in Petoskey.

“So many things in this house were made in Michigan and shipped to Lake Tahoe,” Jeff said. “We plan to do the same in the replicated house on Lake Charlevoix.”

OPEN THE MASSIVE lift and slide doors and guests are taken to a gorgeous patio with an even more stunning view. Cozy patio furniture is plentiful next to the massive linear fire pit and built-in grilling station. The porch also will have the option to drop down screens to make it a screened in. When overlooking stunning Lake Charlevoix from the patio, guests will be able to see a pool before a retaining wall meets the lake.

AS IF THERE weren’t already enough places to enjoy a beautiful view, the cozy master suit offers more. Enclosed in yet again mostly windows, there are panoramic outdoor views. At the foot of the bed is some stone work that lifts up to showcase a television. “We didn’t want the TV there all the time,” Jeff said. “We wanted a way so that if you don’t want to look at it, you don’t have to.”

The master bathroom has more windows and more views to offer, even in the shower and neighboring bathtub. “It’s all scenery beyond the windows, so there’s no need for extra privacy,” Jeff said.

ACCOMPANYING rooms on

the main level are impressive two home offices, each with its own flair and of course, its own view. There is also a half bath, laundry room, and an entryway with bountiful storage.

GLENNWOOD CUSTOM BUILDERS NOW IN DOWNTOWN TRAVERSE CITY!

Together, during the past 25 years, Jeff and Melody Collins have worked to build and design more than 300 custom homes in Northern Michigan, not counting remodeling projects. Their company helps clients manage all aspects of the building process from start to finish. From locating property, permits, to architecture and final landscaping, they can manage it all.

With an office already in Petoskey, the couple recently bought space in downtown Traverse City for a second office. In the spot Georgina’s was, they are excited to make a former restaurant into an office space of their own during the next few months!

WALK DOWN the free-standing steel staircase, which you can see from the outside where guests first drive up, and there is another living area, game room, gym, bar, and wine cellar with colored LED lights that change colors. “You can see the LED lights from the outside, which is a pretty neat feature,” Jeff says. There are also three en-suite bedrooms, each decorated impeccably; no detail is forgotten.

THE EXTERIOR of the house is certainly notable. Where there isn’t a window, there is corrugated metal with gray stained sealer. There is also a three-bay garage, with one bay for motorcycles, snowmobiles, four-wheelers, and bikes. The low pitch of the roof of the house comes into question a lot, Jeff mentioned. “One year in Lake Tahoe we got 60 feet of snow in a season. Not 60 inches; 60 feet,” Jeff said. “This roof is made to withstand at least 200 pounds of weight per square inch. And it is made so snow doesn’t slide off when it melts.”

Jeff says there’s maybe some misconceptions about what a modern home really is. “Modern homes can still be homey.

They are where perfectionism is at the uttermost importance. Everything from the architecture, to the strategic placement of things one might not think of such as vents,” Jeff says. “Everyone on our team ‘gets it’ and everyone worked together so well to make this home absolutely perfect.”

And now this style of home is coming to Northern Michigan. “We’ve always loved the water and we are excited to see this type of home take ahold here.”

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