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Harmony Found by Snowden Builders
Harmony Found
A Lakeside Retreat in Rockford CHOICE z People’s WINNER 2022
TEXT BY LAUREN CARLSON PHOTOS BY DJZ PHOTOGRAPHY
Snowden Builders
Best Kitchen 2nd Place
Best Overall 2nd Place
Best Interior: Honorable Mention
Best Site Harmony: Honorable Mention
Building homes has been a part of the Snowden family for generations. Bob Snowden, licensed builder and owner of Snowden Builders, LLC is the son and grandson of real estate brokers, builders and developers. Today, Bob is an associate broker, builder and developer himself with over 25 years of experience in the industry. Bob's children have also worked alongside him throughout his career, with daughter Stephanie currently serving as project and marketing manager.
Bob laughs when he tells the story of the catalyst that finally propelled him into home building. As he tells it, he “met a farmer holding blueprints in the middle of a field.” After starting up a conversation, Bob learned that the farmer was being forced to develop his land and, after expressing to the farmer his lifelong interest in developing, was encouraged to take up the project himself. Soon after that meeting, Bob was building homes on that property — the beginning of a decades-long, award-winning career.
It's the lakeside modern cottage on Brower Lake in Rockford that earned Snowden and family Honorable Mentions in the Best Site Harmony and Best Interior categories, and 2nd Place in Best Overall and Best Kitchen in the Cosmopolitan Home’s People's Choice Awards. Together, Bob and Stephanie, and their team of talented construction professionals, artfully developed an award-winning home on a challenging waterfront site.
As a college student, Stephanie was unsure where her career would take her, but knew she wanted to help people. It wasn't until an internship revealed her acumen and passion for business that Bob convinced her to join the company. “I walked into an industry that I had absolutely no idea about ... all I knew was business,” she said. Almost seven years later, Stephanie plays a vital role in the company and has her own builders license. “I absolutely love what I do,” she added.
For this project, the Snowden team tackled a teardown and rebuild on a narrow, lakeside lot with zoning restrictions. “The problem with building on lakes is that there are so many challenges,” said Bob. In addition to steep grades and water issues, lakefront lots are typically narrow — built for the small cottages that initially inhabited the properties. Generally, even the new houses built on these lots require stepping down from the road in order to access the house.
Walls of windows allow lake views from almost every room, including the awardwinning kitchen. Here, bright white and smoky blue cabinets surround an expansive island lit from above with black and brass pendant fixtures from The Lighting
Corner. The design of the main floor gives the cook plenty of access to the living or dining room while entertaining. The copper accents, including the unique “tree of life” backsplash above the range, were important inclusions for the homeowner.
The dining room ceiling is a custom, hand-painted piece that is one of a kind.
The lower level boasts 12-foot ceilings and more pristine views. It includes a cozy lakeside family room, another custom, designer kitchen as well as a billiards room — a fabulous level for entertaining.
To specifically combat this issue, the Snowden team decided to raise the backyard by three feet and the foundation walls by three feet. This added height allowed the front yard to be level with the street, gave the lower level 12-foot ceilings and created an unfettered view of the entire lake.
Bob noted that this unique positioning, though the house doesn't look very big from the road, offers “a spectacular view.”
With plenty of windows to look out over the water, the homeowners can take advantage of the scenery from almost every room, including the award-winning kitchen. This open culinary focal point features bright white and smoky blue cabinets and an expansive island lit from above with black and brass pendant fixtures. The design of the main floor gives the cook plenty of access to the living or dining room while entertaining.
The copper accents, featured in both the lighting and the unique “tree of life” backsplash above the range, were “very important to the homeowner,” said Stephanie. Collaborating with Snowden team members on interior design, she made sure this element made its way into the final design and execution. The ceiling in the dining room is also a unique feature — the custom, hand-painted piece is one of a kind.
“It was personal to them — all of the colors and selections,” said Bob about the homeowners,
who originally hailed from Sparta. The homeowners' eye for design is clear throughout the cottage, and can be seen in the dreamy blues, the clean, bright whites and the mixture of stone, glass, wood and brass. Every nook and corner offers a Michigan lake cottage feel.
With its location on the lake, outdoor living is clearly a priority, but the Snowdens made the waterfront space truly shine. An oversized dock features a step-down patio and a rock border with two built-in fireplaces — the perfect location for s'mores and libations on summer nights.
Winning 2nd Place in Best Overall is no surprise when each element of a custom-built home comes together so seamlessly. For Bob, whose personal history is woven into the fabric of each home he builds, craftsmanship is personal, and he takes his time, building not just homes, but relationships, because, ultimately for Snowden Builders, it's “quality over quantity.” ❂ RESOURCE INDEX
BUILDER Snowden Builders ARCHITECT LS Design
CABINETRY KSI Kitchen & Bath FLOORING Century Flooring GLASS/MIRRORS Norbert’s Glass & Mirror LIGHTING The Lighting Corner TILE FLOORING Village Custom Interiors
READY TO TRANSFORM YOUR LIGHTING DESIGN
4269 Chicago Drive SW • Grandville, MI 49418 • 616-534-8560 1051 Jackson Street • Grand Haven, MI 49417 • 616-842-1650
