Embracing Change

A pair of emptynesters crafts a tailored Contemporary for their next act

TEXT BY KHRISTI ZIMMETH

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN CARLSON

“Fun” and “sexy” were among the goals newly-minted empty-nesters Eric and Sheila Werner set for the Oakland Township Contemporary they started building in 2019, after their youngest child graduated from high school. The couple knew they wanted something completely different from the Tudor-style home they’d built for their family of four in 2011. That residence, designed with the help of Cranbrook Custom Homes and interior designer Cheryl Nestro, of Tutto Interiors in Northville, had “lots of gray, sparkling light fixtures, and a formal dining room,” Sheila explains. “We didn’t change anything about the layout of that home, so Cheryl just had the job of making it beautiful, which is easy for her, but not super challenging, which is where she shines.” The couple gave Nestro a longer to-do list for their new residence, which they worked on with the designer and Cranbrook Custom Homes’ architect Stephen McKay. “Once we knew we were on our way to being empty-nesters, our priorities changed,” Sheila says. “We wanted the home to have a presence, have a grand entrance, and have some height to it.” They also wanted “a Ranch home, more privacy, something a bit more modern, and to stay in the Rochester area,” the homeowner says. “The inside of the home needed to be open, and we wanted a completely different color palette and feel than our last home.” Also on the list: “A beautiful setting, floor-to-ceiling windows to maximize the views, and large areas for entertaining, inside and out,” Sheila says. “We wanted the master bedroom and a private guest suite on the main floor. We put two bedrooms, a workout room, home office, and gathering space for our adult children when they’re visiting on the lower level.”

Together, the team crafted a design that checks all the boxes. “It took longer because we had to develop the property, and this house is completely custom,” Sheila explains of the 18-month process. “Our architect was patient with our back-and-forth

GRAND TIMES AHEAD Both pages: The homeowners wanted their new house in Oakland Township to have a grand entrance.

changing of the elevations and layout. We also ran every design by Cheryl, and she was invaluable.” Nestro says the house has many highlights, including a 10-foot art niche in the foyer and 12- to 14-foot ceilings throughout, which enabled her to use a mix of materials and pendants that look like fine jewelry and “really command your attention.” She also has a soft spot for the “swanky, moody” library, which she designed with a speakeasy vibe — the perfect spot for grown-up pleasures such as after-dinner drinks — and the “warm, cozy” great room with its dramatic fireplace, which features contrasting earth tones coupled with suede-textured tile, walnut wood, and gray accent niches. “The polished porcelain floor looks like glass when the sun shines in,” she says of the space. “Surprisingly, the Werners thought the great room wasn’t going to be used much, but they love it,” the designer says.

The homeowner calls the new build “very kitchen-centric,” adding “Cheryl gave me a kitchen she would love to cook in. We mostly eat at home, and we make our own meals, but we love entertaining. This home is so fun to entertain guests in.” While it accommodates guests well, it also works when their grown children come home. “Cheryl knew we would still have young adults around part of the time, so she chose furniture and fabrics to accommodate our lifestyle. You can’t help but appreciate the attention to detail that Cheryl and her team put into this home.”

Although the couple moved in last winter, Sheila still can’t identify a favorite room. “It’s

OPEN & AIRY Both pages, clockwise from opposite page, top: The great room feels extra “great” with high ceilings. In fact, the home features 12- to 14-foot ceilings throughout. In the breakfast nook, kitchen, and four-season room, pendant lighting is like fine jewelry that adds just the right touch of glam. hard for me to choose because we spend time in every room of this home. Eric says his favorite is the four-season room with the beautiful tile, natural fireplace, and modern light fixtures. And I have to say Cheryl outdid herself on our great room.” Sheila also appreciates the beautiful fireplace and custom swivel chairs, where she enjoys morning coffee and watching wildlife in the backyard.

The designer admits she can’t identify just one standout room. “I don’t have a favorite because the entire home is so special,” she shares.

The new nest has been everything the Werners dreamed of, and more, they say. “This home has exceeded our expectations. It was very well thought out, and lends itself to our lifestyle. There’s nothing we would have done differently.” “WE LOVE ENTERTAINING. THIS HOME IS SO FUN TO ENTERTAIN GUESTS IN.” — SHEILA WERNER

THE ART OF LIVING Both pages, clockwise from above: The library, four-season room, kitchen, and outdoor seating area all are adorned with artful touches, from the curvy office coffee table to the latest in fire pit designs.

FOUR-SEASON BEAUTY

“WE HAD OUR HEARTS SET ON A FOUR-SEASON ROOM that could be closed off with industrial-looking glass doors, and we wanted the home to be on grade, no walkout, to maximize views of the wildlife,” Sheila Werner says of her home’s wonderful room. Interior designer Cheryl Nestro says the room’s design inspired the rest of the residence. “The entire home started with this room,” she says. Here are a few tips for your own four-season getaway:

Go Big “The clients weren’t sure how much window they wanted in this room,” Nestro says, “but I quickly encouraged them to let nature in and designed the windows from floor to ceiling.”

Think Double-Duty “We don’t have a formal dining room, so Cheryl incorporated a beautiful table in one half of the room,” Werner says. “The other side of the room has a natural wood-burning fireplace and a cozy sectional couch. We wanted this room to feel a bit more modern, due to the Weldworks doors that close the room off from the kitchen. Cheryl went off of the design of the four-season windows and made the transition seamless when looking from the kitchen into the great room. We use the table in lieu of a formal dining room, and our family congregates there to watch movies and enjoy the natural fireplace.”

Black Magic Gray porcelain tile gives the room a more modern feel. Black accents in the fireplace tile and dining room light fixture tie in the Weldworks doors and the dark windows, making the space modern and comfortable. — KZ

SOAK IT IN This page: In the master bath, a Victoria + Albert soaking tub is extra inviting, thanks to woodsy views. Opposite page: Night life.

BUYER’S GUIDE

INTERIOR DESIGNER Cheryl Nestro, Tutto Interiors, Northville, tuttointeriors.com

BATHROOM, MASTER Bathtub – Soaking Tub, Victoria + Albert, Ferguson Bath, Kitchen and Lighting Gallery, Troy Cabinetry – Walnut Driftwood, Onyx Glaze, Millennium Cabinetry, Farmington Hills Faucet – Levoir, Luxe Gold, Brizo, Ferguson Bath, Kitchen and Lighting Gallery, Troy Flooring – Cerdomus, Supreme, Polished Ivory, Virginia Tile, Troy Mirror – Cranbrook Sconces – Valencia, Aged Brass, Hudson Valley, Pine Tree Furniture & Lighting, Lake Orion Wall Paint – Sherwin Williams, Agreeable Gray

BREAKFAST NOOK Booth – Custom, Tutto Interiors Custom Design by Tutto Interiors, Northville; Margaret’s Upholstering, Keego Harbor; Fabric, Taurus Saddle, Brentano Fabrics and Hickory Chair Chairs, Kitchen Nook – Miranda Side Chair, Sonder Living; Fabric, Hickory Chair Chandelier – Custom, Hammerton Studio Flooring – Craft, Superb Flooring & Design, Troy Table, Dining – Caracole Furniture Wall Paint – Sherwin Williams, Agreeable Gray

FOUR-SEASON ROOM Armchairs – Wesley Hall, Hickory; Fabric, Harrison Taupe Artwork – Pine Tree Furniture & Lighting, Lake Orion Ceiling Trim – Custom Indirect LED Lights, Tutto Interiors, Northville; Installation, Cranbrook Custom Homes, Shelby Township Chairs, Dining (aux room) – Miranda Side Chair, Sonder Living, Hickory Chair Chairs, Dining (conjoined room) – Loretta Side Chair, Hickory Chair, Hickory Chair Interior Design Showroom, Michigan Design Center, Troy; Fabric, Holly Hunt and Hickory Chair Chandelier, Glass – Custom, Blossom Fixture, Hammerton Studio Flooring – Sassy Graphite, Polished, Cercan Tile, Cercan Tile Inc., Michigan Design Center, Troy Lighting, Ceiling – Wac LED Light Stripe, Pine Tree Furniture & Lighting, Lake Orion Lighting, Table – Tech Lighting, Summit Grande Pendant, Black, Pine Tree Furniture & Lighting, Lake Orion Ottoman – Union Ottoman, Wesley Hall Rug – Masland, Serene Touch, The

Ghiordes Knot, Michigan Design Center, Troy Sectional – Dapper Custom Sofa, Wesley Hall; Fabric, Chess Flax Table, Dining (aux room) – Artisan Dining Table, Caracole Table, Dining (conjoined room) – Asher Dining Table, Hickory White Tile, Fireplace – Kronos Nero Natural, Ciot, Troy Wall Paint – Sherwin Williams, Agreeable Gray

FOYER Ceiling Trim – Custom Indirect LED Lights, Tutto Interiors, Northville; Installation, Cranbrook Custom Homes, Shelby Township Chandelier – Custom, Hammerton Studio Flooring – Craft, Superb Flooring & Design, Troy Lighting, Ceiling – Wac LED Light Stripe, Pine Tree Furniture & Lighting, Lake Orion Mirror – Pine Tree Furniture & Lighting, Lake Orion Sculpture – “The Dancer,” Vladimira Klumpar, Habatat Galleries, Royal Oak Table, Display – Linea Console Table, Bernhardt Furniture Co. Wall Covering – Phillip Jeffries, Tennant & Associates, Michigan Design Center, Troy

GREAT ROOM Armchairs – Wesley Hall; Fabric, Melvin Natural, Wesley Hall and Theodore Alexander Ceiling Trim – Custom Indirect LED Lights, Tutto Interiors, Northville; Cranbrook Custom Homes, Shelby Township Chairs, Swivel – Jazz Swivel Tub Chair, TCS Designs Inc. Fireplace, Main Tile – Sepulveda Suede Scraffito, Ann Sacks, Michigan Design Center, Troy Fireplace, Mantle – Caesarstone, Statuario NuvAo Fireplace, Niches – Stone Tech Grigio, Cercan Tile, Troy Fireplace, Reveals – Chemetal, Deep Bronze Aluminum Fireplace, Wood Accents – DuChateau Krescent Wallcovering, Brown Ash, Superb Flooring & Design, Troy Flooring – Craft, Superb Flooring & Design, Troy Lighting, Ceiling – Wac LED Light Stripe, Pine Tree Furniture & Lighting, Lake Orion Pillows, Accent – Hickory Chair, Hickory Chair Interior Design Showroom, Michigan Design Center, Troy Rug – Fabrica, Barcelona in Pyrenees, The Ghiordes Knot, Michigan Design Center, Troy Sofa – Wesley Hall; Fabric, Arlee Bisque, Peretti Table, Coffee – Auden Cocktail Table, Hickory Chair, Hickory Chair Interior Design Showroom, Michigan Design Center, Troy Tables, End – Elements Chairside Table and Fusion Drum Table, Caracole Tables, Occasional – Tri-Pod Tables, Global Views Wall Paint – Sherwin Williams, Agreeable Gray

KITCHEN Bar Stools – Donegal Counter Stool, Vanguard Furniture; Fabric, Crypton, Jude Almond Cabinetry, Brown – Quartered Walnut Ashen Stain, Millennium Cabinetry, Farmington Hills Cabinetry, Tan – Textil Plata, Millennium Cabinetry, Farmington Hills Countertop – Sapienstone, Bright Onyx, Ciot, Troy Faucet – Franke Pull-Out Spray Faucet, Ferguson Bath, Kitchen and Lighting Gallery, Troy Flooring – Craft, Superb Flooring & Design, Troy Hood – Quartered Walnut Ashen Stain, Millennium Cabinetry, Farmington Hills Lighting, Bar – Il Pezzo, Pine Tree Furniture & Lighting, Lake Orion Lighting, Cabinet – Wac LED Stripe Lighting, Millennium Cabinetry, Farmington Hills Wall Paint – Sherwin Williams, Agreeable Gray LIBRARY Armchairs – Windham Chair, Kravet/Lee Jofa/Brunschwig & Fils, Michigan Design Center, Troy Chandelier – Modern Forms, Catalyst, Aged Brass, Pine Tree Furniture & Lighting, Lake Orion Chest, Display – Chester Bar Cabinet, Sonder Living Flooring – Craft, Superb Flooring & Design, Troy Partition – Abacus 9-light Ceiling-to-Floor LED Pendant, Hubbardton Forge Rug – Fabrica, Declaration in Expression, The Ghiordes Knot, Michigan Design Center, Troy Sofa – Boomerang Sofa, Opulent Citrine, Ambella Home Collection Table, Coffee – Piero Cocktail Table, Theodore Alexander Table, Occasional – XO Table, Arteriors Wallpaper, Accent – Set in Stone, Black Onyx, MDC Wallcoverings Wallpaper, Main – Vinyl Kimono Silk, Tatami Taupe, Phillip Jeffries, Tennant & Associates, Michigan Design Center, Troy

PATIO Chairs – Fitz Roy, Kettler USA, Pine Tree Furniture & Lighting, Lake Orion Fire Pit – Tavola 8, Ebony, Prism Hardscapes, Pine Tree Furniture & Lighting, Lake Orion Landscaping – Blu 60 Techo-Bloc in Greyed Nickel, Onyx Black, Motor City Landscaping, Rochester Pool and Hot Tub – Backyard Creations Shelter – StruXure Sofa – Fitz Roy, Kettler USA, Pine Tree Furniture & Lighting, Lake Orion Table – Timor, Kettler USA, Pine Tree Furniture & Lighting, Lake Orion Wall Color and Steps – Raffinato Techo-Bloc, Greyed Nickel, Motor City Landscaping, Rochester

EXTERIOR Building Materials – Masonry Brick and Limestone Landscaping – Motor City Landscaping, Rochester Manufacturer – Cranbrook Custom Homes, Shelby Township Masonry – Acme Winter Park Windows – Andersen Windows & Doors, Quaker Residential Window & Doors