7 minute read
Design Stars
Beautiful Transition
Al fresco dining is a must for these Harbor Springs homeowners
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By Megan Swoyer | Photography by Beth Singer
J ill Nuding’s clients wanted to extend their outdoor space and enjoy outdoor dining, recalls the head of construction for Cottage Company of Harbor Springs. Located on Lake Michigan’s shoreline in Harbor Springs, the home underwent a full remodel, inside and out. “It was a super fun transition
where we removed a bank of windows and installed beautiful French doors to access the new outdoor kitchen,” says Nuding, who’s been with Cottage Company for 20 years. The residence was originally built by Cottage Company as a spec home. The construction head tells clients who want to create an outdoor kitchen to think first about convenience. “You’re adding an outdoor kitchen, so furnish it the way your indoor kitchen works,” she says. “Don’t skip the sink; you’ll want it! Don’t skip the beverage center, because I promise you you’ll want it. And give yourself enough counter space to prep, grill, and serve.”
These clients, she says, “did everything to make it work for their family.” The outdoor kitchen, located on the home’s east side (the lake is on the west side), was once an open patio that was accessed from a lower level. Nuding, who’s currently building the clients a guesthouse, adds that Cottage Company’s interior design team was involved in procuring the furniture.
Nuding says there’s no shortage of outdoor kitchen projects in northwest Michigan; in fact, she’s also working on three outdoor kitchens for a mixed-use project with views in downtown Harbor Springs, and she’s in the process of creating a rooftop outdoor kitchen for a single-family home. “We all want to be in the beautiful outdoors,” she says, “under the skies of Harbor Springs.”
MORE INFORMATION: cottage-company.com
Both pages: Jill Nuding, head of construction for Cottage Company of Harbor Springs, designed an outdoor space for clients who wanted to cook outdoors and enjoy dining al fresco. She removed a bank of windows and installed French doors to access the new kitchen.
LAKE LIFE LOWDOWN
Living in Harbor Springs is like being on vacation all the time, says Jill Nuding, construction head at Cottage Company of Harbor Springs. “Our waterfront is so accessible, and our Cottage Company office is (in the) front row, (bordering) the harbor downtown. I literally see the beautiful water every single day.” Her favorite body of water, naturally, is Lake Michigan, with its “multiple shades of blue.” She also loves how you feel small when standing next to it. “It’s like an ocean,” she says. Nuding has fond childhood memories of spending endless summer hours playing in the inland lakes in northern Michigan. “(My cousins and I) negotiated with our parents, stating we didn’t understand why we had to stop playing to take a bath because we swam in the lake all day!”
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DESIGN STAR’S SECRET
“I love to cook for a lot of people,” says construction head Jill Nuding, of Cottage Company of Harbor Springs. If you’re like Nuding, you’ll want to heed this advice: “Don’t forget the convenience factor. Make a place for your spices and make certain your grilling tools fit in the kitchen drawers. Take time to think about how you’re going to use the space as an area to prepare and serve.”
A River Runs By It
Outdoor cooking and entertaining with friends and family require an easy ebb and flow. This Saugatuck home’s got that and more.
T hree years ago, when Marilyn Allemeier Nagelkirk and Laurah Boogaard started a design project for an outdoor entertainment area at a cottage on the Kalamazoo River in Saugatuck, they knew it would be fun and turn out well.
“The home is positioned so that the clients look out to the river, but the community of Saugatuck is right on the other side; it’s a great view,” says Nagelkirk, a longtime designer who founded Kitchen West Design Studio in Douglas (also re-
Both pages, clockwise from upper left: The results of a top-notch project by Kitchen West Design Studio. The layout supports several needs including side burners, a sink, and beverage fridge. Design stars Marilyn Allemeier Nagelkirk and Laurah Boogaard.
ferred to as K West) in 2004 and worked as a designer for years before that.
“It was a run-down space when the homeowners purchased it,” recalls Kitchen West project designer Boogaard, “and there was no entertaining space out there.” It’s now a chic gathering spot replete with excellent decking material, creative poured-concrete countertops that are dense and durable, storage aplenty, and a perfect grilling and cooking area.
“One of the most important things was to integrate the indoor kitchen with the outdoor space so the homeowners can easily take things outdoors,” says Nagelkirk, who also oversaw the design in other areas of the home where there were cabinetry needs. “They entertain frequently and, pre-COVID, they’d have very large gatherings and needed everyone to be able to freely move back and forth between spaces.”
Not only is there excellent connection between the inside and outside, but the elements literally flow from one space to the next. “The flooring (Ipe flooring) in the kitchen extends right out to the deck (Ipe decking) and their front patio,”
DESIGN STAR’S SECRET
Knowledge of design and materials is a must for any design firm, but at K West another winning tool is teamwork. “Laurah (Boogaard) and I work as a team. We feel that benefits the clients immensely,” says K West founder Marilyn Allemeier Nagelkirk, who oversees kitchen designs as well as bar areas, pantries, and any space that requires or has cabinetry. “Having two of us keeps the line of communication open and detailed, with a lot of expertise,” she says. “I have 30-plus years of design experience and Laurah has 10. Our experiences are different, which makes us even stronger.”
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LAKE LIFE LOWDOWN
Marilyn Allemeier Nagelkirk has enjoyed family vacation homes on both Lake Erie, near Sandusky, Ohio, and Lake Michigan, near Stony Lake. Presently, Nagelkirk is designing her own home on Spring Lake (just north of Grand Haven), enjoying boating on the channel out to Lake Michigan, and her close proximity to client projects. “I’ve been around water all my life. Spring Lake is my love,” Nagelkirk says. Adds designer Laurah Boogaard: “I love to vacation by the water; it influences us.” And, of course, working near water is great, too. “Just the other day we were in steep dunes near Pentwater looking at a home,” Boogaard says. “It’s going to be a unique, beautiful, and challenging space to work on.”
Nagelkirk says.
Ipe is also known as ironwood, or Brazilian walnut, and works well outside because it’s scratch-resistant, bug-resistant, and stays cooler in hot weather.
Referred to as the “Clam Shell” house by its owners, the residence is named after the number of clam shells that accumulate along the river’s shoreline.
K West’s goals were to size up the space, and then learn more about the couple’s appliance needs. “We needed to create a layout that supports the appliances,” Nagelkirk says. “In this case, there isn’t just the grill, but (there are) side burners for creating side dishes, a sink with a faucet, an icemaker, and a beverage fridge.”
The cooking area, along a side yard, is in a narrow space and close to neighbors, so they had to work with the length of the area. “They wanted seating for as many people as possible, so we created two seating areas,” Nagelkirk says.
When it comes to cabinetry, K West designs it all. Because the kitchen and cabinetry must withstand Michigan weather in all seasons, things like gasket seals, integrated outlets, covered outlets, floor drains, leveling legs, powder coating, and more come into play. Homeowners can choose things like hardware for the cabinetry, but other elements are standard givens, if it’s going to last. “The items are rated for exterior use,” Boogaard explains. Both of the women are members of the National Kitchen & Bath Association and have taken national qualifying exams. “I carry the CKD (Certified Kitchen Designer) and Laurah carries the AKBD (Associate Kitchen and Bath Designer) after her name,” Nagelkirk says. A lot is required to get those accreditations, and the two attend ongoing classes to maintain their status. “That’s what sets us (and K West) apart,” Nagelkirk says. “Very early on, I had a drive to improve the quality of people’s lives by improving their environment. Being in a space that’s beautiful and designed properly enlightens your daily routines.”
MORE INFORMATION: kitchenwest.com
From left to right: Storage space is a must for outdoor kitchens. From lounging on the deck to dining or cooking in the outdoor kitchen, space flow at this home works well and can accommodate large gatherings.
