Pentwater Perch

Pentwater Perch Pentwater Perch

With four stories and two sets of spiral stairs, this quirky west Michigan retreat — the tallest house in town — is lovingly referred to as the family’s ‘birdhouse’

By Megan Swoyer | Photography by Martin Vecchio

Both pages: The Petrellas’ cottage is always ready for good times, at the firepit and on the deck, night and day. he first thing your eye is drawn to on the third floor of Lisa and Ennio Petrella’s cottage is a pair of swivel chairs, and your first thought is likely to be: “I wish I was sitting there!” The comfortable seats look out to the tip of west Michigan’s Lake Pentwater and the adjoining channel to Lake Michigan, just a few feet from the Petrellas’ home. “We can just sit there for long periods of time and relax,” says Lisa, who runs Troy- and Detroit-based Lisa Petrella Interiors. “ In the summer, we watch large boats go in and out of the Pentwater Yacht Club. In the winter, you see ice floes. ” There’s no TV on the third floor, she adds — just the two chairs and the views beyond. “This is our quiet room for sitting and reading and daydreaming,” she says.

The couple discovered the 15-year-old home seven years ago. “We were actually looking for a Victorian, as there are so many in that area,” Lisa recalls, but then they set eyes on a quirky sixbedroom, four-story home that was built by a man from Chicago who apparently had a passion for “partying,” as Lisa puts it. “It has two spiral staircases and seven balconies,” she says, “and we can sleep 26 people!”

After the original owner sold it to the couple who lived next door, the new owners moved the structure 35 feet to make room for a new home they were building. When the Petrellas purchased the cottage, they knew there were changes to be made. Lisa’s keen eye quickly took in the spaces and made a list of necessary design modifications. “For one thing,” she says, “there were no closets in the bedrooms!”

After about six months of renovations, the couple was able to start enjoying their newly designed, charming getaway. Tradespeople were hired to install engineered wood floors; add new kitchen counters and cabinetry; add 10-inch shiplap throughout; paint the walls in

pretty Simply White (by Benjamin Moore); renovate two of the four-and-ahalf bathrooms; add on to the deck; install new window treatments; create a firepit area; and refurbish an old shed by adding a new roof, cement floor, and electricity.

The Petrellas also embellished the landscaping, which had 127 flourishing cedar trees when they bought the home. Today, the treescape — which provides great privacy — is complemented by black-eyed Susans, daisies, flowering cherry trees, Annabelle hydrangeas, hostas, and sea grasses (“we planted anything we could think of that the deer wouldn’t eat,” Lisa says).

Then there’s the interior design. Lisa fell in love with a large poster that she purchased at an antiques store just steps from her cottage, and that was her jumping-off point. “I wanted the home to be bright, with a lot of white, and then I brought in splashes of color in the artwork — oranges, blues, and reds.” She also “shopped my own house in metro Detroit. Plus, I had things in storage, as many designers do, so that came in handy.” She says she also bought some items, including a chair for the great room and some outdoor furniture, from Four Hands. A wave of patterns adorn the cottage’s spaces, from gingham and plaids to koi-splashed fabrics. Polka dots, Ikat, and seersucker add dollops of fun. Lisa called on some of her favorite fabric companies, including Pindler, Schumacher, Kravet, and Ralph Lauren, to help bring her vision to life.

The Petrellas had the home’s dark brown bunk beds, left by the previous owner, painted a lake-inspired blue. Ennio installed west Michigan nautical

Left and below: Oranges and blues make a favorite color combination. A few nautical touches convey a lake theme.

Above and right: A charming vignette welcomes visitors, while the room on the third floor showcases amazing views of the lake and channel.

Below: Have a seat and savor a summer’s day on captivating Lake Pentwater and the adjoining channel.

Opposite page: Ennio Petrella’s favorite perch — the daybed. The guest room features checks and zigzags, and cheerful beach art.

maps as wallpaper in their powder room. They then placed map pins where their town, their cottage, and other favorite spots are located. Lisa selected a stained V-groove paneling for the ceiling. “I wanted it to look like a boat deck,” she says. The finishing touch? A nautical-style light fixture.

Summer is a busy time. If the Petrellas aren’t cruising the waters on their pontoon, which is docked at the local marina, there are sailboat races to attend. In July, the couple throws a huge Fourth of July party; come August, they look forward to the town’s annual Homecoming Celebration. “There’s something every weekend,” Lisa says. With four stories, two spiral staircases, and those sunsetview balconies, no doubt there are several delightful perches at the Petrella cottage. A favorite for Ennio is the wooden daybed swing on the deck. Lisa designed it, and the craftspeople at South Carolina-based Lowcountry Swing Beds created it. She also hired Designer Furniture Services in Pontiac to make a mattress that can be left outdoors, using Sunbrella’s ticking from Schumacher. “I wanted the swing to look vintage and old,” Lisa says.

“The house — I like to call it a ‘birdhouse’ — is perfect for us and our visiting family and friends,” Lisa continues. “And Pentwater is a cute little town with a farmers market, fun shops, and parades that are so Norman Rockwell-ish. Ennio asked me once, ‘Why didn’t we do this 20 years ago?’ “

Above and left: Ennio Petrella installed west Michigan nautical maps as wallpaper in the powder room. The blueand-white master suite suits the whole family.

BUYER’S GUIDE

INTERIOR DESIGNER

Lisa Petrella, Petrella Interiors, Detroit, Troy, petrelladesigns.com

BALCONY

Bed, Suspended – Custom, The Porch Swing

Co. Cushion – Schumacher Fabric, Michigan

Design Center, Troy; Fabricated by Designer

Furniture Services, Troy Pillows, Accent – Pottery Barn Stool – HomeGoods Wall Paint – Simply White, Benjamin Moore Wall Treatment – 10-inch Pine Shiplap

BEDROOM, GUEST

Art, Beach – HomeGoods Bed Frame – Jenny Lind Bed, Land of Nod Bedding – Serena & Lily Drapery – Kravet Fabric, Michigan Design

Center, Troy Gazelle, Ceramic – Made Goods Lamp – Made Goods Table – Antique Wall Paint – Simply White, Benjamin Moore

BEDROOM, MASTER

Bed Frame – Century Furniture Bedding – Peacock Alley; Serena & Lily Drapery – Ralph Lauren, Kravet Fabric,

Michigan Design Center, Troy Lamp – Doug Buffet Lamp, Stray Dog Designs Pillows, Accent – Romo-Fleur, Capri, Tulipa Table, Bedside – Stanley Furniture Wall Paint – Simply White, Benjamin Moore Wall Treatment – 10-inch Pine Shiplap

DINING AREA

Chair, Hostess – Lee Industries – RJ Thomas Ltd., Schumacher Fabric, Michigan Design Center, Troy Chairs, Dining – Four Hands Console Millwork – Custom-made by Mod Interiors (Design by Petrella Interiors, Troy, Detroit) Light, Above Table – Visual Comfort Lighting, City Lights Detroit, Michigan Design Center, Troy

FAMILY ROOM

Armchair – Lee, RJ Thomas Ltd., Michigan

Design Center, Troy; Schumacher Fabric,

Bailey Seersucker, Blue Chair, Striped Fabric – Outdura, Pindler,

Seacrest Denim Flooring – Somerville Wood Flooring Lamp, Table – Made Goods Ottoman – Custom, Designer Furniture Services, Troy; Kravet, Brunschwig & Fils

Fabric, Michigan Design Center, Troy Pillows, Accent – Custom, Pindler and Thibaut

Fabric, Michigan Design Center, Troy Rug – Pottery Barn Sofa, Cover Fabric – Nanda White, Pindler Table, Occasional – Made Goods Wall Paint – Simply White, Benjamin Moore Wall Treatment – 10-inch Pine Shiplap Window Shades – Montana Prairie, Hunter

Douglas

POWDER ROOM

Cabinet – Custom Flooring – Somerville Wood Floors, West

Michigan Carpet & Floor, Hart Light, Ceiling – Morris Flush Mount, Visual

Comfort, City Lights Detroit, Michigan

Design Center, Troy Wall Treatment – Nautical Maps

TABLE VIGNETTE

Lamp – Vagabond Vintage Lighting, Overhead – Currey & Co., RJ

Thomas Ltd., Michigan Design Center, Troy Mirror – Vagabond Vintage Table – Lillian August, RJ Thomas Ltd.,

Michigan Design Center, Troy Wall Paint – Simply White, Benjamin Moore Wall Treatment – 10-inch Pine Shiplap Lisa Petrella loves to garden and often spends time at her potting table near the shed.

THIRD-FLOOR ROOM

Chairs, Swivel – Lee Industries, RJ Thomas

Ltd.; Fabric, Pindler, Michigan Design Center,

Troy Cots and Bedrolls – Hedge House (Bedrolls) and Byer Maine (Heritage Cots) Pillows (On Cots) – Serena & Lily Pillows (On Swivel Chairs) – Anthropologie Table, Wicker – Four Hands

EXTERIOR

Landscaping – Wessie Brothers, Hart