Design Stars

Catching a Mid-century Wave

A designer and her clients showcase their love of imaginative design

By Megan Swoyer Photography by Sally Matak

Andrea and Mark Brimmer both grew up in homes with a heavy Mid-century Modern style influence, and the couple still adores the look today. “It’s timeless and brilliant,” Andrea says. She and Mark, a football coach, recently built a home on Lake Ponemah in Fenton that defines the classic style and has become fun-central for their grown children, three dogs, and friends. The home boasts 200 feet of lake frontage and is brimming with vivid colors, streamlined accents, and other appointments of the Mid-century era.

To create their dream home, the couple called on Ann Arbor-based interior designer Elin Walters, of Exactly. “My husband and I have very strong design opinions. Elin worked to ensure it had our touch, but took it to the next level with her deep understanding of the aesthetic,” says Andrea, a busy marketing and public relations officer for Ally. Florida-based architect Karl Jasinski designed the home.

“He always wanted to design a Midcentury Modern house. After he completed the design, he handed over the plans and the builder ran with them,” Walters says.

Come summertime, the hub of activity is most definitely the kitchen, along with the adjoining mudroom. “You can actually see the lake and beautiful landscaping (by Matt Shaker of Superior Landscaping) from the mudroom,” Walters says. Meanwhile, the entire back of the home is mostly windows, through which you see the beckoning lake.

Walters found it easy to relate to the Brimmers, as she gravitates toward a Midcentury look herself. She says her own residence, in Ann Arbor, is about 100 percent true to the style, and she thinks the masters of Mid-century, like Eames or Saarinen, would feel right at home there. Most of Walters’ clients choose her as their designer because of her passion for Mid-century specifics. Whether she’s searching for vintage clocks or colorful utilitarian items, her favorite haunts always come through.

In the Brimmers’ home, a Smeg oven holds court in the kitchen. “It was always my dream to have one in bright yellow,” Andrea says. “The color is so incredible; you can’t help but be happy when you look at it.” The couple also loves the blue wall tile, and how Walters designed it to extend beyond the backsplash and onto the wall. “It’s such a statement wall!” Andrea says.

“Andrea and Mark are crazy about colors. Her favorite color is yellow, and she wanted yellows and greens around the house,” Walters says. “The colors in the kitchen are built around the stove’s color. I threw in a contrasting turquoise.”

One challenge that Walters recalls was the stove’s hood. “We had a hood and a short extension that came with it, but it didn’t reach to the tall ceiling. We tried to get an extra extension from Italy, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it would have taken months.” One of the contractors overheard them discussing it and said he had a friend with a body shop in Fenton, and they could probably make it if they could get a color that matched it. And luckily, they did! “It’s a testament to thinking outside the box,” Walters says.

With quartz countertops, leather stools in a caramel color (“which warms up the space,” Walters says), and brass fixtures, the kitchen certainly pays homage to Mid-century appeal. The yellow tile in the nearby mudroom ties in with the stove. The utility space got an extra dose of cheer from colors like salmon and turquoise. The space’s cabinetry was designed by Walters. “Elin’s attention to detail is second to none,” Andrea says.

As for the accent on Mid-century design, the Brimmers say it’s a nostalgic way of living. “The thing we love the most about it is the memories of simpler times that everyone instantly connects with when they walk in our home,” Andrea says. “It just takes you back to your childhood and makes you feel warm and happy.”

Both pages, left to right: The stunning Midcentury-style kitchen in the home on Lake Ponemah. The mudroom’s colors tie in well with the kitchen. Designer Elin Walters. MORE INFORMATION: exactlydesigns.com

DESIGN STAR’S SECRET

“I’m known for my use of color,” says interior designer Elin Walters, “and I tend to be drawn to whimsy. If the design is up to me, I’ll throw offbeat in — like the colorful cubes in the Brimmers’ mudroom.” Another case in point: the felt groceries in the designer’s own home. “I bought a box of Life cereal and a package of Wonder Bread that were made out of felt at a grocery store-themed art installation. They’re squishy and three dimensional; I love them!”

— MS

LAKE LIFE LOWDOWN

The Brimmer home is the place to be come summer, and when homeowner Andrea Brimmer is busy with the company she works for and its annual golf tournament (Ally and the Ally Challenge, Aug. 22-28, at nearby Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club in Grand Blanc), things really pick up around the Brimmer home. Professional golfer Mark O’Meara loves staying at the home during the tournament, not only to enjoy the Brimmers’ hospitality, but also to take in the excellent walleye and perch fishing. “Fishing is a great way for him to relax between golf rounds,” Brimmer says. She and her friends and family make the most of the lake. “We love to boat, kayak, and jet ski on Lake Ponemah,” Brimmer says. “It’s a very pretty all-sports lake on a chain of four lakes, and when it’s summer we’re on the water constantly. There’s also a really fun place called Ponemah Lakeside Lodge that we love to boat over to for a drink and a Detroit-style pizza!”

— MS

Kid-Friendly

Designer Kathy Waite fashioned spaces in a South Haven cottage that are perfectly suited for the younger set

By Giuseppa Nadrowski Photography by Ashley Avila

Ann and John Renucci say the third-floor playroom of their 1902 South Haven cottage was once filled with dollhouses and bean bag chairs belonging to their three daughters. But as the girls entered their teen years, it was obvious to the couple that a more age-appropriate space was necessary.

The just-under-5,000-square-foot cottage is a getaway dream for the family, who live in Grand Rapids. Situated right on Lake Michigan with access to the city’s beloved South Beach, the home boasts five bedrooms and five baths. “It’s a place that tends to collect a lot of people,” Ann Renucci says. “My kids always have friends there.”

When it came time to renovate, Ann reached out to longtime friend and interior designer Kathy Waite, of Grand Rapidsbased Kathy Waite Design, to carve out a bunkroom ideal for sleepovers and a bathroom to accommodate its guests. “She has kids, and she realizes the wear and tear an active family has in a home,” Ann says. “You need to have someone who gets what you’re trying to accomplish — and not just the aesthetics, but also the functionality.”

With built-in shelving, a single bed on top, and a full mattress on the bottom, Waite’s custom bunks maximize the sleeping area. Rustic barn doors feature seeded glass, allowing light to shine in while still retaining privacy. Custom dressers provide storage, while nautical nickel sconces add lighting without the risk of tipping.

When designing the bathroom, “we had to be very strategic,” Waite says of this previously unfinished portion of the home. To anchor the

long and narrow space, Waite chose a 5-foot, three-faucet Kohler sink painted in Benjamin Moore’s Stem Green, whose vibrant hue was inspired by the room’s Dash & Albert indoor/ outdoor rug (chosen for its durability). “I didn’t want anything in there that could get damaged easily,” she says.

A built-in medicine cabinet flanks a 5-foot ledge placed above the sink for toiletries. A vanity was placed near the bathroom’s entrance (“it’s become quite handy when you have a whole bunch of young girls up there,” Ann says), and two built-in armoires feature adjustable shelving and space to hang clothing. The toilet, meanwhile, was tucked behind a pocket door. “We used every inch,” the designer says.

Both pages, clockwise from far left: A South Haven cottage on Lake Michigan gets familyfriendly with bunk beds, durable materials, and bright colors. To anchor a long and narrow bathroom, the interior designer chose a 5-foot, three-faucet sink painted in Benjamin Moore’s Stem Green. Designer Kathy Waite.

With their daughters now 19, 14, and 10, the space — which still includes a play area — has become the ultimate teen hangout. “(This update) was so necessary and has been so well used,” Ann says.

“It’s one of my favorite rooms I’ve designed,” Waite says. “Lots of kids, including my own, have hung out in there. When you get to the cottage and there are a bunch of kids, that room is like a magnet.”

MORE INFORMATION: kathywaitedesign.com

DESIGN STAR’S SECRET

When it comes to working on cottages, function is key for Kathy Waite, of Grand Rapids-based Kathy Waite Design. “I like to make sure the home is functional in every way. And that’s not only with the furniture and the layout, but also in the fabrics that are used — they must withstand it being a vacation home,” she says. “I make sure the beautiful things that are put in the home will withstand a lot of entertaining and company, without the worry.”

— GN

LAKE LIFE LOWDOWN

“The energy you feel when you’re here is just so nice,” cottage owner Ann Renucci says of her historic South Haven cottage. When Ann and her husband, John, purchased the home in 2004, they fell in love with its location — not only is it on South Beach, but it’s within walking distance of the town and so many of the city’s other amenities. From the Kal-Haven and Van Buren Trails to the lighthouse and even the marina, where they dock their boat, “everything is just really accessible,” Ann says. “After dinner we’ll go into town for ice cream, and everybody just walks.” — GN

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