2011 ReDesigning Home by Robin Vargo

Redesigning Home 2011

Advertising supplement of

710

Design Home 2012

laurel circle

A collaborative understanding of what makes a home timeless is bringing new life to an East Grand Rapids legacy.

710 LAUREL CIRCLE Inspired by an English gardeners shed, nationally acclaimed Designer/Builder, Jeffery Roberts of Jeffrey Roberts Homes, Inc. has teamed with Wayne Visbeen- Architect, to offer this one of a kind home. This European style home with a stone/brick and stucco/batten exterior is filled with top quality products Subzero/Wolf appliances, Loewen windows, tile roof, wine cellar, stone & hardwood floors, historically inspired woodwork, truly custom cabinets, old world built-ins and custom landscaping. Green design, state of the art mechanicals and environmentally conscious materials without compromising design or traditional charm is a signature of the builder.

WILCOX GARDENS Located within immediate proximity to schools, shopping and recreation, Wilcox Gardens offers the rare opportunity to build within the land-locked community of East Grand Rapids. This sitecondominium development will be a combination of existing and new single-family homes. Four additional lots are also available for development by approved architects and distinguished home builders of a client’s choice.

The Katie-K Team is delighted to assist interested parties in coordinating the creation of a dream home on this fabulous site. Don’t miss this opportunity to build in one of America’s most livable communities.

616.575.0119 ~ www.katie-k.com

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Reclaiming the past Steve and Karen Patterson* placed the total renovation of a 1950s’ home on Reeds Lake into the peerless care of builder/designer Jeffery Roberts and a select team of West Michigan experts. The result — an inviting French farmhouse with authentic Old World appeal — transports guests to idyllic rural France. By Lisa M. Jensen | Photography By Michael Buck

aving lived in Europe for more than a decade, Steve and Karen Patterson became enamored by

farmhouses they saw driving through the French countryside. They became equally driven to find such a home in East Grand Rapids, where they wanted to raise their school-age son. Local real estate broker Katie Karczewski, partner of Keller Williams Realty, gave wing to the couple’s overseas quest. Passionate about the historic community in which she and her husband, architect Jim Karczewski, raised their own three sons and have resided for over 30 years, Katie specializes in East GR listings. “They were very patient about finding the right property,” she said of the Pattersons, still based in Europe. But as one year became two, Katie recognized that

was a time capsule. “Flooring, wall cover-

setting were an authentic framework for

what her clients wanted wasn’t on the

ings, tiles, light fixtures — not one thing

the property they envisioned.

market — yet.

had been touched in 60 years,” Katie said.

The challenge: Completing all of it

But Steve and Karen loved what they

within six months, before 2009’s school

She turned to a vacant cinderblock house nestled in hardwoods above the

saw.

shores of Reeds Lake. Closed up seven

Though a total interior makeover in-

years ago by the grown children of its

cluding all-new technical systems, exte-

original and only owner — a Grand Rapids

rior updates, and landscaping would be

engineer who built it in 1950 — the home

needed, the home’s simple structure and

year began. *Homeowners’ names have been changed to protect their privacy.

“As a designer as well as builder,

only Jeffery really understood what this house was telling us it could be,” said Steve, who interviewed several contractors. “Because we were still living in Europe, we also needed to rely on someone who could handle all the details, responsibilities and issues in budget as they arose during the remodeling process, and Jeffery fit that bill, too.”

Throughout the property, Everettâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Landscape in Grand Rapids collaborated with Jeffery Roberts and the homeowners to create their French country-inspired terrain, including an updated bluestone patio, firepit area and outcropping of Blue River ledgerock cascading down toward Reeds Lake. Come dusk, LED lights designed and installed by Grand Rapids Lighting enhance the landscape. New outdoor fixtures with Old World charms on the homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exterior and garage also came from Grand Rapids Lighting. Added measures of protection, along with smart home management, come through EPS Security in GR.

Uncovering Potential: Making Spaces Operating full-service design/build firms out of Chicago and East Grand Rapids, Jeffery Roberts met the Pattersons through architect Jim Karczewski. Both are ardent veterans of historic home renovations and worked together to maximize the original home’s potential. “Our charge was to be as green, authentic and timeless as possible,” said Roberts. The project immediately clicked with his practiced philosophy of recycling, reusing and reclaiming architectural elements and existing space. Major renovations included breaking into a small maid’s bedroom and laundry area to build a brand-new kitchen and into the adjoining large screened porch over the garage to create a new dining room; adding a second staircase up, reclaiming attic space and combining two small bedrooms and a full bathroom into a young teenager’s recreation haven; expanding the master suite bathroom; and adding a new multi-functional laundry room/house entry off the garage on the lower level. Roberts also oversaw installation of allnew electrical, HVAC and technical systems, including those provided by EPS Security in Grand Rapids. 8

Dining Room: Having studied French architecture over- Garage: The Overhead Door Company and Calumet Buildseas, Roberts had hand-hewn beams extended across the dining room ceiling and opened the new space to natural light from the updated three-season porch through two sets of Jeld-Wen French doors from Standale Lumber, which he positioned to flank Karen’s European antique hutch.

While a log-burning fireplace adds character and warmth, the chimney’s addition also creates alcoves for art and furnishings. Over the Bourgogne-styled mantle that Roberts had replicated in the U.S. for the Pattersons, an antique chandelier and sconces from Europe were restored and electrified by Bridge Street Electric in Grand Rapids, which specializes in heirloom light refurbishment and rewiring. The company also offers an expanded showroom filled with modern collections and reclaimed fixtures.

ing Group, Ltd. in Grand Rapids installed the Pattersons’ new insulated steel and composite carriage-style doors with cosmetic swing-out appeal from Clopay’s Coachman Collection. With an R-Value of 9.0, the doors help hold outdoor chill at bay while preventing warmth from the heated garage — which cuts into the slope on which the house is built — from escaping. Above them, new fixtures from Grand Rapids Lighting and custom board-and-batten shutters from Standale Lumber add character, as does a weather-proof AZEK parapet above the garage that Roberts added for visual interest to enhance the home’s French country flair.

A Fresh-Air Retreat Adjoining the dining room through two sets of French doors and one more that opens to the Pattersons’ family room, the updated three-season porch is now one of the farmhouse’s most inviting spaces. Durable, maintenance-free PVC (plastic) trim, crisscross panels and tongue-ingroove beadboard by AZEK from Standale Lumber in Grand Rapids replace the porch’s old weathered wood spindles and ceiling. Reclaimed terra cotta tiles were laid in a vintage pattern and “aged” through a triple application of walnut-colored wax. And the family enjoys fresh lake breezes surrounded by furnishings found at flea markets and antique stores, along with a few new pieces including a round crisscross table and accent console custom-made from reclaimed barn timbers by Jeffery Roberts Homes. The ottoman, Roberts noted, is covered in an antique French grain sack the Pattersons brought back from Europe.

“The Pattersons will tell you, their house as they

found it originally was most people’s idea of a tear-down,” said the couple’s Realtor, Katie Karczewski. “Many buyers would have just purchased it for this lakefront property, which is a jewel. But Steve and Kathy weren’t interested in building new.” Like many residents in East Grand Rapids, she said, the Pattersons have a great appreciation for history. They view themselves as stewards.

The Landscape:

“This house lends itself to some fantastic sight lines,” said Brian Diemer, who owns Everett’s Landscape with his brother, Brent. “A low wall defines the formal patio; beyond this line are rows of yellow roses, lavender and boxwood. The view to Reeds Lake from here is fantastic. But so is the French garden you see east from the patio through an arbor.”

Where The Garden Grows An open expanse of grass on the home’s south-facing side served as a blank canvas for the Pattersons’ French-styled, “alwaysbeen-there” garden. Roberts and the homeowners collaborated with Everett Landscape in Grand Rapids, adding raised bluestone planting beds for herbs, vegetables, fruit trees and plants including lavender and sunflowers; a tiered and restored antique fountain the homeowners brought back from Europe; and manicured brick pathways. To create privacy, craftsmen from Jeffery Roberts Homes built a cinderblock wall, pairing it with a reclaimed gate the Pattersons picked up from an antique store. Roberts’ team also constructed from recycled barn wood a “chicken coop” for trash receptacles and recyclables, and a potting/gardening supply shed with reclaimed slate countertops, sink and mosaic floor comprised of ceramic, stone and terra cotta house floor scraps. “Using so many reclaimed materials allowed us to do a lot of things very economically,” Roberts said. “It’s definitely cost-effective, while being green at the same time. Plus there’s the gift of character in this wood.”

While stone pathways lead to a fountain and other focal points here, the steep property flowing down toward shore becomes more pastoral with flowering trees, groundcovers and perennials. “The landscape is an extension of this French country home,” Brian noted. “Collaborating with Jeffery, Steve and Kathy is what made it so successful.”

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The arbor, made from

recycled timbers reclaimed from a building that was torn down in Grand Rapids, is a transition between the garden and terrace,â&#x20AC;? Roberts noted. Strings of miniature lanterns were wrapped around the beams and wisteria was planted to grow up around them for added ambience.

Storage “Coop”: “My role as

an interior designer is to interpret the photos and bits of information clients give, but also to push that vision beyond their mind’s eye,” Roberts said. Transforming a storage shed for waste receptacles and recycled goods into a “chicken coop” through salvaged barn wood is a quintessentially French touch that’s loved.

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Potting Shed: Preserving the past through reclaimed barn wood and other elements is a

passion the homeowners share with Jeffery Roberts. Inside and out, “He thought of small details like adding corner blocks to baseboards for an aged look and hunted for unique antiques to add interest,” Kathy said. “That helped us to maintain our budget. But beyond that, I doubt other builders would have had the time or interest in all this.”

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Creating European Appeal Equipped with a full-service mill shop, craftsmen from Standale Lumber created from Roberts’ drawings board-and-batten shutters that were “aged” through sandblasting. Shutter dogs — hardware used to hold functional shutters open — were added for authentic appeal. Between these made-to-scale shutters, chocolate-hued French casement-style windows from Jeld-Wen trimmed in charcoal add another dimension of European flair against the home’s exterior, revived with creamy, putty-colored paint. Each Old World-inspired window — which must be unlatched, pushed open and tightened by knob — was custom-built to spec to fit the home’s original cinderblock openings. While Roberts had all of the home’s own copper eaves troughs and downspouts restored and reinstalled, old roof shingles were replaced with a high-insulating, new cultured slate/cement product. He also researched the designed “vintage” French doors for the home’s formal entry, which were crafted locally from knotty alder. These were accented by an antique pair of French door poles found by the homeowners. “We also honored the house by reinstalling its original front door hardware,” Roberts said.

South Portico:

Through the front doors, a hallway from the foyer leads right out through the farmhouse’s lake-facing gateway to the terrace.

Let There Be Light:

Copper lanterns, low-voltage garden accents and tinted LED lenses mounted in trees placed by Todd Yonkers from Grand Rapids Lighting Center cast an inviting, natural glow.

“Outside lighting is

important to the appearance of the home and grounds at night,” noted Steve Patterson, “but also to a feeling of well-being and security.”

An Inviting Entry While the homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s staircase was rebuilt to code and fashioned with a custom runner, Roberts reclaimed the original handrail, adding new handforged spindles from Standale Lumber. The alabaster and brass antique fixture brought back from Europe by the homeowners was rewired and refurbished by Bridge Street Electric in Grand Rapids. A floor-to-ceiling limestone mantle imported from Europe awaits guests in the living room; French doors replaced a lake-viewing window wall for entry onto the terrace and to flood the space with natural light.

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Fixtures:

Since opening in 1929, Bridge Street Electric in Grand Rapids has offered inhouse lamp repair and antique light refurbishing along with new fixtures. Over the years, the business has collected thousands of vintage crystals, glass and integral parts that can be used to maintain the originality of heirloom pieces from the early 1800s and beyond. “Jeffery brought in all of the Pattersons’ European antiques, including some very large chandeliers,” noted manager Deb Dagley. “Some pieces were completely rewired, while others were electrified for the first time. Others were restored and refinished. Preserving these unique fixtures lends integrity to the home. It’s definitely a growing trend.”

The Library Formerly the dining room (which had been inconveniently spaced from the kitchen), the new library doubles as a home office and sitting room. Designed by Roberts, all pieces, panels and built-ins — including a state-of-the-art secretary armoire concealing a computer, scanner, fax machine, copier, I-pod and cell phone recharging docks — were crafted by artisans from his company. Though layered moldings, knotty alder doors and wall lumber were selected new from Philip Elenbaas Millwork, Inc. in Grand Rapids, they look years old. Combining the right paint hues, stains, waxes, oils and specialty finishes to create “authentic” aged appeal is the specialty of LTD Painting Inc. owners, artisans and brothers Larry and Tim Dozema, who custom-finished these elements as well as many furnishings throughout the entire home. In the library, “They excelled,” Roberts said. “They literally stained the room’s new knotty pine walls with a transparent French blue, over-stained with a taupe gray, then built up and hand-rubbed the color to age it before applying tinted wax and two more coats of clean furniture wax.”

The Family Room No longer needed as an entry into the dining room-turned-library, a doorway that once opened from the family room beside the fireplace was closed up and replaced with a twin built-in bookshelf. While the original oak floor was refinished and reclaimed terra cotta tiles enhance the limestone mantle, shipped back from Europe by the homeowners, new French doors leading out to the terrace grilling area replaced lake-facing windows. Another set of French doors opens to the three-season porch. Across the family room, serving guests and homeowners alike in a hallway leading to the kitchen, a custom rustic hickory bar crafted by Jeffery Roberts Homes houses a Sub Zero wine cooler and refrigerator doors from Gerrit’s Appliances in Grand Rapids. Bridge Street Electric refurbished and rewired the European hallway fixture, whose grape motif lends ideal character, as does a custom backsplash made from corks to display Steve Patterson’s collection of antique corkscrews.

“The millwork from Elenbaas is just superb,”

shared Steve Patterson. “We used a lot of alder, because the grain imparts great character to the doors and woodwork. Elenbaas also was able to offer a great variety in wood profiles, which gives a unique but classic look. Though the library ceiling is comprised of different board widths and lengths, the common wood profile ties the room together.” 21

The Kitchen Although the Pattersons’ custom kitchen features state-of-the-art appliances from Gerrit’s in Grand Rapids, these are hidden in rustic hickory cabinetry designed by Roberts and built by his team of craftsmen. On the floor, the designer had reclaimed oak timbers sawed into wide planks for insets in portions of Montauk slate. Hand-glazed terra cotta tiles imported from Europe used on the blacksplash, vintage registers in the room including on the hood, and a crown-shaped, overseas antique fixture refurbished by Bridge Street Electric augment the space’s inviting aged character. So do new products, including a Shaw farm sink, a mix of hand-forged pulls from Modern Hardware in Grand Rapids and vintage-styled wallpaper in hues of buttercream, rust and sage, which adds depth and texture to the room. Topping the island base crafted by Jeffery Roberts Homes and finished by LTD Painting Inc. are layers of reclaimed hemlock, old barn lumber that Roberts had planed and worn down to create butcher block. Meanwhile, the kitchen’s original 1950s’ butcher block countertop was repurposed in the lower level laundry/ mud room. A secondary laundry room was added for convenience on the home’s second floor.

Laundry Room: Accessed by the family from

the garage, this space features high-end appliances from Gerrit’s including an icemaker for quick-filling coolers to the lake; open shelving and a built-in hamper with beadboard trim for clean and dirty beach towels; and a tin ceiling reminiscent of French cafes.

The Master Suite While the master bedroom’s lay-out remained the same, Roberts worked with architect Jim Karczewski to combine two smaller upstairs bathrooms into one new master suite retreat. Top Of The World Granite in Grand Rapids cut, honed and placed the Pattersons’ beige, green-veined stone countertop with precision, adding elegance to the furniturestyle, double-sink console designed and crafted by Jeffery Roberts Homes. The piece’s chalky-smooth finish was customcreated by LTD Painting Inc. per Roberts’ request for an old, worn effect. LTD artisan Larry Dozema also applied a layered, hand-rubbed specialty finish to the master bedroom’s European wood mantle. Inspired by a photo, Roberts added scraps of oak left over from the first floor and suggested merging it crisscrossed with the tumbled stone tile already planned for the master bath. “Stone inlay is quintessentially French,” he said. And while custom-designed radiator covers conceal the original 1950 models’ lack of appeal, glowing fixtures from Grand Rapids Lighting add ambience between twin oval mirrors.

Petite antique shelf brackets,

tissue holders and hooks picked up by the homeowners are complemented by fixtures and faucets from Infusion by Etna’s Jado and Jaclo lines; Jeffery Roberts Homes made vanity shelves to showcase the brackets.

Master Bedroom:

“The painting and finishes throughout the house were extremely important to achieving the look and feel we wanted,” shared Karen Patterson. “We agreed with Jeffery on a palette that would give each room a different ambience, but would be complementary throughout the home.”

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A Haven For Guests A guest room on the farmhouse’s main floor welcomes visitors with relaxed French country charms, including new French casement-style windows from Jeld-Wen. “These windows are quite European and old-fashioned,” noted Terry Pfeiffer, a sales consultant for Standale Lumber, which provided them. “You have to unlatch them, push them open and tighten a knob.” A window in a full bathroom upstairs is equally “French”: Custom Woodland Harvest Shutters by Lafayette Venetian Blinds were chosen from and installed by The Shade Shop in Grand Rapids. “The Shade Shop was really great about pre-installing them in all the bathrooms and private areas of the home so we could be sure they fit,” Roberts noted, “then taking them off so our painters could finish them to match the woodwork in these varying spaces.” Fixtures from Grand Rapids Lighting and Infusions by Etna lend more sparks of character; the tub is the home’s original, restored.

Details:

A window in a full bathroom upstairs is equally “French”: Custom Woodland Harvest Shutters by Lafayette Venetian Blinds were chosen from and installed by The Shade Shop in Grand Rapids. “The Shade Shop was really great about pre-installing them in all the bathrooms and private areas of the home so we could be sure they fit,” Roberts noted, “then taking them off so our painters could finish them to match the woodwork in these varying spaces.” Fixtures from Grand Rapids Lighting and Infusions by Etna lend more sparks of character; the tub is the home’s original, restored. 26

Details:

A guest bath nearby offers more Old World allure. Here, new faucet fittings from Infusions by Etna combine with a console that was custom-designed, crafted and finished by Roberts. The unique piece is crowned by green stone from Top Of The World Granite and surrounded by big floral- patterned walls. Above the sink, hand-painted porcelain light fixtures are treasured antiques that were meticulously restored by Bridge Street Electric and placed on either side of the Pattersons’ antique French mirror.

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速

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he ReDesigning Home Event would not be possible without the extraordinary support and expertise

of Jeffrey Roberts, Gemini Publications and the many other outstanding partners. The Red Cross is honored to be named the recipient of funds raised. Thank you for your partnership! We would also like to thank

GRAND RAPIDS LIGHTING CENTER

the Patterson family for welcoming us into your beautiful home. We truly couldn’t be

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The funds raised from Redesigning Home will support the life-saving mission of the Red Cross. No other entity provides such depth of services to communities in the United States and around the world. The American Red Cross is where people mobilize to help their neighbors — down the street, across the country, and around the world. Each year, in communities large and small, victims of some 70,000 disasters turn to the American Red Cross for emergency assistance. In fact, every 60 seconds the programs and services of the American Red Cross benefit 250 people. The American Red Cross relies on the support of this community to continue providing lifesaving services and mission. From local disaster response to CPR & First Aid Training — we need your help. As we enter the height of hurricane season please consider getting involved.

Proud to help “beautify” The Re-Designing home 2011

For more information about Volunteer Opportunities, Getting Trained or Donating, please visit us at www.redcrossggr. org or call (616) 456-8661. Thank you for your continued support of the mission of the American Red Cross.

Weekly Maintenance Service available

7884 Eastern Avenue SE • Phone (616) 698-8064 • www.everettslandscape.com 29

Redesigning Home 2011