Homeowner Lisa DeBoer describes feeling “like I’m on a cruise ship” in the kitchen of the newly built waterfront residence near Holland that she shares with her husband, Randy. With views that look out over the blue expanse of Lake Macatawa, it’s not hard to understand why.
Interior designer Kristi Carlson; TruKitchens’ senior designer, Todd Wiley; and Doug Butterworth of Creekside Companies took the idea one step further with the design of the kitchen itself, which features a bit of cruise ship dazzle in the form of a bright, shimmering backsplash that adds light and interest to the space’s darker cabinetry. “Lisa is definitely a glitz-and-glamour girl,” Carlson says. “She likes to have a little pizazz.”
Wiley, who designed the cabinetry throughout the DeBoers’ home and has worked on many others in the community, says the space — and particularly beneath the counter, which features Chilewich marine matting, an indestructible woven metallic mesh that looks like stainless steel — has “great texture and sparkle.”
Open to the main living area, the dramatic kitchen is just one of the many highlights of this stunning four-bedroom, 3,600-square-foot residence located in Point West, a luxury gated cottage and condominium community.
The newly retired couple had looked for lake property for some time before deciding on Point West. “Part of the issue was that we were undecided between Lake Michigan and an inland lake,” Lisa explains. When they found the lot their home is built on, they knew it was the one. Nestled on a peninsula near Holland’s Big Red lighthouse, the development has Lake Michigan on one side and Lake Macatawa on the other. “It’s definitely the best of both worlds,” Lisa says. Inspired by the location, the homeowners even named the property Glendalough, a Gaelic word meaning “the valley between two lakes.”
Carlson had worked with the DeBoers on previous homes and was involved even before ground was broken. The couple scooped up the prime lot when its original owner decided not to build, and gathered team members that included architect Steve Hester of J. Visser Design, Carlson, Wiley, and builder Butterworth to help make their lakefront dream a reality. The lot came with a house plan and the team used the foundation footprint and some ideas from that plan.
On the DeBoers’ wish list: an outdoor grilling deck, and a rooftop patio with screens, an indoor bar, and a bathroom. The home has a convenient outdoor shower and an elevator that serves four floors for easy accessibility. “The home was constructed with aging-in-place design,” Butterworth says. “It’s zero steps from the garage entry to every floor via the elevator.”
Even with its great location and views, as well as a formidable project team, the narrow lot posed challenges. The solution was to build up, rather than out. “The small cluster lots led to some interesting design and construction challenges,” Butterworth says. “Creating 3,600-plus square feet of lake home vertically instead of horizontally led to creative uses of materials to adhere within setbacks and height encroachments. Blending modern materials with hints of yesteryear cottage construction took some forethought.”
Carlson agrees. “It can be difficult on these small lots to get enough square footage so you can comfortably host family and friends,” she says. Another challenge: working within the parameters set by the developer, which include aesthetic, environmental, and height restrictions. Architecturally, all homes should have a “quintessential cottage feel,” she says, while not being too similar to others in the community.
The designer’s goal was to provide the homeowners with a residence that was both distinctive and timeless, inside and out. “We celebrated their home’s proximity to the water but purposely avoided creating a ‘coastal theme park’ so often seen in lakeshore home design,” Carlson explains. Instead, they chose a soft, dreamy palette of blues, original art from local galleries, high-performance fabrics, and “pure transitional design,” she says, adding, “Ten years from now, there’s nothing that would date this home.”
Carlson admits to being partial to the home’s fourth level, which she says is “absolutely incredible, with the best views” in the area. Butterworth agrees. “The motorized screens, the tile floor, the countertop bar with an awning window, and the heaters provide this space with every need for every event Mother Nature sends,” he says. The homeowners take full advantage of the space, enjoying coffee on the deck in the morning and savoring cocktails in the evening.
Not surprisingly, Lisa DeBoer also ranks the top level as her favorite. “It has everything we need,” she says. Overall, she says she and Randy have no regrets, and the house (makes them feel) like they’re on a permanent vacation. “We love it,” she says. “We’ve been really happy here.”
BUYER’S GUIDE
INTERIOR DESIGNERS
Kristi Carlson, Infinite Concepts, Grand Rapids, infiniteconceptsgr.com
Todd Wiley, TruKitchens, Grand Rapids, trukitchens.com
BUILDER
Doug Butterworth, Creekside Companies, Hudsonville, creeksidecompanies.com
BATHROOM
Cabinet – Metropolitan Door Style with Seagull Finish, Shiloh Cabinetry, TruKitchens, Grand Rapids
Faucet – Pivotal Widespread Faucet, Polished Nickel, Delta
Flooring – International Excelsior, Pebble
Mirrors – Jacuzzi Single Oval Door, Aluminum Cabinet Mirror
Shower Doors – Vos Glass, Grand Rapids
Tile, Shower Accent – Legno Oakbrook Limestone
Tile, Shower Mosaic – Field Tile, Royal Brown Dark Décor, Splendours
Wall Treatment – DL Couch Colt Nesting, Metallic Vinyl
Wallpaper – WJG Wallpapering
BEDROOM
Bed Frame – Caracole
Bedding – Custom, Eastern Accents
Bench – Charleston Forge
Chair, Armchair – Caracole
Door, Sliding – 400 Window Series, Anderson Windows; Standale Lumber, Grandville
Fan – Matthews Fan Co.
Flooring – Aspire Waterfall, Dove, Stanton Carpet
Lamps, Bedside – Silverleaf, Regina Andrew, Detroit, Wyandotte
Tables, Bedside – Caracole
Wall Paint – Sherwin-Williams, Crushed Ice
Wallpaper – Meridian, Twilight, Koroseal WJG Wallpapering
KITCHEN/LIVING ROOM
Backsplash – Subway Tile, Dark Stainless Steel Multi-Rounds, Splendours
Bar Stools – Custom, Charleston Forge; Fabric, JF Performance
Cabinetry – Statesville Door with Carbon Perimeter Finish, Shiloh Cabinetry, TruKitchens, Grand Rapids
Cabinetry, Island – Square Flat Panel Door, Dovetail Gray Finish; Front Panel, Biofelt, Bougle, Sterling, Chilewich
Ceiling Treatment (over sofa) – Kyrocraft, Coopersville
Chairs, Armchairs – Norwalk
Fireplace – Flame Center, Hudsonville
Flooring – Handcrafted Maple, Ocean Gray
Hardware – Modern Hardware
Hood – Zephyr, Gerrit‘s Appliances, Wyoming
Lighting (over sofa) – Regina Andrew, Detroit, Wyandotte
Lighting, Bar – Avant Large Linear Pendant, Kelly Wearstler, Visual Comfort
Lighting, Sink – Visual Comfort
Shelving, Built-In – Creekside Companies, Hudsonville
Sofa – Caracole
Stove – Café Series, Gerrits Appliances, Wyoming
Wall Paint – Sherwin-Williams, Reflection
Window Shades – Lafayette Interior Fashions, Creations by Carol, Byron Center
LAUNDRY ROOM
Cabinetry – Metro Door Style with Coastal Finish, Shiloh Cabinetry, TruKitchens, Grand Rapids
Flooring – Foundry 26, Rail
Wall Paint – Sherwin-Williams, Egret White
Washer and Dryer – LG, Gerrit’s Appliances, Wyoming
PATIO
Awning – Custom, Creekside Companies, Hudsonville; Zeeland Architectural Components, Zeeland
Backsplash, Bar – Aria, Burlap Bronzo
Bar Stools, Outdoor – Charleston Forge
Cabinets, Bar – Metro Door Style with Coastal Finish, Shiloh Cabinetry, TruKitchens, Grand Rapids
Countertops, Bar – Concrete, Iron Mountain, Hard Topix
Cushions – Brown Jordan
Heating System – Infratech, Infrared Heaters
Pillows, Accent – Brown Jordan
Seating, Outdoor – Pasadena Collection, Versailles, Brown Jordan
Table, Outdoor Coffee – Pasadena Collection, Versailles, Brown Jordan
Table, Outdoor End – Pasadena Collection, Versailles, Brown Jordan
EXTERIOR
Awning, Exterior Bar – Custom, Creekside Companies, Hudsonville; Architectural Components, Zeeland
Awning, Heating – Infratech, Infrared Heaters
Decking – TimberTech, Legacy Espresso Grooved, Standale Lumber, Grandville
Landscaping – Greenline Inc., Hudsonville
Masonry – Ashfall Country Ledgestone, BBS Masonry
Paint Color, Siding – Benjamin Moore, Museum Piece
Paint Color, Trim – Sherwin-Williams, Snowbound
Paver Work – Creative Brickscapes Inc., Kentwood
Railing System – VertiCable, Standale Home Studio, Grand Rapids
Screens – Phantom Screens
Siding – Horizon Home Exteriors Inc., Zeeland
Stain, Exterior – Charleston Forge, Raven Maple
Windows – 400 Window Series, Andersen Windows; Standale Lumber, Grandville
ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTOR
Architect – Steve Hester, J. Visser Design, Grand Rapids
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