Lakemore Retreat Great Lake Story 2015
Introduction | Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five
In 2009, the side-by-side, year-round custom homes that builder Dean Adams and his wife Tricia had crafted for their own family and Tricia’s parents on Arbutus Lake along Evergreen Avenue earned a clean sweep of awards during the Grand Traverse region’s Parade of Homes, including People’s Choice for entries over $750,000.
This June, Bay Area Contracting welcomed 2015 Parade-goers back to serene, wooded Evergreen to tour Lakemore Cottage and Lakemore Lodge, vacation rental retreats the company built next-door.
Custom-designed with duplicate three-story floor plans but distinctively different personalities, BAC’s two inviting new 2,200+-square-foot homes — known together as Lakemore Retreat — drew “an overwhelming response with respect to quality craftsmanship and attention to detail,” notes Tricia, from convenient outdoor showers to richly-textured, cost-effective LP SmartSide trim and siding.
“It allows for less waste because it comes in a variety of sizes — for example, the 16-foot length, which shows less seam,” says Dean of the durable engineered wood product.
A guiding philosophy that “great design isn’t limited to an unlimited budget” has propelled BAC’s reputation for innovation and quality since the company crafted its first Parade stop: a 1,267-square-foot, Energy Star-certified ranch — the smallest and least-expensive entry in 2008’s event — that won People’s Choice under $350,000 and was sold to first-time buyers afterward for less than half of that.
“I think people voted for that home because they could actually see themselves living there,” Dean says. “It was realistic.”
Staying current with the latest and greatest in building techniques, products and design
is core to BAC’s attentive customer-focused approach and helping people create the home of their dreams, including ideas to improve cost efficiency that the average homeowner might not realize, note Jim and Barb Chereskin, satisfied past clients. Dean has now built for three generations of the Chereskin family including Jim and Barb, their son and daughter-in-law Mike and Nancy, and their daughter and son-in-law, Kerry and Jeff Malkiewicz.
“When homeowners sign on, they’re like family — they become our priority,” Dean relays. “And our belief is that family always comes first.”
In response to client requests, the builder founded BAC Design Group in 2012. Led by Senior Designer Marty Rhein, CKD*, CBD*, BAC Design Group offers a full range of custom residential and commercial design and consulting services.
“Marty’s amazing ability to sketch out design ideas really helps to keep the project moving because clients can see what they are deciding, not just imagine it,” Tricia says. “He leaves a meeting not with an outline of written descriptions, but rather pages of sketches of what was discussed.”
Ken Williams, owner of Design Classic in Lake Ann, is another valued BAC partner, “very talented at taking homeowners’ wish lists and creating floor plans that are functional for their lot and lifestyle,” Tricia notes. “Building a home begins with the design process, and when Dean, Marty and Ken sit down at a table, magic happens.
“Lakemore Retreat is an excellent example.”
Look for an overview of BAC’s collective team of skilled industry partners in Chapter Four of 2015’s Great Lake Story, “Lakemore Retreat,” in Michigan BLUE Magazine’s upcoming FALL edition (October/November), and our final 16-page photo showcase of Lakemore Lodge and Lakemore Cottage in BLUE’s 2015 WINTER Issue (December/January). Meanwhile, learn more at mibluemag.com and BayAreaContracting.net.
*Certified Kitchen Designer; *Certified Bath Designer
2015 Great Lakes Story Sponsors
