Lakemore Retreat Great Lake Story 2015
Introduction | Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five
Designed in part to show potential clients what’s possible with Bay Area Contracting at the helm, two award-winning new homes on Arbutus Lake make great rental escapes, too.
Since BAC’s inception in 2007, Jones Construction, LLC in Traverse City has been providing the exterior “wow” factor. “We work as a team to come up with an idea,” says owner James G. Jones, who contributes to his expert crew’s framing, siding and trim prowess firsthand. “They sketch it out, then ask us what we think and how to make it happen.”
Designed to rekindle a sense of nostalgia, the vintage-style Cottage features sage cedar shakes with no vertical trim, Jones notes, while “the lower portion of the walls has a built-out radius shaped almost like a bell.”
Wrapped in vibrant LP board-and-batten, the Lodge puts an industrious-chic spin on tradition. “It’s not cottagey,” expresses Tricia. “There are a lot of cottages up north, and we wanted to take a bold step in the opposite direction to really distinguish it.”
Since Northern Michigan native and builder Dean Adams founded Bay Area Contracting (BAC) at age 26 with his wife, Tricia, in 2007, family has been at the heart of the Traverse City-based company’s customer-focused approach, full range of start-to-finish residential and commercial expertise, budget-conscious ingenuity and commitment to excellence.
A Bit About Arbutus Not more than eight miles southeast of Traverse City — nestled deep within steep, rolling slopes of towering oaks, pines and hemlock — Arbutus Lake stretches 395 acres as a spring-fed chain of five smaller basins known by number. Varying in size and loosely-formed shape, each offers distinct character and unique natural features. While Arbutus Lake No. 1 and No. 5 are no-wake zones that provide ample haven for angling and other quiet-water recreation, they both channel into three larger all-sports basins, ensuring water activities for everyone. An inviting park beach with tiny brook, edible wild berries and star-clustered skies unhindered by city lights are among other memorable finds.
“From wakeboarding and kayaking to some of the area’s best fishing, Arbutus Lake offers great recreational activity,” notes Steve Bulmann, whose Boyne City-based company, Bulmann Dock & Lift, provided the maintenance-free vinyl dock at Lakemore Retreat. Offered in varying lengths and widths, the premier supplier’s flexible modular decking suits a range of shoreline needs, is easy to reconfigure and doesn’t lose its cool.
In partnership with valued industry specialists (see page 63) and BAC’s own acclaimed team, Dean and Tricia began sharing their inspiration for Lakemore Retreat in this year’s Spring Issue of Michigan BLUE. Comprised of two custom-crafted, fully-furnished vacation rentals just 15 minutes from Traverse City, BAC’s premier Cottage and Lodge — nestled side by side with a shared sand beach, pergola, hot tub, grill, fire pit, dock, canoe and picnic area on Arbutus Lake — can be booked by the week, separately or together.
“From extended families to wedding parties, the shared space between both houses works beautifully for guests who rent both properties, allowing everyone to truly be together even though they won’t fit in one house,” says Tricia of the eye-catching outdoor room, crafted by AMO, Inc. “It also offers a nice way to meet people. That’s what we envisioned and that’s exactly what happened in our first summer of business.”
The setting is perfect for lakefront vacationing, with 395-acres of pristine Arbutus waters swimmable from May until October, plentiful fishing and great conditions for everything from water skiing and tubing to stand-up paddle-boarding. It’s also directly designed in part to show potential clients what’s possible with Bay Area Contracting at the helm, two award-winning new homes on Arbutus Lake make great rental escapes, too.
While the dining room and four-season sunroom provide seating for 16, savvy modern products designed for wear and tear — such as Luxury Vinyl Tile flooring, which is often mistaken for wood and can be repaired by replacing one tile at a time — make lake life even better.
Offering an alternative to the wood windows at the Lodge, elegant vinyl-clad panes from Old Mission Windows at the Cottage present a more cost-effective, low- to no-maintenance scenario. Solaris True Divided Light Windows echo the lake’s blue hue. “Each one of the panes is a separate piece of glass,” notes Old Mission Windows specialist Marc Cesario. “It’s a more traditional method of giving you grillwork.”
“I like old-fashioned stuff that’s new,” says Tricia, who’s a fan of practical things, too: “The perimeter white counter looks exactly like marble, but it’s actually super-durable quartz.”
While the granite-topped island features a custom-finished blend of special woods like teak and birch, cottage-style cabinetry with flush inset in dovetail gray lends a Craftsman edge, notes Jeff Salonen at Traverse City-based Creative Kitchens, which provided the eclectic semi- to full-custom mix of cottage- and Craftsman-styled cabinetry seen throughout the retreat from four in-house lines. “As long as the colors have continuity and flow,” he says, “you can change your style from room to room.”
Below, Deluxe touches including a king-size bed, carpeted floor, spacious closet and private bathroom up the comfort quotient in the main-floor master suite, while two additional guest bedrooms on the main floor, an upper loft suited with three twin beds (ideal for kids) and an adjoining upstairs bedroom (at right) sleep up to 10 more guests.
With easy access to the covered patio and outdoor fun beyond, the bright walk-out lower level features inviting places to play and unwind, including a cozy space to watch movies and TV, a billiards room and wet bar stocked with full-size fridge, dishwasher and quick-fix entertaining supplies. Made to handle heavy traffic, the stamped concrete floor is ideal. “This area gets abused the most,” Tricia says. “Living on the lake, you want it to be easy.” An adjacent Lake Locker Room (at right) and lower level laundry make it even more so.
Indoors and out, inviting spaces designed to enhance enjoyment of laid-back life on Arbutus Lake earned BAC’s Lakemore Retreat this year’s prestigious Parade of Homes People’s Choice Award (Best Overall/$500,000+).
The Lodge presents a more masculine, industrial-style vibe detailed in black walnut and a rustic patriotic theme that carries throughout the house.
Jenni Henderson, vice-president of Northwood Kitchens in Traverse City, credits Rhein with the custom, multiple horizontal rail design of the Vintage Deep Sky-colored Brookhaven cabinetry. “We’ve done a number of different projects with BAC…and each and every home is unique,” she shares. “That’s a testament to Marty and Dean, who are both so involved and so hands-on.”
While the Cottage offers classic beach charm with lighter white oak features, the Lodge presents a more masculine, industrial-style vibe detailed in black walnut. The great room takes on a distinctive new persona outfitted with rich leather recliners, fireplace made of locally-sourced stones gathered and installed by John Jaquish of Stone Circle Masonry, custom end tables crafted by Justin Selby and a rustic patriotic theme that carries throughout the house. Hand-scraped and oiled, durable wide-plank oak flooring lends a sense of history, enhanced by aluminum-clad wood panes from Old Mission Windows and grand views of Arbutus Lake.
The Lodge’s black walnut kitchen island features a breakfast bar with spectacular top made from a 150-year-old live walnut tree and one-of-kind industrial tractor seats. “We wanted to bring the outside in,” says Selby, noting that black walnut is one of the rarest woods. “We worked with the highest grade of materials.”
“We’ve done a number of different projects with BAC…and each and every home is unique.
That’s a testament to Marty and Dean, who are both so involved and so hands-on.”
Though the Lodge replicates the Cottage’s lower level offerings with a family room, covered outdoor patio, Lake Locker Room, game room, full bathroom, wet bar and dining space, its more rugged décor, including a spacious bold red leather sofa and custom furnishings by Edge, is in sync with its exterior.
Engineered Protection Systems, Inc. (EPS) in Traverse City customized cutting-edge safety/security systems at each of BAC’s retreats, backed up with state-of-the-art monitoring indoors and out from award-winning Central Station.
— Jenni Henderson, Northwood Kitchens – Michigan BLUE Magazine
• Facebook.com/LakemoreRetreatTC
Facebook Comments