• Waterfront Living
    • Art Stop
    • Homes
    • Design Stars
    • Designer Notebook
    • Studio Visit
    • The Elements
    • Entertaining at Home
  • Adventures
    • Sky, Sand & Surf
    • Field Notes
    • Get Outdoors
    • Waterways
      • Headwaters
    • The Pike
  • Travel
    • HOUGHTON & HANCOCK: Off the Beaten Path
    • MICHIGAN: Storybook Stays
    • SAGINAW: Saginaw Surprises
    • GRAND HAVEN: A West Coast Favorite
    • Thumbs Up
    • Discoveries
      • NORTHERN TIP: For Fun, Rent a Pontoon
      • MICHIGAN LIGHTHOUSES: Mesmerizing Sights
      • UPPER PENINSULA: Upper Peninsula Escapes
      • GREAT LAKES: Cool Cruises
  • Dining Out
    • Dining Out
    • Tasting Room
  • Events
  • Magazine
    • Subscribe
    • Purchase Single Issues
    • Digital Edition
    • About
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Submit a Project
    • Sponsored Great Lake Stories
    • Issue Archive
    • Newsstand Outlets
    • Staff
  • BLUE Awards
    • Best of BLUE Awards
    • Michigan BLUE Design Awards
Sign in
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Create an account
Privacy Policy
Sign up
Welcome!Register for an account
A password will be e-mailed to you.
Privacy Policy
Password recovery
Recover your password
Search
  • Subscribe
  • Archive
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Events
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
Sign in
Welcome! Log into your account
Forgot your password? Get help
Create an account
Privacy Policy
Create an account
Welcome! Register for an account
A password will be e-mailed to you.
Privacy Policy
Password recovery
Recover your password
A password will be e-mailed to you.
Michigan Blue Magazine
  • Waterfront Living
    • Art Stop
    • Homes
    • Design Stars
    • Designer Notebook
    • Studio Visit
    • The Elements
    • Entertaining at Home
  • Adventures
    • Sky, Sand & Surf
    • Field Notes
    • Get Outdoors
    • Waterways
      • Headwaters
    • The Pike
  • Travel
    • HOUGHTON & HANCOCK: Off the Beaten Path
    • MICHIGAN: Storybook Stays
    • SAGINAW: Saginaw Surprises
    • GRAND HAVEN: A West Coast Favorite
    • Thumbs Up
    • Discoveries
      • NORTHERN TIP: For Fun, Rent a Pontoon
      • MICHIGAN LIGHTHOUSES: Mesmerizing Sights
      • UPPER PENINSULA: Upper Peninsula Escapes
      • GREAT LAKES: Cool Cruises
  • Dining Out
    • Dining Out
    • Tasting Room
  • Events
  • Magazine
    • Subscribe
    • Purchase Single Issues
    • Digital Edition
    • About
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Submit a Project
    • Sponsored Great Lake Stories
    • Issue Archive
    • Newsstand Outlets
    • Staff
  • BLUE Awards
    • Best of BLUE Awards
    • Michigan BLUE Design Awards
Home Great Lake Story Journals Great Lake Story 2016: Chapter One
Promotion

Great Lake Story 2016: Chapter One

Sanctuary at St. Lazare: Chapter One. Illustrations by Gary W. Odmark
By
Michigan Blue Staff
-
February 1, 2016
1236
Facebook
Twitter

    Great Lake Story 2016

    Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five |
    Chapter Six


    St. Lazare treeLakes have long been synonymous with peace, quiet, and reflection. To those who build homes on the shores and banks, the water’s edge offers a personal Walden, a testament to the desire to slow down and take pause.

    The rolling hills on the western shore of Spring Lake have long been host to those searching for a serene landscape. Originally a fruit farm, the area that locals refer to as St. Lazare, was once a summer retreat for the Bretz family from Chicago. In the 1950s, it was sold to the Grand Rapids Catholic Diocese and became home to a 50 room retreat house, a place where people could come for contemplation and spiritual refreshment.

    The tradition of tranquility now continues with The Sanctuary at St. Lazare, a new waterfront development by custom-home builder David C. Bos homes. The single-family community has been designed in a manner that intentionally protects the integrity of the land, something that was of utmost importance to BLUE’s 2016 Great Lake Story homeowners.

    Alison Fox and her husband, Steven Fox, grew up on Spring Lake, and as they began their search for the perfect place to build their lakefront home, The Sanctuary at St. Lazare was their first choice.

    “We both had the experience of growing up on the lake, and we wanted our kids to have that same experience of being on the water,” Fox said, though she admits she didn’t think it’d be on Spring Lake.

    St. Lazare dock“Building new is pretty limited here,” she explained. When they discovered the former retreat land would be up for sale, they jumped at the opportunity. “We knew what a great piece of property it was.”

    The Sanctuary at St. Lazare is one of the last remaining lakefront parcels to be built out, presenting a unique opportunity for those looking to make their unique mark on the historic area.

    The Foxes’ site is nestled on a bluff and presents an expansive view of the lake. “That was the main selling point,” Fox said. “Being set back in the woods but still able to see such a huge portion of the lake.”

    St. Lazare tree 2Bos Homes has an array of experts who visit each property and note how to best maximize view lines and incorporate client ideas while being sensitive to the land. It is through this spirit of collaboration that they can truly create spaces where residents can live beautifully.

    “At The Sanctuary, we’ve preserved the natural topography of the site and designed the neighborhood into it,” said David J. Bos, vice president of Bos Homes. An existing groomed nature trail that runs along the area’s ravines will remain in place, while the community’s streetscape was created with minimal tree removal.

    Known for its emphasis on sustainability and environmental stewardship, in addition to its creativity and outstanding craftsmanship, Bos Homes has its own legacy. A legacy built on integrity that creates a peace of mind that lasts long after the construction dust has settled.

    Look for Chapter Two of Great Lake Story, “Sanctuary at St. Lazare,” in Michigan BLUE Magazine’s upcoming Spring edition (April/May). Meanwhile, you can follow along online at mibluemag.com and sanctuaryspringlake.com and on the websites of the project sponsors.

    Meanwhile, get acquainted and learn more online by visiting:

    ABC Supply
    www.abcsupply.com

    Bos Homes
    www.boshomes.com

    Carpet Bonanza
    www.carpetbonanza.com

    Rycenga’s
    www.rycenga.com

    Andersen Windows
    www.andersenwindows.com

    Lakeside Surfaces
    www.lakesideinc.com


    2016 Great Lakes Story Sponsors

    David C. Bos Homes logo

    Lakeside Surfaces logo

    Rycenga logo

    Carpet Bonanza logo

    VanderWall Brothers logo

    ABC Supply Co. logo


    • TAGS
    • Great Lakes Stories
    Facebook
    Twitter
      Previous articleTrails to Self-Discovery
      Next articleBackyard Bliss
      Michigan Blue Staff

      RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

      Promotion

      Great Lake Story 2022: Crooked Lake Prairie – 42° North: Final Chapter

      Promotion

      Great Lake Story 2022: Crooked Lake Prairie – 42° North: Chapter Three

      Promotion

      Great Lake Story 2022: Crooked Lake Prairie – 42° North: Chapter Two

       

      View Issue Archive

      FOLLOW US

      4,566FansLike
      540FollowersFollow
      1,083FollowersFollow
         

      DIGITAL PARTNERS

       
       
       
       
       

      Events Calendar

      « May 2025 » loading...
      MTWTFSS
      28
      29
      30
      1
      2
      3
      4
      5
      6
      7
      8
      9
      10
      11
      12
      13
      14
      15
      16
      17
      18
      19
      20
      21
      22
      23
      24
      25
      26
      27
      28
      29
      30
      31
      1
      SUBMIT AN EVENT

      TRENDING

      The Great Outdoors

      Jamie Fabbri - March 26, 2025

      Patience Pays Off

      Jocelyn Anderson - March 26, 2025

      Life on the Docks

      Mark Spezia - March 26, 2025
      ABOUT US
      Michigan's Waterfront Lifestyle Magazine
      FOLLOW US
      • Subscribe
      • Archive
      • Advertise
      • Contact
      • Events
      • Terms of Use
      • Privacy Policy
      © 2025 - Michigan Blue Magazine
      Near me
      40 miles