Great Lake Story 2016
Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five | Chapter Six
W
hen this year’s Great Lake Story began, snow blanketed the grounds of the Sanctuary at St. Lazare development in Spring Lake, and Alison and Steven Fox’s new home was merely a vision. The pair knew they wanted their children to experience growing up on the West Michigan waterfront, as they had, and with the team put together by Bos Homes, created the home of their dreams just in time for summer.
Three weeks before the anticipated move-in date in April, the Fox family moved into the single-story contemporary home on a peaceful bluff overlooking Spring Lake. “It turned out exactly how we envisioned,” said Alison Fox.
This included a wonderful outdoor patio and seating area near the water, perfect for entertaining during those balmy Michigan summer nights. The lower level of the home is a fully-finished walkout that leads to the large patio designed by Grand Rapids-based Twin Lakes Nursery.
Down near the water, there’s also space to gather. A stone amphitheater fire pit is nestled near the lake, along with four Adirondack chairs, which no lakeside home is complete without.
Fox said the summer was a great chance for the family to enjoy the perks of living on the lake. From days spent on the boat to mornings spent enjoying the sunrise that streams in through the Andersen windows of the home’s large main living area, there was no shortage of wonders to behold.
Their children love it, Fox said. “They’ve been on the water, fishing off the dock, riding their bikes to go visit friends in our old neighborhood, which is only a mile away.”
They’ve also been able to enjoy the lower level of the home, which Fox said is their “hangout space.” With a ping-pong table and plenty of room for friends, it’s easy to see why.
There’s another room in the home that’s been a family favorite and that’s the den on the main level. It doesn’t face the water, but it’s become a peaceful retreat as the lake is viewable through the home’s great room by way of beautiful glass French doors.
“That’s one of our tech-free rooms, there’s no TV, it’s just a quiet space,” fox said. There’s tons of natural light where she and her husband often retreat at the end of a long day.
As the seasons change and fall and winter approach, Fox said the family is looking forward to the peacefulness that settles on lakes during the colder months. “We love summer but like many Michigan families, we embrace every season. One nice thing about fall and winter is the lake is a lot less busy. In the mornings, it’s so peaceful with the calm water and the large trees, it’s truly beautiful here.”
The site was selected with this in mind. The Foxes knew the history of the area, which was formerly a lakeside religious retreat, and picked their home’s site for its proximity to the lake and its private wooded features.
“We feel like it’s really a very private setting but we’re still able to enjoy the lake and have access to the water,” Fox said.
That was the goal with The Sanctuary at St. Lazare development. Bos Homes worked with the family from start to finish to ensure the final result aligned with what they had in mind.
“My husband and I had a really good shared vision, so we weren’t hemming and hawing over details, and the team at Bos understood the vision we had,” Fox said. One person that Fox said was integral to the process was Wendy Fraser, Designer and Client Relations Coordinator at Bos. “We have such busy schedules, and Wendy really streamlined a lot of the decision-making processes,” she said.
The Foxes home was the first to be built in the Sanctuary at St. Lazare, the last development available on the historic lake, and sites are still available for other families looking for a lakeside retreat that offers the best of Michigan all year-round.
Great Lake Story is a continuing series chronicling enriching stories of waterfront homes and those who design, build and own them. Look for the final photo showcase of “The Sanctuary at St. Lazare” by Bos Homes in Michigan BLUE Magazine’s 2016 Winter issue. To read the entire story, visit mibluemag.com.
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