When two busy professionals found the perfect property in Saugatuck for their Midwest Modern Cottage, they began carefully sourcing the people who would help them achieve their goals. They contacted luxury design builders Bouwkamp Builders, based in Holland, at the suggestion of very happy customers in the neighborhood.
“It was a total whim.” That’s how homeowner Pete Sims describes finding the perfect location for his lakefront home. “I found the lot on Zillow while randomly searching waterfront properties,” Sims said. “I found this development and drove up there one day and saw the lot we built on. When my wife Jan came home from work that evening, I told her, ‘Honey, we have to go for a drive.’ She thought I was crazy,” Sims said with a laugh. But after one look, Jan was convinced. “She got out of the car, and her jaw dropped.”
Designing a home isn’t just about choosing home furnishings; it’s also about you. You may have a passion for art. How do you incorporate that into your design? Selecting items for your home is a very personal activity.
Greg England and Ben Van Dort, co-owners of 42 North Custom Homes in Holland, and developer/designer Dennis Jacobs had a simple goal for their project on Lake Macatawa: to make a splash by razing a traditional 1940s home and replacing it with a three-story Modern Contemporary.
That means design and décor that are homey to that specific person. What is the best way to do this without creating a space that is a jumble of ideas? How do you turn interests into a cohesive, magazine-worthy home?
It is that personalized service – as well as curating furniture, art, and accessories to match a client’s taste – that defines the turnkey work of interior designers Dana Rickers and Janel Joppie, owners of Room Candy in Grandville.
Whether you are downsizing, upsizing, building a new home, or remodeling an existing one, the open floor plan concept is a popular choice these days. Watch any fixer-upper show, and they almost always feature this look. They rip down walls to open spaces and views, and they blend areas that used to be traditional family rooms, dining rooms, and/or kitchens.
Today, most homeowners desire a master bedroom en suite, a quiet place to wind down from the challenges we all face in a typical day. A bathroom connected to the bedroom creates something of an oasis from the daily activities in the common areas of a home. But separation and privacy are only half the equation for creating a retreat.
Bayberry Cottage is set up as a true home décor boutique, with every aspect of the home on display. The focus is on a casual lake lifestyle with fun, bold colors and designs. Gwen DeBruyn wanted to create a true one-stop-shop offering an extensive line of furniture and creative lighting options, artwork, homewares, and accessories like throw rugs and pillows.
Great design creates a cohesive look throughout the home, not room by room. Take your initial inspiration and color palette for your home and stay focused on that vision.
