2018 DHDA: Homes

2018 Design Awards

Judges | Details | Exteriors | Interiors | Commercial Design
Homes | Rising Star | Reader’s Choice

Historic Renovation / Restoration

Photo by Beth Singer

1st – AMW Design Studio, with Sterling Development Corp.

This 1950s Colonial was totally transformed during a 12-month renovation which added 950 square feet to the back of the home on both levels. The original roofline was untouched, so the scale remains appropriate for the neighborhood. The interior floor plan is open with a wonderful flow, and exciting site lines from many angles. The original ceiling height has been accentuated by tall architectural elements and crisp white walls. The end result is a warm and inviting home that’s both stylish and unique — a lovely renovation.

Sustainable Design (Environmentally Green Flooring, Lighting, Etc.)

Photo by MIKE KLINE

1st – Heller & Associates

This modern adaptation of a Prairie-style home uses environmentally friendly materials and systems. Geothermal energy provides a clean and sustainable source of power for the heating and cooling mechanisms, and maximizes efficiency, saving on gas and electric costs all year long. High R value foam insulation contributes to the energy-saving. LED lighting illuminates the rooms, both in traditional light fixtures as well as in shelving, display niches, and ceiling applications. Low-VOC paint was used to maintain the purest possible air quality for years to come.

Photo by DUSTIN PECK

2nd – Cranbrook Custom Homes

Small Space Remodel (Up to 1,000 Square Feet)

Photo by KATE BENJAMIN

1st – MainStreet Design Build

In this addition, all traffic is pointed through the new mudroom, which offers both locker and closet storage for outerwear before entering the family room. In the additional family room space, a game area was made, with a French door opening directly onto the backyard patio. The second-floor master has an entry foyer and large living space, as well as a very large private bath. The bath incorporates room for two at the elongated furniture vanity, a freestanding tub, and a separate toilet/steam shower room.

Large Remodel (More Than 1,000 Square Feet)

Photo by BETH SINGER

1st – Marianne Jones, LLC, with The Blake Company

This home was gutted: walls were moved, ceilings opened, and new windows and door walls were added. The walls and ceilings were adorned with V-grooved, custom millwork, including bookcases and built-in dressers. The floor plan is now open between the kitchen, family room, and screened-in patio. Off the kitchen, there’s a formal powder room and wine room. The second floor includes two ensuite bedrooms and bathrooms featuring quiet grays, creams, and taupe. The updated lighting fixtures, new furniture, rugs, window treatments, wall coverings, and accessories shine.

Addition Project (Architecture)

Photo by JUSTIN MACONOCHIE

1st – Heller & Associates, with Jane Redfield Schwartz, Ltd.

The massive stone chimney takes center stage in the conservatory, where a pizza oven provides a conversation piece. The pitched ceiling features stained wood beams and tongue-and-groove beadboard. Inside the foyer, wood paneling integrates the addition into the existing space. A white spindled stair railing curves up to the landing, where an open-air catwalk floats over the rooms. The great room features wood paneling to match the foyer and a large fireplace; built-in cabinets with backlit shelves and an uplit valance illuminate the view.

Judge’s Insights

“The Allegretti Architects project (shown above right, an older modern home in southwest Michigan) is a successful and transformative renovation!”

— Judge Lisa Jarvis

Apartment / Loft / Condo

Photo by BETH SINGER

1st – Cottage Company Interiors, with Cottage Company Fine Builders

The private spaces in this residence are clearly defined, but the floor plan remains open and spacious. The kitchen, dining room, and family room serve as common areas, and were designed to be larger, more open, integrated, and filled with natural light. Continuity was created through the combination of neutral colors, natural materials, and textured fabrics, which harmonize beautifully with the off-white shiplap paneling, white oak floor, Calcutta marble fireplace, jute lighting, and grasscloth wallcoverings to create a warm and inviting, yet sophisticated and edgy, design.

Vacation Home in Michigan

Photo by Beth Singer

1st – Cottage Company Interiors, with Cottage Company Fine Builders

This vacation home uniquely places a variety of purposes — entertaining, dining, and cooking — in one space. By strategically positioning lighting and rugs, and changing ceiling treatments, separating a seemingly united space was achieved. Areas devoted to relaxing feature ceiling and wall treatments, and furniture is grouped so it’s conversation-friendly; coffered ceilings inlaid with beadboard and horizontal shiplap walls define the great room, where the fireplace is a visual masterpiece; and the great room transitions into the dining and kitchen areas, which feature beadboard ceilings and walls.

Vacation Home Outside of Michigan

Photo by DAVID STEINLAUF

1st – AZD Architects, with AZD Interiors

This house is a combination of natural stone, stucco, glass, and metal. The roof line is a combination of flat roofs and a low-pitched asymmetrical metal roof. Exterior stone walls and glass walls are tilted 16 degrees, to help with the asymmetrical geometry. The party cabana consists of a bar, four TVs, and a lounge area. A 10-foot freestanding waterfall feature is immediately seen upon entering the home, which includes a gym, theater, and spa. The interior is decorated with funky woods, tiles, and metals.

Photo by DAVID STEINLAUF

1st – AZD Architects

New Model Home (Architecture)

Photo by MIRAR PHOTOGRAPHY

1st – AZD Architects, with TechHome Building Company

This house is a combination of machine-cut stone, smooth masonry block, corrugated metal, and cedar siding. It’s also a Smart House, fully automated from anywhere in the country. When you put the key in the front door, music plays, lights come on, shades go up — the ambiance is immediately set. This house and its modern designs have been more successful than any of its competitors in this market; the selling cost per foot has routinely been 10 to 15 percent higher than similar homes.

Contemporary Architecture (Up to 4,000 Square Feet)

Photo by JAMES HAEFNER

1st – DesRosiers Architects, with Custom Homes by Derocher

The entire exterior and interior of this home was completely changed. Butt glass expansive windows ensure a complete view of the lake from the great room, study, master bedroom, and bath. A front entrance foyer and cantilevered roof were added, along with dual butt glass bay windows in the dining room and guest bedroom. There’s a covered patio off the kitchen nook, and a deck is accessible from the study, master bedroom, and master bathroom. The lower-level game room features a fireplace, bar, and kitchenette.

Contemporary Architecture (More than 4,000 Square Feet)

Photo by JAMES HAEFNER

1st – Young & Young Architects, with Custom Homes by Derocher

A guest arrival courtyard, covered entrance, and master bedroom wing are the only visible aspects of this residence from the street side. However, once inside, the spaces expand in all directions to large elevated balconies, landscaped courtyards, indoor and outdoor pools, and private bedroom suites. The image of this large residence has been intentionally diminished by the orderly separation of six distinct elements and their connection by glass enclosures. The exterior materials — glass, stone, and cement plaster — harmoniously blend with the natural setting.

Traditional Architecture (Up to 4,000 Square Feet)

Photo by BRAD ZIEGLER

1st – TK Design & Associates Inc.

The master bedroom offers a breathtaking view both day and night, and has an adjacent workout room. The master bath contains an expansive shower with two shower heads on opposite ends, and a rain-head in the center. The kitchen is open to the great room and dining area, which is also wide open to the porch. This house is important because it represents the emergence of a new American architectural style, Dollhouse™, a whimsical play on traditional form, scale, and proportion utilizing purposeful romanticism.

Designer’s Challenge

“The steep grades of the site (shown above, left) presented several grading challenges, which in turn created unique rolling terrain and beautiful garden retaining walls throughout the property.”

— Martini Samartino Design Group

Traditional Architecture (More Than 4,000 Square Feet)

Photo by MARTIN VECCHIO

1st – Patrick Dyke Collaborative, LLC, with Dayna Flory Interiors

The home is highly ordered yet has a feeling of exploration, discovery, and uncertainty combined with an elegance and intentional quirkiness. The interior is elegant without being verbose. The form of the house was designed as if there was a quaint, orthogonal farmhouse that was sited amidst open acreage. Through time and development, this property became more urban in scale than rural, but its historic roots remain. Architecturally, it conveys a time-honored story and identity to its occupants, respecting the planning of the neighborhood.

Overall Home

Photo by MARTIN VECCHIO

1st – Petrella Interiors

Although this home is new, and 100-percent smart, it feels warm and lived-in. Timeless elements were given a fresh approach. The lower-level bathroom features a garden shed-style reclaimed wood vanity, stained limestone countertops, and a shower lined with exterior brick. All the details, including the base and trim molding, the tile work, and the furniture and fabric are amazing. Shown at left is the master suite. The project was a collaboration between everyone involved, including the designer, architect, builder, and all of the craftsmen.