Perched on a hill overlooking Upper Straits Lake in West Bloomfield, this 5,700-square-foot, three-story Shingle-style abode is traditional yet contemporary and elegant yet casual, combining luxurious craftsmanship with function and fun. Designed to accommodate a family with two grown daughters and a third, now 8, who came along 15 years after her second sister, it oozes with quality and style.
The parents, who are going on 30 years of marriage, realized the traveling lifestyle they enjoyed once their first two daughters grew up had to be put on hold. A new home was in order — one that would address all of the age differences and satisfy everyone’s desires.
This page: The hearth room’s velvet couch is a favorite place to read. “We found the mirror in an antiques shop in North Carolina and loved it,” says designer Amanda Sinistaj. “It was interesting and just needed to be cleaned up a little bit.”
The wife, who loves to bake and cook, wanted a dream kitchen. Her husband requested a wine cellar. Both said they needed an area for entertaining and an outdoor swimming pool. Their youngest daughter dreamed of a haven where she could do artwork, have sleepovers, and practice dance.
The couple contacted design award winners John VanBrouck of Luxe Homes Design + Build of Birmingham and its in-house interior design partner, Amanda Sinistaj of Ellwood Interiors Inc.
A daughter’s play space with frolicking foxes wallpaper.
“We worked really well with Ellwood,” the husband and father says. “They interview you at the start to find out what you like and don’t like, and what your style and passions are. For us, it was we really like wine and we really like fireplaces. So we have five fireplaces in the house and a beautiful wine room. We wanted a pool and a place for our 8-year-old to play, and we wanted a nice house — but we didn’t want it to be so fancy where you feel like you have to take your shoes off before you come in.”
VanBrouck says the four-bedroom (plus playroom/bonus room), 5.5-bath home was designed to capture views of the lake, with plenty of privacy and lots of natural light. “It has a summer resort feel because it revolves around their lifestyle. It’s kind of like they’re on vacation 24/7,” he explains.
Now, besides a stunning home with meticulous finishes and storage for everything, the wife has a beautiful kitchen with a spacious hidden prep area behind a secret door. “This is an amazing space to entertain and cook and de-stress,” she says.
It’s also romantic, with mood lighting everywhere. There’s a lavish space for entertaining, with a plush 12-seat bar adjacent to the tasting room, and a 1,200-bottle wine room in the lower level. A 5-foot-square Scrabble game is perfect for rainy days. So is the player piano, which is acoustically tuned to the room. There’s also a mirrored exercise room, located near the laundry room and lakeside bath. Through five French doors and beyond a covered patio, the aqua-hued waters of the pool and integrated Jacuzzi beckon. Upstairs, there’s a wondrous playroom with built-in trundle beds for the couple’s youngest daughter. It’s so inviting, even the adults want to hang there.
“The entire house is storage-friendly,” says designer Sinistaj. “When they entertain, they have a place to stash everything.” All furnishings are custom, done to the scale of the house, with its 12-foot ceilings and 8-foot doors. “All the furniture is large-scale, yet every room feels cozy,” she adds.
Almost every space in the house has unique trim and treatments. The kitchen’s hidden pantry has a rolling ladder. The walnut-stained coffered and paneled library also features built-ins. In the hearth room, there’s hand-applied Venetian plaster and a stone fireplace, along with a repurposed 1800s mirror that hangs above a cushy green velvet sofa — the wife’s favorite spot for reading.
The luxurious master suite is rich with details, from the meticulous trim to the nearly two-story fireplace. A shiplap ceiling over the slipper tub adds more textural interest, and the view is supreme.
The tasting room features a barrel-vaulted herringbone brick ceiling with a hand-honed cobblestone floor and custom wrought-iron lanterns. Adjacent to the wine room and cellar is another cozy fireplace. In the master suite, a floor-to-ceiling fireplace warms the room; in the bath, a shiplap ceiling and handsome wall trim surround a sweet slipper tub with a water view.The guest bath features whimsical floating fish wallpaper. A mud room for the couple’s two shelter dogs has a built-in feeding station.
Everybody’s happy here, and everyone has everything they need. Just say aah.
BUYER’S GUIDE
INTERIOR DESIGN
Amanda Sinistaj, Ellwood Interiors, Birmingham, ellwoodinteriors.com, partnering with Luxe Homes Design + Build, Birmingham, luxehomesdesignbuild.com
ARCHITECT
John VanBrouck, Luxe Homes Design + Build, Birmingham, luxehomesdesignbuild.com
BUILDER
Bryan Leith, Luxe Homes Design + Build, Birmingham, luxehomesdesignbuild.com
BATHROOM, GUEST
Cabinetry – Wood-Mode, Cabinet Studio, Clare Dunkel and Associates, Saline
Countertop – Mondello, Dwyer Marble & Stone Supply, Farmington Hills
Flooring – Mediterranean Touch Sun Glow, Virginia Tile Co., Michigan Design Center, Troy
Mirror – Reid Custom, Renwil Hardware
Sconces – Lyric Branch Sconce, Visual Comfort, City Lights Detroit, Michigan Design Center, Troy; Ellwood Interiors Custom, Birmingham
Wall Treatment – Acquario, Soft Neutral, Cole & Son, Kravet/Lee Jofa/Brunschwig & Fils, Michigan Design Center, Troy
BATHROOM, MASTER
Bathtub – Marshall Cast Iron Double Slipper, Universal Plumbing Supply, Oak Park
Cabinetry – Wood-Mode, Cabinet Studio, Clare Dunkel and Associates, Saline
Chandelier – Pompeii, Currey & Co., RJ Thomas, Ltd., Michigan Design Center, Troy; Ellwood Interiors Custom, Birmingham
Flooring – Travertine Durango Classic, Stone Tile International, Virginia Tile Co., Michigan Design Center, Troy
Sconces – Ashton Sconces, Crystorama
Table, Occasional – RJ Thomas, Ltd., Michigan Design Center, Troy
Wall Paint – Sherwin-Williams, Natural Tan 7567
Window Shades – Herringbone, Toast, The Shade Store, Ellwood Interiors Custom, Birmingham
BEDROOM, MASTER
Bedframe – Gainsborough Velvet, Beaver, Schumacher, Michigan Design Center, Troy; custom-designed and created by Foam N’ More, Clawson
Bedside Chests – Diamond Antique Mirrors, Bliss Studio; Ellwood Interiors Custom
Bench – Pindler, Michigan Design Center, Troy; Ellwood Interiors Custom, Birmingham
Chandelier – Stratton, Savoy House
Comforter – Arhaus, Troy
Drapery – The Shade Store; Ellwood Interiors Custom, Birmingham
Fireplace – Travertino in Classic Dark Stone, PMP Marble & Granite, Troy
Lamps, Bedside – Gesso, Regina Andrew, Ellwood Interiors Custom, Birmingham
Lamp, Floor – Aidan Gray, Ellwood Interiors Custom
Pillows, Accent – Restoration Hardware, Troy
Rug – Scandinavia Dula Braiden, Jaipur, Ellwood Interiors Custom, Birmingham
Sconces – Stratton, Savoy House; Ellwood Interiors Custom
Throw Blanket – Williams-Sonoma
DINING ROOM
Artwork – Ethan Allen
Ceiling Paint – Sherwin-Williams, Keystone Gray 7504
Chairs, Dining – French Vintage Louis Round Side Chair, Curations Limited; Ellwood Interiors Custom, Birmingham
Chandeliers – Chateau Beaulieu Leaf Chandelier, Aidan Gray
Rug – Custom New Artifact, Walnut and Silver, Loloi Rugs
Table – Restoration Hardware, Troy
Wall Paint – Sherwin-Williams, Anew Gray 7030
HEARTH ROOM
Chandelier – Nurnberg Chandelier, Aidan Gray; Ellwood Interiors Custom, Birmingham
Floor Lamps – Aidan Gray; Ellwood Interiors Custom, Birmingham
Pillows, Accent – Restoration Hardware, Troy
Rug – Loloi Rugs; Ellwood Interiors Custom, Birmingham
Sofa – Stanford, Ellwood Interiors Custom, Birmingham
Table, Occasional – Restoration Hardware, Troy
Wall Treatment – Custom Knockdown Venetian Plaster, Venetian Plaster Co., Lake Orion, Sherwin-Williams paint
KITCHEN
Backsplash – Sonoma Tilemakers, Stellar Chiseled Edge, Shale, Virginia Tile Co., Michigan Design Center, Troy
Bar Lighting – Flynn Pendant, Pottery Barn
Bar Stools – Restoration Hardware, Troy
Bench – Curations Limited, Ellwood Interiors Custom, Birmingham
Cabinetry – Wood-Mode, Cabinet Studio, Saline
Countertop – Taj Mahal, Dwyer Marble & Stone Supply, Farmington Hills
Flooring – Bella Cera, Everlast Floors, Troy
Hood – Quality Stainless Manufacturing Inc., Madison Heights
Rug – Anders, Feizy
Stove – Wolf
Wall Paint – Sherwin-Williams, Worldly Gray 7043
PLAY SPACE
Ottoman – Target
Pillows, Accent – West Elm, Birmingham
Wall Treatment – Mr. Fox, Wallpaper Direct
Window Seat – Foam N’ More, Clawson; Delsey Koi, Pindler, Michigan Design Center, Troy
POOL LAUNDRY/ATTACHED FULL BATH
Cabinetry – Wood-Mode
Ceiling Light – Nuvo Lighting
Countertop – Sierra Ridge, Dwyer Marble & Stone Supply, Farmington Hills
Flooring – Urban Flaviker Concrete, Virginia Tile Co., Michigan Design Center, Troy
Mirror – Bardot Mirror, etúHOME; Ellwood Interiors Custom, Birmingham
Pebble Path – Bliss Stone Pebble Zen Bora Wilderness, Stone Tiles International, Virginia Tile Co., Michigan Design Center, Troy
Sconces – Madeline, Arteriors; Ellwood Interiors Custom
Sink – GJ Styles, Ellwood Interiors Custom, Birmingham
Wall Paint – Sherwin-Williams, Balanced Beige 7037
Washer and Dryer – Whirlpool, Big George’s Home Appliance Mart, Ann Arbor
An inviting pool and entertaining area round out this home’s lovely offerings.
WINE CELLAR
Flooring – Custom Masonry Cobblestones
Light Fixture – Abel, Solaria, Ellwood Interiors Custom, Birmingham
Mirror – Lighting Resource Studio, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Sconces – Corsica, Solaria; Ellwood Interiors Custom, Birmingham
Wall Treatment – Frontier Sandstone Tumbled, Select Stone Co.
WINE-TASTING ROOM
Ceiling Treatment – Herringbone Brick, Barrel Vault
Centerpieces – – etúHOME; Ellwood Interiors Custom, Birmingham
Chairs, Dining – Arhaus
Chandelier – El Mundo, Solaria; Ellwood Interiors Custom
Chandeliers (above table) – Gaudi, Solaria; Ellwood Interiors Custom
Flooring – Custom Masonry Cobblestones
Table, Dining – Custom Reclaimed Barnwood and Antiqued Painted Finish, Iron and Oaks; Venetian Plaster Co., Lake Orion
Wall Treatment – Frontier Sandstone Tumbled, Select Stone Co.
EXTERIOR
Building Materials – Frontier Sandstone Tumbled, Select Stone Co.
Landscaping – Great Oaks Landscape, Novi
Paint Colors – Sherwin-Williams, Outerbanks 7534 and Snowbound 7004
Pool – Gillette Brothers Pool & Spa, Troy
Windows – Andersen Windows & Doors, Goodrich Brothers, Pewamo
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