“If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun,” reads a dish featured in this newly-built Bloomfield Hills pool house. Designer Marianne Jones, principal at Marianne Jones LLC, says the whimsical accessory with the Katherine Hepburn quote inspired her, and is the perfect expression of the wife’s personality. “She’s very fun and has an irreverent streak that I love,” Jones says.
Jones and Elle Tor, partner at Marianne Jones LLC, worked with the homeowners, architect Glenda Meads, and landscape architect Patrick Funke of Michael J. Dul & Associates on the project, which includes a new pool and a stone deck, pool house, and covered dining space with an outdoor fireplace/pizza oven.
The homeowners built the Shingle-style main house in 2017 and always planned to add a pool house, Funke explains. “Their children swim competitively, and they had always dreamed of having a pool, pool deck, and pool house.”
That dream moved closer to reality in 2020, when the first planning meeting was held. Meads, who had just completed a pool house with Jones and recommended her for the project, says the goal for the pool house was to complement — as well as contrast — the main house, and envisioned it like a traditional garden “folly.” The homeowners wanted it to be as low-maintenance as possible. “It was basically an empty yard,” Meads says of the almost two-acre plot the team encountered at the project’s start.
A dining area in the pool house shows its casual-chic appeal, which flows from one room to the next.
The Coronavirus pandemic prompted people everywhere to appreciate and reassess outdoor living spaces, Meads explains. The only challenge, she says, was getting a zoning appeal approved to accommodate the structure’s size of almost 1,700 square feet. Funke says the large, 30-by-75-foot pool also presented some siting challenges, including a drainage swale that had to be rerouted. That particular challenge led to the addition of a raingarden and native plants, which was a very positive outcome.
“We were very mindful of the scale and the way people feel, maneuver, and transition around the pool,” Funke adds.
The stone pool house, which references the material used on the main house, is one of the project’s many highlights. Meads says she worked with Dave Force, of Force Building Co., who the built the original house and was familiar with how to source the home’s granite stone. She had first imagined it as a luxurious hotel lobby, but says it evolved to something more like a luxury spa when the homeowners requested the addition of a golf simulator that required a 10-foot-tall screen. Popular with the family’s guests, it doubles as a movie screen and turns the space into an additional entertaining area. “It’s really fun at parties,” architect Meads adds.
The bathroom sports a “really fun squid and octopus wallpaper,” designer Marianne Jones says.
The pool house structure includes a kitchen, dining room, a changing room, and a bathroom, as well as a family room with beams and a fireplace, Jones says. For the interior, the designer took inspiration from the pool, and used a beautiful bluestone on the floor that’s the same as the outdoor deck surrounding it. Shiplap, marine references, and other motifs that fit the homeowners’ whimsical personalities add a light touch. “There’s a really fun squid and octopus wallpaper in the bathroom,” Jones says, as well as artwork by photographer Slim Aarons.
The designer took inspiration from the pool, and used a beautiful bluestone on the kitchen floor that’s the same as the outdoor deck. Shiplap offers a nice marine reference.
The furnishings and surfaces were purposely kept neutral and low-maintenance. A shabby chic sofa with slipcovers in performance linen, chairs covered in Sunbrella fabric, and an indoor-outdoor rug were selected to ensure durability — something the homeowners specifically requested. “They entertain all the time but didn’t want a lot of upkeep,” Jones explains. “Even the kitchen countertops are very forgiving.”
The project was completed in time for the 2022 summer season. As expected, the new outdoor oasis and the pool house get a lot of use, Jones says, and are the stars of pool parties and family birthday parties. “The whole point was to bring the outdoors in,” she says of the inviting space. “When all the doors are open, you really feel like you’re outside.”
BUYER’S GUIDE
INTERIOR DESIGN
Marianne Jones Design Studio, Birmingham, mariannejones.com
DINING ROOM
Artwork – Slim Aarons Photography, Soicher Marin
Ceiling Treatment – Custom, White Oak Beam
Chairs, Dining – Jardin Dining Chair, Hickory Chair, CAI Designs, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Chandelier – Selita Oval Chandelier, Palecek, CAI Designs, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Flooring – Natural Bluestone
Rug – Nirvana Indoor Outdoor Custom Rug, Jaipur Living, The Ghiordes Knot, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Table, Dining – Freya Dining Table, Hickory Chair, CAI Designs, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Wall Paint – Benjamin Moore, Chantilly Lace
ENTRYWAY
Landscaping – Michael J. Dul & Associates Inc., Birmingham
Light, Porch – Bevolo Gas & Electric Lights
Masonry – Connecticut Granite Masonry, Capital Stoneworks, Waterford
Paint Color – Benjamin Moore, Chantilly Lace
Windows – Marvin Windows & Doors
FAMILY ROOM
Armchair, Wingback – Alma Chair, Cisco Brothersr
Armchairs (White) – Swivel Chairs, Lee Industries, CAI Designs, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Artwork – Soicher Marin
Ceiling, Vaulted – Custom, White Oak Beams
Chandelier, Simple – Ipswich Chandelier, Currey & Company, CAI Designs, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Doors, Sliding – Marvin Windows & Doors
Fireplace – Wood Burning Fireplace, Superior
Fireplace Treatment, Stone – Custom, Natural Limestone Surround, Genesee Cut Stone & Marble Co., Grand Blanc
Flooring – Natural Bluestone
Loveseat – Lee Industries, CAI Designs, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Ottoman – Inman Slipcover Ottoman, Hickory Chair, CAI Designs, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Pillows, Accent – Custom, Jim Thompson and Schumacher Fabrics, Tennant & Associates and Schumacher, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Tray (on ottoman) – Homeowner supplied
Wall Paint – Benjamin Moore, Chantilly Lace
Window Shades – Romo, Varenne Nimbus, Tennant & Associates, Michigan Design Center, Troy
KITCHEN
Backsplash, Sink – Stellar Daydream Crackle, Sonoma Tilemakers, Virginia Tile, Troy
Cabinetry – Perspectives Cabinetry, Troy
Chandelier, Bubbles – Muriel Cloud Chandelier, Oly Studio
Countertop – Medellin Natural Quartzite, PMP Marble & Granite, Troy
Faucets – Newport Brass, Advance Plumbing and Heating Supply Co., Detroit, Walled Lake
Flooring – Natural Bluestone
Refrigerator, Wine Coolers – Sub-Zero, Witbeck Home Appliance Mart, West Bloomfield
Stools, Counter – Fritz Rope Counter Stool, Palececk, CAI Designs, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Wall Paint – Benjamin Moore, Chantilly Lace
PATIO
Chairs, Patio – Sag Harbor Collection, Kingsley Bate
Flowers – Olive’s Bloombox, Ferndale
Loungers, Chaise – RH
Masonry – Connecticut Granite Masonry, Capital Stoneworks, Waterford
Oven, Outdoor Pizza – Custom Stone Masonry
Pergola – StruXure
Pool – B&B Pools, Livonia
Seating, Bonfire – Sag Harbor Collection, Kingsley Bate
Table, Patio – Custom Granite Top with Clubcu Teak Base, PMP Marble & Granite, Troy
Photography by James Haefner
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