On a scenic 3.5-acre site in Franklin sits a one-of-a-kind structure filled with wonder that blends effortlessly with the surrounding landscape. “The clients were looking for some juxtaposition,” David Iannuzzi, AIA, architect and principal of Iannuzzi Studio in Detroit, says. “They’re a very positive, high-energy, and fun couple with two young kids, and they’re a music and theater-loving family.”
The homeowners envisioned either a modern form rendered in traditional materials or the opposite — a traditional form with modern elements, which is what they got. “When you see it from the road, it looks like a traditional Michigan house until you get closer and inspect the details, like the windows, which are a little atypical,” Iannuzzi says. “It fits into the neighborhood and is unapologetically modern at the same time.
“We designed it together from a blank piece of paper. The early design meetings were so fun and free,” he adds. “We never want to start a project with the end goal in mind. We like to tell our clients we’re going on a journey with them, and we like to work with people who are going to challenge us but are also willing to be challenged by us.”
The result is an elegant exterior featuring four pavilions topped with steep peaks that separate public and private spaces, which are connected by smaller glass hallways. “It’s not just an area to pass through; it’s a place of contemplation,” Iannuzzi says. One hallway serves as the main entry to the house and Iannuzzi compares it to a glass jewel box.
“There are little moments we were trying to create for the house. Outside, it may seem simple, but the materials let the details stand out — like the siding that features vertical cedar slats that are very narrow, almost like toothpicks, and the fiber cement panels. We wanted to really accentuate the height of the building.”
Iannuzzi worked with Elizabeth Fields, chief designer and owner of Franklin-based Elizabeth Fields Design, from the start. “We’ve worked together before, so it was very collaborative,” he says.
“The architecture has a quietness about it,” Fields says. “It’s quiet from the outside and exciting on the inside. The goal was to make it beautiful and dramatic, but it’s also a family home.”
The clients told their design team that they adore color, texture, and distinctive details. “It’s a joyful home for people who see life in a very positive and joyful way. It was important that they have spaces that give them beautiful and positive energy,” Fields says.
Clean lines balance the playfulness found in the fabrics, textures, and materials. “There’s a great unification of positive and negative, so you don’t get overwhelmed,” Fields explains. All of the contents were curated for the project, like the furniture and the light fixtures in the entertaining pavilion that contains the living room, dining room, and kitchen.
In the living room, with its double-sided fireplace, the nuances of the architecture and interior selections include the quietness of the chairs paired with the houndstooth on the sofa. “The relief is there,” Fields says. “That’s what makes your eyes delight and what feels so right about the house.”
Additional color appears in the ombre pattern on the carpeted stairs, which span three levels. “We took a small pattern and stretched it so it had some strength and saturation,” Fields explains.
Creative private spaces include a nursery that fits the cheerful disposition of the homeowners’ daughter. “They wanted her room to be a special place,” Fields says, and points to the flower wallpaper, with a unique application, that climbs from the wall to the ceiling. “We took a tiny little traditional print and supersized it into a whimsical wallpaper for a space where the family likes to read and hang out and play.” Comfy places include a colorful ottoman.
Happy hues also enhance a custom rug that softens the primary bedroom. A variety of shades makes it a playful grounding point for the space, which features a a sofa upholstered in a soft chenille punctuated by a textured boucle and a fabulous palette of fuchsia, black and white, turquoise, leaf green, nude pink, chocolate brown, purple, and lavender. “It just works,” Fields says.
The main bathroom is another showstopper, with pink onyx layered with black marble on the sink and a black stand-alone tub. Fields designed the striking tile pattern that wows in shades of green, black, pink, and white.
Less structure at the start led to better aesthetic outcomes for the Detroit Design Awards’ winning house. “This project was one of complete creativity. It was one of those experiences where the homeowners really let the process be very organic,” Fields says. “It was very collaborative, (and the result is) a home the clients want to spend an endless amount of time in. They use every single space.”
BUYER’S GUIDE
ARCHITECTURE/DESIGN
David Iannuzzi – Iannuzzi Studio, Detroit
iannuzzistudio.com
INTERIOR DESIGNER
Elizabeth Fields, Elizabeth Fields Design, Franklin, elizabethfieldsdesign.com
Advance Plumbing, Bathtub – Master Bathroom, locations in Detroit and Walled Lake, advanceplumbing.com.
Perspectives Cabinetry, Booth Seat – Banquette/Game Area, Troy, perspectivescabinetry.com.
Tennant & Associates, Kirkby Designs Sofa Fabric – Bedroom,
Weitzner Drapery – Kitchen, Zinc by ROMO Drapery & Throw Pillow – Upstairs Landing, Weitzner Drapery and Throw Pillows – Living Room, Villanova by ROMO Window shades – Window Seats, showroom in Michigan Design Center, Troy, michigandesign.com.
BANQUETTE/GAME AREA
Armchairs – Cassina, New York, 140 Cotone Armchair in Pelle Scozia Cedro
Booth Cushion – Lee Jofa, Kravet, Troy, Barcelona in Indigo
Booth Seat – Perspectives Cabinetry, Troy
Ceiling Light – LightArtm Seattle, WA, Empire Shade
Drapery and Shades, Fabric – Pierre Frey, Holly Hunt, Michelle fabric
Flooring – Everlast Flooring, Troy
Table – Knoll, American Interiors, Novi, Saarinen Dining Table
Wall Color – Resource House of Paints & Wallpaper Design, Bleu Avril
BATHROOM, MASTER
Bathtub – Advance Plumbing, Detroit
Drapery – Old World Weavers, Stark Carpet, Troy, Aurora in Spectrum
Shower, Bench – Ciot, Troy, Nero Marquina Extra Honed
Shower, Enclosure – Reid Glass, Southfield
Wall and Floor Tile – Popham Design, Ann Sacks, Troy
BEDROOM, GUEST
Flooring – Ciot, Troy
Sink – Line Studio Detroit, Detroit
Wall Color – Sherwin Williams, Pure White
Wallpaper – Flavor Paper, Moujik in Bluebell
BEDROOM, PRIMARY
Area Rug – Custom, Kyle Bunting
Bed Frame – B&B Italia
Bedside End Tables – Vogue Furniture, Royal Oak
Bedside Lights – END Light
Blanket – Touch of Lace, Bloomfield Hills, Marea in Pink #2
Drapery – Schumacher, Troy, San Leandro Matka in Multi
Flooring – Everlast Flooring, Troy
Linens – Touch of Lace, Bloomfield Hills, Petrolio in Tivoli
Side Tables, sofa – Powell & Bonnell, Dennis Miller
Sofa – Flexform, Campiello
Sofa, fabric – Kirkby Designs, Tennant & Associates, Michigan Design Center, Troy, Ember in Slate
Throw Pillow – Schumacher, Troy, Classic Corduroy in Purple
Throw Pillow – Schumacher, Troy, Regal Mohair in Peacock
Wall Color – Sherwin-Williams, Pure White
FIREPLACE
Cabinetry – Vogue Furniture, Royal Oak
Ceiling Light – Urban Electric, Stamp Pendant
Countertop – Ciot, Troy
Flooring – Everlast Flooring, Troy
Wall Color – Sherwin-Williams, Pure White
Wall Treatment, Fireplace – Line Studio Detroit, Detroit
KITCHEN
Backsplash, Stone – Ciot, Troy
Bar Stools – Mooi, Monster Bar Stool in Indigo Denim
Bar Top, Wood – Vogue Furniture, Royal Oak
Cabinetry, green – Vogue Furniture
Countertop – Ciot, Troy
Drapery – Weitzner, Tennant & Associates, Michigan Design Center, Troy, Origin in Riverbend
Kitchen Lighting – Pure Edge Lighting, Lightology
Wall Color – Sherwin-Willliams, Pure White
LANDING, UPSTAIRS
Armchair – Moooi, Love Sofa
Drapery – Zinc by ROMO, Tennant & Assciates, Michigan Design Center, Troy, Wigwam in Rainbow
Occasional Table – Pulpo, Haute Living, Chicago, IL, Alwa Two Table
Rug – Stark Carpet, Troy, Missoni Rossi Multi
Throw Pillow – Scalamandre, The House of Scalamandre, Troy, Aldeco
Throw Pillow – Zinc by ROMO, Tennant & Associates, Michigan Design Center, Troy, Santa Fe Rainbow
LIVING ROOM
Area Rug – Stark Carpet, Troy, Kelowna
Artwork – Paul Kerner, Library Street Collective, Detroit
Ceiling Light Fixtures – Urban Electric, Stamp Pendant
Coffee Table – FlexForm, Piuma, Fly, and Oritigia Ottomans
Drapery – Weitzner, Tennant & Associates, Michigan Design Center, Troy, Riverbend
End Table, Circle – Schonbuch, Haute Living, Amanita Side Table in Plum
Flooring – Everlast Flooring, Troy
Sectional – B&B Italia, Ray Sofa
Stools – Mooi, Monster Bar Stool
Throw Pillows – Tennant & Associates, and Scalamandre, Michigan Design Center, Troy
Wall Color – Sherwin-Williams, Pure White
NURSURY
Area Rug – Stark Carpet, Troy, Missoni Mela
Crib – Spot on Square, San Rafael, California, Alto Crib with Hot Pink Acrylic
Drapery – Lelievre, The House of Scalamandre, Troy, Pigment in Mimosa
Flooring, Wood – Everlast Flooring, Troy
Lighting – Giopato & Coombes, Flauti Sconces
Mural – Rebel Walls, May Meadow in custom scale
Ottoman – Custom, Designs Designs Ltd., Wixom
Shelves – CB2
Wall Color – Sherwin-Williams, Pure White
STAIRCASE
Flooring – Everlast Floor, Troy
Runner – Stark Carpet, Troy, Ombre collection
Stair Railing – Northern Staircase Company, Pontiac
Wall Color – Sherwin-Williams, Pure White
WINDOW SEATS
Artwork – Sam Friedman, Library Street Collective, Detroit
Flooring, Gray – Ciot, Troy
Flooring, Wood – Everlast Flooring, Troy
Wall Color – Sherwin-Williams, Pure White
Window Seat and Cushions – Scalamandre, Jean Paul Gaultier, The House of Scalamandre, Troy, Babouchka in Amande
Window Shades – Villanova by ROMO, Tennant & Associates, Michigan Design Center, Troy, Ceto in Lagoon
EXTERIOR
Building Materials – Vertical Grain Western Red Cedar Planks, Cembrit Fiber Cement Board Panels
Pool – Gillette Brothers Pool and Spa, Troy
Windows – Arcadia Custom Windows
ADDITIONAL PROJECT CONTRIBUTOR
Thomas Sebold & Associates, Bloomfield Hills
Text by Jeanine Matlow & Photography by Rafael Gamo and Dustin Hillock
|
|
|
