This 80's style Mediterranean Revival house was modernized to fit the needs of a bustling family. The home was updated from a choppy and enclosed layout to an open concept, creating connectivity for the whole family. A combination of modern styles and cozy elements makes the space feel open and inviting. Photos By: Paul Vu

Expansive straight lines define this modern staircase, which features natural/blond hues Hickory steps and stringers that match the linear and smooth hand rail. The stairway's horizontal black rails and symmetrically spaced vertical balusters, allow for plenty of natural light to travel throughout the open stairwell and into the adjacent open areas. CSC 1976-2020 © Century Stair Company ® All rights reserved.

As written in Northern Home & Cottage by Elizabeth Edwards Sara and Paul Matthews call their head-turning home, located in a sweet neighborhood just up the hill from downtown Petoskey, “a very human story.” Indeed it is. Sara and her husband, Paul, have a special-needs son as well as an energetic middle-school daughter. This home has an answer for everyone. Located down the street from the school, it is ideally situated for their daughter and a self-contained apartment off the great room accommodates all their son’s needs while giving his caretakers privacy—and the family theirs. The Matthews began the building process by taking their thoughts and needs to Stephanie Baldwin and her team at Edgewater Design Group. Beyond the above considerations, they wanted their new home to be low maintenance and to stand out architecturally, “But not so much that anyone would complain that it didn’t work in our neighborhood,” says Sara. “We were thrilled that Edgewater listened to us and were able to give us a unique-looking house that is meeting all our needs.” Lombardy LLC built this handsome home with Paul working alongside the construction crew throughout the project. The low maintenance exterior is a cutting-edge blend of stacked stone, black corrugated steel, black framed windows and Douglas fir soffits—elements that add up to an organic contemporary look. The use of black steel, including interior beams and the staircase system, lend an industrial vibe that is courtesy of the Matthews’ friend Dan Mello of Trimet Industries in Traverse City. The couple first met Dan, a metal fabricator, a number of years ago, right around the time they found out that their then two-year-old son would never be able to walk. After the couple explained to Dan that they couldn’t find a solution for a child who wasn’t big enough for a wheelchair, he designed a comfortable, rolling chair that was just perfect. They still use it. The couple’s gratitude for the chair resulted in a trusting relationship with Dan, so it was natural for them to welcome his talents into their home-building process. A maple floor finished to bring out all of its color-tones envelops the room in warmth. Alder doors and trim and a Doug fir ceiling reflect that warmth. Clearstory windows and floor-to-ceiling window banks fill the space with light—and with views of the spacious grounds that will become a canvas for Paul, a retired landscaper. The couple’s vibrant art pieces play off against modernist furniture and lighting that is due to an inspired collaboration between Sara and interior designer Kelly Paulsen. “She was absolutely instrumental to the project,” Sara says. “I went through two designers before I finally found Kelly.” The open clean-lined kitchen, butler’s pantry outfitted with a beverage center and Miele coffee machine (that allows guests to wait on themselves when Sara is cooking), and an outdoor room that centers around a wood-burning fireplace, all make for easy, fabulous entertaining. A den just off the great room houses the big-screen television and Sara’s loom— making for relaxing evenings of weaving, game watching and togetherness. Tourgoers will leave understanding that this house is everything great design should be. Form following function—and solving very human issues with soul-soothing style.

We applied a 1/4" material on top of half wall, painted it black and 3/4' Maple trim board on top. This creates a shadow line. Portland Stair Company

The floating stair is simple in form and complex in execution. This one actually meets code. Roger Wade photo.

This custom home features an open-concept great room; joining the kitchen, dining, and living room together for a bright and open feel. The light greys and whites, coupled with glass tile backsplash in the kitchen, and other high-end finishes, brings together this modern design.

Matt Steeves Photography

The architect/builder decided to make a design statement by selecting 4" squared-off white oak treads, maintaining uniform open risers (up to code openings), and by matching the bold black-painted 3" routed-stringers with the clean and open 1/2"-round rigid horizontal bars. This thoughtful stair design takes into account the rooms/areas that surround the stairwell and it also brings plenty of light to the basement area. CSC © 1976-2020 Century Stair Company. All rights reserved.

Cable railing with stained White Oak railing cap

This Denny Blaine Seattle home had undergone a second story addition renovation prior to the new homeowner purchasing the house. The new homeowner came to H2D Architecture + Design with a vision to upgrade the finishes throughout all floors of the home, add an elevator, enlarge the garage and add a roof top deck. H2D worked closely with the homeowner to develop the new design features for the home. The main driver of the design layout was the cylindrical pneumatic vacuum elevator, which was installed in the central core of the home to serve all three floors of the home. This project was the first permitted installation of the pneumatic vacuum elevator in the State of Washington. Around the cylindrical elevator, the other three floors were renovated with a new layout and finishes. The lower floor consisted of a new media room and secondary kitchen. The main floor was designed with a living room, office, kitchen and dining areas. The upper floor was redesigned with a new stair leading to the new roof top deck. In addition, the garage was expanded on the front of the house to create additional garage space with a roof deck above serving the office space. The front yard was regraded and landscaped with a series of modern retaining walls and landscaping. The overall finished design of the home was clean, crisp and modern. Design by: H2D Architecture + Design www.h2darchitects.com Built by: GT Residential Photos by: Nathaniel Willson Photography

Main stair in the living room with custom writing table and desk by Christopher Kurtz. Photo by Alan Tansey. Architecture and Interior Design by MKCA.

David K. Lowe