The fifth of ten stops on the 2014 Northern Home & Cottage Home Tour is an historic barn on Old Mission Peninsula re-imagined as a refined Northern Michigan home. Formerly encased by a layer of drywall, the barn’s interior beams were revealed by the home’s thrifty and artful owners; discover what secrets lie in wait at the home we’ve dubbed Barn Reno.

Visit other homes on the 2014 Northern Home & Cottage Tour:

  1. European Accent
  2. One for the Ages
  3. A Plus (This home has been removed from the tour)
  4. Farmhouse Reno

The 2014 Northern Home & Cottage Home Tour takes place on Saturday, September 13th from 10 am to 5 pm. Proceeds raised during the home tour will benefit Northern Michigan non-profit, Child and Family Services of Northwestern Michigan. Save by purchasing tickets to the 2014 Northern Home & Cottage Home Tour at MyNorthTickets.com:


It doesn’t take much to wax NHC0814_Crouterie-1sentimental about this renovation and posit that this Old Mission Peninsula barn had been waiting for the right owners to come along. Because, underneath its drywall and contemporary siding, the original circa 1890s timber frame barn was solid as a rock right up to its roof when Annie Crouter and her husband, Nate Boggs, bought it. On their own, the pair is a pretty amazing build-and-design-team. Nate loves to refurbish antique pieces, as in the first-ever (wooden) electric ringer washer-turned-bathroom vanity you’ll see in this house. Anni is a contemporary wildlife painter whose canvases and murals add drama to the home at every turn.  (Also know that she came home from the prestigious Grand Rapids ArtPrize competition last fall with the second place prize of $75,000!) But add the guiding eye of interior designer Donald Hanz Isackson (of Wendy Carr Design) to pull it all together, and Alex River of North Arrow Log Homes who skillfully cut out windows and spliced beams … and this reno is over the top.

Northern Home and Cottage Home TourThe Boggs-Crouter home is only about 1,000 square feet, but there is so much to look at it feels 10 times that. Walk in and look up—at the original barn ceiling and loft, the intricate wrought iron antique railing from India. On your right will be an ornate, antique Thai prayer altar, across the room there’s a fieldstone fireplace and in between is an exceptionally urbane vignette of black furniture that gives new meaning to rustic elegance. Variations on the theme play out in the master loft and two bedrooms.  But we don’t want to give it all away—you’ll have to see these details for yourself.  Just know that when you pull yourself away from what Nate, Anni and Don did with this building, well, there’s that stunning Grand Traverse Bay view out the window …


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