This year we’ve got 12 amazing homes—yes, 12!—on our Traverse City Area Home Tour. Here’s a sneak peek inside Home #2 on Old Mission Peninsula. See more on Saturday, October 19.
Surrounded by a lush vineyard and with a stellar view of East Grand Traverse Bay, this Old Mission Peninsula home perfectly embodies the casual elegance of wine country. The truth is, until several years ago, it perfectly exemplified the choppy rooms, oak cabinets and tile floors of the overall typical style of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Although it was time for a style upgrade, homeowners Larry and Sandy were fond of the home where they raised their boys. Its bones were good and its site exceptional, so when their nest emptied they decided a top-to-bottom renovation (with a small addition) was a better choice than moving.
Enter Marcy Hurst from MAC Custom Homes who guided the couple through the entire renovation and addition, working closely with MAC’s new owner, Joe Colegrove, who has brought his experience and expertise to the company. The team’s primary structural moves were knocking out a wall that separated the kitchen and living room (creating a sweet open bar in part of the space), bumping out the back to add architectural definition and adding a generous new deck and ground floor master suite.
The result is an airy, gracious, neutral-toned great room that embraces the stunning East Bay view. The floor is an espresso-colored fumed-oak, the coffered ceilings, molding and built-in cabinetry are creamy white and the walls are dove gray. A spectacular brushed granite island that measures a whopping 12.2 feet long and 44 inches wide is large enough for guests to gather around while Larry and Sandy cook. Brushed chocolate-colored granite tops the perimeter cabinetry and complements the dark floor. A sunroom off the kitchen offers a comfortable spot for Sandy to read while she enjoys the view. Attention to detail remains the key to perfection for Joe and the entire construction crew of MAC Custom Homes, a fact that truly shows throughout this home.
Both the homeowners and Marcy give huge credit to interior designer Dorina Rudd of Design Strategies for her ability to weave family keepsakes into the interiors, including a striking Asian-styled screen the homeowners loved but doubted could be used in the new design. Undaunted, Dorina mounted it against the living room’s back wall and used its muted blues, greens and reds to set the room’s palette. Her choice of plushy wide-wale corduroy-covered couches in the living room is a standout in this comfortable country house.
The master suite sparkles like a small gemstone with its watery view, silvery-toned bedding and and gas fireplace facade. The bathroom features a claw foot tub (that Sandy got for her birthday several years ago) repurposed from the original master bath. Originally an almond color, MAC refinished it in an elegant black.
Though the family used to refer to the lower walkout level as dark and dreary, that moniker is a thing of the past. Upgrades include a bar with a classic brick backsplash and a theater room. Hands down, our favorite spot is a wine tasting room featuring a lit, temperature-controlled glass-doored cellar, wine barrel tables and custom wainscoting Larry made from the tops of wine boxes. The space was actually one of their sons’ bedrooms when he was growing up. Now, as an adult, it’s the first place he wants to go when he comes home.
The entire project was based on a fabulous working relationship between the homeowners and MAC Custom Homes. Sandy trusted Marcy to winnow down millions of choices to a few—and other times, she gave her complete free rein. “She really ‘got’ my tastes,” she says.
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