Vintage by design, this Walloon Lake cottage lives as beautifully in the winter as it does in the summer. Take a look inside this Northern Michigan home to explore the hand-crafted quality and classic touches executed by a roster of Petoskey-area design and build all-stars.

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A Couple with a Vision

When Justin and Liz Gusick purchased a lot on Walloon Lake they were so excited they couldn’t think much past what the porch would look like—and what the view of the lake would look like from it. No worries. The Gusick’s Realtor, Pat Leavy, had them covered. Sensing the couple’s sensibilities—they wanted a classic lake cottage that looked as though it had stood on the site for a half-century—Leavy connected them with architect Greg Presley and builder Nick Fettig of Harbor View Custom Builders. Those connections in turn led to kitchen and bath designer Jill Brecheisen of Kitchens by Design and interior decorator Jennifer Keiser of The Quiet Moose. As the Gusicks were to find out, Leavy had helped them assemble a roster of Petoskey-area design-and-build all-stars.

Photo by Phoenix Photography

Photo by Phoenix Photography

Photo by Phoenix Photography

Old-Fashioned Beauty with Modern Amenities

That porch: Check. Outdoor fireplace? Check. Ski lockers? Check. Outdoor kitchen? Check. Spectacular view of Walloon Lake? Triple check. Presley and Fettig took it from there, Presley designing a Craftsman-esque home outfitted top to bottom with modern amenities, with Fettig’s team building the way most folks don’t build houses anymore. “Greg designed certain touches that you just don’t see today,” Justin says, citing details like the home’s open eaves clad in tongue-and-groove Douglas fir.

Indeed, the home exudes hand-crafted quality, from Amish-made black walnut cabinetry to the reclaimed American chestnut beams and barn doors the couple purchased in Ohio. This vintage beauty is anything but old-fashioned behind the scenes, however: “I can control everything—heat, blinds, sound system, lights—from my phone when we’re not here,” Justin says.

Photo by Phoenix Photography

The Little Details: Perfecting the Home

Interior designer Jennifer Keiser of The Quiet Moose worked with the Gusicks and their team—builder Nick Fettig of Harbor View Custom Builders, architect Greg Presley and Jill Brecheisen of Kitchens by Design—for two years, consulting on finishes, trim, cabinet profiles, tile, countertops, flooring, lighting, stone work, exterior and interior paints, wallpaper, mirrors and furniture. “The Gusicks had a great vision,” says Keiser. “The furniture pivoted off the blue hues in their kitchen cabinets and granite counters and the rich browns and grays in their walnut floors and custom fireplace stone.”

The bunk-room style is vintage nautical. In the kitchen, Brecheisen custom-designed the range hood with its brass accent band to coordinate with the surrounding hardware and fixtures. Dual Cove dishwashers flank the sink, the refrigerator is a built-in panel-ready Sub-zero, the range is a 48-inch Wolf Gourmet and the 7-by-8-foot island is topped with natural quartzite polished Nuvalato and is packed with storage space. The barstools are Vanguard with a custom leg finish to match the cabinets. The dining table and chairs (arched top, smoked nickel nailhead trim) are by Barclay Butera.

The primary bedroom echoes the entire home’s sophisticated casual blend of color, pattern and texture creating an inviting and understatedly elegant interior. The primary bath includes a double-bowl vanity, and each vanity side has personalized drawers as well as a decorative linen and towel storage cabinet. “We selected a bold graphite paint to add dimension and depth to the space,” says Brecheisen. “The cabinet styling is very classic and complements key elements in the home.”

 
 

Photo by PhPhoenix Photographyoenix Photography

Photo by Phoenix Photography

Photo by Phoenix Photography

Photo(s) by Phoenix Photography