Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Modern Warmth for a Lake Superior Getaway
Wood and glass aplenty help a lakeside vacation home reflect its surroundings while opening to the view
“It's just a simple cabin!" was the rallying cry the clients and their architect, Nils Finne, had to keep repeating lest they get too carried away. Finne had designed a renovation on the clients' primary residence in Seattle about 12 years ago, and they knew he was the man to design their new vacation home in Michigan from scratch. "These clients wanted me to let in a little roughness," Finne says, "to keep things simple and to not make anything too precious."
When the mother of one of the clients passed on this property to her, it had been in the family for generations. "There was a small existing cabin on the site, but it was starting to rot away, and someday it will rot completely away," Finne says. After five trips to Michigan for Finne, and about two years of planning and construction, the couple now enjoys spending large portions of their summers in their new build with family and friends, and hosted Thanksgiving dinner before shutting the home down for the winter. The clients were worried about Mom's reaction to the big change to the property, but when she walked through the door the first time, she gasped, "It's wonderful!"
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with a son in college and two other grown children
Location: The shores of Lake Superior on Michigan's Upper Peninsula, about 300 miles from Minneapolis
Size: About 2,000 square feet on 3 acres; 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
Year built: 2008
Sustainable construction elements: Two-by-8 construction (for 40 percent greater insulation value); generous glass areas to provide natural lighting and ventilation; large overhangs for sun and snow protection; metal siding for durability. Interior finish materials include bamboo-plywood cabinets, linoleum flooring, locally grown maple flooring, birch paneling and low-VOC paints.
When the mother of one of the clients passed on this property to her, it had been in the family for generations. "There was a small existing cabin on the site, but it was starting to rot away, and someday it will rot completely away," Finne says. After five trips to Michigan for Finne, and about two years of planning and construction, the couple now enjoys spending large portions of their summers in their new build with family and friends, and hosted Thanksgiving dinner before shutting the home down for the winter. The clients were worried about Mom's reaction to the big change to the property, but when she walked through the door the first time, she gasped, "It's wonderful!"
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with a son in college and two other grown children
Location: The shores of Lake Superior on Michigan's Upper Peninsula, about 300 miles from Minneapolis
Size: About 2,000 square feet on 3 acres; 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
Year built: 2008
Sustainable construction elements: Two-by-8 construction (for 40 percent greater insulation value); generous glass areas to provide natural lighting and ventilation; large overhangs for sun and snow protection; metal siding for durability. Interior finish materials include bamboo-plywood cabinets, linoleum flooring, locally grown maple flooring, birch paneling and low-VOC paints.
Lake Superior has a dramatic rocky coastline. If you look closely, you can see the old cabin about 75 feet from the new house, toward the left side of the red circle. The structure right outside the circle is the garage.
Finne went with an elemental approach to the structure and layout that kept framing costs down. The home is made up of two simple volumes: the main living spaces (foreground) and a bedroom tower (background).
Overhangs protect the entryways from snow sliding off the roof and the interiors from direct sunlight. A Montana ledgestone chimney ties in to the coast.
Instead of using much costlier natural zinc siding, Finne chose corrugated steel with a baked-on zinc color. "Instead of looking painted on, this finish has a metallic look," he says.
Siding: Nu Wave corrugated steel in Zactrique II color
Overhangs protect the entryways from snow sliding off the roof and the interiors from direct sunlight. A Montana ledgestone chimney ties in to the coast.
Instead of using much costlier natural zinc siding, Finne chose corrugated steel with a baked-on zinc color. "Instead of looking painted on, this finish has a metallic look," he says.
Siding: Nu Wave corrugated steel in Zactrique II color
"Building in the woods has its own set of peculiarities," Finne says. "For instance, there are ferocious woodpeckers that try to attack the corrugated metal siding." The siding had to be specially sealed to keep other woodsy creepy-crawlies from getting into the corrugations.
Building along the coastline also has its peculiarities, including strict setback requirements. "The foundation is right at the required setback from the shoreline," Finne says. "By cantilevering the main living space out over the land, we were able to get 5 feet closer to the shoreline."
Building along the coastline also has its peculiarities, including strict setback requirements. "The foundation is right at the required setback from the shoreline," Finne says. "By cantilevering the main living space out over the land, we were able to get 5 feet closer to the shoreline."
Bugs are an element in the woods, which is why you don't see large decks here. "Instead of adding decks where the family would be eaten alive, the main living space and its operable windows can serve as one large screened-in porch," Finne says.
He sourced the wood from a mill down the road. The floors are native Michigan maple; the paneling, birch. Fir rafters across fir tongue and groove panels make up the ceiling.
He sourced the wood from a mill down the road. The floors are native Michigan maple; the paneling, birch. Fir rafters across fir tongue and groove panels make up the ceiling.
Finne likes to create custom furniture and lighting pieces for the homes he designs. "Most of the lines throughout the space are quite rectilinear; I wanted to bring a softness to the space with some curves," he says. "Together this dining table, the kitchen island and the bar form a series of curves echoing within the rectilinear space."
Sinuous bars on the custom light fixtures provide another series of curves overhead.
The cabinets are Plyboo, an FSC-certified bamboo product. Finne added sapele end panels to pick up on the sapele dining table (sapele and mahogany are in the same family; today sapele is much more widely available and a good mahogany substitute). A local craftsman, Al Taylor, did such a spectacular job on all of the custom woodwork that Finne now uses him to do work for his projects all over the country. "Forget outsourcing overseas; we should be outsourcing to Michigan," Finne says.
Cabinets: custom by Al Taylor, Taylor Made Furniture in Marquette, Michigan; light fabrication, custom by Matt Shoudy, Illume; countertops: Corian
The cabinets are Plyboo, an FSC-certified bamboo product. Finne added sapele end panels to pick up on the sapele dining table (sapele and mahogany are in the same family; today sapele is much more widely available and a good mahogany substitute). A local craftsman, Al Taylor, did such a spectacular job on all of the custom woodwork that Finne now uses him to do work for his projects all over the country. "Forget outsourcing overseas; we should be outsourcing to Michigan," Finne says.
Cabinets: custom by Al Taylor, Taylor Made Furniture in Marquette, Michigan; light fabrication, custom by Matt Shoudy, Illume; countertops: Corian
Finne also custom designed a sinuous custom room screen between the front door and the living area. "It forms a defined entry space without interrupting the flow of the main room," he describes.
Tripod lamp, sofa, chair: Design Within Reach; coffee table: custom by Finne
Tripod lamp, sofa, chair: Design Within Reach; coffee table: custom by Finne
The screen is a combination of maple wood and steel. Blackened steel accents are another element that provide continuity throughout the house.
The screen is toed into plates on the floor to keep it from toppling over.
The screen is toed into plates on the floor to keep it from toppling over.
Finne also designed this custom coffee table for the living area; it creates continuity with the other sapele pieces used throughout the first floor.
Finne placed the master bedroom in the top of the tower, creating an aerie-like perch in the trees. It is open to the main living space below and enjoys spectacular lake views, but is also made cozy by well-placed tongue and groove birch paneling.
"Most of the wood we used throughout the house is grade-D quality," Finne says. "Usually I'd go for something more consistent, but my clients kept telling me, 'It's just a simple cabin!'"
"Most of the wood we used throughout the house is grade-D quality," Finne says. "Usually I'd go for something more consistent, but my clients kept telling me, 'It's just a simple cabin!'"
A 40-foot-long glass wall allows expansive views of Lake Superior and its rocky coastline. "We had the Marvin windows supplied and installed by a great outfit, St. George Glass," Finne says. "They do a lot of commercial storefronts, so our glass wall did not faze them."