Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Country Meets Contemporary in a Michigan Getaway
Soothing neutrals, casual furnishings and nearby Lake Michigan offer a Chicago couple and their guests a respite from city chaos
Resigned to their urban loft and sleek modern furniture during the weekdays, this Chicago couple now turns in their city-slicker badges every weekend for a Michigan country life in a newly built contemporary farmhouse. Interior designers Tom Riker and James Dolenc of jamesthomas designed the fresh, rural house to be full of wood paneling, white oak floors and one-of-a-kind antiques. With high ceilings, an expansive front porch and a screened-in living room with a wood-burning stove, it's a space where the homeowners can host large gatherings, relax with family and forget all about the hustle and bustle of big-city living.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Tom Riker and James Dolenc, on weekends
Location: Glen, Michigan (about a two-hour drive from Chicago)
Size: About 4,200 square feet; 4 bedrooms (a hallway has two additional single beds), 4 1/2 bathrooms
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Tom Riker and James Dolenc, on weekends
Location: Glen, Michigan (about a two-hour drive from Chicago)
Size: About 4,200 square feet; 4 bedrooms (a hallway has two additional single beds), 4 1/2 bathrooms
Clerestory windows and a skylight keep the living room light and bright. "Although this is the formal living room, it still feels casual and inviting," Riker says. "We used linen on the sofas and comfortable upholstered chairs. You can fit a lot of people in here."
The painting on the mantel was a housewarming gift from friend and artist Francine Turk of Chicago. (Fun fact: In the film The Breakup, with Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughan, Turk created all of the artwork that Aniston's character pretends to sketch, as well as some of the work in the gallery where her character works.)
Paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore; coffee table: Noir
The painting on the mantel was a housewarming gift from friend and artist Francine Turk of Chicago. (Fun fact: In the film The Breakup, with Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughan, Turk created all of the artwork that Aniston's character pretends to sketch, as well as some of the work in the gallery where her character works.)
Paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore; coffee table: Noir
Whitewashed white oak floors and butt joint wood paneling (similar to shiplap) on the walls and ceilings round out the farmhouse appeal. "Using the paneling instead of drywall gave it a more authentic country feeling," Riker says.
In the kitchen, Riker and Dolenc traded the usual can lights for pendants, schoolhouse lights and sconces to cast a more authentic country vibe.
Floating shelves in lieu of upper cabinets help keep things relaxed and open. The nearly 9-foot-long kitchen island encourages casual weekend socializing.
Pendant lights: Pottery Barn; ceiling fixture: Restoration Hardware; sconces: Troy Lighting; countertops: Caesarstone; counter stools: Ballard Designs
Floating shelves in lieu of upper cabinets help keep things relaxed and open. The nearly 9-foot-long kitchen island encourages casual weekend socializing.
Pendant lights: Pottery Barn; ceiling fixture: Restoration Hardware; sconces: Troy Lighting; countertops: Caesarstone; counter stools: Ballard Designs
Guests also congregate around this eating area, where built-in banquettes wrap around a zinc-topped kitchen table, which Riker says is very durable and has a beautiful patina.
The designer offers two helpful tips for those designing a custom banquette: 1. Make sure the back has a pitch for comfort, and 2. Have the carpenter create a lip to hold the cushions in place to prevent sliding.
Kitchen chairs: Restoration Hardware
The designer offers two helpful tips for those designing a custom banquette: 1. Make sure the back has a pitch for comfort, and 2. Have the carpenter create a lip to hold the cushions in place to prevent sliding.
Kitchen chairs: Restoration Hardware
A long hallway leads to the garage, back deck and laundry room. "Lots of guests come through this hallway, so we wanted to dress it up and make it special," Riker says. "There are plenty of hooks for beach bags, towels and hats, and places to kick off and stow your flip-flops. We made it extra long, added lots of windows and used tumbled travertine on the floor."
Flooring: Ocean Blue tumbled travertine
Flooring: Ocean Blue tumbled travertine
The first-floor master bedroom has a door that leads out to a private patio. "We used a herringbone carpet in here to cozy it up for the winter," Riker says. A four-poster bed and a mirror, both scored at a county fair, encapsulate laid-back comfort. The loveseat was a Craigslist find, and the couple's cats love to snuggle up on the Ikea sheepskin throw.
Bed: Pottery Barn; carpeting: Ralph Lauren (discontinued)
Bed: Pottery Barn; carpeting: Ralph Lauren (discontinued)
A photograph from Chicago artist Ron Seymour paired with antique accessories lends a rural touch to the master bathroom.
Bathtub: Piedmont #872, Sunrise Plumbing
Bathtub: Piedmont #872, Sunrise Plumbing
There's a nearly 800-square-foot space over the garage that includes an office, a small guest room, a bathroom and this long hallway with built-in beds. It's a favorite spot for young nieces and nephews when they spend the night.
The new build is a crisp country home with a large front porch and a standing-seam metal roof. A stone retaining wall connects the house and garden to the greater landscape. "We wanted the house to feel farmhouse-ish but still work for today," says Riker.
Windows: Pella; paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore; siding: Hardie board
Windows: Pella; paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore; siding: Hardie board
The house sits on 4 acres about a block from Lake Michigan, allowing for a rare combination of close proximity to the beach and privacy. The plants are all deerproof to help keep the animals out of the landscaping.
Though the room is not winterized, it has storm windows and the owners use it year-round, including as the spot for their Christmas tree. "About an hour after you light up the woodstove, the room warms up," Riker says.
Stove: cast iron, Vermont Castings; rug: Ballard Designs