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NORTHERN

F E B / M A R C H 2022

For the Way You Live Up North

3
RENOS
MARQUETTE
Up North Sophistication

OLD MISSION

3
PENINSULA
Serene Transitional

OMENA
WAYS! Historic Family Cottage

COLLECTIONS
Statement Garage Doors

NORTHERN MOOD
The Monochrome Season

Traverse
A SUPPLEMENT TO

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MYNORTH.COM. CLICK ON
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0222 NHC COVER.indd 1 1/4/22 5:58 PM


Your Dream.
Understood.
You’ve seen it in your dreams, we’ll make it real. With our customized process
and deep network of the region’s best partners, your perfect vacation home
becomes reality. Let our in-house team do the hard part, so you can get to work
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STYLE will travel


DELIVERING FINE DESIGN DIRECTLY
TO YOUR HOME

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Our design services are always complimentary—so relax; we have this! Schedule a home call or
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inside
FEBRUARY/ MARCH 2022

NORTHERN

34
08

26 16

features departments
16 / THE RENO THAT TOOK A VILLAGE
Architect Dave Whiteford and his wife, interior
07 / EDITOR’S NOTE
Home Renos for the Soul
designer Meg Whiteford, pooled their talents and
pulled their family and friends together to remodel 08 / NORTHERN MOOD
their stunning new home in just eight months. The Monochrome Season

26 / REMODELING THE GARRISON


An extended family performed delicate reno-
10 / COLLECTIONS
Garage Doors That Make
surgery on their 19th-century cottage to bring a Statement
it into this century while preserving its old soul.

34 / A BIRDHOUSE TRANSFORMED
A young Marquette designer and her contractor/ Click on Live Here > Northern Home

husband bring their fresh eye for style to this


trending city on Lake Superior.

NHC • MYNORTH.COM 3

0222 NHC TOC.indd 3 1/4/22 6:07 PM


w w w. KitchenChoreography .net

orc h e s t r at i ng
you r v ision

New Construction
Remodel
Restoration
Including Contract
Management

south division street


downtown
tr averse cit y

Design is intelligence made visible.


Alina Wheeler, Author

4 NORTHERN HOME & COTTAGE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022

0222 NHC Masthead.indd 4 1/4/22 6:06 PM


A MyNorth Media Publication

PRESIDENT/EDITOR IN CHIEF Deborah Wyatt Fellows


CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER Michael Wnek

SENIOR EDITOR Elizabeth Edwards


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MANAGING EDITOR Allison Jarrell
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SOCIAL MEDIA PROJECT MANAGER Rachel Soulliere

PROOFREADERS Elizabeth Aseritis


Caroline Dahlquist

ART DIRECTOR Tim Hussey


PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Theresa Burau-Baehr
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SPECIAL SECTIONS Rachel Watson
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Claire Houser

DIRECTOR OF SALES Julie Parker


SALES ACCOUNT COORDINATOR Tabatha VanWingerden
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MARKETING COORDINATOR Ashlyn Korienek

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BOOKKEEPER Kim Stewart

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COMINS, MICHIGAN
All rights reserved. Copyright 2022, Prism Publications Inc.

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NHC • MYNORTH.COM 5

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0222 NHC Editors Letter.indd 6 1/5/22 9:21 AM


EDITOR’S NOTE

HOME RENOS
FOR THE SOUL

I
n a way, home renovations are like New Year’s resolutions:
Just as the New Year inspires us to rid ourselves of bad
personal habits, a renovation is the opportunity to streamline
and organize our homes, getting rid of clutter, inefficiencies
and other unwanted living habits. Accordingly, a brilliant home
renovation can be as life-changing as say, losing 20 pounds or
realizing that we can stick to our Dry January resolution. Bright promises
all for a New Year and for many years to come.
In the spirit of the fledgling months of 2022, we offer you our annual
Renovation Issue, packed with three
inspiring home makeover stories.
We introduce you to architect Dave
Whiteford and his wife, interior designer
Meg Whiteford. The Whitefords are
seasoned pros at designing and
outfitting homes that are both stunning
and efficient. But when they purchased
a 1970s-era home on Old Mission, they
were faced with a whole new set of
challenges imposed by zoning setbacks
that restricted the home to its original
footprint. Trust us, you’d never know
from this sophisticated, flowing space
UpNorth
that the Whitefords’ house once looked design inspiration,
like the Brady Bunch lived in it.
The Rule Family Cottage (aka The Garrison), Omena
Next, we move on to the beautiful, building ideas,
blossoming city of Marquette on the
Lake Superior shore in the Upper Peninsula where a young designer,
&
Allison Harlow, and her contractor husband, Ryan Nie, have teamed up to decorating tips
form Curio Design Studio. When a client charged them with the makeover
of his 20-year-old condominium in a style that was Up North but not straight
cliché, the couple tackled the project with gusto and finesse.
Finally, we offer up a completely different kind of home renovation— to your
think of it as more PBS’s “This Old House” than HGTV. The narrative is
about how an extended family figured out how to ease their 19th-century
inbox monthly.
Omena cottage into the 21st century. But the heart of the story is how our
Northern Michigan family cottages knit generations together in spite of,
or in some cases because of, their aging infrastructures. Strengthening
family bonds? That’s a resolution we can all live with. Sign up here:
I hope that you curl up on a cold winter day with this issue—and put it
MyNorth.com/newsletter
down feeling inspired to make your home (and your life) just a bit better.

Elizabeth Edwards is senior editor of Northern Home & Cottage.


Lissa@traversemagazine.com

NHC • MYNORTH.COM 7

0222 NHC Editors Letter.indd 7 1/6/22 1:37 PM


Northern
Mood

The
Mono-
chrome
Season CURATED BY ELIZABETH EDWARDS

FILL YOUR HOME WITH THE QUIET TONES OF DEEP WINTER.


»

Tall, Dark and Handsome at the Door


Kolbe VistaLuxe Series Door in coal black with 1 1/8-inch simulated divided
lights and square profile bars. Old Mission Windows, starts at $6,500
oldmissionwindows.com

8 NORTHERN HOME & COTTAGE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022

0222 NHC Northern Mood.indd 8 1/5/22 9:23 AM


5

1. Set of Stacking Display Tables 4. Woven Pillow


Grace & Laurel (formerly Crystal Handmade by the women
Crate & Cargo), Beulah / $85 of Bijapur, India. Betsie Bay
crystalcratecargo.com Furniture, Frankfort / $262
betsiebayfurniture.com
2. Home Sweet Home Rug
Grace & Laurel (formerly Crystal 5. Pet Basket
Crate & Cargo), Beulah / $39.49 Made from Himalayan and
crystalcratecargo.com New Zealand wools that are
rich in healthy lanolin and
naturally attract pets. Fits 6. The Dorris Indoor/
3. Weathered Wood-Style animals up to 25 pounds. Outdoor End Table
Melamine Plates Sanctuary Handcrafted Betsie Bay Furniture,
Grace & Laurel (formerly Crystal Goods, Mercato in The Village Frankfort / $396
Crate & Cargo), Beulah at Grand Traverse Commons betsiebayfurniture.com
salad plate $9 / dinner plate $11.50 $65
crystalcratecargo.com sanctuarytc.com

NHC • MYNORTH.COM 9
Opposite photo by Greg MacMaster. All other photos by David Weidner.

0222 NHC Northern Mood.indd 9 1/5/22 9:23 AM


collections

STATEMENT
GARAGE
DOORS In deep winter, the garage is (arguably) the most important
room in your house. Why not give it the style cred it is due?
BY ELIZABETH EDWARDS

CARRIAGE
HOUSE
STYLE
Location
Walloon Lake
Architect
N.J. White Associates
white-liebler.com
Contractor
Scott Kennard, Wentworth Builders
wentworthbuilders.com
Specs
Glenmore Carriage House in
mahogany by Holmes and Holmes

STYLE STATEMENT
The garage doors were chosen to align with the
main house front door (also mahogany). The
mahogany provides a warmth of detail that
photo by Flight Path Creative

differentiates the garage door as an important


element, a door, a passageway.
–Scott Kennard

10 NORTHERN HOME & COTTAGE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022

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NHC • MYNORTH.COM 11

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STATEMENT
GARAGE
DOORS

VILLAGE
GREEN
Location
Leland
Architect
J. Visser Design
jvisser.com
Contractor
J. Peterson Homes
joelpetersonhomes.com
Specs
Clopay insulated door with PVC overlay
from Overhead Door Company

STYLE STATEMENT
Garage doors are often a large part of
a home’s curb appeal. We like to help
clients select doors that complement the
architecture of the home. Additionally,
garage doors can take a beating from the
weather so we always recommend doors
photo by Dave Speckman

with materials and finishes that hold up


to Northern Michigan’s four seasons.
–Joel Peterson

12 NORTHERN HOME & COTTAGE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022

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NHC • MYNORTH.COM 13

0222 NHC Collections.indd 13 1/5/22 9:24 AM


STATEMENT
GARAGE
DOORS

RUSTIC
ON THE
RIVER
Location
AuSable River, Grayling
Architect
Joseph Mosey Architecture
josephmoseyarchitecture.com
Contractor
Render Construction
renderconstruction.com
Specs
Custom built by
Render Construction

STYLE STATEMENT
The door is carefully designed to work
with the style of the home. For this AuSable
River cottage, it was appropriate to have a
traditional door with ‘V’ groove center panels
and hardware to reference a carriage house-
style door—as the garage is designed to look like
a detached carriage house that was connected
to the house with a breezeway. The glass lites in
the door were also carefully considered to make
sure they referenced the design, detailing and
proportions of the main house windows.
–Joseph Mosey
photo by Beth Singer

14 NORTHERN HOME & COTTAGE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022

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NHC • MYNORTH.COM 15

0222 NHC Collections.indd 15 1/5/22 9:24 AM


house
and
home

THE RENO
THAT TOOK
A VILLAGE
AS THE CLOCK TICKED ON A RENOVATION OF THEIR
OWN HOME, FRIENDS AND FAMILY RALLIED TO HELP
ARCHITECT DAVE WHITEFORD AND HIS WIFE, INTERIOR
DESIGNER MEG WHITEFORD, FINISH THE PROJECT.
BY ELIZABETH EDWARDS
PHOTOS BY JACQUELINE SOUTHBY

16 NORTHERN HOME & COTTAGE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022

1221 NHC Whiteford.indd 16 1/5/22 9:27 AM


I
n mid-october of 2020, when the northern
Michigan real estate market was heating up,
Dave Whiteford suggested to his wife, Meg,
that they put their gorgeous, completely
customized lakefront home on Old Mission
Peninsula on the market just to see what
would happen …
Surprise! It sold in just two days. Great news,
yes, but the deal included the fact that they
had to be out of their home in a month—and,
while they spend their winters in Arizona, the
couple would need a permanent Traverse City
residence by spring. Although Dave remains
lead architect and consultant to the build-
and-design company, Whiteford Associates
(founded in 1978 as Dave Whiteford Design),
he had recently sold the firm and consequently
had no spec home or the possibility of one
that he and Meg could move into. “In the past,
Dave has always had something lined up,” Meg
says. “But this time he had nothing.”
Needless to say, the couple started searching
homes for sale in the area in earnest. When
Dave drove by a small, For Sale by Owner

NHC • MYNORTH.COM 17

1221 NHC Whiteford.indd 17 1/5/22 9:27 AM


home on a lakefront property several miles away from the home they’d
just sold, he took note. The price was right, but the homely, ranch/
lower-level walkout built in 1978 was 200 square feet smaller than “MANY OF THE
their home. And because the prospective house was nonconforming,
there was no opportunity for adding on. With the clock ticking, the WHITEFORD FAMILY
Whitefords did purchase it, but with the knowledge that they’d have to
make the original footprint work for their lifestyle—and quickly.
MEMBERS ARE IN
Dave and Meg, literally, rolled up their sleeves and got to work. THE TRADES IN ONE
But they weren’t alone. A small army of relatives and friends joined
them. “Many of the Whiteford family members are in the trades in one FORM OR ANOTHER,
form or another, so their skillsets doubled the blessings,” Meg says,
adding that their help was especially gratifying given that so many of SO THEIR SKILLSETS
them were already working long hours to make up for time lost in the
pandemic shutdown.
DOUBLED THE
Job #1: Gut the home down to its studs. Gone went the popcorn BLESSINGS.”
ceilings, the white ceramic 12-by-12 foyer tiles, the wall between
the kitchen and dining/living room, the vinyl tile in the kitchen and

18 NORTHERN HOME & COTTAGE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022

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NHC • MYNORTH.COM 19

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Picture perfect
lending.
Wooded acres, country homes, and room to play.
GreenStone can help you realize your dreams of life
off the beaten path. Contact your local branch to learn
more about our unique financing options.
800-444-3276
www.greenstonefcs.com

Outdoor Living at its Finest


20 NORTHERN HOME & COTTAGE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022

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bathrooms, the nasty carpet in the sunroom and the was to a completed home and a reveal that felt like it was
outdated paneling and half-wall in the man-cave that right out of HGTV. The interior decisions that Meg had
blocked a view of the lake from that room. Basically, made were executed perfectly—the white oak floors, the
everything that held the home captive to the 1970s. soft, sophisticated wallpaper choices, the lovely, efficient
Next, they raised the ceilings, added skylights and kitchen with its porcelain counters and pewter-stained
switched out the smallish windows for expansive new Kolbe oak cabinetry. And, as in every house that the couple
windows that opened up the gorgeous East Grand Traverse has lived in together, the dining room table, designed by
Bay view on the home’s lake side. Dave
went on to rejigger space to create a truly
customized home—stealing 3.5 feet from the
garage enlarged the laundry room; moving
the stairway almost 4 feet by replacing
a useless front hallway added some 40
square feet to the great room. That, in turn,
allowed space to move the master bedroom
to the lake side of the home and create a
luxurious master bath where that bedroom
had once been. Barn doors, for the hall linen
closet and Meg’s walk-in closet, were also
important space savers.
The reno was far from complete when the
Whitefords headed to Arizona that winter,
leaving Dave’s nephew, Bill Whiteford of
A1pha Construction and Management, in
charge. When they returned in the spring, it

NHC • MYNORTH.COM 21

1221 NHC Whiteford.indd 21 1/5/22 9:27 AM


COUNTRY STORE
From gorgeous homes to cozy man caves, Pahl’s Country Store offers exceptional
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Traverse
SPECIAL INSERT

Northern
02.22

NORTHERN MICHIGAN'S MAGAZINE

Home &
Cottage

POWDER HIGHWAY
HAVE YOU GLIDED ALONG
THESE MAGICAL U.P. TRAILS?
ALSO
RAISE A GLASS TO WINTER
6 COZY BREWERIES. 1 PERFECT WEEKEND.
LOVE MATCH
3 ADOPTED PETS THAT WILL MELT YOUR HEART

+
Sip: Mulled Wine An Artist’s “Creative Hands” Journey to Chocolay Bayou FEBRUARY 2O22 $4.5O

SPEND SOME TIME UP NORTH ...


WITHOUT USING VACATION DAYS.
Subscribe yourself or someone you love now for a full year of Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine for $24.95
and receive 6 issues of Northern Home & Cottage, the Vacation Guides and 10 other special sections.

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22 NORTHERN HOME & COTTAGE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022

1221 NHC Whiteford.indd 22 1/6/22 1:40 PM


renowned midcentury architect Alden Dow, who was a
mentor to David, graced the center of the great room.
“We could not have done what we did without the tireless
and selfless hours put in not only by our family members—
sisters, brothers, cousins, nephews—but also by countless
dear friends,” Meg says. “It truly was humbling and greatly
appreciated how they all rallied around us, especially at a
time when everyone is overworked and behind.”

NHC • MYNORTH.COM 23

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CONNECT TO THE OUTDOORS AND Read
EACH OTHER Northern Home
When you bring natural light and fresh air deeper into your home, it can
change how you think, feel, and work in your space. At Marvin, windows
& Cottage
and doors are designed to open new possibilities, helping you feel
connected to the outdoors while you connect with each other.
Anywhere!
Experience windows and doors differently at your local Marvin dealer
today.

FREE digital version


available here:

link.MyNorth.com/nhc0222

Petoskey and Traverse City MI


www.tmmill.com

©
2021 Marvin Lumber and Cedar Co., LLC. Architecture by Peterssen/Keller Architecture, Minneapolis, MN.

24 NORTHERN HOME & COTTAGE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022

1221 NHC Whiteford.indd 24 1/6/22 1:41 PM


New Century Modern.
Our mission is to help you “feel @ home”!

resources
Architect
Dave Whiteford
Whiteford Associates
whitefordassociates.com

Interior Design
Meg Whiteford

Contractor
Bill Whiteford
A1pha Construction & Management 
a1pha.bill.whiteford@gmail.com

Electric
TNT Lighting & Electrical Services 808 South Garfield Avenue Suite B, Traverse City MI 49686 | 231.947.7040
eric@tnttc.net www.homecabinetryandinteriors.com
Plumbing
Ultimate Plumbing
231.631.5172
Fixtures & Appliances
Total Commitment to Quality
Ferguson
fergusonshowrooms.com
Rugs
Rectangles
rectangleit.com
Flooring & Tile
Floor Covering Brokers
floorcoveringbrokers.com
Kitchen Cabinetry
Van Polen Custom Cabinets
vanpolencabinets.com

Countertops
Stratus Marble & Granite
stratusmarble.com
Windows & Entry Doors
WeatherShield
Old Mission Windows
oldmissionwindows.com

Landscaping & Irrigation
Down to Earth
downtoearthoutdoors.com

Exterior Painting
Fresh Coast Painting More than 25 years of experience in building distinctive homes
freshcoastpaintingtc.com
while exceeding the expectations of discriminating clients.
jim@cooleycontracting.com

NHC • MYNORTH.COM 25

1221 NHC Whiteford.indd 25 1/6/22 5:08 PM


house
and
home

REMODELING
THE GARRISON
A MUCH-LOVED FAMILY COTTAGE, ONCE THE HOME OF A CIVIL WAR HERO, GETS
A THOUGHTFUL RENOVATION THAT REVEALS LAYERS OF THE HOME’S HISTORY.
BY LUCAS ROBINSON / PHOTOS BY ALLISON JARRELL

26 NORTHERN HOME & COTTAGE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022

0222 NHC Civil War Home.indd 26 1/5/22 9:29 AM


I
t’s the rule cottage,” mark would
say, “yet, nothing is straight.” And
very little was. One-hundred-twen-
ty-some years of standing on Grand
Traverse Bay, in the Leelanau Penin-
sula town of Omena, does tend to
wear on a place; and 70-plus years
of trampling by the Rule family
hasn’t helped. Mark is Mark Voight,
of Voight Builders in Northport, who
took on the restoration of our fam-
ily’s Victorian cottage, The Garrison,
a name given to it by the Civil War
cavalry hero who built it.
My grandparents, Colter and
Marguerite Rule, purchased the cot-
tage in 1947.  Voight’s renovations
began after  a Rule family reunion
a few years ago, when it was de-
cided the cottage’s condition had
gone beyond “tatty charm.” We’ve
been having family reunions ev-
ery third year at the cottage since
1979, beginning a few years after my
grandmother passed away. All her
grandchildren have stories of the
place from when they were kids, so
coming back rekindles many memo-
ries. Stories of adventures and mis-
adventures on long-ago summer
days are retold around beach fires
at every gathering. These recounted
memories loom large in the imagi-
nation of the younger generations
as they come to know their parents,
uncles, aunts and cousins in a new
light. The trips to the dunes, to the
Grand Traverse Lighthouse, out to
Peterson Park and over to Fishtown
still get made, and young kids are
still learning to sail, paddle, fish and

NHC • MYNORTH.COM 27

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28 NORTHERN HOME & COTTAGE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022

0222 NHC Civil War Home.indd 28 1/5/22 9:29 AM


play favorite card games around the old table on the front floor had become, I knew the new entry would have to be
porch. They’re developing their own stories, too. In a way, rolled into rebuilding that area. The budget demanded it. 
little has changed, but of course, much has. My mother Repairing damage led to another design response: the
recalls life at the cottage when she was a girl—pumping creation of a belt course on the exterior. Victorian houses
water at the kitchen sink, the horse-drawn ice wagon and often have a band of distinct siding between the first- and
hearing Bohemian spoken around Leelanau County by im- second-floor windows. Many Victorian and Queen Anne
migrants from what is now the Czech Republic. houses in Traverse City have them—they function to unify
Needless to say, our family members agreed that the the asymmetrical composition common to the style. Still,
cottage renovation would mean striking a balance between adding one to our cottage was a big departure from its
preserving history on one hand, and family expectations historic roots. I struggled with creating the belt course
on the other. I was aware of how
out-of-square the cottage was but
assumed settling and age were to
blame. Voight clued me in; appar-
ently no one from the era in which
it was built bothered making struc-
tures square in the first place. 
As work progressed, the cot-
tage began to reveal itself. A lum-
ber mark under the cottage’s attic
stair bears the name General B.H.
Grierson and the date 1896. This
would seem to set construction to
that year, but there’s reason to be-
lieve the cottage is older still. Dur-
ing the demo phase, a small open-
ing in the living room’s framing was
revealed next to the existing stair-
way. It suggests General Grierson
was adding to an existing struc-
ture. A succession of porches, each
enclosed, grew to become today’s
kitchen—as evidenced by the three distinct wood floors. WHAT MAY HAVE STARTED OUT
If General Grierson didn’t build it in 1896, we know from
the significant work he did to the place, he rebuilt it. What AS A SIMPLE FRAME DWELLING
may have started out as a simple frame dwelling set on SET ON TREE STUMPS AND
tree stumps and beach-rock piers is now a six-bedroom
vernacular Victorian. In the general’s day, it even had a BEACH-ROCK PIERS IS NOW
two-story observation tower replete with a bell for greet- A SIX-BEDROOM VERNACULAR
ing passing ships.
Some additions to the cottage over the decades were
VICTORIAN.
better than others. The worst insult the cottage suffered
were the bathrooms tacked on in the 1930s, one on top even as it provided a period-appropriate solution to cover-
of the other with the plumbing hanging on the exterior ing repair work. I wasn’t alone in my apprehension: Mark
of the home. Also, the living room ceiling was lowered a noted that a belt course wants to be straight, and our
foot and a half when drywall was installed in the 1950s. windowsills and window heads didn’t line up the way they
My grandparents put the drywall up to brighten the inte- should. We figured out the best alignments, and ways to
rior and, I suspect, to dampen the sound of so many feet hide the worst. Looking back, it seems obvious, while our
under one roof. They had eight children and eventually 30 belt course is simple compared to ones on high-style Vic-
grandchildren.  torians, it does unify the cottage’s rambling exterior. Hap-
The cottage’s kitchen is in the back of the house on the pily, it also drove the decision to paint in more than a body
road side. We’ve been traipsing through the kitchen since and trim color. With six exterior colors now, our cottage is
time immemorial, and the day had come to create a true a genuine painted lady. 
front entrance. My first thought was that the new entry The best of the renovations occurred in the living room—
could go in the living room, nearer where cars park and the room that had revealed the mysterious stair opening and
where we were removing the ramshackle bathrooms. Two that had once had its ceiling lowered. New joists stiffened
birds, one stone, I figured. However, when Mark discovered a bouncy floor: Installing these was a trick because, again,
how rotted the floor framing in another area of the first nothing was straight. The living room ceiling, it turned out,

NHC • MYNORTH.COM 29

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30 NORTHERN HOME & COTTAGE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022

0222 NHC Civil War Home.indd 30 1/5/22 9:29 AM


was seven inches out of level—a fact that, since the false As the once-grand cottages of yesteryear give way to
drywall ceiling was level, we had never known. I drew inte- today’s perhaps overly grand ones, I’m reminded how im-
rior elevations showing how new window and door heads portant it is for a building to be in harmony with its set-
would align with existing ones, creating a continuous trim ting. For me, the old frame cottages speak volumes about
and color band around the room. It’s called a frieze, and the outlook and character of our forebears. That seems
it gives the room a strong, level reference. A simple crown reason enough to have a go at saving them. Perhaps our
mold matching the joists separates this frieze from the ceil- family struck a fair balance between our modern needs
ing. Light fixtures are located there, and I’d like to stencil a and the interests of preservation. I hope my grandparents
quote from General Grierson’s diaries in gilt letters around would agree, and I imagine General Grierson would. I like
the room.  to think the general’s spirit still inhabits the place: He did
Upstairs, rooms were rearranged to make way for a die here in the summer of 1911. Late one night, my sister-in-
new bath within the envelope of the house and with the law called me at home from the cottage. She was there by
plumbing on the inside. Original beadboard finishes were herself for the first time and wasn’t used to the quiet. I told
uncovered and the old-fashioned enamel sinks restored. her to sit back and relax—the old general would wind his
Each bedroom has its own sink, which takes pressure off way down from the observation tower anytime. Just listen
the bathrooms when the cottage is full.  for the creaking stairs.

NHC • MYNORTH.COM 31

0222 NHC Civil War Home.indd 31 1/5/22 9:29 AM


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NHC • MYNORTH.COM 33

,
0222 NHC Civil War Home.indd 33 1/6/22 1:44 PM
house
and
home

A BIRDHOUSE
TRANSFORMED
A YOUNG BUILD-AND-DESIGN TEAM TURN THEIR TALENTS TO A DOWNTOWN MARQUETTE CONDO.
BY ELIZABETH EDWARDS / PHOTOS BY SABRINA LEIGH

34 NORTHERN HOME & COTTAGE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022

0222 NHC Marquette Condo.indd 34 1/5/22 9:32 AM


M
arquette’s harbor ridge townhouses
are a row of three-story, narrow
condominiums perched above the
city’s busy Lower Harbor on Lake
Superior. Built in the late 1990s,
the homes, known locally as the
Birdhouses, have presided over
Marquette’s metamorphosis as an
industrial port to a hip and vibrant
city. From the Birdhouses, it’s just
a short walk to the popular Ore
Dock Brewing Company; to Lower
Harbor Park, a site that buzzes with
waterside events; and to the wealth
of pubs, eateries and boutiques that
fill the historic downtown.
Given their setting, the condos
are the perfect stage to showcase
the fresh style of interior designer
Allison Harlow, who owns Curio De-
sign Studio with her husband, con-
tractor Ryan Nie. Nie, from Canada,
is new to Marquette. But for Har-
low, the move to Marquette was
a re-root: she grew up in the city
(founded by her great-great-great
grandfather, Amos Harlow, in 1849),
but left at age 17 to travel the world.
One of the couple’s first proj-
ects after establishing Curio Design
Studio in Marquette was a pow-
der room makeover in one of the

NHC • MYNORTH.COM 35

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36 NORTHERN HOME & COTTAGE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022

0222 NHC Marquette Condo.indd 36 1/5/22 9:32 AM


Birdhouse condos. “The condo had a
super mid-century feel with a lot of
black and white,” Harlow says. In the
powder room redo, Harlow brought
in the black and white theme using
1960s-style geometric wallpaper.
Not long after they had finished ALLISON
the powder room, the couple re-
ceived an inquiry about a total con-
WORKED WITH
do renovation at the same address. HER NEW CLIENT
As it turned out, the condo had
recently sold and the new owner
TO DEVELOP HIS
wanted a completely new look. “He CONCEPT USING
wanted it to have a masculine take
on the lake cottage aesthetic,” Har-
BLUE TONES TO
low says. That said, he thought the REFLECT THE
powder room they’d just finished
for their former client could fit per- MOODS OF LAKE
fectly in the redo. SUPERIOR.
Allison worked with her new cli-
ent to develop his concept using
blue tones to reflect the moods of
Lake Superior, and an abundance

NHC • MYNORTH.COM 37

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38 NORTHERN HOME & COTTAGE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022

0222 NHC Marquette Condo.indd 38 1/5/22 9:32 AM


of texture, warm wood, black metal
and leather. The finished project mani-
HARLOW surf outside the windows.  Wide-plank
white oak flooring with a custom
fests the theme with pale bluish-gray AND THE weathered oak/country stain pulls it
kitchen cabinetry that evokes the days all together. “The flooring guy almost
when the lake pouts and a marine blue
HOMEOWNER murdered me,” Harlow laughs, recount-
island when it shines. The island’s wal- THREW CAUTION ing how many times she requested he
nut countertop, floating shelves made mix the stain until she and the home-
from walnut, and walnut tops on the TO THE WIND owner felt it was just right.
stairwell’s half-walls, offer organic WITH A RICH, Harlow and Nie customized the
masculine accents. Another special boring builder-grade shower by rip-
touch: Harlow and Nie designed the TROPICAL-STYLE ping out the fiberglass surround, rais-
walnut shelf over the sink with slats
for use as a drying rack for bar glass-
WALLPAPER ing the shower ceiling and building an
arched doorway for it. Dark indigo sub-
ware and other fragile pieces. Black EMBOSSED way tiles are a handsome finish. “When
metal pendants and the staircase ban- you walk into the bathroom, the show-
ister give nods to the black geometric
WITH BRIGHT er pops out and creates this architec-
wallpaper in the original redo of the POMEGRANATE tural shape,” Harlow says. 
powder room. In the condo’s second powder room,
A cinnamon-colored leather sofa TREES. Harlow and the homeowner threw cau-
and a rich blue-gray statement wall tion to the wind with a rich, tropical-
(Sherwin-Williams Foggy Gray) add style wallpaper embossed with bright
drama to the living area. Nie customized a new enter- pomegranate trees. Look carefully and you’ll find monkeys
tainment center by replacing the cabinet faces with a in the trees. It is a lively, distinctive touch that carries you
brushed nickel mesh  inlay. The wall behind the enter- away on this Lake Superior sea to ports unknown—come to
tainment center is papered in a Phillip Jeffries mural think of it, a bit like Harlow’s own journey from Marquette, to
called  “Waves  Fade”—a literal nod to the Lake Superior her world travels and back home again.

NHC • MYNORTH.COM 39

0222 NHC Marquette Condo.indd 39 1/5/22 9:32 AM


Bradley J. Butcher, AIA
989.705.8400 • sidockgroup.com
Novi • Wyandotte • Lansing • Muskegon • Gaylord • Sault Ste. Marie • Tampa • Wellsboro, PA

“LOCAL TICKETS
ONE PLACE”
resources
MYNORTHTICKETS.COM / 800.836.0717
Contractor
Ryan Nie
Curio Design Studio
curiodesignstudio.com/curio-custom
Interior Design 
Allison Harlow
Curio Design Studio
curiodesignstudio.com
Kitchen Elements
Schwalbach Kitchens
schwalbachs.com

40 NORTHERN HOME & COTTAGE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022

231 946 0400


Richmon d Arch itects. n et
0222 NHC Marquette Condo.indd 40 Trave rse City 1/6/22 1:45 PM
Giving You That Custom Look
Without The Custom Price

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0222 NHC COVER.indd 3 1/6/22 4:37 PM


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