OUR WORK
Modern Transitional Custom Home in Ann Arbor Hills, Ann Arbor
New to Ann Arbor, this family could not find an open, workable house to buy, so we built one on a private hillside lot.
THE STORY
What the homeowners wanted, and what we found.
WHAT THEY WANTED
Our clients relocated to Ann Arbor and struggled to find an open-layout home that worked for their family. They wanted a modern-inspired house with convenient features and beautiful finishes: 4,500 square feet, six bedrooms and five and a half baths, plus a 2,000-square-foot finished basement, with a semi-open layout that entertains adults and kids equally well.
WHAT WE FOUND
A private lot set back from the road with views to a golf course. The site took real planning: a long driveway with retaining walls shaped the home’s layout and where the garage could sit.
HOW WE DESIGNED IT
We put every main living space and the primary bedroom along the back of the house, so the backyard is the view from everywhere.
THE INSPIRATION
Modern and transitional at once: contrasting finishes, warm wood tones and geometric patterns. Outside, brick, Nichiha siding, cedar and charcoal-gray siding. Inside, hickory floors, walnut cabinetry and a three-sided brick fireplace.
THE PLAN
Backyard views mattered most, so the great room, dining, kitchen and primary bedroom all run along the back of the house under vaulted ceilings and transom windows. A centrally located floating staircase and catwalk take in the height and the view. Upstairs: the catwalk over the great room, two kids’ bedrooms and baths, a laundry closet, a third bedroom and bath used as an office, and a secret door to a hidden room. The lower level has a family room with wet bar, a game room, exercise room, guest bedroom, bunk room and doors out to the lower patio.
THE OUTCOME
How it turned out
Every main room looks out to the backyard. The great room rises 22 feet under cedar, the kitchen pairs walnut and white cabinetry around a brushed granite island with a custom copper sink, and the pantry hides eye-catching green cabinets. Hickory floors run throughout. Downstairs is a second home for games, guests and a bunk room full of cousins.
FINAL PHOTOS
The finished space.
AT A GLANCE
A Custom Home Nestled in the Ann Arbor Hills
A new whole-home custom build.
Ann Arbor Hills, Ann Arbor.
4,500 sq ft, 6 bedrooms, 5.5 baths, 2,000 sq ft finished lower level, 22-foot great room, floating staircase and catwalk, bi-folding doors to the deck.
THE FLOOR PLANS
The plan, floor by floor.
We put every main living space and the primary bedroom along the back of the house, so the backyard is the view from everywhere.
WHAT MAKES IT WORK
Three details that carry the design.
FEATURE 01
The great room was meant for time together and easy entertaining. A 22-foot vaulted ceiling in cedar tongue-and-groove, a three-sided brick fireplace that turns the corner into the dining room, and a TV niche. On the dining side, a wine cabinet is built into the fireplace wall. A dry bar with radius-edge cabinet doors, floating shelves, a quartz top and a beverage fridge finishes the room.
FEATURE 02
A relaxing place to start and end the day, with the layout just right: double vanities, a separate toilet room, a freestanding tub beside large windows, and a large curbless steam shower. Accent tile on the privacy wall is the focal point. The light oak vanities and wall cabinets were custom ordered, and heated floors run under the marble tile.
FEATURE 03
Our clients had their hearts set on an indoor-outdoor feel, and the house delivers. Two large bi-folding doors with phantom screens open the kitchen and dining room to the deck, perfect for eating in or hosting out. A wall of windows looks into the greenery of the backyard, and a screen porch sits just off the kitchen.
THE PROJECT
A Custom Home Nestled in the Ann Arbor Hills
AT A GLANCE
A new whole-home custom build.
Ann Arbor Hills, Ann Arbor.
4,500 sq ft, 6 bedrooms, 5.5 baths, 2,000 sq ft finished lower level, 22-foot great room, floating staircase and catwalk, bi-folding doors to the deck.
THE STORY
Our clients relocated to Ann Arbor and struggled to find an open-layout home that worked for their family. They wanted a modern-inspired house with convenient features and beautiful finishes: 4,500 square feet, six bedrooms and five and a half baths, plus a 2,000-square-foot finished basement, with a semi-open layout that entertains adults and kids equally well.
HOW WE DESIGNED IT
Backyard views mattered most, so the great room, dining, kitchen and primary bedroom all run along the back of the house under vaulted ceilings and transom windows. A centrally located floating staircase and catwalk take in the height and the view. Upstairs: the catwalk over the great room, two kids’ bedrooms and baths, a laundry closet, a third bedroom and bath used as an office, and a secret door to a hidden room. The lower level has a family room with wet bar, a game room, exercise room, guest bedroom, bunk room and doors out to the lower patio.
