A West Bloomfield
couple make the most
of the great outdoors
— right at home.
WRITTEN BY JEANINE MATLOW
PHOTOGRAPHS BY GENE MEADOWS
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APRIL 2 0 0 8 •
J1N platintun
As the weather warms up, Cheryl and Dr. Joel Kimelman like
to enjoy the great outdoors as much as possible. Fortunately for
them, it's not too distant a journey.
When the couple steps outside the front door of their circa-
1950s home on West Bloomfield's Pine Lake, they are greeted
by a long and meandering path that skirts a wooded patch on
their 11/2 acres of property.
As a commercial artist, Cheryl spent 10 years illustrat-
ing for Hallmark cards. Today, her artistic talents transform
the gardens outside her West Bloomfield home. "My garden
is an extension of my canvas," she says. With so much space
at hand, Cheryl designs what she refers to as "garden rooms"
— delightful vignettes bursting with color. "I get the visual first
in my mind," she says. "Then it just all kind of pulls together."
And while Cheryl does much of the gardening herself, she
adds, "I love having somebody else pull the weeds!"
Also on the property, about 30 feet from the main house,
sits a charming little beach house, nestled about 20 feet from
the water's edge and the pristine white sand of the Kimelmans'
private beachfront. After purchasing their home in 1990, they
learned that a new structure could not be built so close to
the water's edge, so the couple scrapped their plan to tear the
beach house down and decided to work with what they had.
That turned out to be a serendipitous decision. The one-
room beach house is now a hot spot for family and friends
— containing about eight at a time —to kick back, relax and
enjoy the water. "We wanted that cottage feel," says Cheryl.
Boat-themed paintings line the walls, white wicker furniture
is plumped with pillows and vessels blossoming with fresh
flowers are scattered throughout. In the summertime, a small
refrigerator is always stocked with snacks, and a storage closet
keeps badminton supplies and other outdoor sporting equip-
ment at the ready, while the couple's 22-foot Fisher pontoon
boat awaits them on the water.
"The kids come up here from the beach," Cheryl says of her
three grown children and three grandchildren. Although there
are no bedrooms in the structure, the kids love to "camp out"
on cots and in sleeping bags. "They think it's the perfect little
camping spot," says Cheryl. "And it's a nice area to cool off.
Joel and I will have a glass of wine and watch the sun go down,
then go up to the house for appetizers."
A favorite spot for hors d'ouevres is the enormous deck
connected to the main house with views of a tranquil fountain
and pond. With two levels and a screened-in portion with a
draining system that provides protection from the rain, the
highly functional space is used at least five months of the year.
Whether they are dining on the deck or taking a break at
the beach house, the Kimelmans clearly enjoy their outdoor
living spaces. "In the summer," says Joel, "it feels like I'm on
vacation all the time."