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Sheaths of glass,
rich-hued wood and
innovative details shine
on Sylvan Lake.

Lynne Konstantin I Design Writer
Brett Mountain I Photographer

The zigzag line of the floating staircase
leads to a serpentine-shaped cut-out
alcove in the ceiling, which follows the
curves throughout the home.

F

or Tony Oleshansky, it's all in the details.
As a former talent agent and manager in Los Angeles' enter-
tainment industry, with clients ranging from Howard Stern to
the estates of Chet Baker and L. Frank Baum, Oleshansky had a talent for
identifying who could bring the most to the table — and then keep them
on task.
When he and his then-girlfriend began to talk marriage and kids,
they knew they wanted the family and the lifestyle they had at home in
Michigan, and so Oleshansky picked up a new trade: Taking a cue from
his father, who owned a building supply company, he combined what he
knew about building with his understanding of how to get the best from a
person or situation, and his business boomed.
Then the bottom fell out of Michigan.
"We were building 30 houses a year — then it started to choke says
Oleshansky, owner of NRG Builders in West Bloomfield. So he found a
plot of land on Sylvan Lake and used his skill at infusing all the highest-
tech and thoughtful innovations — from radiant-heated floor systems to
conduit wiring from room to room so any electronic options are instantly
available — to build a spec home he hoped would find the right buyer.
The home features retractable skylights and electronic awnings that
offer natural light in the master closet and bath, and the entire house tops
50 pilings, making it a secure steel monument to any possibility the home-
owners might want.
"There was a time when this technology and capabilities were only
available at a certain price says Oleshansky. "I learned to scout out the
solutions for almost any budget. And this house is full of the best"
Tapping Kevin Akey of AZD Associates in Bloomfield Hills to bring a
modern airiness and edge to the Prairie School-style home he envisioned,
Oleshansky and Akey collaborated to create a detail-laden model, which
was purchased by Tony and Sarah Hoskins.
"We loved the unique design of the house, that it was modern and warm
at the same time says Sarah Hoskins. "It was created perfectly to make
the most of the views and experience of the lake. Plus, my husband is
6-feet-6-inches so the tall entries and ceilings were a must!"

With an overhanging roof

inspired by the Prairie School

style of Frank Lloyd Wright,

the Sylvan Lake home is a

modern fusion of pristine

glass softened by warm cedar

and the effect of a floating

roof, provided by a rivet of

glass under the roofline. "The

whole effect is horizontal,"

says architect Kevin Akey.

"Even the bricks are ledge

rock, which is a horizontal-

looking stone." Glass details,

like a floating corner, add a

sculptural airiness as does

the glass garage door, usually

found only in commercial

buildings. The door, covered

with a slight etching for

privacy, opens from the

side instead of the top to

accommodate the glass

shafts. The limestone front

steps are heated.

❑

Do you have a home you'd like to share with the community? Contact Lynne Konstantin at Ikonstantin©thejewishnews.com .

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October 10 • 2013

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