A new family
grows roots in
a comfortably
elegant Commerce
Township home.
Lynne Konstantin I Design Writer
Brett Mountain I Photographer
W
e had fallen in love with a house down the street:' says the owner
of this Commerce Township home. "We had been told it was
ours; then we got a call that it had been sold to someone else:'
Devastated, the couple began driving around the same neighborhood,
looking for other homes they might like as much — but that was no easy
quest.
The homeowner and her then husband-to-be were combining their Brady
Bunch-style families and wanted a home where all three of their boys — two
from his first marriage and one from hers — would have equal amounts of
space and plenty of room to play and bond. All three kids went to different
schools, and the homeowners wanted to be able to keep them in their same
Walled Lake School District.
During one of their weekly drives, the couple stopped in front of a house to
talk. They both admired it, but it wasn't for sale. Feeling desperate, they kept
driving.
Three months later, it was on the market. The homeowner
received a real-estate-listings email, called her real estate agent
at 6 a.m. and the couple made an offer by noon. They moved
into their dream house the same week that they were married.
The Gothic traditional-style home, which the homeowner fur-
nished herself with advice from Troy designer Linda Winborn,
was designed and built by Scott Ketko, president of S.L. Ketko
Custom Homes of Traverse City. It is a grand yet welcoming
retreat nestled into an acre of grounds lush with hand-selected
trees and greenery and walk-outs from every level to the
encroaching waterfront and nature preserve.
"The area is just spectacular:' says the homeowner. "The
neighborhood is filled with covered bridges, nature trails where
we walk our dog, parks and swings and picnic tables. And the home makes
the most of every view possible. We had no idea this area existed. Now, we
come home and feel like we are Up North. We feel like we are on vacation
every day:'
"If we had built a house ourselves, this is the
exact kitchen I would have wanted, even the
fresh yellow paint on the cabinetry," says
the homeowner. She picked up the buttery
tone with gingham-checked fabric on the
Henredon chairs and the window valance.
The weighty walnut-topped breakfast table
anchors the light-washed room. Wainscoted
custom cabinetry (which conceals the
refrigerator and dishwasher) is broken up with
glass doors; and the beadboard island, topped
with granite, provides additional storage and
countertop seating. One step down, behind
the kitchen, a cozy hearth room (not shown),
with a corner fireplace and the main floor's
only TV, offers panoramic views and deck
access through French doors.
Used every day, these ceramic tea cups and
dinner plates from Anthropologie are displaye
in the kitchen's glass cabinets.
❑
Do you have a home you'd like to share with the community? Contact Lynne Konstantin at lkonstantin@thejewishnews.com .
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November 14 • 2013