arts & life
■■■
dINIINIE
Peaceful,
Laid-back sophistication and family-friendly comfort unite with ex uisite style.
Lynne Konstantin I Arts & Life Editor
he owners of this Bloomfield Hills
home knew exactly what they
wanted. They just didn't know
what it was.
After childhoods spent summering Up
North, lazing on the white-sand beaches
of Lake Michigan and on the wraparound
porches of Bay Harbor bungalows, the
memories, right down to the architecture,
and the traditions — still continued with
their own kids — are imprinted on their
souls.
But when architect Jason Krieger, part-
ner at Krieger Klatt Architects in Royal
Oak, asked the wife what she wanted
for her new home, she stared at him. He
told her to drive around town and snap
pictures of what she liked. When she
showed them to him, he laughed, telling
her every house she sent him is the same.
"I had no idea;' the homeowner says.
"Sometimes I didn't even know why I
liked the houses I chose. They just evoked
a feeling:'
That feeling, one of easy, laid-back
sophistication, flows throughout the
home's interior, as well. Working with
builders Bobby Semaan and Joey Jonna
of Jonna Luxury Homes in Birmingham,
who introduced the couple to Krieger
and interior designer Sharon Kory, owner
of Sharon Kory Interiors in Birmingham,
the homeowner credits the team with
helping them maintain their cool —
emotionally and aesthetically.
"Bobby had a holistic approach that we
really loved;' the homeowner says. "So we
knew we could trust anyone he recom-
mended.
"I really loved working with Sharon.
Beth Singer I Photographer
She's a good listener — I would tell her
what I liked, and she helped make it suit-
able for our house. I didn't want 7,000
choices. She honed the options down to
a few, and we went with it. Plus, I really
loved her energy. She felt so commit-
ted to making our house something we
would really love:'
Which they do. Kory helped the fam-
ily create a relaxed yet modern oasis of
beige, cream and gray tones, with tex-
ture and geometry adding elements of
warmth and interest
"We are casual people says the home-
owner. "We didn't want it to feel overly
formal or stuffy. I wanted my kids to be
able to run around.
"We really love it. We are proud of it. It
feels good. And above all else, we love the
love that's in it:' *
After sketches for a custom kitchen table
were near complete, the homeowner
found this one (surrounded by leather-
and-chrome Nuevo armchairs), at
OneKingsLane.com ."It was almost exactly
what we had designed, but much less
expensive;' she says. "I think its a perfect
fit:' Contemporary-lined white lacquer
cabinets are topped with Caeserstone
counters, which waterfalls down the
sides for a continuous look, a technique
echoed in the resilient and stain-resistant
Corteccia quartz-topped island. Stainless-
trimmed upper cabinets are fitted with
etched glass; the backsplash of oversized
and wave-patterned white porcelain tiles
surround the entire counter seamlessly,
while soffets, painted identically to the
cabinets, follow the same line.
continued on page 46
JN
October 8 2015
45