Work  ·  Renovation & addition

Historic Lake Retreat

Lakefront, Metro Detroit · Stone · Complete renovation to the studs, with addition

Remodel of the Year · National Association of Home Builders, 2021

A century-old stone house on the lake, renewed over three phases for owners who cared about every detail. The brief: an addition that complements the original so well you can’t tell where one ends and the other begins.

Stone is hard to match: quarries close, mortar ages. We matched the stonework, proportions, and trim until the new work read as part of the old, with masons who could read the original coursing and millwork carried through without a seam. The National Association of Home Builders named it Remodel of the Year.

Front elevation of the Historic Lake Retreat: a long stone house under old trees, original and addition reading as one
From the drive: one house
Stone entry court with a reflecting pool in front of the Historic Lake Retreat
Rear elevation of the house seen across the lawn
Iron railing and stone pier on the lakeside terrace
View from the terrace across the lake in autumn
Arched mahogany doorway and slate floor at the entry
Living room with a wall of French doors to the lake
Vaulted hall with an iron chandelier and arched door
Two-story library with a stone fireplace and balcony
Stone chimney breast rising two stories in the library
Library balcony with oak millwork and a view to the lake
Wine room with reclaimed beams and brick
Bath with a patterned tile floor and steel-framed glass
Double vanity with a hexagonal tile floor
Vanity alcove with a lit mirror
Stone-clad shower wall with a niche
The lake side of the Historic Lake Retreat, with the addition reading as part of the original house

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