Midcentury modern came in more than just one “sleek” flavor. Case in point: This rustic modern 1968 time capsule house perched above Lake Michigan — was designed by Midwest architects Keck & Keck to blend unpretentiously into its woodsy lakeside location. Mega thanks to Photographer Rita Endres for alerting us to this fabulous property and allowing us to feature her photos.
All’s quiet on the outside, but hang on to your paycheck, the interior of this house is lovely and yowza, it sits on 37 acres with frontage on Lake Michigan — and dunes don’t come cheap. From the property listing:
- Price: $2,200,000
- Year built: 1968
- Square footage: 2,772
- Beds: 3
- Baths: 3 full
Pristine 37 acres of dune land with 1550 feet of Lake Michigan frontage. Property has natural woodland, dunes and wildlife. The home is a Keck and Keck designed mid-century contemporary built between 1965 and 1968. Superb attention to detail and materials when building this home. This is a rare find! The cherry wood walls and vaulted wood ceilings give the home an open airy feel. Wonderful raised soapstone hearth where you can enjoy dinner or games around the fire. Exterior of home is a contemporary design with concrete block and western red cedar. Wonderful serene property for one looking for privacy. Located between North Muskegon and Whitehall and only 55 minutes from Grand Rapids.
The home’s extensive use of wood on the walls and ceilings, paired with avocado green accents, gives a cozy cabin-in-the-woods feel. The natural color palette, materials used, and large windows help bring nature inside.
And hey: We even LOVE that the house was not staged. We presume that this is how the owners hang — we’ll guess it’s a vacation home, the eastern coast of Lake Michigan is a vacation paradise… hey, we’re ready to relax inside without fear of spilling our Vernors, too!
On one side of the main living area, there’s a unique feature. This fireplace has a built-in raised soapstone counter around the hearth where the home’s inhabitants could pull up a Saarinen tulip stool for a cozy dinner — or S’mores, every night! — by the fire. What a fantastic feature, I neeeeeeeed one of these!
Other fun features in the home include a built-in intercom and stereo system…
…and this fun “floating” clock with number markers that look like they could be made of cabinet pulls!!
Large indoor clerestory windows on the upper half of the wall between the dining room and kitchen let light flood through the space and keep that open feeling, but prevent kitchen smells from permeating the entire space.
The home’s kitchen has avocado green countertops, and a lovely looking vintage stove.
I spy a George Nelson bubble lamp!
The rustic, earthy feel of the decor continues into the home’s bedrooms. This one even has a cork wall for hanging artwork and mementos — fabulous touch.
Link love:
- Property listing on Coldwell Banker Realty.
- Thanks again to Photographer Rita Endres for alerting us to this fabulous property and allowing us to use her photos.
- Thanks also to Listing Agent Cindy Maurer her assistant Arlene Broadbent for helping with permission to feature this story.
Tips to view slide show: Click on first image… it will enlarge to 1000 pixels on screen… click anywhere to move forward and look for previous and next buttons within photo to move back or forth… you can start or stop at any image:
Carol says
I need butterfly wallpaper on the ceiling. What a mood lifter. The bathroom looks like an Orange Julius to me and I love that color. Orange sorbet? My first thought about the walkout windows was to keep the heat in during the winter. I used to live by the lake and usually twice a week I would have to relight the pilot on the hot water heater. My first thought was almost “Canadian” winters. The thought to lock out intruders, if it is a vacation home, makes more sense though. I’m in TN and I have to hand it to New Englanders and Upper Midwesterners, you guys are a hardy bunch of folks. I’ve been up there in the winter, and lake effect anything is no joke. It is perfectly beautiful there though.
tammyCA says
It’s super! It looks & feels like a cabin in the woods should with a modern twist. I fear what it will become ‘tho with that price tag & huge expanse of land. If it’s a keck & keck design does it have some kind of preservation protection? Is it just me but does anyone else feel greater & greater anxiety with the lose of empty land? It’s horrible here in SoCal..any little empty parcel of land gets chewed up by new tall homes, buildings..the beautiful hills are loading up with those horrid no style Lego block & very expensive homes.. I want out of here so bad…if I win the lottery I’ll buy this cabin.
midmichigan says
Beautiful home and property. Classic Michigan lakeside living. I liked the TV in the bedroom with the channel knob.
JKM says
I was looking at the main feature photo before reading the article and thought, “Is that a fireplace? Is it a bar?” I see it’s a table but it’s really BOTH! Wow! I hope whomever buys this place will keep it as their rustic guesthouse since I doubt anyone with that much $$$ to spend on a remote getaway will want to have it as their primary dwelling. I live in Texas but have been to that part of Michigan and it’s absolutely beautiful……..in summer.
pam kueber says
I am hoping that the buyer will be a practical Michigander — and/or one who understands the importance of historic mid mod. Heck: Change the furniture, and this house could be swanky AND woodsy at the same time!
Ranger Smith says
37 acres on Lake Michigan?!? Wow!
Also, I need that dresser in the bedroom.
Wonderful vacation home!
db says
“… we’ll guess it’s a vacation home, the eastern* coast of Michigan is a vacation paradise… ”
Correction *western coast of Michigan
The eastern coast is also a vacation paradise, but this incredible home is located on the state’s west side 🙂
Kate says
The home is on the West side of the State of Michigan, but the East side of Lake Michigan — I can see how this sentence is confusing. Pam’s edit! I’ll adjust to clarify.
Robin, NV says
$2.2 million actually seems like a bargain! This is one of my favorite styles – 70s ski chalet/cabin. Love, love, love the wood paneling and cathedral ceilings. Everything about this house is just a dream. That kitchen and that wonderful stove!
I thought I’d mention, by the way, that the bridesmaids at my mother-in-law’s wedding wore avocado green dresses. That was in 1966. It was such a hugely popular color!
Kiki says
I painted my upstairs black & white tile that same, lovely shade of carrot orange in the bathroom above. Husband wanted me to stick to whites, but after I finished the paint job, he fell in love with it.
I love that these homeowners went with such bold colors in the bathrooms – it really adds punch to the black & white tile!
Diane says
37 acres of dune land?? Wow! A little correction ~ while the east coast of Michigan IS a vacation paradise, Lake Michigan is on the west coast. 🙂
Kate says
Don’t you mean Lake Michigan is in the Midwest? 😉
midmichigan says
I think Kate means the east coast of the lake, not of the state.
pam kueber says
Yes, this was my mistake. Aging brain, no other excuse. I do know east from west — yes, I was probably subconsciously thinking “eastern shore of Lake Michigan”….
Diane says
Ah, understood! 🙂
Carolyn says
You would hope that the future owner would bring this bit o’ heaven back to original to use as a “guest house” (I call dibs on being their new bestie!) and build their granite counter house on any of the other 30-some acres. I would gladly be the caretaker if this was where I’d reside!
Luuuuuv the creative use of the concrete block some of which you see through the window of orange bathroom.
The pull-downs of the walkout discourage intruders off-season or minimize damage if the windows break.
…sigh…