Text: R. Collins
For many, the home is a dwelling space, which enables those inside to be their truest selves every time they return—a permanent fixture accumulating important artifacts from everyday life, which in turn tell an individual’s story.
This was true for a condominium unit project nestled along the scenic Boardman River in Traverse City, Michigan and its owners, who contracted local interior designer Angela Goodall to create a comfortable home environment showcasing their international taste.
As a founder of the project-based, Traverse City-based design firm known as Kitchen Choreography, which has more than 800 projects completed, Goodall is experienced in producing creative solutions for each project to allow property owners the fullest utilization of their space.
“This homeowner was very specific on what they were looking for,” Goodall said. “We [discussed] details and went as far as how many bottles of wine would be stored in the cellar.”
Pulling inspiration from rustic European residential structures and a cultivated taste for wine and barfare, the homeowners, who officially moved in May 2018, sought to infuse the interior with earth tones and a Tuscan influence. Next to a light-washed brick wall, a rich-toned wooden floor-to-ceiling wine rack gives the desired effect while making storage unique by utilizing three different styles: the weave-style wine rack below a series of narrow shelves; a neighboring radial structure, which splays the selection in a flower-like pattern; and custom-built floating shelves introduced to simultaneously store and showcase the liquor selection in the bar. Goodall also designed plasterwork archways in the bar and one hallway to conceal ducting—a creative approach that complemented the European influence.
Personal touches were added throughout the spacious, low-slung condo. In the office, intricate tin paneling on the ceiling overlooks a custom compass rose tile inlay on the floor pointing to magnetic North, per the homeowners’ request. A custom mosaic—crafted in travertine—also appears in the foyer.
“They [also] have an extensive collection of artwork and rugs so it really was designed to tell the story of their lives and the places they’ve travelled,” Goodall said.
Underneath oval rugs in neutral shades, wood floors are finished with a wire-brushing technique to add depth of tone and dimension, and a wood stove in the reading area off the master bedroom adds to the warm appeal. Cabinetry was painted in light buttercream shades and Alderwood details were finished in butterscotch and ebony hues. In the kitchen, an island fitted with a light, smoky quartzite slab known as Fusion Quartzite serves as the center piece, and complimented by black Sub-Zero, Wolf appliances and a steam oven for the homeowners’ bread-making hobby. In every room and on both floors of the condo—including the three balconies overlooking the Boardman River—finely-tuned details and personal additions reveal the tastes and characteristics of the homeowners and create new meaning for the concept of home, which traditionally induces images of houses atop rectangular yards and gardens.
“I think people think of condos as pretty small apartment-type spaces,” Goodall said. “But the way they layered this unit—each floor has its own [unique] aspects of living.”
Though the unit’s design was nearly two years in the making, Goodall has continued working with the homeowners to engineer what she describes as the jewelry of the interior: end tables, rugs, and other aesthetic details. In the end, creative solution-making and adaptability brought the space to life and captured the essence of the homeowners’ lives as they continue to accent each with inspiration.
Photos courtesy: Kitchen Choreography
