A family-owned company in the region brings unique hardwood flooring and staircase solutions to residential and commercial spaces. There is a classic elegance to hardwoods. Its timeless appearance, durability, and functional performance add warmth and style to a home. While the applications of hardwoods are endless, it is often found in hand-crafted furnishings, rich trim around the perimeter of the…
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Freshwater beacons
Lighthouses constructed on the shoreline of the Great Lakes are built to last. From a limestone outcropping in middle of Lake Huron to the northern tip of the Leelanau Peninsula along Lake Michigan, iconic structures throughout the Great Lakes have withstood the test of time to continue serving as guiding beacons to mariners and recreational boaters alike. There are nearly…
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A creative process
An Indianapolis-based designer has taken her love of design from fashion to interiors in a region rich with historical architecture. Located less than five miles north of downtown Indianapolis, homes and gardens throughout the Meridian-Kessler residential neighborhood have opened their doors each summer to welcome visitors inside to view great design and architecture. The Meridian-Kessler Neighborhood Association has hosted…
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The architect planners
A Grand Rapids-based firm builds with client relationships and traditionally-based style. Since its establishment in 1995, Sears Architects has worked with private homeowners, historic residential associations, private developers and joint-venture partnerships to create visually stunning and award-winning residential and commercial projects throughout the state and across the country. The West Michigan-based boutique architecture and planning firm’s work ranges from homes…
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The Dish
A food event brings the competitive fire to the ingredient list. The culinary arts, as a field of study, is often described as the preparation of food or the art of cooking. It is a process that combines art with science, practical training with passion, innovation with technique, and during a recent event held in Holland, Michigan; a dash of…
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A custom experience built on the details
A Holland firm gives custom home building a whole new meaning. For Mike Schaap Builders Inc., the devil—and difference—is in the details. Since 1986, the Holland-based company established by Mike Schaap has specialized in crafting one-of-a-kind custom homes tailored to individual clients’ needs right down to when they take their morning coffee. “Nothing is ever too custom; each design is unique and…
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Through the work of art
A Michigan-based architectural firm’s design process is proving ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ The West Michigan-based Visbeen Architects Inc. has more than two decades of experience with retail, commercial, and residential projects; and it is a firm known for its rather unique method for bringing a client’s dream to reality. Its founder and president, Wayne Visbeen, is not…
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Technical creativity
In a design rich environment, Mathison | Mathison Architects is continuing the architectural heritage of modernism in Michigan. The Grand Rapids-based, full-service firm specializes in bringing the modern aesthetic into educational, high-end residential, commercial, and civic design. Great Lakes By Design spoke with founding Principals Thomas R. Mathison, FAIA, and Evan Mathison to learn more about their firm and their…
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Stone Artist
Brendan Sherwood, jewelry designer and owner of Elements Custom Jewelry Studio, knows there is a difference between style and design. “People have different styles and different tastes, and there is good and bad design within those genres,” said Sherwood. “You come in and have your own ideas and your own personal aesthetics. What we try to do is put good…
