• Design,  Travel

    Traverse City’s East end

    Text: R.Collins  During the last several years, downtown Traverse City has developed as both a local and tourist destination filled with an eclectic assortment of eateries, venues, shops, and bars, leaving areas like the city’s eastern side less noticed. More recently, the East side has grown into having a similar reputation for locally-renowned venues and businesses that showcase the best…

  • Architecture,  Form

    Mountain inn

    Text: Kyle Gandy Crystal Mountain, a nationally recognized four-season resort located about 28 miles southwest of Traverse City in Thompsonville, Michigan, has recently undergone an $11 million, 31,200-square-foot expansion—The Inn at the Mountain—that comprises 25 suites, a specialty market, a rooftop terrace, and coffee and wine bar. “One of the demands, in terms of our guests, is that we needed…

  • Architecture,  Form

    Bright farmhouse

    With its intentional use of natural, light materials, this farmhouse shines with timeless style. Text: R. Collins Familiar with modern design trends and imbuing a sense of timeless style, Visbeen Architects and full-service interior design firm Vision Interiors by Visbeen reworked midcentury design concepts blended with the equally classic residential style often known for its use of raw wood and…

  • Creative Endeavors

    Park project

    Text: Kyle Gandy The Grand Rapids Department of Parks and Recreation, located at 201 Market Ave. SW, is a perennial division of city government responsible for the myriad of parks meticulously woven into the urban metropolis of the city. Their latest project is a $250,000 reconstruction and modernization of Coit Park, which is tucked away in the northeastern region of…

  • Form,  Residential

    Design for Sale: East Jordan, Michigan

    Upon elevated, rolling, and Colorado-like terrain, there is an East Jordan, Michigan tract of land, residential structure, and other on-site features that has been listed with Pat O’Brien and Associates Real Estate. The Boyne City- and Charlevoix-based firm is a northern Michigan real estate brokerage dedicated to providing both home buyers and sellers with the resources needed to make informed…

  • Commercial,  Form

    Experiential luxury

    By: R.J. Weick Buick, the international modern luxury brand of Detroit-based General Motors Co., partnered with Van Dam Custom Boats, a designer and builder of fine wooden boats in Boyne City, Michigan to deliver an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience and lakeside excursion to Boyne City and Walloon Lake on July 17, 2018 through July 19, 2018.  The event, which embodied Buick’s…

  • Commercial,  Form,  Print Edition

    Refined kinetics

    Within the nationally registered historic walls of the Federal Reserve Building in Detroit’s Financial District, a net has been cast; infusing a nearly 4,400-square-foot ground level space with an intentional design aesthetic capturing the more ethereal qualities of a modern sushi restaurant’s brand. Original text by: R.J. Weick Photos courtesy EE Berger Read more in the print edition

  • Form

    Illustrating spaces

    Straight Line Design’s team of professional designers and staff carry their company motto with them every time they walk into a new client meeting. “Our tagline is ‘it’s your home, make it great,’” said Randy Ruter, owner of Straight Line Design. “We believe it. We are honored to be asked to help with the design and the creation of a…

  • Form

    Modern Legacy

    A historic preservation initiative is opening the pages on Michigan’s storied role with modernism. Michigan, while recognized for its prowess in shaping the automobile and furniture-making industries, is not often credited for its integral role in influencing modern design and modernism in America. The Michigan State Historic Preservation Office became acutely aware of this fact while undertaking a major initiative…