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michigandesign.com
Bay in Harbor Springs, a winsome town
in northwest Michigan where many
metro Detroiters and Chicagoans own
vacation retreats.
The home, designed for a family of
four from Bloomfield Hills, is spacious
without being sprawling, elegant without
feeling stiff. Serba had a vision, but it
took some work to unfold.
After looking at plans for the house,
the homeowners were dismayed by the
daunting scale and turned to Serba for
advice. “They wanted comfortable, cozy
spaces that were not too large, but the
original plans called for huge rooms
with 12-foot ceilings. The house was
something like 11,000 square feet and
filled the entire lot,” Serba says. “The
kitchen also had two islands; it wasn’t
cozy and the house had lost its charm.”
It was precisely what the clients didn’t
want, so Serba worked with a builder to
devise a plan with a more intimate feel.
As a result, the home
has a timeless yet
fresh quality.
Originally built in the early 1900s, the
structure was partially razed, though
most of it is new. It was once home to a
bishop, and an architectural detail left
no doubt about its owner’s vocation.
“A room that was torn off that is now the
master bedroom had an altar at the end
of the room,” Serba explains.
“We worked with an amazing builder,” he
adds. “He took what I had sketched and
then went further with space planning
and added a second story, making it look
as though the house had been there for
a very long time.”
As a result, the home has a timeless
yet fresh quality. The interior feels
An antique Scandinavian tall-case clock and antique bench lend whimsy to the foyer.
Toss pillow fabric: | Toss pillow welt fabric:
Seat cushion fabric: LEE JOFA, SUITE 105
OPPOSITE PAGE | The dining room leads into the sun porch through French doors. The
blue-hued room has gorgeous views of the water.
Wicker furniture cushion fabric: PINDLER, SUITE 69 | Valance fabric – Cowtan & Tout:
| Valance tape trim and cord – Samuel & Sons:
| Dining chair seat cushion fabric:
Dining chair cushion cord and tie fabric – Glant: TENNANT & ASSOCIATES, SUITE 61