SCIO TWP., MI — A forest retreat designed by the nationally renowned architecture firm responsible for the restoration of Michigan Central is on the market near Ann Arbor.
The house at 1286 Stags Leap Lane, west of Ann Arbor, is a 4-bedroom, 3-bath custom home built in 1990 by Quinn Evans Architects. Listed at $1,375,000 by realtor Kelly Schmidt of Realty Concierge Group, it’s MLive’s House of the Week. Homes from across the state are featured each Wednesday.
Visitors access the property off a private stretch of gravel road, arriving at a circle drive that connects to the main home and the detached two-and-a-half-car garage with an upstairs guest apartment.
The home’s high roofline, cedar shingle siding and A-frame windows evoke a remote cabin in the woods.
It was one of only a handful of residential properties designed in the early days of the Quinn Evans architectural firm, built for a family of Morgan horse breeders who wanted a “shingled cottage” on a property adjacent to their farm. The firm went on to lead the nearly $1 billion renovation of Michigan Central, the long-abandoned, 112-year-old former train station in Detroit now owned by Ford Motor Co.
“You can feel like you’re up north, but yet you’re still right outside the city,” Schmidt said. “You can’t see your neighbors from this house.”
Guests entering the main home are welcomed with a flood of natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the backyard and a central skylight, which illuminates everything from the open balcony of the second level to the square mosaic formed by the wood plank flooring at the heart of the main floor.
A home for sale at 1286 Stags Leap Lane in Scio Township.
Photos provided by Brian BlosticaPhotos provided by Brian Blostica
A home for sale at 1286 Stags Leap Lane in Scio Township.
Photos provided by Brian BlosticaPhotos provided by Brian Blostica
A home for sale at 1286 Stags Leap Lane in Scio Township.
Photos provided by Brian BlosticaPhotos provided by Brian Blostica
The chef’s kitchen features custom cabinetry, a soapstone island, a custom backsplash from Ann Arbor-based Motawi Tile, a gas cooktop, double ovens and three large skylights overhead. The open-concept dining area features panoramic views from floor-to-ceiling windows and a matching set of skylights.
The double-sided fireplace in the open-concept living room leads to a spacious three-season room with panoramic views.
A pair of guest bedrooms that share a Jack-and-Jill bathroom complete the first floor.
The upstairs is home to the primary suite, which includes a bedroom, a double-sided fireplace, and an attached sitting room featuring double doors that can be opened to join the bedroom. The spacious en-suite bath features a walk-though closet, his-and-hers sinks, both a shower and a freestanding tub, and heated floors.
A home for sale at 1286 Stags Leap Lane in Scio Township.
Photos provided by Brian BlosticaPhotos provided by Brian Blostica
A home for sale at 1286 Stags Leap Lane in Scio Township.
Photos provided by Brian BlosticaPhotos provided by Brian Blostica
A home for sale at 1286 Stags Leap Lane in Scio Township.
Photos provided by Brian BlosticaPhotos provided by Brian Blostica
A covered breezeway connects the main home, a brick-paved patio and the garage, with a separate entrance for the second living space above. Suitable as either a guest house, in-law suite or accessory dwelling unit, the additional space above the garage totals 450 square feet and includes a living room, kitchen, bedroom and full bath.
The wooded 10-acre property, surrounded by equestrian farms, features hiking trails, two ponds and a backyard treehouse built by the current owners.
Owner Matt Dear and his wife, Jen, raised their three kids on the property, riding out the COVID-19 pandemic, hosting outdoor education classes for friends and even raising a pair of goats from nearby White Lotus Farms.
“I think people appreciate the idea that there are nothing but horse farms around, and trails,” Matt Dear said. “We would take walks with the dog, and as soon as you’re outside it’s like ‘I feel like I’m up north.’”
The family appreciated the home for its convenient location, sprawling natural surroundings and suitability for indoor-outdoor living.
“I feel that farm vibe of when you drive a little bit further out into central Michigan. It just has that special feeling to it. It’s a little bit classic, and timeless in a way,” he said. “But then you’re 10 minutes from the #73 at Zingerman’s Deli.”
A home for sale at 1286 Stags Leap Lane in Scio Township.
Photos provided by Brian BlosticaPhotos provided by Brian Blostica
A home for sale at 1286 Stags Leap Lane in Scio Township.
Photos provided by Brian BlosticaPhotos provided by Brian Blostica
A home for sale at 1286 Stags Leap Lane in Scio Township.
Photos provided by Brian BlosticaPhotos provided by Brian Blostica
The property is located just south of West Liberty Road and east of White Lotus Farms. It’s a short 10-minute drive to downtown Ann Arbor or the University of Michigan campus.
“That’s what the beauty is — it’s so close to town, yet you’re in the middle of nowhere when you’re at home,” Schmidt said. “You’re kind of on your own island, but 10 minutes from anything and everything that you could ever need.”
Click here to see the full gallery of photos of the home, provided by Brian Blostica.
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