{"id":427866,"date":"2026-01-24T22:41:16","date_gmt":"2026-01-24T22:41:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/427866\/"},"modified":"2026-01-24T22:41:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-24T22:41:16","slug":"tour-a-modern-1956-house-on-kalamazoo-lake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/427866\/","title":{"rendered":"Tour a Modern 1956 House on Kalamazoo Lake"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Your daily dose of home tours, design news, and style inspiration.<\/p>\n

When Liz Hoekzema\u2019s clients bought their Saugatuck, Michigan, home, they weren\u2019t sure what the house wanted to be. \u201cIt had a cluster of different design elements happening that didn\u2019t make any sense,\u201d recalls Hoekzema, cofounder of KLH Custom Homes<\/a>. The architecture was undeniably mid-century modern: Built in 1956, it had an Eichler vibe to it, and there were still unique details intact like a (functioning!) butter yellow washing machine. The KLH team could have leaned in. \u201cBut we didn\u2019t want it to feel like a period piece,\u201d says Hoekzema. Given the property is situated right on Kalamazoo Lake, her clients wondered if they should go more classic cottage style\u2014picture: white shiplap walls, seagrass rugs, and bobbin furniture. The designer\u2019s advice? Embrace a totally fresh perspective.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When reimagining the home, Hoekzema and design lead Jaci Schipper knew they wanted to keep a few details that honored the home\u2019s roots, including a central brick fireplace column and\u00a0stained glass windows. As a subtle nod to lake life, they incorporated zellige tiles in the kitchen and bathroom that mimic the shimmer of the views outside and wavy furniture that echoes the rippling of the water\u2019s surface. On the lower level, they installed a partition and banquette out of breezeblock to emulate the 1956 architecture. \u201cIt looks like a material that could have inherently been part of the house,\u201d says Hoekzema. \u201cIt was fun to take what might have been there and bring it into the future.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ahead, Hoekzema and Schipper share how they were able to merge the past and the present in this modern Michigan lake house.<\/p>\n

\"breezeblockPendant Light, Mitzi<\/a>; Banquette Fabric, United Fabrics<\/a>. <\/p>\n

The layout of the house is interesting\u2014why are there two kitchens?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Schipper: When they have their kids and grandkids over, they want to be able to use the space but not all be on top of each other. Our goal was to make the main level a fun kid zone: it\u2019s super easy to get in and out, the floors aren\u2019t fussy. Then, downstairs off the entry, there is a kitchenette that the homeowners can enjoy just for themselves.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"wood <\/p>\n

\"kitchenStools, Grand Rapids Chair<\/a>; Pendant lights, CB2<\/a>; Backsplash Tile, Zia Tile<\/a> (in glazed and unglazed custom mix); Sconces, Hennepin Made<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Is the main kitchen island connected to the dining table?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hoekzema: They\u2019re attached! It shifts from soapstone to wood. We wanted them to feel connected, like it wasn\u2019t this separate piece of furniture. The client liked the idea of a counter height table so you get the visuals of the lake. The base of the table has this soft, wavy form that, similar to the backsplash, mimics the gentle movement of the water.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"pantry <\/p>\n

Why did you make the pantry door hardware different from the rest of the handles?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hoekzema: That push and kick plate is a favorite because it almost feels like the sun rising up over the lake. It has this glowing natural brass hue.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s very little countertop clutter\u2014you even hid the paper towel holder!<\/p>\n

Schipper: I had personally never done that before but the client mentioned she uses paper towels often. I thought, let\u2019s just tuck it away! I love being able to solve things like that for clients; stuff that really bugs them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"stained <\/p>\n

How did you reimagine the stained glass window that was original to the house?<\/p>\n

Hoekzema: Before, the glass windows were a mishmash of a bunch of different colors and shapes with shields and crosses. I told the client to not let the contractor demo them\u2014we might regret it. We went to a local stained glass company and they were able to take hints from the shapes and colors that were happening and create a brand-new transom window that leads to the office.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"airyBed, Lulu & Georgia<\/a>; Rug, Quince<\/a>; Pendant Light, Soho Home<\/a>; Sconces, Lampsmodern<\/a>. <\/p>\n

What was the biggest design challenge you faced?<\/p>\n

Hoekzema: In the principal suite, there used to be these small square and rectangular windows facing the street. It made the room unnecessarily dark. Jaci pushed to have this clerestory architecture that would flow from the bathroom all the way into the closet. Now it\u2019s so light and bright.\u00a0<\/p>\n

J: Building the breezeblock bench into the wall was a challenge. How are we going to support it? How are we going to communicate what we want with the contractor? We wanted to make sure it passed code\u2014all those fun things.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"bathroomFloor Tile, TileBar<\/a>; Shower and Wall Tile, Zia Tile<\/a>; Sconces, Human Home<\/a>. <\/p>\n

What\u2019s one meaningful design detail that no one else would be able to pick up on?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hoekzema: There used to be these weird triangular jut-out windows on the house that felt at odds with the architecture. We cleaned up the exterior so it makes much more sense now, but these little sconces in the principal bathroom mimic those old windows in a beautiful way.\u00a0<\/p>\n

How did you rethink the bathroom layout?<\/p>\n

Schipper: The wife wanted a separate space from her husband, so their vanities are back to back. I don\u2019t often do that but the way we mapped it out really worked. Instead of having a long unit with two sinks, we gave her a makeup vanity and continued the mirror to reflect as much light as possible.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"smallWallpaper, Backdrop<\/a>; Sink, Nood Co.<\/a>; Mirror, Etsy<\/a>; Hook, Sin<\/a>. <\/p>\n

What are the key elements you think about when you\u2019re designing a tiny powder bathroom?<\/p>\n

Hoekzema: A challenge with this one was that it was under the stairs. Space was definitely at a premium. We could either celebrate the angled ceiling or close it up\u2014we leaned into the weirdness. We maximized storage with some cubbies over the toilet and chose a wallpaper with this soft butter yellow background that felt sunny and happy. The little wave motif on the mirror is another reference to the water.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"mintPaint Colors, Reclining Green<\/a> (upper) from Sherwin-Williams and Cr\u00e8me de Mint<\/a> (lower) from Benjamin Moore; Chandelier, Crate & Kids<\/a>; Sconces, Gantri<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How do you make a room with twin beds look chic and not childish?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Schipper: The client\u2019s biggest request was that she didn\u2019t want the house to seem like she just bought everything new. We wanted the kids\u2019 room to have a collected, cottage feel. There\u2019s a bit of a shift in the ceiling, which we chose to celebrate by switching up the paint color from a lighter to a darker mint.<\/p>\n

\"white <\/p>\n

Did the exterior get a glow-up?<\/p>\n

Schipper: The first floor had existing brick that we had to make quite a few repairs to, but we kept as much as we could. We kept the stone at the base of those windows, too. The upper level has all new LP [siding]. Everything was sprayed the same color. On the lakeside, we installed a thermally modified decking that\u2019ll be easy for them to maintain longterm. It felt like the balcony was calling for a railing that you\u2019d see on a boat. We wanted it to feel clean and streamlined and not cut off any visual opportunities. <\/p>\n

Lydia Geisel has been on the editorial team at Domino since 2017. Today, she writes and edits home and renovation stories, including house tours, before and afters, and DIYs, and leads our design news coverage. She lives in New York City.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Sign Up…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":427867,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[228,226,227,20142,229,88],"class_list":{"0":"post-427866","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-artsanddesign","11":"tag-core-home","12":"tag-design","13":"tag-entertainment"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427866","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=427866"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427866\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/427867"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=427866"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=427866"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=427866"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}