Special Bonus Issue: Cottages

We proud to share that our firm was the featured residential architect in the most recent Michigan BLUE magazine. This is a special edition of the magazine which is dedicated to cottages features some of Michigan's best teams to work with when building or remodeling a new home. 

The Laurel, located in South Carolina and a recent winner of the Best in the South Atlantic Region, was a home built to suit a variety of homebuyers. The vision for this home shows that good design is the best way to utilize all of the available space in a floor plan and to get "more bang for your buck".

We would like to congratulate Mary Burns, Owner of Gallery Interiors and Rockford Kitchen Design, and her team for being featured for their experience and excellence in interior design for retail and private homes. In addition, we would like to recognize the team at Mike Schaap Builders for their success in building custom homes. Both companies were featured in the new edition as well.

If you would like to see more photos of this charming South Carolina home and other homes designed by Visbeen Architects you can visit our website or find them on Houzz. You can read more about the vision of our firm in the article below.

Pier View Cottages

For those of you that have been following the blog this past year you will have seen the posts about the article for the 2013 'Great Lake Story' from Michigan Blue Magazine. It has been a pleasure to work with the team at Mike Schaap Builders to bring these lakeside visions from Visbeen Architects to life.

Located on a private beach in South Haven, MI, each of these spectacular homes have an unobstructed view of the pier and the sparkling waters of Lake Michigan. These award-winning designs are within walking distance of downtown South Haven, a premiere beach town in West Michigan. 

If you are looking for a lake home or you simply would like to see the product of two talented teams, visit the Pier View Cottages website to view these beautiful lake homes and the charming beach community in which they are located.

Michigan Blue: Winter Edition

The Winter edition of Michigan Blue Magazine has been released and is featuring one of our designs, Emmett. This lakefront home, located in South Haven, MI, is the final chapter of the Great Lake Story guide to finding a lakeside residence. 
This spectacular home was built buy Mike Schaap Builders and the interiors were designed by the talented team at Benchmark Design Studio led by Jodi Medina. 

This home was crafted to enhance the outdoor living spaces and to offer extraordinary, waterfront, sunset views. Read more about this charming lakefront home at Pier View Cottages and all it has to offer.

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Michigan Blue Magazine: Great Lake Story, Ch 4 and Cover Feature

Although for us Michiganders, summer really just arrived over the last couple weeks, the calendar shows that we are on the cusp of a changing season.  September is just around the corner and the Fall issue of Michigan Blue Magazine has arrived!  This beautiful issue is brimming with dazzling autumn stories we had the pleasure of being a part of...

Great Lake Story, Chapter 4: Stunning sunsets, the sound of waves and kids on the beach, the feel of wind on the shoreline walks -- its easy to see quality of the life on Lake Michigan.  But quality of craftsmanship, like these glacier-made waters, goes deep beyond the surface of what's seen.  Designed by Visbeen Architects and built by Mike Schaap Builders, the story of the Emmett continues.

Crafting Home (Cover Feature): Last fall along the fringes of northeast Kent County's crystalline Silver Lake, a modern-minded couple replaced an outdated tear-down with a new year-round home that blends practical ingenuity and unhindered views with a new take on contemporary style.  This beautiful home from our design portfolio was awarded the AIBD's Global Choice Award as part of the American Residential Design Awards last month.

Intrigued? Check out these articles here...

For ease of reading, click here to view the full articles on our website.

Michigan Blue Magazine: Great Lake Story Ch 3

Currently on newsstands, the Travel & Adventure issue of Michigan Blue Magazine continues the tale of the Great Lake Story with Chapter Three.  In this feature, you will meet the talented team involved in bringing the Emmett, and future homes in the Pier View Cottages development, to life.  When you put together such stellar and talented companies as Mike Schaap Builders, Benchmark Wood Studio, DeGraaf Interiors, Baumann & DeGroot Inc., Morden Electric Inc., Bekins Appliance Inc, and The Stone Mill (not to mention, Visbeen Architects), the end result is sure to exceed expectations.  Read on to meet the team...

 

For ease of reading, click here to view the full article on our website.

Michigan Blue Magazine: Great Lake Story, Ch 2

Our Great Lake Story continues in the summer issue of Michigan Blue Magazine.  Read about the meticulous thought that was put into the multi-faceted design of the Emmett, along with design sketches of the exterior and interior of this waterfront gem.

For ease of reading, view the full article on our website.  Missed the introduction to the Great Lake Story?  No problem, check out our Chapter One blog post and catch up! 

P.S. Check out p 61-63 for a piece on Bouwkamp Builders featuring the Beach House (designed by Visbeen Architects) and the Peninsula, a development in New Buffalo where one of our designs is currently under construction.

Michigan Blue Magazine: Portraits of Michigan and Great Lake Story Begins

Michigan BLUE Magazine's special bonus Cottages issue is out and is just as lovely as it sounds.  From articles on vacation rentals, to the beginning of a Great Lake Story, to profiles on builders, architects and designers who make lakefront living look good, this issue is jammed packed with goodies!  All meant to get us in the spring and summertime mindset, since mother nature isn't cooperating with the weather in our neck of the woods.  Here is some delightful content we think you should check out.....

Great Lake Story: Chapter 1
Taken from the project journal of the talented builder of the project, Mike Schaap begins the story of our design with a little glimpse into it's picturesque setting.  Pier View Cottages in South Haven has the best of both worlds when it comes to location: a personal sense of place and privacy on Lake Michigan within a quintessential beach town community, walking distance from vibrant shops, restaurants and parks, the city pier and marina.

The Carefree Cottage
Looking for more haven, less hassle?  Try a slice of "same time next year" or buy into a bigger piece of Michigan's varied vacation pie.  And where can you get a slice of vacation pie in West Michigan?  Look no further than The Beach House, a property in Holland we designed and Bouwkamp Builders built that offers fractional ownership.

To read the full story, click here to view it on our website.

Portraits of Michigan
BLUE was kind enough to include Visbeen Architects in this feature on Michigan-based industry experts who bring a personal passion for crafting cottage havens our clients have dreamed of.  Read about builders, an architect (ahem, you might know who this is :) ) and designers who take waterfront homes to the next level.

To read the full story, click here to view it on our website.

Michigan Blue: A Great Lake Story Preview & Lakestyle Cottage

The Spring issue of Michigan BLUE Magazine is out.  That's right, SPRING!  Ah, I can almost smell the daffodils now.  Get into the season with this lovely new issue, featuring our lakestyle cottage, the Tamlane.  This modest sized stone and log cabin is a beautiful retreat, with rustic, fairytale style.  Also included in this issue is a little sneak peak of the next Great Lake Story that begins in their cottages issue.

Want more information on how Carlton Shores pushes the limits in lakefront living?  Check out our blog post feature on this contemporary twist to the American lodge.

Michigan Blue Magazine: Winter 2012

The winter issue of Michigan Blue Magazine is out and oh what splendors of the season are gracing the cover!  Page four of this issue features our cozy cabin, the Shelburne, as the Lakestyle cottage, full of stone details and space for all the holiday family gatherings.  But if any of you are dragging your feet kicking and screaming into this coldest season, just flip your issue over to the back cover, where you will be transported into the gorgeous living room of our design, the Pinecliff, with expansive views of the beautiful sandy beach and white-capped waves of Lake Michigan.  

Click here to take a pictorial tour of the Pinecliff and it's unique design solution to the common waterfront problem of a narrow lot.

Michigan Blue Magazine: Fall 2012

It's hard to believe, but fall is around the corner.  It is the final few days of August, the air each morning now has a crispness to it and trees have a hint of color change on the horizon.  Michigan Blue Magazine has captured the essence of the season in their fall issue.  From a pictorial tour traveling up US Heritage Route 23, to waterfront rustic cabins, it's an entire issue filled with autumn places to visit across the state.  Don't miss our Lakestyle Cottage called the Miramar as well as our back cover ad.  As our "Vision" cover suggests, visit our website gallery for a pictorial tour of the Highfield, the perfect party pad for any season.

Highfield

The Highfield is a luxurious waterfront design, with all the quaintness of a gabled, shingle-style home. The exterior combines shakes and stone, resulting in a warm, authentic aesthetic. The home is positioned around three wings, each ending in a set of balconies, which take full advantage of lake views.

The main floor features an expansive master bedroom with a private deck, dual walk-in closets, and full bath. The wide-open living, kitchen, and dining spaces make the home ideal for entertaining, especially in conjunction with the lower level’s billiards, bar, family, and guest rooms. A two-bedroom guest apartment over the garage completes this year-round vacation residence.

 

For more photos of this lovely waterfront home, please visit the gallery of our website:

www.visbeen.biz > gallery > residential projects > cottages > highfield