Originally published in Cosmopolitan Home–Grand Rapids

Article by Lynn Bakeman
Photos by Ashley Avila

At the end of a dirt road in Nunica, past faded red barn buildings, verdant fields of soybeans surround a farmhouse that at first glance, seems to have been imported from the deep south. Meiste Homes of Holland and Chuck Posthumus of Posthumus Architects are the team responsible for bringing a touch of Mississippi to Michigan in such a charming manner.

A wide, wraparound porch circles three sides of the homes, inviting guests to sit a spell in one of the high-back rocking chairs. A branch bench just outside the front door is a hint of how natural wood elements have been incorporated into this home for a rustic, earthy feel. Other classic touches include white siding, black windows, and the porch’s metal roof which promises music during the next rainstorm.

Distinctive carriage house garage doors are framed by sturdy wood brackets. Downlighting casts a soft, inviting glow. The overall affect of this Parade home is fresh and unique, capturing the Southern roots of the homeowners.

The owners decided on the 73 acres of farmland several years ago as a wonderful spot for their growing family in contrast to the city life in downtown Grand Haven. They loved the design of their relative’s home on Old Mission Peninsula, and knew Chuck Posthumus had the versatility to make their country dream home a reality.

The project initially began as a renovation of an old farmhouse that existed on the land. “It had an original core house from the late 1800s with later additions completed in the 1920s,” said Posthumus. “Although the core house had a great classic feel, the roof and framing was too undersized to be safe; it was more cost-effective to tear down and take a fresh look at the site.

“Having an open field to work with is a treat for me. Most often we are squeezing between other homes or on a narrow site that prevents us from utilizing all of nature’s offerings. Here we could capture the prevailing breezes, sunlight in winter and summer, those great vistas of the sky, the varying cultivated land and trees that are growing and changing with the seasons.”

Posthumus introduced the owners to Brian Meiste of Meiste Homes. With his attention to detail, excellent craftsmanship, and intuitive vision, he was a great choice to make the homeowners’ concept a reality. Meiste Homes has been creating custom residential homes along Michigan’s lakeshore for over 18 years, and building this Southern-style farmhouse was a welcome challenge.

“With a great creative team on this project, I was able to focus on the character and style of the details,” said Meiste. “With extra custom touches from the Dutch-doors, to the staircase and cabinetry, it all flowed together to create a sense of timeless elegance.”

The homeowners decided to scale down on square footage for a cozy feel and compensated with a list of must-haves: the porch, lots of oversized windows for natural light, a large kitchen, and an open, airy layout.

“The main kitchen-living-dining area was based on the ‘one room’ concept we saw in the old farmhouse and in shotgun Southern homes. This concept influenced both the core space inside and the character of the outside,” noted Posthumus.

Meiste Homes works with a few select designers, and Brian chose an in-house team based on the home design and the personalities involved. Since the homeowner is an artist, he noticed an immediate collaboration between herself, Debbie Rooks, and Abbey Harvard-VanDyke. Debbie began the process by meeting with the owners to get an idea of their taste before making any design suggestions. Her role was to make sure the layout and floor plan functioned and flowed well with their lifestyle, and to assist with product and paint color selections.

Abbey was key in bridging communications between the homeowner, designer, and the project manager to execute all the details of the design selections. She noted that the “one room” concept can make a home feel cold; this home is warmly anchored by rustic touches that define each living space as its own.

Wide plank, hand-scraped, French white oak floors are used throughout the home. Abbey pointed out the benefit of the oiled finish is that scrapes and gouges can be blended in, making it a great choice for active families. Reclaimed wood makes an appearance in several places adding to the feeling that this home is connected to the history of the area.

The entry flows into the living room punctuated with a fireplace framed by whitewashed bricks and horizontal planks up to the ceiling. The mantle features a massive railroad tie that adds simple structure and that great interplay of light and dark touches that is the hallmark of this home.

A natural walnut-topped bar area has a crisp, white subway tile backsplash with fixtures custom-made by the homeowner’s uncle. An under-the-counter wine cooler, lighted display cabinets, and built-in glassware racks make this a versatile hub for entertaining.

The centerpiece of the cook’s kitchen is an island featuring a deep, black apron sink with an exceptionally tall bronze faucet for traditional farmhouse styling with modern flair. Its white marble surface is ideal for prepping vegetables from the surrounding gardens and baking projects. Tucked under the island are bar stools with solid wood seats. The island is lit by oversized glass globe lights.

Arched built-in shelves surround the professional stove that illustrates that this is a family-friendly home with the versatility to accommodate and entertain large gatherings. This open floor plan serves both the flow of family and guests with the added benefit of bringing the outdoors inside, making it a delight to inhabit.

Large beams that frame the kitchen and dining ceilings are reclaimed from the historical Heinz pickle factory in Holland. The kitchen opens up to a soaring cathedral ceiling painted robin’s-egg blue. Several sets of French doors open out to the porch.

Off the kitchen is one of the owner’s favorite spots. A long desk area of natural walnut sits under windows overlooking the crop fields. On the opposite side, barn doors hide an extensive pantry and the laundry chute from the upstairs bedrooms. All this is just steps away from the laundry room.

The owners’ bedroom wing of the home provides a welcoming, private retreat. Posthumus had a great design for the bath and vanity area that was perfectly executed by Meiste Homes with custom-made, reclaimed wood drawer and cabinet fronts. The bathroom is a rich mix of dark and light ceramic tiles with a glass enclosed family-size shower, and an inviting freestanding soak tub. An outdoor shower just off the owners’ bath is ideal for quick clean-ups and helps keep the farmland outdoors.

A double-sided fireplace links the bath to the owners’ bedroom and is set in a wall of distinctive herringbone pattern bricks. Rich, dark grey walls are a warm counterpoint to the natural light from three large windows. French doors open to a screened-in porch that lets the homeowners enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning’s first light and watch the majestic eight-point buck who crosses their property.

The homeowner discovered a stunning antique floor-to-ceiling mirror that was originally in Lansing’s Capitol building and that fits perfectly in his new home. Both husband and wife worked with the designer to discuss the custom components of their walk-in closet. It suits their needs with natural light from a high window, slide out racks for easy access to hanging clothes, and lots of shelves and drawers for neat organization.

On the landing heading upstairs and behind Dutch-doors, Chuck Posthumus delighted the owners by designing a children’s playroom. Accessible by ladder, it’s one of those unique touches that add so much charm to the home.

An eclectic bronze fixture lights the stairwell with a balances juxtaposition of tubing, fittings, and sockets. Unique newel posts and spindles were crafted by Meiste Homes, providing that arresting interplay of light and dark elements.

Another nod to tradition are the glass transom windows above all the bedrooms. The homeowners love that it lets in more light and gives the house a sense of history.

The three upstairs bedrooms all have walk-in closets and lots of windows to capture cross-breezes. The two upstairs bathrooms both feature granite counters and beehive tile floors – one with dark, and one light – both with contrasting cabinets, wall, and shower tiles.

Despite this home being a departure for both architect and builder, they have managed to successfully combine the Southern elements to make this modern farmhouse look right at home in Michigan.