The Stone Cottage

Welcome to the "Stone". We're off to Northport, Michigan...to take the tour of this Beautiful Cottage right on the water!  Why 'The Stone'?: This is a very special, beautifully appointed home for the discerning client.  Designed by Think Design, voted West Michigan's Best Interior Design Firm 5 years running, ('Grand Rapids Magazine') it provides an ambience not often seen in...
rental properties.   The storybook esthetic and charm of this historic property make it a Leelanau County treasure. The stone and shake entry with travertine floors is a new feature this year, as is the stunning country

French kitchen with Carrara marble counters and new stainless appliances. The fine furnishings combine antiques with high end furnishings from Baker, Henredon, Tomlinson and more. If you are drawn to beauty and character in a vacation property, this is for you; on the other hand, if you prefer something rough-and-tumble that has 'bare-boat' amenities and can stand abuse, kindly look elsewhere.

There are two cozy bedrooms; one with a queen bed and one an antique full sized 4 poster bed that has a twin trundle underneath. A daybed in the keeping room provides overflow sleeping for one. The charming, light filled gourmet kitchen boasts Carrara marble counter tops, hand painted tile backsplash, custom cabinetry, all new hi end appliances, including an Electrolux range, dishwasher, coffeemaker, and just about every cooking implement needed for cooking gourmet meals in this foodie region. A wood burning stove is scheduled to make an arrival soon. There are 2 large, newly designed full baths and a laundry room with new washer and dryer. Please provide your own towels, bedding provided.

View Across the Street to Creature Filled Woods

Welcome...from the "Stone"

I love the stonework...plants and the welcoming Bench.  That door makes the cottage so home-y!

Now, allow me to introduce our HOSTESS at this Up-dated and Beautiful Cottage...

MELANIE ROGERS

Property Owner

Interior Designer - Think Design Studio

A few weeks ago, I wrote to Melanie...after seeing the Cottage on HomeAway.  I knew she didn't take pets, and with our 3 little ones, I knew we wouldn't be able to stay there...but I was so enthralled with the cottage and it's surroundings...not to mention all of the gorgeous Interior Design work Melanie put into it.  I was so pleased when she replied saying she'd happily accept my offer of featuring her cottage on Home Tour Monday.  Thanks again Melanie!

There is a link above, to Melanie's Design Studio and another directly below to her Magical Storybook HomeAway Listing, if you'd like to learn more. 

Now...sit back and enjoy the rest of the tour.

MAGICAL STORYBOOK CHARM ON THE BIG BAY LISTING ON HOMEAWAY

I designed the stone entryway myself, to avoid entering directly into the kitchen and add a front hall closet and a place for a hall chest. You can see, looking at the kitchen photos, that the kitchen cabinets are finished on both sides, creating an entry "hall". the cabinets have glass on both sides, and there is an actual window over the stove , all allowing for maximum light to pass and keeping a feeling of openness in a small space. 

I kept the knotty pine paneling behind the shelves (painted) and the horizontal bead board on the fireplace wall (painted white milk paint) but covered the rest with sheetrock, as the place was just too heavy handed with pine everywhere; fine for a hunters cabin, but not so much for a single lady's second home. The family room and master bedroom still have the pine, stained in a green tone, that I still kick around what I want to do with. I'll keep it up, but have been trying to devise ways to give it a lighter wash (easier said than done). 

There is also an interior bedroom with a window looking through the family room to the outdoors... a quirky feature created when the cottage was converted from a camp outbuilding (it was an arts and crafts room as well as a trunk storage room) in the early 60's.

A View from the Entry

Keeping Room Side of the Kitchen

A Day Bed - The Perfect Spot to Lounge

Perch Here With a Glass of Wine - and Cheer on the Chefs 

On the Homeaway site you can see the site line from the entry along the kitchen cabinet wall, leading to a wall of book cases. That back wall was the original exterior wall to this 100+ year old building, and when the porch-like addition was added, they, happily, left the windows in tact. The cottage has precious little wall space (many windows!) and I needed a lot of storage for my books and collections of antique objects. My solution, as you can see, was to build out 12" of shelving on the entire wall, further enclosing the windows. It maintains continuity of the concept of having large interior windows looking into other rooms and then outside views of water and woods, that I played up with the kitchen cabinets. The ceilings are 12 feet high in this room... it made for a LOT of shelving opportunities!

Brand New Gourmet Kitchen - High End Appliances, Marble Counter Tops & More

Unique Window Above the Stove Allows You to Look Into the EntryWay

See the Chair?  There's a Wood Burning Stove There Now - Picures Soon

Antique Filled Living Area Seats 6 Comfortably

Baker Dining Table Seats 6

Cozy and Comfy Seating Area

Queen Sized Bedroom

The Bird Bath - Master Bath Room

Master Bathroom - Vessel Sink - Dual Head Shower & Steuben Crystal Chandelier

Full Size Antique Tester Bed - Circa 1850

Newly Tiled Second Bath, with a North Woods Theme

General Description: From 'The Stone', explore the peninsula dubbed 'The most beautiful place in America' by ABC in 2011! The cottage's name is derived from the original name of the structure when it was part of 'Camp Cahoe', 100 years ago.

We are situated on a double lot in the woods with 120' of private beachfront. A detached deck overlooking the low (7') bluff is the world's best morning coffee-and-paper wake up spot, as well as cocktails or dining al fresco.

2 person Kayak, 2 bicycles, Cable TV, phone and WI-FI! Situated in a woods of pine and hardwoods, the cottage and detached deck look over a private beach of sand and pebbles (the worlds best Petoskey stone hunting!), at the northwest end of Grand Traverse Bay. The village of Northport is 6 miles south, and the historic lighthouse and museum are only 2 miles north.

The fantastic view from the cottage looks across the bay to the town of Charlevoix, with Lake Michigan and the Fox Islands to the north. The typically calm waters on this side of Leelanau Peninsula makes for safe swimming and a small boat can be launched directly from the beach or a boat launch a short distance away.

Looking out the Cottage Windows - to the Deck

2009 - the Beach looking North - Open Waters of Lake Michigan

Un-Doctored Shot of Sunrise from our Beach - Purple Snow - December 2011

A Petoskey Stone Hunters' Paradise - abosolutely Addictive

Exploring the fantastic and unique Leelanau peninsula is a must and offers so much it's hard to name it all. Choose from a variety of spectacular golf courses, including an Arnold Palmer designed course south of Leeland...the famous fish town known for it's fine dining, historic wharf, waterfall and shopping. Fantastic scenery.

For wine lovers, this is the region of Michigan that is producing an amazing variety of fine wines from dozens of producers now gaining national recognition. You can spend days discovering them all.

Activities: There are deep woods hiking/bicycling trails with groomed paths and unexpected boardwalks just seconds from the cottage. More extensive hiking trails going up to a spectacular platform overlooking Lake Michigan and the Manitou Islands are just 2 mikes south.

For 'Foodies', this is the place that renowned chef Mario Batali calls his second home; he lives just a couple miles away and is a regular at the Northport Farmers Market. We all appreciate the locally raised produce and meats found on the Leelanau Peninsula, and each little town has it's own Farmers Market on successive days.

A perfect day consists of a drive through Northport, stopping at Barb's bakery for coffee and baked goods, then on towards Leland, stopping at wineries along the way. Shop in Leland's historic Fish Town, exploring the shops in the old fish shanties and smoke houses. Go on to Glen Arbor and stop in any one of it's gourmet restaurants or local pubs for lunch (And don't forget to stop into Cherry Republic) before embarking onto Sleeping Bear Dunes. Take in Pierce Stocking Drive, and explore this legendary, breathtaking spot. Hike, bike, or see the scenery from the car, it is unforgettable. A 40 minute drive will take you to Traverse City for a little night life or a feast after a good hike at one it the famous restaurants there. From fine gourmet food to the best burgers and home brew, it's all available here. A 40 minute drive up the coast takes you back to The Stone, where lazy, leisurely relaxation and beauty awaits.

The Stone provides Cable TV, DVD, WI-FI, 2 bikes, a 2 seater kayak, deck, large beach, playground and tennis nearby.

Activities: There are deep woods hiking/bicycling trails with groomed paths and unexpected boardwalks just seconds from the cottage. More extensive hiking trails going up to a spectacular platform overlooking Lake Michigan and the Manitou Islands are just 2 mikes south. Swimming, kayaking, biking, hiking, fishing, wine tasting, golf 20 min. away, eagle watching, nearby playground, art galleries, large marina 6 miles south in Northport, Petosky stone hunting, beach fires permitted during low hazard times. Don't forget to read about the history of The Stone in our information book, and view the photos from a century ago!

One of our favorite 4 person activities is a combination kayak/bicycle trip to the lighthouse. 2 people paddle the 2 miles (as the crow flies) in the kayak, while the other 2 bike the distance. After a lovely picnic (BYO) and tour of the historic Northport lighthouse, trade equipment and paddle / bike back!

This property is ideal for 2 couples or a family of four who appreciate finer things. Maximum occupancy limited to 5, no pets, please.