“My wife wanted a timber frame or log type home, says homeowner Kevin Knisley, “We kicked around ideas and both of us fell in love with the timber frame aesthetics and the look. We don’t see too many of them in Michigan. I’ve always liked the design and the feeling, that was the main thing. When I built my last house here, I wanted to make it a timber frame house.”
On the bucolic shoreline of Lake Lapeer, Michigan, the Knisley’s built their dream home. “We’ve always wanted to do a timber frame, we love the design, it makes us feel like we’re up North or in the mountains, Montana, or Idaho – but we’re in Michigan, and on the waterfront too."
A special combination and one that is not typical to the region. But then again, the Knisley’s are anything but a typical client. In addition to working with heavy timber, being close to the water was a critical part of the construction of the Knisley’s new home. Because Kevin is a retired airline pilot, he needed an aquatic runway to land his seaplane.
“I knew based off of some of the research and due diligence I had done that I wanted to use New Energy Works,” Knisley says. “They’re a professional group of people; I looked forward to working with them. I knew that they were good, seasoned, veteran journeyman framers and good old fashion wood workers.
“We did a layout that I took to my architect, and he drew up. Then we got together with New Energy Works. Your architectural team and my architectural team together came up with a final design.”
That collaboration resulted in an expansive and custom home that postures like an estate but feels like a lodge. “Big timbers are a real masculine type feeling, heavy timbers the bigger the better,” Knisley says. “They look beefy and are very structurally sound and something that’s going to last not just 50 to 100 years but 150 to 200 years.”
Approached from the front of the structure, the Knisley home appears as a large single level home tastefully decorated with ardent timber frame elements. But upon entering the front door, the floorplan expands outward and upwards into a two-level home with a regal and panoramic view of Lake Lapeer.
The main living area is on the first level, while the lower level is more guest focused. There are three rustic stone fireplaces placed throughout the house.
“Right through the middle of the house, from the front foyer all the way to the back on the lakeside portion of the deck, it’s all the same elevation. It’s also the same material as it is on the outside, and everything matches up perfectly,” says Knisley.
The lofty central room extends skyward with geometrically pleasing hammer beam bents. The roof line of the front entryway through the interior continues to the large Douglas fir framed and stone columned back porch. A stunning edifice, the timber framed sitting area reaches out to both sides of the home with uncovered walking areas.
“We like to be outside and the side that faces the lake is our favorite place to sit,” Knisley gushes. “If it’s raining, we can be out there, we don’t get beat up by the sun because its covered. And if its windy or chilly we can move to the front porch and that’s covered nicely too. We can be out of the weather in the front or the back.”
“I enjoy going out there every morning and having my coffee, and then a margarita in the evening. I don’t have to worry about getting wet, and as long as it’s not below 40 degrees it’s fine for me,” Knisley says. “I love the covered areas, I’m really happy with the way that they turned out.”
The upper covered porch is supported by a trident of timber and stone and makes a thrilling appearance from the lake shore. The multitude of platforms and perches makes the entire home a place to leisurely visit as well as taking in the pastoral surroundings.
Their finished home is everything that the Knisley’s envisioned and more. It’s not only a spectacle on the shoreline, the entire process from design to raising was something to behold.
“The New Energy Works crew, they showed up, they had a crane and were here for a little more than a week. They took one day off, worked for 12 hours a day and were very professional, very knowledgeable, and it was a pleasure and a delight watching them work.”
It all went great,” Knisley remembered excitedly. “They got all of these things staged on the deck and then they started putting it all together. It was a good feeling, and it was kind of a spectacle, everybody driving by on their boats, watching the frame go up. They’d park out there on the water and watch it happen, it was pretty impressive, and everything went smoothly.”
“I felt pretty confident and comfortable with New Energy Works from the day we met. They did an awesome job.”
Architect: Creekwood Architecture
Builder: Delcon Property Development Group
Other Credits: Eclipse Engineering, Linea Photography
