The 12,000-square-foot residence is perched on a 35-foot-high bluff overlooking Upper Straits Lake. “The approach of the design was to incorporate the history of the French Chateau and how it had been originally constructed,†said DesRosiers. “Farmers utilized existing stone cleared from their land to build the exteriors of their homes. As novices, they developed their own technique of masonry.†This was the look the owners and the architect had in mind when creating the residence.
The exterior of the home is clad with Bayporte Silver Edge stone. The architect explained that Bayporte Silver Edge stone is an indigenous material quarried from the “thumb†of Michigan, near the town of Bayporte. “It was the veneer for all the exterior walls,†DesRosiers said. “It gave a feeling of strength like a castle or fortress with a bluish/gray color. The color, texture and overall timeless feeling of the stone gives an impression the home has stood for centuries.â€