Bloomfield Hills home on Wing Lake is all about lake living

Maureen Feighan
The Detroit News

Before they built their house on Wing Lake in Bloomfield Hills, Mike and Kim Petrucci, who lived in a subdivision nearby, used to walk on Wing Lake Road and dream of living on the water.

No wonder that when the opportunity finally presented itself, they decided their new home on a sloping lot would capture the view of the lake wherever they could.

Finished in 2017, there's a fire pit in the front yard that looks out on the water and a balcony off the master bedroom that overlooks the lake. Large windows in the kitchen let Kim whip up food for the couple's five kids, who range in age from 21 to 10 -- "I'm always making food for someone," she jokes -- and still see the water from the island.

"It's all about maximizing the view," said Mike, a longtime contractor and the owner of Petrucci Homes, whose firm built the house.

Mike Petrucci and his wife, Kim, of Bloomfield Hills, pose in front of their home on Wing Lake, Friday, July 24, 2020.

Their coastal-style house spans 4,800 square feet with four bedrooms and four baths and truly embraces lake living. From the flooring and soothing color palette to the art and accents, the house pays homage to being on the lake, thanks in part to the help of interior designer Richard Daniels. It was featured on last year's Birmingham House Tour.

But creating a design that was both beautiful and functional was important to the couple. What was supposed to be a screened-in porch became a lake room at the front with French doors that open so they could use it year-round and take advantage of the view. And there's a mudroom in the back along with a side entry so Kim can see her kids come in from the kitchen.  

"Architects are great on the exterior and making something look beautiful," said Kim, a partner with Petrucci Homes. But "laying out a house inside to where you're actually going to use it is different. We kept fine-tuning (the design) to make sure we were going to use it."

And they do. While open concept homes may still be in style, Mike and Kim instead wanted a house that felt timeless and looked like it had been there for years. That means rooms with a dedicated purpose, including a dining room and a cozy TV room for family movie nights. 

A bold choice

One of the standout features of the house is its dark exterior. The cedar shake shingles are stained a lightened version of Benjamin Moore's Black Onyx. And that was a risk, admit Mike and Kim. Kim remembers a neighbor walking by shortly after a crew started staining the cedar.

"That's a bold choice," he called out. "You could tell he didn't like it."

Talk about a bold statement. Mike and Kim Petrucci of Bloomfield Hills decided to stain the cedar shake siding on their home a lightened version of Benjamin Moore's Black Onyx.

Even Kim was a bit worried. But when it was finished, they were both wowed by the dark stain, which contrasts beautifully with the white trim around the windows.

"It has a timeless look," said Kim.

The exterior is so well-regarded now that it's become a standard of how well black can work. Mike was working with a client on his home last year and the client's architect, who lived in Alabama, suggested a black exterior. As an example, he gave the client a photo: It was a picture of the Petruccis' home.

A timeless look

To create that timeless look and feel, the couple worked with Daniels, the interior designer, to select art, accents and make other choices.

Daniels found or created much of the artwork that really gives the house its coastal feel. In the lake room, a beautiful wood cutout flanked with shutters that Daniels found hangs above the sofa. In the dining room is a large swan piece of art again embellished by Daniels with a picket fence frame. The fence is from his sister.

"There are a lot of swans and that’s because they’re on the lake," said Daniels. "That was inspiration for a lot of things."

So much of the art is about scale, he said.

"It’s hard to find big pieces of art so that’s why I make a lot of things," said Daniels. "A lot of homes have big walls and you can’t find it so you have to make your own."

Family-friendly

For a busy family of seven, every room has a function. The kitchen includes an eat-in area and opens to the family room. And just off the family room is the TV room, painted Benjamin Moore's Kendall Charcoal to make it warm and inviting. It's really the only room that doesn't have a view of the lake.

Kim says they didn't want a formal living room so that was one reason they created the lake room. It has a heated slate floor that makes it welcoming even in the winter.

What was supposed to be a covered porch was changed to become a lake room so the Petrucci family could use it year-round. "It has the best views," said Kim Petrucci. "Even in the winter, I feel like it's equally as beautiful with snow on the lake."

"We wanted another gathering room that we could use all year long that was super casual," she said. "This is one of our favorite rooms. I feel like it's casual enough if I have ladies over or family. Sometimes the kids hang in here."

"Sunday mornings we sit in here, drink coffee and look out at the lake," said Mike.

A mix of materials create texture and add to the timeless, coastal feel: wood beams in the lake room; modular stone in earth tones on the fireplace facade from Petoskey; and Calcutta marble kitchen counters. The same stone on the fireplace is on the lower portion of the front exterior.

And for a family that dreamed of living on the water one day, they love seeing the lake from nearly every room. The views, in fact, are both Kim's and Mike's favorite part of their home.

"We took advantage of the lake in every single room," said Kim. "Even here (in the dining room), sitting here, you can see the lake and it's so pretty." 

mfeighan@detroitnews.com