Michigan Vacation Home - New Construction

A Vacation Home… a sure destination, a place to unwind, a place for family, friends and pets to frolic creating cherished memories, where the house rules are relaxed, bare feet covered in sand and dirt are welcome, wet towels and swimsuits on the floor are a check in the box of good times had, and late nights around the campfire add warmth to the heart and soul!

The Michigan Vacation Home is a new construction that nails the epitome of vacation on the head. The owners found us online and reached out to inquire about our beautiful Rock Elm floor. After tapping into our 30+ years of experience and know-how, a trust and confidence in using Rock Elm for their vacation home was solidified. 1600+ square feet of Rock Elm milled into random width, smooth top tongue and groove floor, salvaged from an American Midwest barn became the pedestal for their home away from home.

As the building process continued, creative and timeless features using salvaged, reclaimed timber and lumber were conceptualized - beamed ceilings, shelves, desk and stair treads. A cut-list for material was requested by us, sent to us, fulfilled and added to the load for delivery.

Have I mentioned that we’ve not met each other in person, yet? Yep, we’ve not actually met! The confidence and trust in us during the design and construction process without ever having met us in person is a hallmark for our abilities to communicate clearly, and provide knowledge of salvaged material to carry the vision forward.

Because our small business is apologetically small, just the two of us, our attention to the details is a reflection of us directly. When it was time to make the delivery to Michigan from Wisconsin across that amazingly loooonnnngggg bridge over icy water, all eyes were on the weather. From the photos, you’ll see we tarped the load to wait out an evening of incoming bad weather, and get an early morning start. We pride ourselves in handling each piece of flooring, timber, lumber, etc. It not only gives us an appreciation of the history and beauty of the material, but connects us to the current project. All efforts are made for a successful and pleasant experience, as though it were our own. We’ve been called “Midwest Polite” many times!

Upon delivery, J met the owner and builder, and talked the builder through the installation of the flooring, particularly the rectangular voids from original mortise pockets. Easy-peasy!!

PLEASE scroll through the photos all the way to that adorable baby! Wouldn’t you agree that saving the past for our future, preserving history and heritage, is important?

Stylistically, our plank floor can be paired with fixtures and furnishings that span industrial and rustic to elegant and refined. While many of our customers, both residential and commercial, choose this style of floor for its strength, durability and visual appeal, no two can ever be the same! And like your favorite pair of old jeans, our floor has history and becomes a personal work of art that cannot be duplicated.

Our knowledge and services are being called upon more than ever by those who wish and insist on taking a more active role in their build process to create a home, workplace or gathering place that preserves their own legacy.

A history of Rock Elm...
"Today, if you could find a rock elm (Ulmus thomasii) that was somehow passed up by yester-year's lumberjacks, you'd marvel at this species. Before the 1920s, you could readily find stands of trees 100' tall and 3' in diameter from southern Ontario to southern Michigan and Wisconsin. The rock elm's size, of course, made it attractive to lumbermen. Without a use, though, even the largest of trees won't spark logging activity. But the rock, or cork elm as it is often called, had many. Back when British shipbuilders scoured the Colonies' vast forests, they discovered rock elm. Its wood was nearly as tough as hickory, yet wouldn't split. And under water, rock elm outlasted any other North American hardwood. So the virgin stands began to fall, their logs sent overseas. Later, in the dawn of the auto industry, loggers again felled the rock elm to get shock-absorbing stock for wheel hubs, spokes, and frames. Wooden ice-box manufacturing also prompted rock elm's harvest. The wood stood up well to dampness, and scrubbed clean with little effort. Made into farm implements-and even furniture-it withstood abuse. In fact, lumberjacks preferred rock elm over any other wood for ax handles. And why is rock elm absent from today's commercial wood list? The species has been relegated to poorer soils, which produce smaller and more widely scattered trees. The large rock elm stands remain history." - Wood Magazine