Grateful and Grounded: Designer Grace Start Freshens a Historic Michigan Home

Designer Grace Start lived in the same house her entire childhood—but her mom, design mogul Jean Stoffer, was constantly renovating. Seeing that process unfold and having it be a part of everyday life shaped how Start approaches design as well as life with her own young family. When she and her husband, Ted, took on the full remodel of a century-old home in their former hometown of Zeeland, Michigan, they wanted to create beauty and flow without letting go of the classic character of the home or the community that surrounds it.

There were some structural, plumbing, and electrical issues. And the home needed new insulation. They channeled most of their time and budget into practical improvements that’ll allow the home to function well for the next 100 years. They stacked new staircases under windows and added airy, white woodwork to visually open up transitional spaces. And by rethinking an awkward secondary main-floor living room and disjointed side porch, they were able to carve out an entryway with a coat closet and powder room. They also relocated the kitchen and dining areas to the heart of the home, creating a larger, intentional gathering space.

“At Stoffer, we love kitchens. But the scale of this house is small, and the neighborhood is small. We needed to keep it appropriate,” Start says. Custom Stoffer Home base cabinetry in London Gray grounds the space, but there are no uppers. The subtle Cambria Annaleigh countertop design flows up the walls, around the range alcove, and across the island. “The stone was able to take on a whole role in anchoring the kitchen.”

The compact dining room is family friendly and separate enough to feel special, with adjacent island seating for larger groups or quick meals. Start added a touch of drama with a traditional chandelier and “picture frame” panels on the walls. “An applied moulding is a super accessible way to add a lot of dimension to a space,” she says. 

The living room is filled with subdued color and natural light, but moody accents in the laundry room—like striking Benjamin Moore Rainy Afternoon cabinets and walls—contrast with a geometric tiled floor. From no-fuss, timeless basics to intentional splurges on tile and solid surfaces, the overall effect is elevated yet approachable. Start tends to eschew the design trends of the moment in favor of classic, trusted materials and capitalizing on what’s already there—especially in a historic home like this one. “A lot of being content in your home is realizing and being thankful for what you have. Not what you’re lacking, but what you have.”

Read this article as it appears in the magazine.