Bringing it Home and Keeping it All in the Family

We have stepped outside of our usual geographic area and headed north to Midland to help build a home that we are pretty darn excited about. With Midland being several hours away, most of the design process was done remotely.

As far as our usual Meadowlark design and build homes go – this one has all the Meadowlark “bells and whistles.” You know… all of the cool things that go into many of the new custom homes we build – Durisol ICF construction, SIP roof, Geothermal, solar shingles, radiant floor heat, high performance duct work, aging in place design features, etc., etc. And also, this home is slated for LEED® Platinum certification and net-zero energy usage, (quite a feat considering this home has 7000 square feet of living area).  No big deal for Meadowlark. So why all the excitement?

This home is being built by the Selbys. Doug’s sister, Rebecca, and her family, are going to live in it, but it has been designed and built with the entire Selby family in mind. Their dad, Ted Selby, came to Midland almost 50 years ago to work for Dow and has stayed in the area ever since. Along the way, Ted and his wife Jean had 10 kids, who then had kids; so needless to say, there are lots of grandchildren! Rebecca wanted a home that would accommodate large family gatherings – which explains the large square footage!

Durisol ICF wall construction

Rebecca and her husband also wanted to keep the family involved in the design and construction. Meadowlark (co-founded by her brother Doug) has completed the home design and assisted in the construction. (Local company Moeller Builders Inc., is finishing the home.) The wood for the floors and cabinetry is from a mill in Sterling, MI, that is owned by Rebecca’s brother-in-law, Peter. Her nephew, Drew, is a metal artisan and he is designing and fabricating the truss connections and the decorative metal work both inside and out. Several other family members have made many of the art pieces that will be showcased throughout the home. And finally…since Dow brought the family here originally, it wouldn’t be complete without the DOW POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingles to top it all off.

This home is truly a labor of love, and we have loved being involved in the process from the very start. You can read more about this project in our client stories.