A Fenton Couple Shares Their Midcentury Open-air Entertaining Space

Whether they鈥檙e catching rays by the pool or chilling in the pergola, the Brimmers鈥 space makes for a groovy hangout spot
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fenton midcentury entertaining space
Mark and Andrea Brimmer relax in their entertaining space.

If the Mad Men set designers ever needed a metro Detroit location during the show鈥檚 nearly eight-year run, they could have knocked on the door of Andrea and Mark Brimmers鈥 home in Fenton. Their entire home features midcentury modern sensibilities, from the kitchen鈥檚 yellow Smeg oven to the aqua Weber grill on the patio.

The Brimmers 鈥 Mark is a football coach at Walled Lake Northern High School and Andrea is chief marketing and public relations officer at Ally 鈥 are passionate about midcentury style, which denotes a time ranging from about the late 1930s to the late 1960s. The couple have come to evoke both the style and the spirit of that era.

鈥淲e found property on Lake Ponemah, and that gave us the opportunity to build the home we always wanted,鈥 Andrea says. Built in 2020, the house was designed by Karl Jasinski Designs of Sarasota, Florida. The Brimmers called on interior designer and midcentury modern style lover Elin Walters of Exactly Designs in Ann Arbor to help them create an outdoor entertaining space with orderly lines, practical elements, and pops of cheerful colors. 鈥淚t got bigger and bigger as we got going,鈥 Walters says.

Located on 2 acres, the Brimmer home features 200 feet of lake frontage, a pool and deck, a pergola/lounge area, and more. This is the place to be during summer. Here鈥檚 how the ultramodern exterior 鈥 infused with elements of California design and aesthetic 鈥 came together.

A Closer Look at the Entertaining Space

fenton midcentury entertaining space
The entertaining space includes a pergola and a 1960s wood-burning orange fireplace.
Hot stuff

A Malm wood-burning orange fireplace from the 1960s was brought in from California. 鈥淚 had it driven here,鈥 Andrea says.

Pergola perfection

鈥淚 wanted something modern that would sit well with the aesthetic of the house,鈥 owner Andrea Brimmer says. She designed a small space surrounded by wood-slatted walls and ceiling, which allow a lot of light in but also keep the area semi-shaded. 鈥淚 had it painted black, as opposed to staining it, to go with the home鈥檚 trim.听

Planter鈥檚 punch

The Brimmers hired Gerych鈥檚, a florist and event planner in Fenton, to design the succulent planters that hang on the pergola slats. 鈥淚 wanted plants reminiscent of that desert-y, Palm Springs look,鈥 Andrea says.

Grounded in style

In the pergola area and extending to the side of the house, large square pavers create a parterre look with bright green artificial turf between the slabs, helping to retain the clean-lined appearance. All the landscaping on the property was designed and is maintained by Matt Shaker of Superior Lawn & Landscape in Fenton.听 听

Cool cooler

A cooler in the shape of a classic woody (wood-bodied station wagon) adds additional whimsy to the space. The couple purchased it at a small store in Tennessee.

Soak it up

The soaking pool measures 10 by 12 feet. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 want to do something overly big; we just wanted a happy place,鈥 Andrea says. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got nine speakers out here, so you get in the pool, listen to music.鈥 The pool鈥檚 midcentury-style liner has a mosaic bubble design. The speakers are by Stealth Acoustics and installed by Ross Roach of Roseville-based Left Side AV.鈥

Warm-ups

鈥淪ince we鈥檙e in Michigan on a lake, we decided to include warmer tones than you might see on the West Coast and its midcentury look. So, on the exterior, it鈥檚 olives, browns, beiges,鈥 Andrea says. 鈥淭hen the bright pops of color in the furnishings are the calling cards of what we love in California.鈥

Furnishing a look

The furniture inside the pergola is from shopthenovogratz.com, while the pool-deck seating is from H3K Home & Design, located in Palm Springs.


This story is from the August 2022 issue of 糖心vlog安卓版. Read more in听our digital edition. And click here听to see more metro Detroit interiors.听