Eric Magnuson, owner of Magnuson Build & Design (MB&D) in Kalamazoo, Michigan, has won the People’s Choice Award in the HBA Western Michigan 34th Annual Parades of Homes for his 8,000 square foot home, entirely clad in Beach House Shake, the authentic composite shingle. Quite an unusual exterior design for the Midwest, he said the homeowners were inspired by their love of Cape Cod’s shingle looks, but in a western red cedar color called Pacifica.
“It was a lot of trial and error,” said Magnuson, who researched the right material for the exterior. “I tried to get the homeowner to imagine an 8,000 square ft. home fully clad in natural cedar and the maintenance nightmare it would have presented,” he explained. “The rotting, bugs, and continuous painting or staining as the material wicked moisture on this massive home would have racked up high maintenance costs.” This was especially important since the home sits on a lake.
Magnuson found the composite properties of Beach House Shake from Tando Composites would eliminate moisture concerns while meeting the realism criteria his customers desired. “When they saw that you can’t tell the composite shingles from natural cedar and they would be able to skip all the hassles of wood, the decision was easy — it had the closest look to real cedar.” He also noted that Beach House Shake panels are installed more like siding which saves on time and materials.
Winning in the People’s Choice category was even more meaningful for Magnuson because the voters had to be registered in person to see the project, and then voted online. “It came down to ‘seeing is believing’ with the realism and beauty of the composite shingle,” he said.
Other features of the two-story home set on Kalamazoo’s Crooked Lake include a 3-car garage, pool, hot tub, great room with 20’ vaulted ceilings with shiplap and beams, bonus room, a kitchenette on the walkout level, and metal roofing accents. Learn more at www.mbuilddesign.com
