Healthy High-Performance Barndominium in West Michigan | The Slainte Project

Refining the Design Together

The Slainte Project started with a lot of inspiration: photos, ideas, and a detailed wish list that helped us understand what the family was drawn to.

From there, we worked through the design together. Some ideas fit the project well.  Others needed to change because they did not support the family’s long-term goals for durability, health, West Michigan’s climate, or the budget.

That is part of our job. We want clients to bring us ideas, but we also want to be honest when something may create problems later or work against the priorities they have already told us matter most.

Some features carried through almost exactly as imagined. Others evolved as the design became more detailed. The porch and its character, for example, remained an important part of the finished home.

Together, we used our design-build process to shape those initial ideas into a home that worked for the whole family while still supporting the health priorities that drove the project from the beginning.

A Single-Level Barndominium in West Michigan

The family wanted easy, single-level living along with a large workshop that could fit a camper, equipment, and everyday projects. We recommended a barndominium layout because it gave us a practical way to bring both under one structure without compromising the comfort of the living spaces.

We designed the residential side with all of the main living spaces on one floor and zero-step transitions throughout. We also oriented the layout to take advantage of southern exposure for natural light and incorporated the covered porch that remained an important part of the family’s original vision.

 For the workshop, we planned enough space for a camper along with pull-through overhead doors, giving the family room for equipment, storage, hobbies, and day-to-day projects.

Practical Materials, Warm Interior

Designing around health and durability could have pushed Slainte in a very clinical direction. We did not want that.

We worked to keep the interior warm and personal while still choosing materials that fit the homeowner’s goals. Polished concrete floors, simple cabinetry, darker accents, black fixtures, and natural light create a clean look without making the home feel cold or institutional.

The polished concrete was especially well suited to the project: durable, easy to maintain, and visually consistent through the main living spaces.

When the Polished Concrete Floor Became Discolored

After we removed the floor protection, the concrete was badly discolored wherever tape had been applied. The homeowner tried cleaning it, but the issue was not a surface stain: the concrete itself had changed color.

Because indoor air quality was such an important goal, we did not want to introduce unnecessary chemicals unless they were truly needed.

So we held off on waxing or treating the floor, ran a dehumidifier, and waited.

About a week later, the concrete dried out and the discoloration disappeared.

Sometimes good problem-solving means knowing what to do. Sometimes it means knowing when to leave something alone.

The Result: A West Michigan Home That Does What It Needs to Do

 Slainte had to do a lot at once: support the homeowner’s health, work well for a family of four, provide comfortable single-level living, include serious workshop space, and still meet the project’s durability and energy goals.

That is why R-Value was especially well suited to the project. Our experience with high-performance construction, moisture control, ventilation, durable materials, and detailed pre-construction planning helped us view those priorities as one connected system rather than a list of separate features.

The result is a home that is practical, comfortable, efficient, and carefully tailored to the homeowner’s needs, including the systems and materials in place to support her long-term health.

Contact us today to start designing your home.