Lakeside Living: A Contemporary Family Retreat in Portage Lakes

For 20 years, Gary Muravin longed to live near a recreational body of water. The Cleveland area native knew he wanted the ideal waterfront vista: A contemporary home in which he, his wife and his two daughters, now 16 and 11, could enjoy the water and live peaceful lives. In Ohio, he wasn’t sure the vision existed.

“Three years before we found this property, we bought our house in Hudson, and I thought that was gonna be it. This is where I’m gonna grow old,” says Muravin, who owns and operates a real estate brokerage with his wife. “Kind of gave up on the dream.”

But in 2020, Muravin’s wife scheduled showings of a few Portage Lakes properties. The last house on their list, a modern home wrapped in the East Reservoir on three sides, immediately captured his interest. “I just stand there for literally a minute, and I tell my wife, Whatever we have to do — we have to buy this house today,” Muravin recounts. “That evening, we were under contract.”

The Muravins loved the lake lifestyle so much that they decided to make the property their main home — asking Sadie Beachy, principal at S. Flynn Design & Build in Millersburg, to transform it into the residence of their dreams. With a dramatic, contemporary redesign — and an approximately 600-square-foot three-story addition to the basement, main floor and upper floor, as well as an upstairs bathroom addition — they got their wish, moving into the now-2,500-square-foot home in 2021.

“The windows stayed, but other than that, we had complete freedom,” Beachy says. “We were able to touch [nearly] every material in the house.”

Now, the home is a beacon of Midwest coastal beauty. Entering through a custom white oak pivot door, guests encounter a floating white oak staircase and brass-inlaid gray-and-white marble tile flooring — immediately setting a tone of modern glamour. The door and staircase materials came from Amish Country, as did several other elements used in the project.

“The door design actually came after the tiles,” says Brooke Troyer, a lead designer at S. Flynn. “It’s just a complete wow moment.”

Large floor-to-ceiling windows on either side of the door create an unbroken sight line to the lake and flood the space with light.

“The scale and style and magnitude of it really allowed them to create some curb appeal on the outside as well,” Beachy notes.

Past the entryway, the two-story open-concept living room offers easy access to the kitchen and dining area. An Amish-made soundproof glass wall allows guests to see into the second floor’s home office, expanding the space further, while a two-story raw steel-faced gas fireplace — built into a storage and entertainment center — adds an accent of metal. It’s echoed in a glittering, halo-shaped light fixture.

“That steel, when it’s heated, takes on … its own unique design,” Muravin says of the fireplace.

S. Flynn also installed beams for the room’s vaulted ceiling, color-matched to the custom stained, Amish-made white oak floor. They jut over a white-painted cabinet-and-reading nook combination.

“A little reading nook with some sconces and some artwork … it definitely added a little bit of comfort and dynamic to the angled ceiling,” says Troyer.

In the kitchen, enclosed appliances mimic the clean, waterfall-edged white quartz island. Hosting a brass faucet — which mirrors a brass hood — and more storage space underneath, the island creates further room for prep work. Navy cabinets, built locally in Amish Country, replicate the color of the quartz’s veining — as do plush blue chairs in the attached dining space.

“We do a ton of cooking in there, a ton of entertaining,” Muravin shares. “When it’s not beautiful weather outside, you’re kind of congregating around the kitchen. And that kitchen is open to the rest of the first floor.”

From the attached dining space, slide open a glass door to step into a combination pantry and laundry room with a striking diamond-patterned tile floor. Built for functionality, it features a serving bar. The first floor also includes a mudroom, complete with a wooden sculptural element.

“We have the quartz counter as the seat, which is really neat,” Beachy says. “The husband loves the rich wood tones. We did this creative installation here with the different varying pieces of white oak. … We reiterated that upstairs.”

Also on the first floor is a half bathroom, featuring a patterned blue concrete sink.

“We’re on the lake. They also have a pool. Family and friends are coming and going,” says Beachy. “If water splashes or sits, they want to make sure all the materials are going to be OK. So that’s why we did that tile wall halfway up. It also adds some great visual interest and fun. We like to pack a punch in guest bathrooms.”

Beyond the half-bath, the main bedroom sprawls — ample space and a lofty ceiling create an airy feeling, complete with a walk-out deck.

“They really wanted this to be its own retreat. So as soon as you walk through the master, you get hit with views of the lake,” Beachy says.” We added beautiful beams that follow the ceiling line. It was a natural fit. There were really stark, geometric ceilings, and the beams complement it so well.”

Softly striped neutral wallpaper with metallic flecks behind the bed leans into the glamorous aesthetic of the home, while the bathroom evokes a spa — Muravin’s wife’s vision — with a large, glass-enclosed steam shower.

“The shower is definitely the focus,” Beachy says. “The pebble tile is really nice. It leans toward that spa feeling she wanted, but it also kind of massages your feet.”

Minimalist dual vanities continue the calming theme, crowned with quartz countertops.

“We intentionally did a chunkier, larger profile to get a little bit of that glam and higher-end luxury feeling that the wife liked,” says Beachy. “Quartz — we love wherever we can put it. … It is so strong and durable.”

Upstairs, a glass-enclosed office, an additional bathroom and two more bedrooms expand the family’s living space.

“We needed a nice office where we could really focus in on our work,” Muravin says. “I didn’t really want to close it off in just drywall. And so that’s where the idea came up with glass.”

Those bedrooms belong to the Muravins’ daughters. Both are minimalistic — one with built-in shelving and another with a unique 3D blue accent wall — and feature plenty of storage space to grow into. Their bathroom combines playful elements, such as brass drawer pulls and blue subway shower tiles, with a neutral color palette.

“They wanted something more fun and energetic, something that the girls would be proud of,” says Beachy. “We have the blue specks right in the terrazzo flooring. … We’ve mixed metals, so we’ve got black plumbing fixtures on the sinks and in the shower, with the black mirrors. But then all the cabinet hardware — the lights — is brass. Those are the elements that we’ve been carrying throughout.”

Finally, descend to the basement to find a chic lounge area, bar, bathroom and gym. A large, circular, blue velvet-upholstered white oak booth, crowned with a crystal-drip light fixture, allows guests to kick back with a drink — and is completely custom.

“We designed it from scratch. We were able to do that brass toe kick underneath just to give a little bit more glam,” says Troyer.

The quartz-topped white oak bar, with brass and black hardware, features working tap handles and another prep sink. All fronted in white oak, a mini refrigerator, ice machine, two fridge doors and a dishwasher make the area perfect for parties. “There’s a lot of functionality," says Muravin.

Today, Muravin and his family enjoy living full-time in their lakeside home — able to paddleboard, swim and kayak like he only once dreamed about.

“I am huge on outdoor activities,” he says. “It’s readily available. In that sense, it’s worked wonders for us.”

Closer Look

Inside the dual-purpose pantry and laundry room, a beverage station provides easy access to wine and tea.

“This pantry has a little prep sink in it, with a dual-zone wine fridge and then a spot for her English kettle and easy-grab glasses on the black floating shelf,” says Sadie Beachy, principal at S. Flynn Design & Build. “The same quartz that was out in the kitchen is in the pantry, and it goes up the backsplash to unify the spaces together. But then we have black metal floating shelves and black hardware to hit at those industrial elements that the husband really liked.”

Pale blue cabinetry keeps the space airy and light, while diamond-patterned cement tilework on the floor echoes design choices throughout the house.

“We didn’t want to go too dark, because … it’s a small space,” Beachy says. “The pale cabinets — the same cabinet fronts that you see out in the kitchen — it’s what we call a slim shaker. A nice modern look.”

Easy to access, the area gets plenty of use.

“I love the fact that it’s not a far walk," says homeowner Gary Muravin. "It’s just right there."