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The Black Barn in Grayling, Michigan
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many found themselves reevaluating their relationship with home. For Michelle and Christian, this shift was transformative, prompting a bold move from Chicago's urban life to the forest dunes of Grayling, Michigan. Christian inherited a 200-acre property, and together, the couple envisioned a sanctuary that would blend sustainable living, architectural excellence, and community-driven initiatives. Thus, the Uncommon Ranch was conceived — a multifaceted retreat that would encompass two distinct homes, a lavender farm, and a micro-organic operation supplying local eateries.
During the initial phases of bringing The Uncommon Ranch to life, Michelle and Christian seized the advantage of our expertise at "Design with FRANK" in late 2021. With a vision to create not just homes but a sanctuary for lavender farming, they aimed to attract travelers and establish a hub for lavender-derived products. Their ambition extended to transforming the Ranch into an energy-efficient, micro-organic farm, offering fresh produce to local eateries. Michelle had a grand blueprint for the entire property, and our role was to craft designs for two vacation homes that would become the architectural highlights of the land. The site is in Roscommon, a quaint town in the heart of Michigan, flanked by expansive forests and a nearby state park. From an aerial view, the vast stretches of trees resemble green oceans, with houses appearing as islands amid the dense woods. The town has a rich history of log home construction but needed a labor supply. Given the absence of builders specializing in modern-style building design in the area, the owners, Michelle and Christian, decided to have each home constructed themselves, leveraging the help of local craftspeople and workers. This hands-on approach allowed them to imbue the project with their vision while fostering community involvement. Our collaboration led to the design of two distinctive energy-efficient home properties: the Black Barn House, a 3-bedroom single-story residence, and the avant-garde Lavender Loft Cabin. Michelle wanted these homes to accommodate a diverse array of travelers: families, couples, groups of friends, and guests across all age brackets. The design of the house draws inspiration from a fusion of two cultural styles: the classic American Barn house and the Scandinavian Modern dwelling concept. Integrating architectural elements from both styles, we embedded a series of passive design principles into the house's structure and, considering the property's proximity to the state park, installed various sustainable passive systems to minimize energy consumption. Furthermore, the layout promotes outdoor living, allowing residents to connect deeply with the surrounding environment. The Black Barn House, an energy-efficient home by design, is flanked by bedrooms on either side and anchored by a central living space. The living room extends into a recessed covered patio, a deliberate design choice that carves out an elegant outdoor living area while adhering to sun-shading principles. This thoughtful design enhances comfort and contributes to energy savings by shielding the interior from the intense summer heat, maintaining a cooler ambient temperature within the home. All windows are strategically positioned to promote passive ventilation. Moreover, the primary bedroom incorporates the recessed patio design, enabling residents to enjoy an outdoor morning routine without inviting excessive heat into the interior. The Lavender Loft Cabin, meticulously designed to have a minimal footprint, optimizes sunlight penetration from the surrounding woods. Spanning 800 sqft, the cabin houses the living, dining, and kitchen areas on the ground floor and two bedrooms on the upper level. The double-height window in the living and dining area ensures ample sunlight from the woods, illuminating the well-constructed cabin's interior. Despite its compact design, the cabin boasts striking architectural features, including the dramatic double-height spaces that enhance the gathering areas. Impressively, each bedroom comfortably accommodates two queen-sized beds. Both houses use a mix of prefab wall panels and local resources. Due to the local labor shortage, the main structures of the houses had to be assembled with a limited workforce. The process was also designed to be DIY-friendly, allowing Michelle and Christian to play a significant role in building their homes with manageable assistance from local hands.
Michelle and Christian discovered the 3BD standard house plan on the Design with FRANK website as they set out to build The Uncommon Ranch—an energy-efficient homestead and lavender farm in Roscommon, Michigan. Their vision was to create a travel destination and hub for lavender-based products, while also growing fresh produce for local restaurants. With few local builders experienced in modern construction, they chose to build the homes themselves with the help of local craftspeople.
Our role was to design two distinct vacation homes: the Black Barn House, a 3-bedroom single-story residence, and the Lavender Loft Cabin, an 800 sqft two-story retreat. Both designs merge classic American barn architecture with Scandinavian modern principles, incorporating passive strategies to reduce energy use and connect with the natural surroundings near the state park.
The Black Barn House features a central living space flanked by bedrooms and a recessed covered patio that enhances outdoor living and provides sun shading for improved comfort and efficiency. The layout promotes cross-ventilation, and the primary bedroom also connects directly to the patio for a serene morning experience.
The Lavender Loft Cabin maximizes light within a small footprint. Its double-height living and dining area is filled with natural light from expansive windows. Despite its compact size, the cabin comfortably fits two queen beds in each bedroom and emphasizes dramatic spatial volume.
Both homes were built with a combination of prefab wall panels and local materials. Designed for DIY construction, the process allowed Michelle and Christian to be hands-on in the building process, fostering a deep personal and community connection.
" It was quite challenging to build the home. We experienced it firsthand with our personal home that we had just built. Whether it was supplies that were unavailable or, most importantly, the labor that was very, very difficult. We had an idea of how we might get it accomplished, and we were determined to find a way to build these homes."
- From Michelle
We used Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) for the wall system—prefabricated components that combine structure and insulation into one high-performance element. SIPs significantly reduce thermal bridging and energy loss, outperforming traditional framing methods in both heating and cooling efficiency. Their airtight seals, even around doors and windows, create a consistently comfortable indoor environment year-round.
Thanks to the speed of SIP construction, the roofs of both homes were completed in just seven days. While SIPs were a major investment for Michelle and Christian, they prioritized sourcing locally—supporting regional vendors, craftspeople, and the timber industry. All cedar was sustainably harvested and milled nearby. The SIP manufacture also located in Michigan, called Insulspan.
Community engagement was key. A local crew helped assemble the SIPs, and specialized trades contributed to the build, spreading awareness of the system’s benefits. The homes also featured reclaimed auction furniture, Energy Star-rated systems, and custom kitchen cabinets handcrafted by a local artisan—blending modern efficiency with local character and sustainability.
"It was a lot of hard work and determination, but we were able to find some really good people who, quite frankly, were interested in building this type of home. They were used to traditional log homes, river houses, or lake houses here. This was something quite unique for most people, and they wanted to actually be part of the project. That was exciting," recounted Michelle in the interview.
A year after we finalized our design, all coordinated through endless Zoom calls and emails, we visited the house in the prime of July. To our delight, the interior and the indoor air quality were refreshingly cool. The house resisted the daytime heat and conserved warmth during Michigan's brisk summer nights thanks to the insulation in the SIP walls and SIP roof panels. With the substantial temperature swings between day and night, the central AC system ran efficiently in its eco-friendly mode.
This project marked a key milestone in the early days of Design with FRANK, reflecting our mission to help homeowners achieve thoughtful, high-performance design—whether through SIP construction or traditional stick framing. Our goal is to empower individuals while strengthening local communities through the building process.
Meeting Michelle in person and seeing our shared vision come to life was deeply rewarding. Sustainability lies at the heart of The Uncommon Ranch, from its material choices and farming practices to the passive design of the Black Barn and its circular construction approach. By telling this story, we hope to inspire others—homeowners, builders, and designers alike—to pursue architecture that is both innovative and deeply rooted in sustainability.
