5677 Cartago Drive, Lansing, MI 48911

Start the day on the balcony off the private primary suite, coffee in hand and the woods right there. The sun goes down from the same spot at night. Quiet is what the current owner will miss most. Behind you, the suite spans the space over the garage under a vaulted ceiling, with skylights overhead and French doors that bring in the morning.

A walk-in closet and a tiled jetted tub with a glass mosaic band finish the suite, and the remaining bedrooms gather around the open stairwell. Come down the stairs and the covered front porch sits just outside the foyer, the kind of place a book gets finished on a weekend.

The living room opens to the right, long enough for more than one seating area. A gas fireplace framed in brick and white millwork anchors the long wall, recessed lights keep the room bright after dark, and a sliding door at the far end opens to the back deck and the trees beyond it.

On a cold evening the fireplace is where everyone ends up. In summer the door stays open. The dining area and kitchen share the same open run, so whoever is cooking at the island is still part of the room. Maple shaker cabinets, under-cabinet lighting, and a granite-topped island do the work.

A short hallway to the garage holds the laundry and a powder room, so groceries, muddy shoes, and wet coats stop there instead of crossing the house. Take the stairs down to the finished recreation room, wide and open, with windows that bring daylight to the lower level. It is big enough to split into zones for a workout corner, a media wall, and a game table, with a utility room beside it for storage.