THE MICHIGAN LAKE HOUSE
Growing up in Northwest Indiana, summers were often full of long sunny days at the various lakes in Michigan. At one time our family owned a home on Diamond Lake, later one on Eagle Lake, and now one in Grand Beach, Michigan. We also frequently traveled up to Traverse City, Harbor Springs, and Lake Charlevoix. As such, the lakes of Michigan hold a special place in my heart. It is somewhat poetic then that as I have pursued my career that I have dedicated my efforts to designing and appointing beautiful lake homes throughout Michigan. There is just something so special about designing homes that are intended solely for enjoyment, relaxation, and family memory making. It’s fulfilling to help design these legacy properties, and I know that our unique white glove concierge concept also adds tremendous value to the busy homeowners who need help setting up and maintaining these non primary residences.
Here are some key design features we like to include in our “Michigan Lake Houses”
Custom Pool Design Being in a fairly northern location, Lake Michigan does not get warm enough for most potential swimmers until very late in the season. As a result, many of our customers want to include a pool in their home design so they can swim, relax, and entertain in more comfortable temperatures. Often we position the pools so views of Lake Michigan (or the relevant body of water) are still in view. However, pool design can really be an opportunity for jaw dropping impact. Features like checkerboard grass and concrete stone surrounds, infinity edges, swim up bars, fountains, and perfectly appointed outdoor furnishings are just some of the ways we have helped our clients create truly impactful pool spaces. Here is an example of a CAD drawing our team worked on for a recent pool area in a luxury home in Union Pier Michigan.
Entertainment Friendly Kitchens Lake homes are meant for memory making, relaxation, gathering families together, entertaining, and eating and being at home. As a result, making sure kitchens are designed to be large, accommodating, and entertainment focused is critical. Our team has used the following concepts for making sure this goal is met; large islands, double islands, professional grade appliances, outdoor kitchens, built in banquets, walk in pantries, wet bars, prep kitchens and more.
Light & Airy Color Palettes A home by the shore deserves a corresponding color palette: one where the sky and water seem to continue right into the home, where airy curtains billow in open windows, and one where the palette evokes feeling of calm. Our team will help develop a custom color palette for your lake home early in the onboarding process. We love to work around personalized places or objects of significance: perhaps a favorite piece of art, a memory of a long passed vacation, or a favorite heirloom. We extract the colors out of these pieces in a crafty way, layering in the light and airy tones.
Outdoor Living Spaces Watching HGTV for just a few episodes of any home improvement show will quickly reveal that outdoor living spaces are a HUGE trend in home design right now. In addition to beautiful pool scapes, our team loves to design spaces that transition from indoor to outdoor via accordion or sliding doors, outdoor fireplaces, lanais, fire-pits and more. We work with some of the best landscape architects to tie together the interior and the exterior of your home.
En Suite Bedrooms If you are building or renovating a lake home while your children are still young, but you intend for the property to serve your family for years to come, then this advice is for you!. Often times, home owners will be hyper focused on their current way of life and use of the home. However, it’s important to design and plan with longevity in mind especially when considering the structural and architectural details. Designing as many bedrooms to be en suites as possible is wise and forward thinking. As your family matures, and children become adults with their own spouses and even families, they will no longer want to share a bathroom ideally. Creating bedroom retreats complete with private bathrooms, walk in closets, and if room and budget allow even small sitting spaces makes sure that these spaces will stand up to the test of time. Eventually your child will be more likely to come and stay over summer weekends or vacations in your lake house if they have a little privacy and enough room to set up a crib, fold out a sleeper sofa, or set up air mattresses for small children with them. They will be appreciative of having a mini primary suite all to themselves as grown adults. And let’s be honest: one of the great benefits of a lake house is it brings all your children home to stay with you under one roof again for memory making and quality time.
