Leighanne LaMarre, interior designer and owner of Leighanne LaMarre Interiors in Brighton, had just completed a home design project for a Detroit-area client in late 2021 when the homeowners requested her design expertise for a vacation house they had purchased on Walloon Lake in Charlevoix County.
“Leighanne was so easy to work with, and we knew we couldn’t do the lake house without her,” the homeowner says enthusiastically. “She brought both houses together and made them feel like home for our family.”
According to the owners, their Walloon Lake home was built in 2008 as a guest house for the home next door. Coincidentally, the lake home’s original architect, Greg Presley of Presley Architecture in Northville and Petoskey, had designed their Detroit-area residence, so it made sense for him to handle the renovation redesign of their new lake home.
Ben Percy, of Percy Construction in Boyne City, a family-owned custom building company with over 50 years of experience, was the contractor for the northern Michigan project. His highly skilled crew included his father and brother. “Ben was so organized and hands-on. He paid such attention to detail that we didn’t have to worry about being on-site (all the time), like I was able to do with our other house,” the homeowner says.
The welcoming home sits on a secluded lot that’s just over an acre in size and boasts 110 feet of lake frontage. During the renovation process, a 500-square-foot addition was built onto the original 2,900-square-foot home, along with a two-story carriage house/garage and a breezeway joining the two structures.
Keeping entertaining and overnight guests in mind, the thoughtfully designed property now has five bedrooms, a bunk room, and 6.5 bathrooms. The project was completed last year, in time for the summer season to officially kick off.
“As a repeat client, I know them so well that it’s like working with friends, while also factoring in that aesthetics, function, and lifestyle are different Up North,” LaMarre explains. “I wanted their lake home to feel different but still reflect their personal style and love of entertaining. It also had to be easy-care and low-maintenance, due to sand and snow.
“Their lake house took on a sense of Up-North nostalgia and a more traditional feel than their main home. In the lake house, we achieved this by fusing traditional with patina tones in a more designed and deliberate way, while embracing the water views from nearly every room in the house. We used warm white and wood tones including old-school oak paneling in a more updated, modern way as a focal point. We played with layering and texture, such as the blue patterned area rug in the great room, to give the feel of curated family heirlooms. Overall, it’s soft contemporary with a collected Up-North vibe.”
The designer says she especially loves the home’s master bedroom. “It’s modern and cozy, with warm white colors and textures. The contemporary beige artwork above the bed offers juxtaposition against the traditional wall.”
The homeowner adds: “My husband and I are drawn to darker, more masculine, moody colors, but the house gets a ton of natural light, so it doesn’t seem dark at all — even the walkout basement.” She also appreciates the touches of blue in the house that play against the neutral palette and sparkling lake views.
Since the property didn’t originally have a garage, the addition of the carriage house offered the opportunity to add an extra 1,000 square feet of living space above the new garage. The second level includes a game room, bedroom, full bathroom, and kitchenette. LaMarre admits it was her favorite part of the project. “I always care as much about the home’s exterior as the interior,” she says. “The carriage house added a special architectural element, as well as function and privacy.”
As a complement to the renovation, the homeowners made improvements to the outdoors, as well, with updated landscaping done by Boyne City’s Robinson’s Landscaping & Nursery. Overgrown plants were removed to enhance the property and water views, leaving room for picturesque birch trees and great pines to thrive. During the clean-up, the homeowner notes that stone columns from an old hotel that previously was located on the property were unearthed and restored.
“We’re outdoor people. We love the lake, and skiing in the winter. My favorite part of the house is the back porch that opens from the main living room and looks out at the water. It’s so inviting and relaxing for coffee in the morning or cocktails at night,” the homeowner shares.
LaMarre says the biggest challenge of this project involved the addition to the kitchen, laundry room, mudroom, and office — and finding space to accommodate the homeowners’ full wish list. “The addition needed to be extremely deliberate with form, function, and focal points that worked for the family’s lifestyle. I think we succeeded.”
The homeowner reflects, “This isn’t just a summer house for us; it’s a year-round home that we visit during all four seasons. The lake house is somewhere special for our family and guests to feel comfortable. It feels like us.”
BEHIND THE DESIGN
INTERIOR DESIGNER
Leighanne LaMarre, Leighanne LaMarre Interiors, Brighton, leighannelamarreinteriors.com
ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS
Construction and Millwork: Ben Percy, Percy Construction, Boyne City
Cabinetry: Wolverine Cabinet Company, Royal Oak
Drapery (Roman Shades): Harry Jung, Room Dress, Troy
Landscaper: Robinson’s Landscaping & Nursery, Boyne City
Woven Shades: Ralph Guthrie, Lake Street Design Studio, Petoskey
THE HENRY INDUSTRIAL HANGING LIGHT BY THOMAS O’BRIEN
Visual Comfort, Leighanne LaMarre Interiors, Brighton, leighannelamarreinteriors.com, visualcomfort.com
“(This light) provided the classic utilitarian feel needed to anchor the island and complete the look,” says designer Leighanne LaMarre.
OVINGTON WALLPAPER
Schumacher, Leighanne LaMarre Interiors, Brighton, leighannelamarreinteriors.com, schumacher.com
“Because of (the pantry’s) visibility from the main kitchen space, I knew we had to add an element of playful pattern that would instantly add polish to the functional space — Ovington, in Stone, was the clear winner.”
ORIGAMI WHITE
Sherwin-Williams, area Sherwin-Williams stores, sherwin-williams.com
“When selecting our exterior paint color, the priority was for it to complement and showcase the warm gray exterior window finish.”
CHEATING HEART
Benjamin Moore, area Benjamin Moore stores, benjaminmoore.com
“Nothing says dramatic yet cozy quite like Cheating Heart by Benjamin Moore,” LaMarre says.“It gave us the perfect backdrop for the warm wood tones of the game table, desk, and woven wood window shades in the office.”
OAST DINING TABLE
Chaddock, Leighanne LaMarre Interiors, Brighton, leighannelamarreinteriors.com, chaddock.com
“Because our goal was to give the entire house a good mixture of nostalgic and new, we wanted this table to feel like it had seen thousands of family meals. We partnered with a vendor based in North Carolina who was as enthusiastic as we were about getting the wood species, planking, and finish just right!”
MARABEL RUG
Feizy, Leighanne LaMarre Interiors, Brighton, leighannelamarreinteriors.com, feizy.com
“Early on in the project I fell in love with this rug during one of our vendor’s visits to our studio, and just knew it would be the perfect choice to provide the foundation for all of our selections.”
Text by Tracy Donohue. Photography by Martin Vecchio. Portrait photography by Amanda Doumochelle.
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