Cottage Life on Lake Michigan

A dreamy Lake Michigan cottage is full of clean lines, bright colors and natural materials that add interest, without chaos.

There’s nothing like a summer away from the busy pace of 21^st-century life—and there’s no place quite like Menonaqua, a historical association along Lake Michigan, to experience it.

This was the happy realization made by a New York couple as they hit “pause” and vacationed at Menonaqua, in Harbor Springs, Michigan. There, they spent time enjoying the protected dunes that stretch along Little Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan and the picturesque, untouched tranquility that’s hard to find in our ever-modernizing world.

Wanting to preserve and pass on that summery sense of serenity, they envisioned a place for their family to gather for generations to come. They knew Menonaqua was the place to build a vacation cottage along Lake Michigan for just that purpose.

The couple enlisted Jill Nuding, head of construction at Cottage Company of Harbor Springs, and Kelly Konoske, president of Cottage Company Interiors, to create their waterfront “pocket of peace.”

Also Read: Style Watch: Michigan Lake Cottages

“The homeowners wanted a place to escape, relax and enjoy friends and family for summers, so our goal was to design and build a cottage that would accommodate future generations of family,” Konoske says. “In terms of style, they wanted a fresh take on the traditional-style cottage, so we designed a lake house that was still casual and welcoming, but with cleaner lines, brighter colors and full of natural materials that added interest without chaos.”

river rock and limestone fireplace and coffered ceiling in Lake Michigan cottage — On the Rocks. One of the statement aspects of the home is the fireplace, which is surrounded by a glorious array of river rocks, as well as a raw-edge limestone. “Both were chosen for their origins in the area,” Kelly Konoske says. Each rock is richly diverse and has a glorious, natural sheen and tone.

Cleaner Lines, Brighter Colors

The Lake Michigan cottage’s dreamy location became a bit of a formidable foe during the project—but The Cottage Company is no stranger to challenging scenarios. The biggest one was the fact that to access the house from the road, you have to cross a small bridge over a creek. Every 2×4 and piece of lumber had to be carried by hand across the bridge, even during the height of a northern Michigan winter.

Aside from the practical difficulties, the location was important to the vision for the Lake Michigan cottage and featured two sides of nature’s coin: forest and beach.

green checked window seat in Lake Michigan cottage — Check, Please! A checked window seat textile is the perfect frame for the profusion of leafy trees outside the window. “The textile was meant to be,” Kelly Konoske explains. “It just happened to be the right scale, pattern and shade of green.”

“We worked to ensure we did justice to the setting and gave it a sense of place. Both settings—the forest and creek vibe on the one side of the home and the waterfront sand dunes on the other side of the property—were used as inspiration,” Konoske explains.

For the interiors, they selected an organic color scheme inspired by the beauty abounding outside the cottage’s windows: blues for the sky and lake and greens for the trees and bushes.

blue Windsor style dining chairs in three seasons porch — Pull up a Chair. Blue chairs are both fun and practical. Their **Windsor style** works perfectly with the two-tone farmhouse table and are easy to move and clean when little ones spill or sit down in wet bathing suits

“I don’t think you can ever go wrong when using the nature surrounding a beach cottage as color inspiration!” Kelly says.

As a result, bed frames, draperies, bedding and furniture were striking ways to use nature’s colors as an accent in the cottage.

The rest of the palette was inspired by sand and dunes.

enclosed porch with dining table and seating area — Changing Seasons. A three-seasons porch is a natural extension of the home. It has all the common elements of a cottage porch—white-wash painted fir floors and shingle shake walls with double beadboard ceilings and outdoor gooseneck sconces. The homeowners can watch storms roll into the harbor while curling up and reading a book. In fact, they can even eat there while it’s raining, giving them the sense of being in nature, despite the climate.

“The white backdrop is perfect to bounce and reflect light while also feeling perpetually fresh,” Konoske points out. “One of the advantages of a neutral color scheme is that it’s more timeless and rides the trends, especially in a cottage.”

Of course, with a neutral color scheme come concerns about durability: “There are always worries about dirt being visible and the fabrics and materials being practical. In this case, I chose a hardwood floor that would hide scratches and disguise sand while also using performance fabrics on all large, upholstered pieces for easy cleaning,” Konoske explains.

dining room with farmhouse table — Designing for Dining. The homeowners dreamed of a farmhouse table, so The Cottage Company’s Kelly Konoske selected one with a base style that would still allow chairs to tuck in, along with a finish that was similar to the floor. “I wanted to add texture so a wood chair with rushing in a slightly Asian cottage style was perfect,” she points out.

Interest Without Chaos in the Lake Michigan Cottage

Dynamic details were added to the cottage via texture, silhouettes, patterns and architectural details, particularly on the ceilings and walls. Single-bead beadboard was used on the ceilings and walls of the common areas. It’s a type of wood paneling that’s a little more formal and sophisticated than shiplap or nickel gap (the main difference between shiplap and nickel gap is that nickel gap siding has tongue-and groove-boards that hide nails, giving it a smoother look overall) and is more characteristic of a traditional cottage in the area.

“For the great room, it was the first thing a guest would see when they came in; and it was the most grand or formal room. So I thought the ceiling of that room could support a dramatic treatment,” Konoske says.

white cottage kitchen — Window of Opportunity. Ingenious design makes the kitchen both functional and beautiful. For example, an interior window above the farmhouse sink peeks out into the three-seasons porch. Not only does it give an opportunity for a stylish window treatment, it also allows more natural light into the kitchen and enables the chef to pass a dish onto the dining table in the porch.

The fireplace is a masterpiece of river rock (another element that ties into the locale), and it ensures the detailing doesn’t feel too heavy; it balances some of that weight on the walls. Konoske and the team put beadboard in between the coffered ceiling and ran the paneling in the same direction as they did in the adjacent dining and kitchen ceilings to make the spaces feel connected.

kitchen island with Calcutta marble slab — Feeling Blue. A blue Calcutta marble slab tops the island. “It’s absolutely stunning! The slab is really the centerpiece of the kitchen,” Konoske says, and many of the other elements were chosen to enhance it. The white cabinetry and simple tile backsplash were chosen for their simplicity so that the island countertop and the La Cornue stove take center stage.

“But, by being different, the ceiling treatments define each area,” she points out.

Regarding the bedrooms, The Cottage Company likes to put homeowners’ funds into the rooms they use the most often or where the largest impact will be made. The primary bedroom has both wall and ceiling paneling, and the three upstairs bedrooms have some paneling (but it’s more strategically placed).

With inspiration drawn from every facet of nature surrounding the cottage and dynamic details crafted right into the interiors, the cottage is an enduring addition to Menonaqua.

window bench and blue and white theme in cottage bedroom — Fully Booked. “Nothing quite says ‘vacation’ like a window seat,” Kelly Konoske says. “Maybe it’s because we all wish we had more time to sit down and read a book. But, when you are summering, you do have that leisurely time to enjoy.” Cleverly, she used the window seat as a focal point and as a discrete storage space (the window seat opens for storage).

lakeside view and blue bedding from cottage bedroom — In the Navy. “I like to play with scale and love the classic nature of a navy stripe, so I used it on the shams and then replicated it in a performance tape on the valances,” Kelly Konoske points out.

kids bedroom with window bench and under eave storage cutout — THE Right Angles. Due to the nature of the roof line, this bedroom has some unique angles. Konoske explains, “I put myself in a guest’s position, asking, ‘Where can my suitcases go?’ So, Jill Nuding’s team helped make a custom door to access the space and followed the roofline in design.”

guest bedroom with large picture windows and sand inspired color palette — In this guest bedroom, Kelly Konoske placed the bed opposite the vast window bank so the views can be seen as soon as you wake up. She then selected a low-backed loveseat. It doesn’t impede the view and creates a cozy sitting area. The windows are distinguished with a clean inset mount valance in a neutral cabana stripe. “It just screams ‘casual beach fun’ to me,” she says.

green bedframe and lakeside view in Lake Michigan cottage — Green Theme. The homeowners didn’t want their young adult children to each have a specific room; rather, it’s first come, first served. They love green, so Kelly Konoske knew she wanted to incorporate it somewhere. “With blue being the primary color in the common areas and everywhere else, I thought it would be fun to incorporate navy and green here. The green bed frames were fun because, in a seasonal residence, you feel more comfortable being bold.”

beadboard and white cabinetry in Lake Michigan cottage bathroom — Shaker Style. The cabinets in the primary bath are a full-inset Shaker style. “We like it when a primary bath is a little more elegant and formal than the secondary baths, and Shaker style is just so representative of a cottage,” Konoske points out.

turtle patterned blue and white wallpaper in Lake Michigan bathroom — Vibrant wallpaper is an immediate mood-booster. The homeowners wanted to use a fun wallpaper somewhere in the cottage and brought this Thibaut wallpaper to Kelly. “They asked if I would ever want to make it work somewhere, and I always like a good surprise in a powder or laundry room, especially when it’s cheery and makes you happy. As you can see, it works wonderfully in the powder room.”

Dash of Color

Konoske explains, “I don’t think you can ever go wrong using the nature surrounding a beach cottage as color inspiration!” Here’s her philosophy on using colors as accents in your cottage home:

Dream in color. Bring on the blues and greens in crisp shades and use them as much and as often as you want in almost every pattern.
It’s a pattern. For these hues, Konoske tends to prefer smaller-scale patterns … unless it’s a classic pattern such as checks or stripes.
Sunrise, sunset. Konoske says that any of the colors found in a sunset or sunrise are best used in smaller capacities (purples, pinks, yellows, oranges, reds); and, in some instances, a paler shade works well.

Lake Michigan Cottage by Kelly

Kelly Konoske is an expert in helping families create their dream coastal homes. She, herself, has treasured memories of summers at the lake and fondly recalls the exciting feeling of arriving and catching the first glimpses of the water. Few are better equipped than she is to create a furniture line especially fashioned for cottage living.

kitchen with large island and white subway tile in Lake Michigan cottage

kitchen with marble island and neutral barstools

neutral living room with cable knit throw and geometric throw pillows

These are some of her favorite pieces and the vision that imbues each piece with life:

The eponymous line is called Cottage by Kelly. It’s full of dreamy pieces that fit seamlessly into any interior.
Kelly says, “Honestly, my overall vision behind this line was to create something ‘cottage’ in scale—casual, yet elegant, in design and coastal at heart.”
She wants her furniture to evoke a feeling reminiscent of the lakeshores, dunes, bluffs and beaches that so beautifully define her interpretation of coastal living.
“It’s my version of ‘fresh coast’ design: casual, timeless, unpretentious and comfortable.”

beaded border on upholstered armchair in Menonaqua cottage

cottage with neutral living space and large wine cellar

reading nook with lakeside view in Menonaqua cottage

A Lick of Paint

The cottage is a visual symphony of neutral paints. If you’re in search of just the “right” white, The Cottage Company’s Kelly Konoske offers a rundown of fantastic whites that add depth, reflect light and soothe the soul:

Benjamin Moore: “Chantilly Lace,” “Simply White,” “White Dove,” “Swiss Coffee” (it’s more of an off-white), “Super White”
Farrow & Ball: “Wevet,” “All White”
Sherwin Williams: “Pure White”

For more lakeside inspiration, read Jubilee on the Lake. Of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get your daily dose of cottage inspiration!