Houzz Tour: A Lake Retreat in Living Color
A vibrant color palette, layers of pattern and eclectic furniture combine to create an invigorating Wisconsin lake house
“With a lot of my work, I’m interested in juxtaposition,” Thornton says. “This home was a study in contrast between grand scale and achieving a casual and cozy feeling.” For example, she says, the exposed gable ceiling and arches in the style of a hammer beam frame are “really beautiful and grand, giving the home an architectural presence, but the seating is down-filled sofas and daybeds, which allow everyone from kids to grandparents to sink in and get comfortable.”
The ceiling is paneled in bleached walnut planks. Currey & Co.’s Lodestar chandelier has a silver- and gold-leaf finish. The cocktail table is from Restoration Hardware.
The ceiling is paneled in bleached walnut planks. Currey & Co.’s Lodestar chandelier has a silver- and gold-leaf finish. The cocktail table is from Restoration Hardware.
Daybeds near large windows provide napping areas for parents and kids. Vintage textile throws “add comfort in a room that architecturally is quite grand,” Thornton says. The daybed is from Williams-Sonoma Home, with pillows from Lee Jofa. The chairs around the game table are from Century Furniture and are covered in Quadrille’s ZigZag.
The dining room’s latticed wall was painted in a green hue from Benjamin Moore. Cerused-oak Poppy chairs from Jayson Home surround a custom walnut table. The Roman shades are an Isfahan Stripe from Peter Dunham Textiles. The Compiegne chandeliers are by Vaughan.
On the porch, green and white chairs from Serena & Lily surround a Restoration Hardware table. Vintage blue pendant lights add another burst of color.
Browse industrial pendant lights
Browse industrial pendant lights
The colorful kitchen has an island painted in Benjamin Moore’s Slate Teal with a polished, natural quartzite countertop. The Urban Electric Co. brass pendants have custom red interiors. The ceiling is covered in oak planks. The backsplash tile behind the custom cabinets is from Urban Archaeology.
The breakfast nook and lounge off the kitchen includes lounge chairs by Brunschwig & Fils covered in a chambray stripe from Clarence House. The home, located on the lakefront, maximizes views and natural light “so that even if you’re inside the house, you can see who is playing outside or in the lake,” Thornton says.
The downstairs powder room has a fresh gingham-style wallpaper, called Gertrude from Scalamandre. The sconces are from Lumiere with vintage blue glass.
Find glass sconces
Find glass sconces
In the master bedroom, the white upholstered headboard by Eli-Wyn is covered in a Ralph Lauren Home fabric. The suzani throw is from Jayson Home and the nightstand from Hickory Chair. A Balinese artwork hangs over the bed on a wall covered in a Phillip Jeffries grasscloth.
“With everything in the house, we wanted to maintain a sense of tradition but approach it in a fresh way,” Thornton says. That meant lots of color and pattern. The clients, in fact, are so happy with Thornton’s design of this lake home, they also commissioned her to design their main residence. “I love when a client wants me to go for it, color-wise,” she says.
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: This is a vacation house for a couple and their family
Location: Near Green Lake, Wisconsin
Size: Five bedrooms
Designers: Summer Thornton Design and McCormack + Etten Architects
A couple in their 60s wanted a lake house that would entice their grown children and grandchildren to visit and enjoy weekends boating, swimming and playing together as a family. “They wanted a place that was really colorful and fun,” says designer Summer Thornton. “Somewhere that was beautiful but where people could still wear swimsuits and be casual and relaxed. So we chose pieces that were full of pattern and color but still fresh and airy.”
Thornton is known for her innovative approach to mixing color and pattern. In the great room, she scaled up the furnishings to make the expansive space feel more intimate. The Hickory Chair sofas are covered in a blue-and-white ikat. Two custom armchairs are upholstered in a red cotton-linen blend by Brunschwig & Fils.