A charming cedar-clad cottage was designed for a family with room for expansion by Tom Stringer Design Partners, located lakeside in Harbor Springs, Michigan. This fairytale cottage is nestled along Lake Michigan, with the idea of designer chic details mixed with kid-friendly essentials. The homeowners wanted something that felt lived in, with a timeless, collected design aesthetic. This turn-of-the-century cottage features all of the classic details such as crisp white paint, beadboard and vintage wicker furnishings mixed with traditional style furnishings and accessories. Throughout the interiors you will notice quirky details that are mixed with bright, bold hues. The layout was dictated by the lifestyle of the family of four, with an emphasis on fewer, larger rooms. The largest room of the home is the sunlit living room, which features blues, yellows greens and pinks. The colors found here, pick up in other rooms elsewhere, such as the pink in the daughter’s precious room fit for a princess. Yellow is carried over into the dining room and the master bedroom has a romantic blue and white theme, while the green is drawn from the surrounding outdoor landscape. The family entertains a lot of overnight guests, so the design of the kitchen had to be super-efficient. Design features included a wall of cold storage, a spacious island topped with mahogany and double ovens.

Four upstairs bedrooms, which includes a guest room, holds their own touch of fantasy creating a very charming and welcoming appeal. There is also an attic playroom that features a garden gate, window boxes, and lush green shag “lawn,” perfect for rainy-day-play indoors. The finished result is a cottage retreat where the family can come together and all be kids again. The design of the home makes it feel like an all season summer camp, perfect for any family getaway!

We have featured another amazing cottage home designed by Tom Stringer Design Partners here on 1 Kindesign that we think you will also be inspired by: Cozy turn of the century coastal cottage on Lake Michigan.

The dining room is bright and sunny thanks to the yellow breadboard walls. Re-purposed furnishings from previous homes adds a touch of whimsy and a connection to the past.

The bright and airy master bedroom retreat was kept in a soothing color palette to enhance restfulness.

The daughter’s bedroom has a fairytale princess theme, featuring a beautiful pastel pink mixed with white furnishings and accessories. Swedish-inspired, the built-in bed was cleverly contrived, with a pull out drawer that is actually a concealed step up to get into the bed. The mattress is on a glide system that can be easily pulled out when the bed needs to be made.. a novel idea!

The boys share their own bedroom, inspired by memories of summer camp. Two bunk beds emulate the scale of a Sequoia tree, while the seating area emulates three tree stumps around a campfire.

Photos: Werner Straube