Every home is a balancing act, and the new owners of a stretch of Lake Michigan waterfront admittedly had some conflicting priorities. They wanted a comfortable full-time home for themselves, with plenty of room—indoors and out—for their extended family and beloved golden retrievers. On a busy street lined with stately properties, they wanted theirs to feel intimate and approachable. The interiors should offer quiet backdrops for their art, comfortable areas for watching sports, and thoughtful solutions to make life with dogs and grandchildren easier. The tiered backyard and pool deck needed to be fully reworked, with spaces for recreation and conversation—and, naturally, they didn't want to block the view.
Their design pros pulled it off in a way that seems effortless, mostly by looking to the past. The architecture, led by Erica Weeder of Liederbach & Graham, draws on Colonial Revival houses like those of acclaimed Chicago architect David Adler, with wood shake siding, a rambling floor plan, and a more human scale. The one-room-wide layout lets in maximum light; structural beams, floors, and paneling in white oak bring warmth. Interior designer Frank Ponterio sourced European antiques, designed lighting and furniture in handwrought materials like iron and walnut, and finished the walls and ceilings in textured plaster. Landscape architect Sara Furlan of Mariani Landscape carried the concepts into outdoor "rooms," delineating lounging and dining areas with low walls, mature trees, and pollinator-friendly plants, all while creating a sense of privacy and harmony.
The effect is transporting: "When you look out from the house, you could be on the Mediterranean," Ponterio says. Modern conveniences are incorporated so carefully you might miss them. Hidden TVs are everywhere, lifting out of a stone floor, popping up from a console, and layered behind artwork. (The latter lets the living room function equally well as gallery and kids' hangout.) The primary suite is tucked away on the main level. And an area off the kitchen is well equipped for muddy paws, with built-in gates that hinge and disappear into the wall and a dog room that leads out into a fenced, faux-turf-covered canine play zone. In every way, in every season, the living here is easy.
Entryway
Conservatory
Pictured above.
The scenery isn't the only entertainment in this nook off the primary bedroom: A TV pops out of the floor by the windows. Chandelier: Formations. Sofa: Verellen. Shades: custom, Grants Blinds. Rug: Adara Limited.
Living Room
A custom drop-leaf console becomes a kids' table when pulled up to the custom bay window settee. The coffee table is a reclaimed door on a bronze base. Sofas: custom, in de Le Cuona fabric. Chandeliers: custom, Dessin Fournir.
Screened Porch
This sheltered spot lets the family stretch the summer a little longer. Chandelier: Gregorius Pineo. Armchairs: Janus et Cie. Ottomans: Palecek. Coffee table: custom, Tithof Tile & Marble.
Family Room
Reclaimed wood paneling is a textural backdrop for their art. Sofa: custom, in Mark Alexander fabric. Armchairs: Rose Tarlow (left), Kravet (center). Rug: custom, Hinkins & Associates. Coffee table: custom, Tithof Tile & Marble. Game table and chairs: Gregorius Pineo.
Kitchen
Custom lanterns have hidden task lights in the base. Sconces: Besselink & Jones. Faucet: Dornbracht. Island and backsplash: Quartzite Cielo, Antolini. Barstools: Gregorius Pineo in Calvin Fabrics with Holland & Sherry trim.
Dining Room
The blue Scathain range hood contrasts with the leather and rush textures, and draws the eye upward. Chandelier, table,and chairs: Gregorius Pineo. Cushions: custom, in Mark Alexander fabric with Great Plains trim.
Primary Bedroom
The Formations chest holds a TV. Lantern: Jamb. Bed: Iatesta Studio in Coraggio fabric. Rug: Elizabeth Eakins. Sconces: Rose Tarlow (fireplace), Galerie des Lampes (bedside). Bench: Dennis & Leen in Foglizzo leather with Samuel & Sons trim.
Study
The walnut library table designed by Ponterio and made by Antiques on Old Plank Road has aprons that hide charging drawers. Lanterns: Paul Ferrante. Sofa: Lee Jofa in Clarence House fabric. Rug: Woven. Ottomans: custom, in Mark Alexander fabric.
Pool Loggia
Set a level below the house, this lounge offers privacy, shade, and comfy game-day viewing on a TV in the custom sofa table (right). The Sutherland chaises hinge at both ends to face the lake or the pool. Lantern: Paul Ferrante. Sofas and coffee table: McKinnon and Harris.
Firepit
The owners wanted the terraced yard to contain "multiple experiences," Furlan says. This cozy conversation spot at the south end of the lawn, between the main house and pool deck, is anchored by a yellow-flowering horse chestnut tree.
