House Tour: Eclectic Lake Cottage

May 09, 2013
All those random items you love can add up to a great-looking home. This Michigan cottage shows how to make eclectic work, with its mix of antiques, modern furniture and outsider art.
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Artful groupings

Antiques such as these croquet balls make up many of the artful displays in a 1,200-square-foot summer cottage by Lake Michigan.The homeowner was prepared to raze the deteriorating 1920s cottage when he bought it, but then decided to renovate and redecorate.Now its furnishings include modern metal-mesh chairs, a 1960s orange floor lamp, a clawfoot tub salvaged from a nearby field, and an Amish milking stool. The artwork is mostly by artists unknown by the typical gallery owner. But the sum of these seemingly random parts is a warm and charming home.

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Living room mix

Eras and styles blend in the living room, where a 1950s beverage cart stands beside an Amish bench and a painting by self-taught artist Casey McGlynn.

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Classic entry

The stained wood door is one of the original items saved during remodeling.

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Color accents

Removing a wall created a surprisingly large gathering room in the small cottage. Artwork stands out from the home's white palette, which is splashed with color from pieces such as the quilt.

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Beaded board stairwell

Vertical and horizontal wood on the stairwell creates visual energy.

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Kitchen charm

Stock cabinets feature custom glass doors echoing the home's new windows.

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Recycled pillow

The chaise lounge's pillow was made from a grain bag.

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Old tub, new bath

An antique claw-foot tub sits in a dormer in a new bathroom carved out of attic space.

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Bedroom art

This bedroom features a painting of a woman by Lee Godie, famous among Chicago's outsider artists.

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Crazy quilt color

A Victorian crazy quilt decorates brings a big splash of color to this bedroom.

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Attic bedroom

Black paint updates the iron bed in the attic bedroom of this Minnesota home; orange pillows add seasonal color.

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Kitchen art

The kitchen features outsider art created by scraping scraps of wood.

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Cozy exterior

An Amish-made fence surrounds the yard and flower borders, while a casual grouping of chairs on the deck invites guests to kick back and relax. 

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