The Michigan Lake House
PHOTOGRAPHERS: Erin Konrath and Tom Harris, Sawyer MI
Designing a new build is a different kind of challenge — there are no constraints of history to work around, but there's also no existing soul to draw from. For this Lake Michigan retreat in Sawyer, Michigan, our goal was to create something that felt immediate and lived-in from day one: a home where families could relax, gather, and make memories across generations.
Every room was designed around the rhythms of lake house life — easy movement between indoors and out, durable materials that can handle wet feet and weekend guests, and a palette drawn from the water and landscape just beyond the windows. The living spaces feel generous but never formal, inviting everyone to settle in and stay a while.
The result is a full-service interior design project that proves new construction doesn't have to feel new — just layered, considered, and deeply personal.
Design by Kathryn Murphy Interiors · Sawyer, MI · New build interior design · Lake house design · Michigan vacation home interior design
