Previous owner Noretta Nagelkirk seemed powerless to resist the siren call of any picture frame, candle holder, ceramic figurine, or other kitschy knick knack with lake, waterfowl, and lighthouse motifs. So strong was the pull that she even netted beyond what made sense on an inland Michigan lake, from tropical fish wallpaper border to saltwater sea shell displays. We purged everything, and painted all the drywall ivory, leaving the original wood paneling untouched, and leaving me with a paralyzing design block in this now blank-slate space.
As I browsed Etsy wall art listings, an assemblage piece entitled Blowing Bubbles, by Brooklyn based Elizabeth Rosen, beckoned me. I didn’t know why. It didn’t really read “lake house.” But on some level it felt just right. So into the cart it went, and, a few weeks later, unto the wall it was hung. I thought it would be bigger. (I’ve since learned to create cardboard mock-ups to gauge size!) But despite its diminutive footprint, it had such presence. And it would come to inform nearly all of our design choices.
Red figured prominently in the mixed media collage, as did turquoise, a bold combo that was tamed by black accents. Palette, exterior and interior, check. The theme would not emerge quite so easily, but just as organically. Next up was a vintage wood Desco water ski turned coat rack, studded with boat cleats and old fishing lures. I would come to second guess this second purchase. Had I merely recast Noretta’s nautical style for the next generation, merely swapping out dime store bric-a-brac for salvage goods?
Soon came Lake Odessa antique postcards from Ebay, from the town’s golden age of tourism, circa 1910, when the lake’s shores were dotted with boat liveries and rustic and luxury lodging places alike. More age-worn members were welcomed to the increasingly eclectic collection: a pontoon wheel, a wood bowling pin, a Nash skateboard, a steel pedal car, a movie reel, and a pair of beachball paddles. And a retro road map of Michigan, the original vacancy sign from an up-north motel, and a slew of tins and crates from Michigan companies, especially soda pop and potato chip ones.
So what exactly ties together this hodgepodge? One of our first guests, Marjorie, who stayed that first summer the cottage was open, captured it succinctly, “It was just what we wanted–an old-fashioned Michigan cottage experience.” It’s the moments together that hearken back to a simpler time, when leisurely pleasures were abundant. It’s screen-free playtime that makes you feel like a kid on summer vacation again, swimming, splashing, and skating, sprinting to the general store for snacks and something ice cold to sip. It’s roasting marshmallows at the fire pit, and casting lines from the dock, and playing board games in your still-wet bathing suits. It’s blowing bubbles.
At this point you might be wondering if there’s A/C, or just jet-engine-loud, rickety box fans, and antique ones at that! Rest assured, the property is replete with modern amenities, from A/C and WiFi to flat-screens and a dishwasher. You won’t be lacking for convenience and comfort. But you will, at every turn, be invited to soak up the lake vibes our town’s waterfront resorts exuded over a century ago, still present now, to unplug from the frantic pace and fragmented nature of the daily grind, and to be fully present, with your favorite people, having the most fun ever.