This Lakeside Home Has Not a Cabin-Core Cliche in Sight

Down a little track, in a deeply wooded forest an hour outside Chicago, nestles a house which is not so much a cabin but an homage to one — a holiday home that is cabin-esque, if you will.

“It felt honest and true to the setting to stick to the cabin vernacular,” says one of its designers, Liz Hoekzema, “but we wanted to walk the line between the classic casual cabin and a more elevated approach to design.”

The result is a marriage of rustic-style architecture: all pitched roof and exterior clad in planks of rich, dark Montana timber and an interior that wouldn’t look out of place in the chicest of urban modern homes.

Off-white kitchen with glossy cream zellige tiled walls, curved island with black and white marble countertop, and cabinetry with burgundy hardware.

“We didn’t want a space that was all wood, plaid and fur — the things you’d expect to find in a home in the forest,” says Liz. Surprisingly, the starting point for her design — a scheme that includes matt and glossy zellige tiles; fireplaces surrounded by onyx and furniture from high-end Italian brands such as Zanotta — was actually more cabin-y than contemporary.

Off-white dining room with long rectangular wooden dining table, burgundy chairs and brass pendant lights — “I love how dynamic this light fitting is,” says Liz. “It disperses the light in such a flattering and interesting way, and is perfect for over a dining table.”

Pooky

Smaller Crumple Pendant Light in Brass

Powder room with dark brown zellige tiles, pale green stone countertop, pale green pendant and organic wood mirror — “There is a raw quality to how rich that brown of the mirror is, and it has a really grounding effect on this space,” Liz says.

It was the classic Hudson’s Bay blanket, that thick wool throw you’re likely to find in every American cabin and about as rustic as you can get. “It was a design link to what we were doing here, even if our iteration was subtle,” says Liz, co-founder of the Michigan-based studio KLH. “You see nods to its pattern in the kitchen and the striping of the tiles there; in the bold colors in some of the rooms.’

Room of bunk beds with bright orange metalware — On the lower floor, the bunk room can sleep up to 12 people with its mix of queen- and single-sized beds. “Can you imagine the chaos if they were all kids though? Good luck to you!” jokes Liz.

One very non-cabin-like feature is the kaleidoscopic approach to palettes for each of the spaces — the terracotta main bedroom; a sky blue kids’ bathroom; a cloakroom with pistachio-green pendants. “We felt this home should have a sense of adventure — like any trip to the forest,” says Liz. “It should be that you never know what is around each corner but you can’t wait to find out.”

View from a white bathroom with carved vanity units and twin round mirrors into a terracotta bedroom. — “The brown check was so cheeky and interesting — a way to liven up this space and link it to the terracotta tones of the adjoining bedroom,” says Liz.

West Elm

Organic Textured Metal Wall Mirror

A white bathroom with horizontal metro wall tiles, checkerboard floor tiles, a round tub bath and a sculptural wood side table topped with a branch in a small vase. — “The roundness of the circular bath felt like a good foil to all the hard edges you normally get in a bathroom — plus it’s so inviting! Like a little teacup,” says Liz.

One of the most exciting spaces is the modern kitchen, with its ridged, rounded island and burgundy hardware. “The shape of the island makes it such a beautiful gathering place,” says Liz. “We went for lighter colors here because this room is north-facing and my hope is that the effect draws people in and makes them feel at home.”