Cozy, Eclectic Cottage Style in Walloon Lake Michigan

Hello from the great Up North, guys! As those of you who have followed along with this little blog for a minute or two know, Northern Michigan is one of the great loves of my life and has quickly become one of Chris’ favorite places, too. Though I love Phoenix, the little corner of the city we’ve  settled in and the life we’ve created there, it has never really felt like “home” to me the way Michigan does. I try my hardest to connect with it the way I do Northern Michigan, but despite my best efforts it still takes work. Which is totally ok — I’ll survive! It just means that I cherish the time I spend in Michigan each year that much more and soak in every bit of everything I love about it as much as I can.

And this year, as those of you who follow us on Instagram may have noticed, I’ve been especially appreciating the eclectic cottage styles sprinkled around the lake. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always appreciated how unique and beautiful the cottages around the lake are. We’ve spent a huge chunk of the summers and winters here at the lake house on Walloon Lake Michigan my entire life, so it’s not like I haven’t noticed how special the homes here are, but as I get older and put my own unique stamp on our home, I’m so much more appreciative of the time, care and effort that goes into creating a home that’s not only unique, but uniquely you. That feels like you. That feels like your family. That invites people in to who you are and what you love. And there’s such an abundance of that here.

Each “cottage” here on Walloon Lake Michigan is so incredibly unique and special. Some old. Some new. And they all tell their own special story. Stories of families, friendship, the indoor/outdoor lifestyle so many amazing memories made. From classic cottages like “Windemere”, Ernest Hemingway’s childhood home to the more palatial, modern “cottages” that have started to pop up all over the lake’s shoreline, there are just so many cool, creative details to love, both interior and exterior. And as we’ve traversed the lake in the boat over the last couple of years, I’ve been so inspired by those cozy-cool cottage details around Walloon that this year, I thought I’d snap some of my favorites to not only carry the inspiration back home with me to Arizona, but to share the cottage style inspo with you guys, too!

My mom and I always yammer on about our favorite cottages around the lake, why we love them, the details that inspire us and how we’d update old gems, so we’re both super excited to hear what your favorites are of what you see in the pics and why, the details you love or would lose and how you’d do your own cottage style if you lived life Up North! It’s so much fun to dream, isn’t it?

Cottage style is the design style I connect with the most, and I think spending so much of my 33 years of life on Walloon is probably the very reason why it’s so near and dear to my heart. It just makes sense to me from a design perspective and those comfy, cozy, relaxed cottage-like details always make any house feel a little bit more like “home” to me, no matter if it’s in a house in the desert, a countryside in Europe or right back here in Northern Michigan.

My mom notices every distinct detail that makes each cottage exceptional in its own way, so as we took a slow boat ride around the lake to snap our favorites we didn’t miss a beat because she knows. it. all. Summary? If you’re doing a cottage on the lake you better come correct because Anna Miller will notice! I kid, I kid… kind of.

From the adorable little peach cottage with the with chippendale railing to the classic Victorian cottage that’s been expertly updated to the modern marvels that buck tradition in the best way, she lead me straight to the good stuff and after all was said and done, I was just so impressed. From the carefully planned landscaping to the gorgeous exteriors in fun, creative color palettes, to the cool indoor/outdoor design elements, the time and care the residents of Walloon put into the design of their homes absolutely blows my mind and it makes my heart so happy!

I hope all of you cottage style appreciators and general design lovers enjoyed this little journey into the cool, eclectic cottage styles up here on Walloon Lake Michigan and that is serves as inspiration for your own fairytale cottage dreams! I’ll just be over here drooling (and snapping!) away until we leave on Sunday, so make sure you’re following along on Instagram and Instagram Stories for a closer look at the Northern Michigan lake life and the homes that make is so special! And remember… no salt, no sharks, no worries!