By Melanie Radzicki McManus | Photography by Marta X. Perez
For years, the owners of a home on Geneva Lake put most of their energy into their careers, not their lake house. But as retirement loomed, it was time to focus on their home, namely, redecorating four bedrooms and renovating two bathrooms. So they partnered with Suzanne Glavin and Melinda Cahill, owners of the all-women interior design firm North Shore Nest in Glenview, Ill., to make these rooms more functional and aesthetically pleasing.
To that end, all of the guest rooms contain workspaces, seating areas and a spot to finish getting ready, whether that’s applying makeup or doing hair. And while each room’s decor is complementary, they all have a different vibe and attributes.
The sitting room suite, for example, features a bed with a curved, blue headboard that mimics the lake. Its turreted sitting area contains a deep sofa that can accommodate the couple’s many tall guests. The designer draperies in their daughter’s bedroom are the star. Glavin and Cahill chose a classic linen fabric from Lee Jofa, as the couple’s daughter has a passion for fine fabrics.
In the lake room, the bed faces the water, so Geneva Lake is the first thing guests see when they wake up.
The fourth bedroom is playful, with dashes of red via fabric lampshades, a boat, side table and large toy jack. Pint-sized visitors will appreciate the kaleidoscope set on a bench.
MORE ABOUT THIS HOME
- To give a shared guest bathroom some textural interest, the designers added wallpaper, brass accents and a white, lacquered mirror with a rattan inset.
- A small desk and mirror in the lake room afford guests a place to work and put on their makeup.
- A guest room offers visitors a peaceful retreat.
- Another guest room has two queen beds with preppy (and nautically inspired!) bedding
- The designers went for a whimsical design in the two-bed guest room via wallpaper, sailboats, a rattan mirror reminiscent of nautical roping and pops of red. “We love the details in this room,” says Glavin, whose firm specializes in designing vacation homes. “It screams Americana, ‘We’re at the lake!’ and ‘It’s summer!’”
- Charming blue floral wallpaper gives this bathroom a boost.
