Heirloom Home

Designer Jackye Lanham painted the original furniture white to give it a lighter feeling while tailored draperies frame the custom window seat and lake view.

The Queen Anne Victorian home sits on The Point of Lake Michigan—a location that remains reachable only by boat, horse-drawn carriage or bicycle.

The inviting living room features ample seating where generations of family gather. A large ottoman from Mrs. Howard anchors the area while a patinated chandelier from Edgar-Reeves offers interest to the beamed ceiling. An antique chest from Joseph Konrad mixes seamlessly with modern upholstery. 

Framed by the original sideboard and console tables, the original table and Chippendale chairs are now lacquered white and seem to float in the dining room.

Delicately patterned Cowtan & Tout wallcovering softens bold architectural lines.

Alcoves tucked beneath the stairs were once treasured reading spots that continue to invite one to linger longer. 

Lanham had the home’s original 12-foot-wide refrigerator refurbished to create a completely authentic interior.

The large walk-in butler’s pantry is perfect for storing all of the tableware required for running a large summer home. 

The original beveled-glass windows are sculptural against the white walls and dark floors.

The breakfast room perches above the lake and offers the perfect spot to watch the morning unfold on the water.

The breakfast room perches above the lake and offers the perfect spot to watch the morning unfold on the water.

The home’s original doors hang in the foyer where the beveled-glass panes permit light-filled spaces throughout the day.

Lanham designed the custom bed for the owners while an English bench from English Accent Antiques acts as both a footboard and a place to sit.

Wide windows that face the water create perfect perches for window seats in the bedrooms.

An original fireplace creates a commanding focal point in the master bathroom where white marble mixes with shiplap.

Each of the 12 bedrooms offers magnificent views that are further enhanced by the home’s casement windows, which feature custom drapery hardware designed by Lanham. 

A vintage telephone sits on an original desk.

The second master bedroom features a sitting area in the home’s cupola. A Paul Ferrante lantern hangs above seating by Hickory Chair while plaid draperies made from Zimmer + Rohde enhance the blue and white nautical theme.

Lanham refurbished all of the original fixtures and fittings, including reglazing the sinks and replating the faucets, while the original scale got a fresh coat of white paint.

Taupe and white fabrics, vintage furniture, and brown pottery plates from Lanham’s collection create a layered, inviting respite in a guest bedroom.

A home with a view: The lake beckons all to her shores. 

Thanks to their perfect proportion and design, wicker from Logan Gardens and a zinc-top table from Ainsworth-Noah appear as if they are original to the property. The family’s five Golden Labradors take up residence on the porch for the duration of the summer.

When Christopher Reeve starred in Somewhere in Time, it offered a glimpse into the previous century when people escaped hot summers in the city for a more genteel lifestyle by the water. Set in 1912 and filmed at the famed Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, the film transported viewers to the shores of Lake Michigan where generations of families gathered for relaxed but refined vacations.

In 2012, nationally renowned designer Jackye Lanham ventured to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to see the magnificent home (which won a Philip Trammell Shutze award for renovation in 2016) her Atlanta-based clients had purchased. Upon arrival, she felt transported in time. “Harbor Springs is a small, late 19th-century town on Lake Michigan where there’s tremendous respect for the ritual of generations of families gathering in summer, and where time moves slower,” says Lanham. The Point is only reachable by boat, bicycle or horse-drawn carriage—a reminder that civility and tradition are more valued than convenience in Harbor Springs. 

 The owners both grew up spending summers on the shores of Harbor Springs with their families, so recreating that experience to share with their children and grandchildren was paramount. When they purchased an original 19th-century home, they asked Lanham to renovate and design the 12-bedroom, four-story dwelling.

Relocating the kitchen, updating all of the plumbing and wiring, raising the ceilings, winterizing the home and adding an additional porch were among the many renovations Lanham undertook. However, Lanham went even further in her efforts: All of the original fixtures, fittings and hardware were replated; the original porcelain and cast-iron sinks were retained; and the original 1920s 12-foot-wide refrigerator was refurbished. “The house took several years to renovate and restore because of the seasonal logistics as well as our commitment to use as much from the original home as possible,” says Lanham. 

The designer remained authentic to period details at every opportunity. “In the early 20th century, the trains would arrive from Grand Rapids, Michigan, loaded with furniture, and residents would meet the train to purchase goods,” says Lanham. “Those pieces were so well-made that we decided to update the home’s original furnishings and incorporate them into the new design.” In her signature style and with great panache, Lanham painted the pieces white and dressed them in linens and cottons befitting of summer holidays.

While this period home appears to be a grand dame on the exterior, on the interior she’s an authentic Victorian shingle house that remains a beloved family home.

INTERIOR DESIGN Jackye Lanham, Jacquelynne P. Lanham Designs, Inc., (404) 364-0472; jackyelanham.com