How Brian Cash Works and MAK + KAM Created a Modern Lake Lanier Retreat That Feels Both Grand and Inviting

Above the mantel, an antique Japanese screen from 1st Dibs is paired with an artwork by Mark Tobey through Anders Wahlstedt Fine Art. Window treatments throughout are custom by Stitch Above the Rest.

Armchairs and a sofa from Maiden Home, layered rugs by Armadillo, and custom throw pillows create a cozy tableau surrounding the living room’s stone fireplace.

In the kitchen, a wall of zellige squares from Tiles of Lucca and floating shelves filled with glassware add sparkle against the black-framed windows.

The repetition of Jute Cross Rugs from Nordic Knots creates the effect of a runner, bridging together the entry spaces. Eclectic pieces, such as an artwork by Berend Boorsma and the Vogel Studio vessel through Habachy Designs + Atelier, enhance the home’s cosmopolitan feel.

Rattan pendants contrast beautifully against the Mont Blanc quartzite on the counters and backsplash in the kitchen.

The home’s extensive art collection, curated by designer Brian Cash from galleries across the globe, begins with a commissioned quilted wall hanging of Lake Lanier

Set against the moody dark walls of the powder room, Visual Comfort & Co. sconces, veined marble countertops, and Waterworks fixtures glimmer.

A VIPP chrome desk chair, an Akari pendant from Noguchi Museum Shop, and a coffee table by Rachel Donath make working from the lake much more enjoyable.

To achieve the desired sense of warmth, Cash thoughtfully chose and layered materials with a focus on craftsmanship, such as ceiling-height drapes from Nordic Knots and handmade lamps by Victoria Morris Pottery in the primary bedroom.

Custom pillows covered in Dedar Nouvelles Vagues fabric sit on the bench below the window. A photograph by Tal Paz-Fridman adorns the wall above the tub

In the walk-in shower, the walls are enveloped in zellige squares from Tiles of Lucca.

Guests are greeted with a Maiden Home bed and bedside lamps by Spain-based Los Objetos Decorativos. Artwork by Jordana Loeb resides above the headboard.

Cash imagined each bedroom as a private hotel suite—distinct yet related, offering guests the comfort of a boutique stay.

A neutral scheme in a guest room creates a calming retreat, while an Akari table lamp from the Noguchi Shop elevates the aesthetic.

Picture lights spotlight vignettes among the library shelves, including a sculpture from The Oblist and collected vintage artworks.

When it comes to seamless entertaining for large groups, a secondary kitchen is a primary priority. Counter stools and chairs by Artemest ensure ample seating, while vintage French blockprint stamps through The Nicholson Gallery add visual interest to the wall.

Views of Lake Lanier are enchanting at dusk.

The home’s architecture, planned by Gray Reese LLC and built by MAK + KAM, embraces the dramatic slope of the site to maximize space for entertaining and views of Lake Lanier.

Proud parents are bound to brag on their children to total strangers. For Atlanta- and New York-based architect and interior designer Brian Cash, his father’s casual conversation helped lead to a dream project.

“My dad, being the social butterfly that he is, struck up a conversation at the Forsyth County YMCA with Marcus Krause of MAK + KAM,” shares Cash. As luck would have it, the luxury custom builder had broken ground on a secluded homesite on Lake Lanier for a stylish client and was in the market for an interior designer up for a big challenge: outfitting a 7,350-square-foot residence with 6 bedrooms and 8.5 baths plus terraces, open porches, and a screened-in space designed for seamless indoor-outdoor living.

Cash, who was drawn as much to collaborating with MAK + KAM and the client as to the grand scale of the new build on a steeply inclined property, didn’t flinch at taking on the full project scope.

“The topography naturally opened dramatic view corridors and allowed us to position the home in a way that feels deeply connected to the water and surrounding landscape,” says Krause. Instead of fighting nature, they leaned into it, allowing the slope and environment to shape the home’s architectural plan by Gray Reese LLC.

With a tight 17-month deadline and no time to waste, Cash got to work on the blank canvas of a home to create a place that felt elevated yet warm, approachable, and practical for the client’s young and active family. “At the beginning of the design process, I always inundate myself with imagery: other projects, furniture, fashion, film, you name it,” he shares. In turn, the focus became balancing neutral tones and natural textures with pops of visual contrast and
rich character.

Upon entering, guests are greeted with a commissioned quilted wall hanging representing an aerial view of Lake Lanier, designed by Haptic Lab to honor the area’s lost Indigenous and Black histories. The quilt’s modern-rustic aesthetic—and the intentionality behind it—not only sets the vibe for the rooms beyond, but also kicks off a robust collection of 50 works sourced from galleries in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Bath, New York, Barcelona, Vienna, Istanbul, Stockholm, and Montreal.

In the main living area, a retractable wall of glossy black doors creates dramatic tension against the stone fireplace and luxe textiles of rawhide, leather, and wool, while the restrained palette elegantly frames the view of the lake rather than competing with it. Everything, from the felt coasters to the vintage furnishings, was sourced specifically for this home, layering it with a sophisticated, global perspective that leans Scandinavian.

The resulting lakehouse offers a deep exhale, a place to slow down and appreciate the way sunlight casts shifting shadows throughout the day, or the leaves changing on the trees that circle the water.

“More than anything, we love how the home actually lives—it feels energetic and social when full of people, yet calm and intimate at the same time,” says Krause. And after the dream project became reality, Cash now encourages his dad to talk to more strangers.

DESIGN Brian Cash, Brian Cash Works, (646) 808-4964; briancash.works BUILDER Marcus Krause, MAK + KAM, (248) 705-2174; makandkam.com ARCHITECT Gray Reese, LLC, (404) 234-6002; grayreesellc.com