This Magical Vacation Cottage Sparks Major Joy

Chicago-based designer Kate Marker doesn’t usually believe in fate, but all signs pointed to the fact that a 1,400-square-foot, one story cottage in Union Pier, Michigan, was destined to be hers. It wasn’t just the picturesque surrounding town or the fact that she could hear waves crashing on the nearby beach from the home’s entryway. “It smelled like the right place,” she says. “That cottage-y, cabin-y smell and vibe.” Kate and her husband purchased the 1920s house immediately and soon got to work gutting the entire space. In just two months — “My fastest project ever!” — Kate and her team took the home from a ho-hum space with zero updated amenities to a curated, eclectic cottage filled with vintage touches, natural materials and some pretty edgy pieces. Oh, and did we mention you can rent it out?

Scroll through this gallery and you’ll understand. The name fits the cottage in a perfectly indescribable way. Maybe it’s because Kate christened it after her father, Leo, and her grandfather, also Leo. Or maybe it's because the space is creative, relaxed and happy, astrological traits associated with the Leo zodiac sign, which Kate loves. She even incorporated the star sign into the cottage’s logo. Fate’s final play: Two stone, lion-like gargoyles (original to the cottage) greet guests from atop the surrounding white picket fence. When Kate saw them, she knew she was home.

The cottage feels edgier than Kate’s usual clean style, but hints of her signature curated hominess are ubiquitous. She designed the space not just for her own family — they use it as a vacation getaway — but for renters, so the furnishings are functional as well as beautiful. In the living room, antique beams on the sloped ceiling hover over a Lee Industries couch. Vintage chairs from France and a sliced teak coffee table add natural texture.

Old and new meld together in Kate’s layered cooking space. Believe it or not, the kitchen flooring is original to cottage. Yep, it dates back to the 1920s. Kate had it restored and then extended the pattern throughout the rest of the room. And check out the salmon-colored Big Chill fridge — it’s one of Kate’s favorite pieces. Oh, and that rustic island is totally vintage. Kate designed the cabinetry to match the island then topped the look off with antique wooden stools.