Guest Post: A Beach Inspired Home in Michigan

Let me first say that I am so excited to be a guest of Maya's!! I fell in love with her blogs the minute I opened them! So I am thrilled and honored to share my beach inspired home here!

I love the sea and everything that goes along with it. I live about 2 miles from Lake Michigan and have been a "beach girl" my whole life. I love to have things in my home that make me smile, pictures of my friends and family, items that tell a story and anything sea related!

When we moved into our house it was very dark and boring. 1970's linoleum on the floor and dark trim all over the house, and not the pretty kind. We have lived in our house for 13 years now and it is still a work in progress. Most of my inspirations are in the details of the items that I purchase or collect from places that I have visited.


Our master bathroom is very small but when I painted it this sky blue and installed a pedestal sink, it opened up. The window on the wall is from our old cottage. They were gracious enough to save one for myself and my mom. It reminds me of my favorite lake and the times that I had growing up.


I LOVE driftwood, LOVE IT!! I fished this piece out of Glen Lake, MI where our cottage is, and thought that the glass knobs would be great on it. The boat and clam candle holder I found on sale at Target and the starfish is from my sister in law from their trip to Florida. This hangs in our main bathroom.


I wanted something very calming and relaxing in our bedroom. A place to end the day in that was full of chaos. We put up the faux paneling and painted the room a lighter shade of the sky blue above the line and everything else white. Installed laminate flooring in a light wood and put some sea inspiring decor around the room. I love my seagull! It is a very peaceful place at the end of a long day and I feel like I am at the lake.


The family room is quite spacious so I decided to paint it a neutral color and then add splashes of aquas and light greens as well as white. I surrounded us with ocean life and pictures of our family at the lake. The chaise lounge is a great spot to sit and read or just relax.


I purchased the Lighthouse on sale and painted it white. It fit perfectly on my shelf!


The kitchen is long and narrow so I challenged my husband to build a bench from these Pottery Barn cushions that we had. He accepted and passed with flying colors! I made the shelf from chair spindles and plywood from Lowes. I loved how it looked 'cottagey' I covered the pillows with tropical fabric and again surround us with ocean life. (That's Rodman, he refused to move!)


We just built this little island for our computer out of cabinets and wainscoting. The Candle I purchased with the lighthouse and painted it a cream color and added some beachy elements to it.


This Beach Sign hangs in our entryway and it is my favorite! I love living by Lake Michigan and being able to go to the beach whenever I want.

Thank you again for having me Maya and thank you all for coming with me on a tour of my beach inspired home! Even in the cold Michigan winters, I am still close to the beach!!


Emerald Cove Jewelry

Thank you so much Michelle for the tour of your beach inspired home! You guys are so hands-on and created a wonderful beach retreat for yourself..., and the shores of Michigan look just like the ocean beaches here!

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Shabby Fabric Starfish

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