Behind The Design: Urban Farm Lake Bungalow Home

Today, I want to introduce you to one of my favorite design projects. In my years of doing this, no other project has been as thoughtfully considered as this one. Every single detail – from antique doorknobs reminiscent of the ones on Grandma’s house, to kitty litter ventilation – has been painstakingly implemented and the sum total of all the amazing parts is show-stopping.

When you see the pictures, I think you will agree that homeowner, Red Barn’s own Lesley McGrew, and interior designer and our Design Collective partner, Kristin Try, have created a warm, beautiful, and inviting home that speaks to Lesley’s kindness, charm, sense of humor, and love of family.

I’m so pleased to bring you a Q&A with the two creative geniuses that took a sweet, but somewhat shabby bungalow and turned it into a gorgeous #UrbanFarmLakeBungalowHome. Enjoy!

Amy: The project was dubbed #urbanfarmlakebungalowhome. That's a mouthful! What was the original inspiration for the home and, in the end, do you think you achieved it?

Kristin: I gave the project this hashtag because we were really trying to achieve a cohesive look but with so many different styles. The clients love Michigan (lake living), as well as vintage and farmhouse elements. And the home really started off as a beautiful bungalow. I think we achieved a beautiful home that embraced all these elements and more!

Lesley: I love the hashtag and laughed out loud when Kristin told me about it. It was perfect. When talking about our renovation and what we wanted the outcome to be, it was very much about incorporating elements of our present and past, along with design aesthetics we not only liked but identified with on some level. Urban reflects where we live currently and where we lived in Chicago; Kristin mentioned the lake influence on my life growing up in Michigan; the clean and simple farmhouse style we love; and the home was a sweet bungalow (1923) whose history we wanted to honor. We were able to use the original pine siding as shelves in our basement bathroom, keep the original small, square windows in the living room, restore the pine flooring in two of the upstairs rooms, and re-use three of the original interior doors in the basement.

Amy: This was a very collaborative project between the two of you, your builder, Harry Braswell, and your architect, Laura Campbell. Can you talk to us about your process and why that's the way you chose to work? What were the benefits – and drawbacks if any?

Kristin: This project was my first large interior design project and there is absolutely no way I would have been able to do this without the amazing team! I was very appreciative of the respect and experience each person brought to the table. I felt comfortable sharing my design ideas in our team meetings and also respected hearing from the seasoned pros throughout the process. The quality of craftsmanship and desire to create a beautiful home for the clients was evident in this team. There were always challenges and errors, as all projects have, but we were all on the same page and looking to make this project stand out. The process was long and a big investment for the clients, but the end result of our group effort speaks for itself!

Lesley: I have to be honest; we did not think about bringing on an interior designer at the outset. I don't know if it was naiveté that I could do it on my own, or that we were too consumed with architectural and contractor aspects of the project. Either way, our renovation would not have been successful without a designer. We had been working with Laura, Gretchen and Jarrett (both with Harry Braswell) for several months when I reached out to Kristin, and she joined in seamlessly.  Once on board, she was present at almost every major meeting, and we traveled together to stone yards, tile shops, plumbing showrooms, vintage stores and more. What Kristin was able to source fabric, furniture and accessory-wise was both time and money saving for us. While we didn't start working with her too late in the process, I can definitely say earlier is better to involve an interior designer in your project, big or small. I thank my lucky stars Kristin was there when it was time to finalize the lighting plan - her selection of lights based on styles I shared with her was so incredible that if there was an award for best "Light Selections by an Interior Designer," she would win it.

I also echo Kristin's thoughts about challenges and errors, and something she recently said illustrates how well the team worked together: that whatever issues came up on the project, the can-do attitude from everyone involved was, "Okay. This happened now let's figure it out, fix it, and move on."

Amy: After it's all said and done, we look back on a project and reflect on the decisions we made. What was the best decision you made and what is a decision that you would have made differently?

Kristin: I love so many decisions we made that it is hard to pick a favorite. My favorite decision in the project include selections from lightning, flooring, marble, stone, tile, cabinetry, furniture and furnishings, and window treatments to also making the space flow and function (which really included hundreds of decisions). All of this is thanks to clients that trusted my vision! It is so hard for many clients to trust a vision and when the designer doesn’t have to hold back, the end result is always better. I also love working with clients that are excited about their projects and engage in positive ways. The clients in this project were involved and excited about creating a home that reflected them which pushed us all to give our best.

A decision I would do differently? Perhaps giving us more time for the custom furniture – it always takes longer than you think or a fabric house will go out of business and you need to reselect a new fabric even though you were waiting on one for months. It is a process and one you need to be as patient and proactive as possible with. Thank goodness we got to work with Red Barn Mercantile to make so many of our furniture dreams a reality in this project!

Lesley: Oh, the gift of hindsight! If we had known our basement would be completely flooded twice post-project, we would have dug up the front yard (which was never done as it wasn't necessary for our project) and learned our sump pump was draining into the ground...not into a drain or sewer! We would have made significant remediations during the project, which we are now undertaking with Harry Braswell, and not endured the stress, mess and loss that flooding brings. Despite all of this, one of the best decisions we made was to finish the basement, which was not in our original plans, but later revised with Laura. With Kristin's guidance we created functional, enjoyable and stylish living, laundry and bathroom spaces to complete what is a true third level of our home.

Amy: The only rooms original to the house are the front living room and the front upstairs bedroom and bath, the rest is brand new. That allowed you to make many design choices. Of all the design elements in the house, what was your absolute favorite?  I think mine is a toss-up between the stunning marble you used in the kitchen and the clever way you incorporated access for your pets.

Kristin: I love the blue room, the marble backsplash, the gingham floor in the basement, the textiles, and the overall cohesive feel of the rooms without them feeling too much alike or too white!

Lesley: Don't forget about the secret kitty closet with litter box ventilation! Yes, we are those crazy cat (and dog) people. I also love our windows: the black frames outside & inside, the floor-to-ceiling windows in our family room, the kitchen windows with hidden, pull down screens, and the gorgeous window treatments that Kristin selected. And ditto on what Kristin said, especially the blue room! Our office/playroom was an area where I completely followed Kristin's lead, painting everything blue in the room (trim, walls, door, etc.). For me personally, the cohesive feel of a space is one of the best lessons I learned from Kristin during this process. You may love an awesome window treatment, pendant light, backsplash or even a simple bowl for a table. But how are those all going to look as you go from one room to another and see them from a different room, or view?

Amy: Kristin, when taking on new projects like the #urbanfarmlakebungalowhome, what do you look for? Who is your ideal collaborator?

Kristin: When taking on a large, multi-year project like this one I want to work with a solid team that can communicate well, respect one another, and focus on making the clients dreams reality. I can’t say enough good things about working with Harry Braswell’s team and Laura Campbell Architecture. As for clients, I appreciate when they are open to new and different ideas and that they have a solid understanding that things always go wrong but we can work together as a team to get an amazing outcome. I say it a lot, but kindness, trust, and teamwork really are the foundation for a successful project.

Amy: Finally, Lesley, what was it like to work with Kristin?  Of all the designers out there, why did you choose her?

Lesley: I'm going to quote what I said about Kristin in an earlier Instagram post: For us Kristin was "... the steady hand, the creative genius, the consummate helper and more throughout our home renovation..." There was no one who was "better at handling the many moving parts. And doing it all with amazing vision & talent." I would also add managing everything with grace. I have always felt a connection to Kristin, admired her creativity and loved what she was doing with her own home, especially her kitchen. More importantly I trusted her - and still do.

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