RED WHITE & VIEW

IT'S A RUSH TO SUMMER FOR ONE COUPLE WHO TURNED TO AN INIMITABLE DESIGN DUO FOR THEIR ALL-AMERICAN SHORELINE SANCTUARY

- ELLA SCHULTE

For a second home on the shores of Lake Charlevoix in Michigan, only a short time - one-year - was allotted to complete a full renovation. But Indianapolis-based interior designer Amanda Lantz had a plan.

She would infuse her clients' lakefront home with an all-American gloss: stripes on rugs and fabrics; nautical accessories, such as oars and sailing flags; and the patriotic color stamp of red, white, and blue. The abbreviated time frame set her creative prowess to a speed that at times felt like a boat at 100 knots.

An abundance of effort, including from architect Gary Nance, soon transformed the residence. "When you're doing a renovation with such a tight time frame, things don't always work out," Nance says. "Whatever negatives we ran into, we turned positive. That truly made this home spectacular." 

Primed for hosting lakeside soirees by 2022, the graceful home is as alluring as it is effortless. Upon crossing the threshold, guests accept the invitation to relax and engage in leisurely summertime activities. Amanda, too, was able to relax a bit during the project knowing she had strong support from her father, designer Barry Lantz, from whom she purchased her interior design business.

Embellishing each space with patriotic colors without going overboard was a top priority for the father-daughter team. "Old framed flags were a great solution for artwork," Amanda says. "It was fun to procure them, and they are classic." 

Two additional goals were always top of mind. First, patterns and geometrics had to be playful without overpowering. Amanda tackled this task. 

For space planning, she adopted a father-knows-best attitude and leaned on Barry for his expertise. He navigated how scale would bring warmth to the sea of stars and stripes.