Manitou Lake Project - Pt 1

Hello friends!

We are coming off a busy and exciting season here at Aviator Jayne. So busy in fact, we have a lot to catch you up on! Not only did the shop buzz with events, classes, and workshops and beautiful community, but we finally finished the Loft Apartment Project back in May. Have you seen it? Hop over to instagram or our Facebook page to see some of the pictures. It’s a real beauty and we’re so proud of how it turned out!

We’ve been itching to tell you about the next project we’ve started. When we were in the middle of the Loft Apartment project, we were approached by a sweet family who recently relocated here to Owosso. They asked us about completely re-doing the kitchen and great room in their new home and we enthusiastically jumped right in. We’re calling it the Manitou Lake Project.

A few cool specs on this place... The house sits on beautiful Manitou Lake and the space is large and open with a wall of windows that overlook the lake. The kitchen and great room are in one open area. They have a fireplace and new wood floors. The kitchen itself was recently updated but still needs some reimagining to make the space flow together a little better. It’s just a lovely place to be in already. Bright, airy, open, with a clean canvas to transform into a place this family will love to spend time in.

So here is what we plan to do. We always start by figuring out what the function of the space will be. They have a young child so the room can’t be too uptight, but it needs to be ultra livable and comfy. They picture the space being used for entertaining and large family gatherings, so we’re thinking of ways to incorporate a lot of cozy seating and mapping out how a large dining room table can also fit in the room.

Since this particular space is right in the heart of the home, it needs to be easy to be in and easy on the eyes as they will spend every single day in this space. With this in mind, we’re picking soft colors, effortless materials, and decor pieces that carry meaning to this family.

After a few discussions, we’ve narrowed down their style to be “modern rustic.” I love this style combo. I love when two very different styles collide because it always pays off in loads of character, interest, and depth. They’ve also made a request that we incorporate subtle nods to their love of Michigan shorelines, particularly St. Clair Shores, and their memories of growing up around and on sail boats…without being overly nautical. This could be tricky, but I look forward to the challenge.

We’re really excited to partner with Levi Perry with Studio 720 again on an incredible custom made island in the kitchen! This is the first island we’ve been apart of designing, but I’m already so pleased with how the plan is coming along!

Helping families turn their house into a home can feel a little intimidating at times. It’s precious and a humbling responsibility. To be trusted with someone’s personal living space isn’t something we take lightly. But just typing this post, I’m reminded how much I love this job. Though it can feel intimidating, it’s completely thrilling and I’m really grateful I get to play any part.

We’ve been at this project for a few months already and a lot of progress has been made. I attached just a few pics of the space before we began so you can see the launching point and have some context as we start to reveal current pictures. We hope to have the majority of the space complete by the end of July, so hang on! Things are about to get really exciting (and really really pretty!) at the Manitou Lake Project!

Thanks for reading today and stay tuned for more Aviator Jayne Inspiration!

Love,

Mandy