YAY! We’re new homeowners again! Well, kind of… 😉 We recently purchased a second home in St. Joe, Michigan, and I am so excited to share the news with you finally! Today, I am sharing our new house design plans and mood boards.

Why We Decided to Buy a Second Home.

As many of you know, we live on a small lake in northern Michigan. We love it there, but with both of my daughters living in Chicago (and recently welcoming their second babies!), I found myself making the 5-hour drive more and more often. We decided to find a place closer to Chicago to make things easier for everyone.

If you’re a regular blog reader (thank you!!), you might know that my husband and I live on a small inland lake in Northern Michigan. It’s a truly special place; our entire family loves it here. However, both of my daughters live in Chicago, and they welcomed their second babies this summer! Suddenly, my monthly trips to visit became bi-monthly, and with the 5-hour drive each way, I tend to stay for 4 days at a time. I want to be there for all the precious moments, so we needed to find a more sustainable solution. That’s why, this spring, we started house hunting!

Why St. Joe, Mi?

We chose St. Joe for a few reasons:

• Familiarity: We wanted to be near Grand Rapids, where my stepdaughter and her family live.
• Turnkey Condition: After years of renovating our own home, we were ready for something move-in ready.
• Rental Potential: We wanted a place we could rent out during the summer months when we’re busy managing our Northern short-term rental business.

St. Joseph is a charming beach town community just over an hour and a half from Chicago. It ticked all of our boxes!

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Home Decor and Design Plans:

I’m thrilled to share some mood boards and design plans for our new home. I’m going for a cozy, comfortable vibe with warm neutrals and hints of a “lake vibe.” I’ll also be incorporating some vintage finds and modern farmhouse elements.

Kitchen Design-

The kitchen was a major selling point for us. I love the finishes, and my husband (the chef in the family) is thrilled with the high-end appliances. We won’t be making many changes here except to add some warm wood tones to soften it a bit.

this …

I plan to turn the cabinetry on this wall into a coffee and wine bar. It will be a perfect space for serving holiday meals.

Living Room Mood Board-

I envision a cozy, inviting space with comfortable seating, warm textures, and plenty of natural light. The original wood floors are a bit orange, but we’ll be keeping them for now. I hope to host Thanksgiving here this year, so we’ll likely wait and refinish them next spring.

We need to furnish this home from scratch, and I have been shopping for weeks, so everything will arrive once we have possession. I have so much experience furnishing our short-term rentals in advance I am used to pulling homes together quickly.

Because I am often asked, I will include links where possible in case you see something you love and are shopping for your own home. 🙂

• Slipcovered Sofa from Crate and Barrel -Slipcovers are a must when renting. I have this one in white at the Little Green Cottage.
• Cream Accent Chair from Target
• Green Ottoman from Amazon.
• Concrete Stool from Amazon- I also have this stool at our Lakehouse.
• Floral Rug Similar from Amazon
• Pillow Covers and throw from West Elm

Dining Room Mood Board-

For the dining room, I found a bargain 60-inch round wood table (it has leaves that will expand it) on FB Marketplace and added some chairs from Target. This area is open to the living area.

I am adding hints of a “Lake Vibe” along with my warm neutrals because the house is within walking distance of Lake Michigan (something I am very excited to explore).

• Grasscloth Wallpaper from Grasscloth and More
• Dining Chairs from Target.
• Jute Rug by Lauren Liess from Target[Shopping link for coffee table]
• Light Fixture from Amazon

Office/ Kid’s Play Area-

This space is open to the Living Room, and It will serve as my workspace, a place for my husband and me to have a glass of wine and listen to my husband’s vinyl collection. It also has a nice-sized closet (and floor space) to store toys for all those grand littles we have. 🙂

• Gold Woven Pouf from Target
• Desk from Target
• Diamond Tassel Rug in Blue from Rugs USA

Bedroom # 1

In this space, I’m most excited about the vintage swimmer wallpaper I found from Rebel Walls! I think it will add a touch of whimsy to this small bedroom.

• Wallpaper from Rebel Walls
• Coat Hooks from Pottery Barn
• Bedding in Dune from Quince
• Mirror from Wayfair

Upstairs Living Area Design-

This smallish space will be a secondary TV area and game room. I’m planning to keep the furniture minimal and functional. I see lots of board games in the future.

The sofa is brand new, and I also found it on FB Marketplace (it’s from All Modern). Over the years of shopping on Facebook, I have found people who receive pallets of products from manufacturers (usually overstocks) and resell them at a discount. I keep a list and always reach out to them when I begin shopping or am looking for something specific.

• Green Velvet Sofa from All Modern
• Orange Chair from Target- great price.
• Concrete Stool from Amazon
• Wall Art- A DIY you can see here.

Primary Bedroom Plan-

The bedrooms in the house are small, and because we also want to rent the house when we are not there, we want to make them cozy but not too cluttered. I am excited to try this new wood tile treatment I found as a Headboard for the king-size bed. The Paint color is BM Sweatshirt Grey.

• Slipcovered Sofa from Crate and Barrel -Slipcovers are a must when renting. I have this one in white at the Little Green Cottage.
• Bedroom Fan/with Light from Amazon
• Wall Tiles from Wayfair
• Lumbar Pillow from West Elm
• Lamps from Wayfair
• Faux Sheepskin Rug from Amazon

Bedroom # 3 Mood Board-

I’m incorporating another Facebook Marketplace find in this bedroom (I fell hard for the pretty details) and going with more neutrals in the paint and soft goods. The bedding is from Brooklinen and is scrumptiously soft!

• Flannel Bedding from Boll and Branch
• Striped Rug by Chris Loves Julia Line from Amazon
• Night Stands from TJ Maxx online -run these won’t last long.
• Pillow Covers– From Amazon

I am really excited to get started on projects at the new house. I’ve picked the paint colors, and some of the wallpaper arrived this week) I hope we can knock some out between visits to see the newest grandbabies!

I’d love your thoughts on my new house design plans and mood boards. Leave a comment below, and let me know what you think!

Until Next Time,

-Libbie

You may also enjoy:

We bought a Foreclosed Property and turned it into a Short-term rental.

The Little Green Cottage Reveal