A Kit Home Purveyor Starts by Designing His Own Danish-Inspired Prefab in Michigan

Hygge Supply founder Kelly Sean Karcher builds a sustainable kit home in Lake Leelanau.

Text by

When Kelly Sean Karcher renovated a century-old farmhouse near Lake Michigan and listed it on Airbnb, he was surprised by how much people loved the house.

"I had no idea people would find the house to be so special, but it sparked something in me to want to create unique, high-design homes that people could stay in and experience," says Karcher, who then created Hygge Stay, a short-term rental management company for his renovated properties. Ultimately, after an inspiring revamp of a Wayfarer kit house, Karcher founded Hygge Supply, a contemporary kit home company.

The two-bedroom Lake House is the first home completed by Hygge Supply, a kit home company that champions sustainable, affordable, well-designed homes.

Shop Hygge Supply Homes

"My intention was to create a simple and inexpensive way to build a home with a high-design concept that could also be built relatively quickly," Karcher explains. "It made sense to create a system for the build concept, employing a panelized structural design with prefabricated pieces and parts for rapid assembly."

Metal structural insulated panels (SIPs) informed the rectangular shape of the home. "Every single surface of the home could be cut out of a flat rectangle," says Hygge Supply founder Sean Karcher.

For the proof-of-concept house, Sean purchased a lakeside property—"It was the least expensive piece of property on the lake because of its wetland nature," he adds—and designed a 1,500-square-foot, prefabricated dwelling integrated into the marshy landscape. Dubbed the Lake House, the modern design takes inspiration from Philip Johnson’s Glass House and Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House.

In peak summer months, the rapid growth of wetland vegetation hides the home from view.

Building in a wetland landscape with minimal disturbance was the biggest project challenge. "With approval from the Department of Environmental Quality, I was able to integrate the house into the wetlands using helical piers," Karcher says.

What sets Hygge Supply apart from other prefab home companies are its minimalist, Danish-inspired aesthetic, sustainable materials, and contemporary approach to kit home construction.

"Though we use prefabricated and modular pieces in the homes, the houses are still a package of goods which are delivered to be constructed on-site," notes Karcher. "This allows the customer to basically proceed with any financing and permitting as if they were building a traditional home."

Bathed in natural light thanks to walls of windows on either side, the airy, open-plan living area takes up nearly half of the home's footprint.

Vintage Toledo Metal Furniture Co. chairs are combined with a round dining table. The console was purchased at a garage sale.

A hallmark of Hygge Supply houses, highly durable metal SIPs feature foam cores with high R-values (50+) and allow for floor-to-ceiling windows and a panel exterior wall system.

Tinted radiata pine panels wrap the light-filled living area, which is furnished with a Spectra Home Furniture sofa, a leather lounger, and an Overstock rug. In the kitchen, Hygge paired their custom cabinets with Bosch appliances.

All Hygge Supply homes, including the Lake House, are heated with highly efficient radiant floor heating. The homes also come with a fully integrated tech package for remote home automation.

The steel-framed structures are pre-assembled and pre-cut in the factory for zero-waste assembly on site. Zero-VOC powder coat finishes are applied to the exterior and custom cabinets, while eco-friendly products and brands are sourced as part of the company’s commitment to sustainability.

A hallway with floor-to-ceiling custom cabinetry separates the living areas from the two bedrooms. The hallway also contains a small workstation.

Long light-filled hallways on either side of the house connect the living area to separate entrances to the two bedrooms.

Shop Hygge Supply Homes

Karcher completed the lake house in approximately six months, and then he moved in with his partner, Christen, and their dog, Lucy. "I had a vision of being able to duplicate it as a kit home, and the rest is history," he says.

The Lake house is currently listed for $1,395,000 by Elizabeth Schaub of Coldwell Banker | Schmidt Realtors.