When Boston-based couple Matt Saiia and Sarah Shrimplin made the decision to build a family lake house on the shores of Michigan’s Crooked Lake, they wanted to create a home that would eventually become their primary residence and reflected their combined sensibilities.

“The home draws on Danish minimalism, environmental and conceptual sculpture, and our shared appreciation for the divine beauty all around us,” says Matt. “Most importantly, we wanted to create a ‘seven-generation home’ that was built to last and worthy of our very best creative effort.”

They approached Liz and Kevin Hoekzema, founders of KLH Custom Homes, who they had met several years previously through mutual friends, to bring their vision to life. “Matt and Sarah are such unique individuals,” recalls Liz. “We laughed at the first meeting about how opposite some of their tendencies are and how to incorporate those disparate elements.”

The result is a concept of two houses, expressed in two distinct ways. The house itself appears to be two houses built side by side, with a rooftop deck in between and full banks of windows on the east and west faces; and the insertion of an archetypal “inner” house within the main “outer” house. “It flips the script of hallways always being on the interior of a house,” explains Liz. “In our design, the halls are on the perimeter, providing light tunnels, while the utilitarian spaces are clustered inside the ‘inner’ house.”

Throughout the home, natural materials that will gracefully patinate over time have been chosen to give the interior a rich tactility that balances the minimalist lines—think waxed white oak joinery, cedar cladding, and sumptuous leather furnishings.

This sensitive approach to materiality is perhaps most notably celebrated in the bathrooms belonging to Matt and Sarah’s daughters, which have been clad in colorful Concrete Collaborative Strands tiles. The design by architect Chris Deam is a collaboration between Concrete Collaborative and Dwell that takes inspiration from Californian surf culture.

“Our client wasn't concerned with doing things because they are normal or accepted,” says Liz. “We were led by the look—the artful, random patterning and the ability to customize the colors to suit each daughter’s preferences. We love that the tiles are indicative of the colors and movement of water and sky.”

Key to developing the material palette was the question of longevity and quality—after all, the clients had the ambitious dream to craft a home that would last at least seven generations. The Concrete Collaborative Strands collection fits this bill precisely. A modern take on traditional cement tiles, they use cutting edge technology to create clean, crisp patterns and the tiles are engineered for use in wet areas and high-traffic spaces.

The bold patterns and colors of the tiles are contrasted with the striped back, monochrome palette in the primary ensuite. Elsewhere in the home, however, this playfulness is picked up again—from the vibrant furnishings to the dramatically sculptural kitchen island.

“We went against the grain with many details of this project—some more noticeable than others,” says Liz. “It took the collective brainpower of our team, and working closely with Matt and Sarah to pull it off, but it was so worth it.”

For more information about the Dwell collection or to order samples, visit concrete-collaborative.com.

Project Credits:

Designer / Builder: KLH Custom Homes

Photographer: Diana Paulson