A Lake Cabin Remodel by Skye Fingalson from Design 2 Sell at the Lakes
Dave and Linda Bergeron first connected with Skye Fingalson and the Design 2 Sell at the Lakes team when they decided they wanted to add more guest space to their lake cabin. The Bergeron’s needed some direction and ideas for the remodel and knew they found the right match when they discovered Design 2 Sell’s work on social media.
It was important to the Bergeron’s to have their friends and family enjoy their own privacy during their stay at the lake. Design 2 Sell specializes in lake home renovations, and they enjoy bringing in all of the fun lake decor to set the “at the lake” getaway vibe.
The Vision
The homeowners were seeking out a light, bright and airy design. They wanted to incorporate vivid colors through accents and unique features that truly made their guests feel like they were on a lake vacation. Throughout the design process, Fingalson kept the basics very neutral, but incorporated bursts of color through the area rugs, decor, pillows and wall art. Her team custom built cedar accents including the bench top, beam, and floating shelves to bring warmth into the cool-toned space; oranges and blues set the color theme.
The project began as bare studs when Fingalson was called in, so she was able to get in right at the beginning planning stages to determine what was going to go where and how the space was going to lay out. Typically, on their decorating jobs, Design 2 Sell brings anywhere from four to five of their design team on site. From the time her team started planning until the day they completed the final decorating was just over one year. “Our design team was ecstatic to complete the final decorating stage so we could put on those final touches for [the Bergeron’s] to enjoy!” said Fingalson.
For Fingalson, this particular project had so many unique features that set it apart including the beautiful kitchen that her team placed floating shelves in, a marble herringbone backsplash, the soft blue cabinets, quartz countertops and the fun textured cabinet hardware. All of the floating shelves have lights underneath to create an inviting atmosphere at night. Other unique features include the bar area that was separate from the kitchen, the bench at the top of the steps to be able to hang up your personal items, the fireplace wall and all three guest bedrooms are all areas that guests can enjoy and use throughout their stay. “While creating this guest area, we were able to have fun,” said Fingalson. “Not everything had to be so sophisticated; it’s a vacation home!”
While discussing the large open wall behind the couch area, the clients voiced that they really wanted something unique hung back there. “I happened to be walking through the Flea Market in Detroit Lakes when the Life Preserver rings caught my eye,” said Fingalson. “I thought ‘Wow, I could make shadow boxes around these and use them to not only tie in the orange from the stone in the fireplace, but as an incredible art feature in the room that would eat up that wall space while also adding dimension and texture.’ It was a complete surprise to the Bergeron’s as they did not know what our actual plan was for the decor until it was finished.” Fingalson also had a custom-built surfboard coffee table built for the space.
Skye Fingalson, Design 2 Sell at the Lakes
“It’s those thoughtful pieces at the end of the project that always end up being our favorite—the kind that you cannot purchase in a store.”
Skye Fingalson
The Finished Result
Building relationships with clients is one of Fingalson’s favorite parts of the job, and she loved working with the Bergeron’s on this lake cabin remodel. And the feedback from them serves as proof of a successful result. “We love everything!” they said. “Our ideas and vision of having a light and inviting area our family and guests could enjoy came to life. The boxed life preservers are one of our favorite pieces they brought in and the cabinet and beam colors are just perfect.” The feedback from guests has also echoed the homeowners’ satisfaction, with reactions like: ‘amazing!’ and ‘stunning!’
