The barn they found is vast and it was a bit of an overwhelming prospect for the family. They loved the scale of the buildings but they wanted our team to make it cosy for the four of them as well as an epic entertaining space for bigger gatherings. Much of the beauty of the original beauty of the building had been lost behind modern insulation, poor glazing and stark flooring. Contemporary partition walls had broken up its natural flow and a mezzanine office blocked light and took away from the scale of the building. By removing metres of contemporary stainless steel walkways and staircases that blocked views and felt cold we revealed the extraordinary architectural features of the barn. New windows, antique flooring, large fireplaces to our design, traditionally made bespoke joinery, furniture and lighting all added together to make a warm and welcoming home that feels like it has evolved over time. It has been a wonderful project of collaboration with the clients and as times changed with Covid, so did our brief. A music studio was built, a swimming pool added into one of the courtyards and a tennis court will be come next. It really is the perfect country home that works as well with two people in it as it does with a huge party.
What an epic home filled with everything you could possibly need – including 3 kitchens?! I love that Emma Kirby Design de-modernized it and highlighted so much of the original architecture. Brilliant.

Stephenie and Chase Watts are a busy husband-wife team (Watts Design House). They focus on real estate, interior design, and have renovated and offer boutique stay locations, including House On The Hill in Salt Lake, House On The Cape in Cape Cod, and Casa Pantera in Mérida, Mexico. These are unique home destinations that capture the expressive nature of each place, encompass guests in soulful interiors and are formulated with the avant guard sophisticate in mind. Each stay offers a distinct experience- focusing on elements unique to that home and it’s geographical location. The home in Mérida, as featured in some of the photos below, is an absolute dream. (Some photos by Read McKendree)

Part 2 of Tapawingo Lake Camp consists of the Gathering Lodge (includes a speakeasy and card room and another stone fireplace – you can never have too many!), the Dining Hall with yet another stone fireplace with built-in banquettes on either side (OMGGGGG I love this) as well as an 18 person dining table and the cutest butler’s pantry, and Darwin’s Library (with another stone fireplace!!). Architect: Pearson Design Group; Builder: North Fork Builders; Designer: Emma Burns of Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler.

Tapawingo Lake Camp is a lakeside family retreat in Wisconsin that is so picturesque and rustic and cozy that I could totally see myself spending the rest of my days in a home like this (but maybe wayyyyy smaller). It’s the best of cabin/camp/cottage living. Complete with numerous outbuildings for various activities, log cabin architecture, massive stone fireplaces and lake views that can’t be beat. This post features the exterior, family cabin, and east and west house. The rest to come in the following post. Architect: Pearson Design Group; Builder: North Fork Builders; Designer: Emma Burns of Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler.

I am really just posting all of these photos as an excuse to feature the one above. That chair upholstered in quilt fabrics is just about the cutest and covetable thing I have ever seen. Photos from several country homes designed by the always inspiring Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler. (Some photos by Simon Upton)