PRINTS of the LAKE

A fairy-tale spirit transforms a sleepy midwestern inn into an enchanting summer hideaway, rich in fanciful pattern and youthful color.

- ALICE WELSH DOYLE

ONCE UPON A TIME a shabby little inn sat in a copse just a block from the Lake Michigan shoreline. In desperate need of a fairy godmother, the original 1922 structure had been added onto and renovated over the years and not to its advantage. It was overwrought and misunderstood: Think glass block windows, whirlpool baths in the bedrooms, and dropped tile ceilings. But like any down-and-out protagonist, beauty glowed within. "There was this Alpine fairy-tale feel to the project," says Chicago-based designer Summer Thornton, whom the new owners hired to reinstate the inn's allure for seasonal visitors. "It's in a heavily wooded area, so there isn't the openness and brightness of a beach house. Rather it's eclectic with potential for a little country fantasy or even a quirky English cottage."

So much potential, in fact, that once Thornton began waving her wand, the owners saw a new vision materialize: a private summer retreat for their family and friends. The decorating would remain rooted in the genre of an inn, with the seven bedrooms outfitted as charming guest quarters and an independently operated restaurant open to the public downstairs.