This Family’s Renovated Michigan A-Frame Home Is an Airy, Scandinavian-Inspired Dream

Name: Courtney Hall and Mike Hall, with kids Harrison and Margot. Also: bunny Pepper (a Holland Lop) and dog Milly (a Boykin Spaniel). [Dog Jackie has unfortunately passed since this tour was photographed.]
Location: Harbor Springs, Michigan
Size: 2,300 square feet
Type of Home: A-frame Chalet style 
Years Lived In: 7 years, owned

“The thing we love most about the chalet is its total unique charm, and how we’ve custom remodeled it for our little fam,” writes Courtney Hall, who shares this home with her partner, kids, and dog and bunny. “We made a vacation property a full-time home in one of the most beautiful places where we can raise our kids and be closer to family. We have total access to Nubs Nob, Boyne Highlands, North Country Trail for mountain biking and hiking, the list goes on.”

Courtney says that she and Mike both grew up in Northern Michigan and share a passion for outdoor activities like snowboarding, hiking, biking, and more. “Mike and I met eleven years ago,” she explains. “At that time, we lived in Grand Rapids and would find ourselves spending more and more time back up north with family and friends. Mike scoured the real estate scene in Harbor Springs for years before we found our A-frame. He printed out photos from Zillow to hang on his office wall in an attempt to manifest us owning it one day. He even used a marker changing its then drab tan color to black!” 

Apartment Therapy Survey

My Style: Airy, minimal with a Scandinavian feel. I love to mix vintage pieces, modern elements and always incorporate nature. 

My Inspiration: I love to pull inspiration from so many different angles — whether that be art, architecture, nature, a good flea market, or my amazing group of girlfriends. My dad was and still is a builder/contractor so I grew up flipping through home design books and plans, admiring all the different styles. 

Favorite Elements: I love our quiet little spot in the valley, which is only 10 minutes from town. Favorite spot is either our serene bedroom or outside around the fire.

Biggest Challenge: Where to begin? Finding storage and space was a huge priority for us. The angles in an A-Frame don’t make it very easy for a few reasons such as hanging art or making room for closets. We added on our primary bedroom and bathroom and wanted it to look like it was meant to be there. We used rough sawn pine paneling on the walls to flow with the rest of the house and made sure to incorporate a ton of windows for natural lighting. When we bought the chalet, it had natural wood inside, which made it feel so dark and small. The first thing we did was brighten it up with white paint and as many windows as possible! 

Proudest DIY: Worked with a custom steel maker (who happens to be a friend from high school) to design our staircase. I also recently met a custom furniture maker and designed a beautiful dresser for our bedroom.

Unique Things About The Home: We practically moved every room in the house. Our laundry room now was our kitchen. Our kitchen now was our dining area. We removed two walls that were tiny bedrooms and added a sky light, and it is now our dining room/reading nook.

Small Space Tips: Design a space that works for you and your family, that’s not only functional but somewhere you absolutely enjoy being. We have always loved smaller homes that make it feel warm and have the opportunity to be perfectly curated to our own style.

Design Advice: Don’t buy everything from the same store! Try and mix vintage/antique goodies in with new or modern finds. You don’t need to furnish a space right away — finding the perfect pieces takes time. 

• Outside — “Black Forest Green” by Benjamin Moore

• Wooden Trough to hold blankets — Allegan Flea Market
• Pendleton Blanket — Black Triangular
• Firewood Rack — Quiet Moose Petoskey, MI
• Side Tables — Urban Outfitters

• Surfboard Table — Herman Miller original 
• White Side table — Herman Miller original 
• Rug — Vintage from August in Petoskey, MI
• Panthella Floor Lamps — Louis Poulsen 
• NORA Credenza — Anthropologie 
• Pillows — Linen from August
• Pillows — West Elm
• Rattan Chairs — Urban Outfitter
• White Bar Cart —CB2
• Table Lamp — Avena from Crate and Barrel

• Cafe Appliance — HoodBertazzoni
• Vintage Lamp
• White Large Bowl — West Elm 
• WishBone Counter
• Stool — Rove
• Concept Rug — Lulu and Georgia

• Tulip Table Table — Knoll
• White End Chairs — Herman Miller original
• Dining Chairs — Blu Dot
• Cowhide Rug — IKEA
• Day Bed — Antique
• Rug — Shed in Petoskey, MI
• Large Floor Tribal Head — Antique
• Planter — Lost and Found Grand Rapids, MI

• Halyard Chair — Hans Wegner
• Bed — IKEA
• Side Tables — West Elm 
• Dresser — Custom
• Main Bathroom Tile — Ann Sacks 
• Countertop — Custom by Hard Topix, Grand Rapids MI
• Hardware — Delta Trinsic 
• Rug — Semi-handmade
• Bench — Wayfair

• Bed — West Elm 
• Dresser and Lamp — Homegoods
• White Dresser with Gold Knob — Crate and Kids
• LoftDesk — Target
• Bean Bag Chairs — Serena and Lily 
• Lamp — Vintage

• Floor Tile — Concrete
• Collaborative — Alex Proba 
• Shower Tile — Bedrosian Makato Tile
• Hardware — Delta Trinsic
• Light — Triple Seven Home
• Mirror — Target

Thanks Courtney!

This post was originally published on Apartment Therapy. Read it there: This Family’s Renovated Michigan A-Frame Is an Airy, Scandinavian-Inspired Dream Home