From the Ground Up: Creating a House on a Lake 

“A house on a lake, not a lake house.” That’s what homeowners Frank and Vicki Pamelia requested of the design and style of their Lake Oconee home. Although they had retired and moved from their home in Indiana, their new home on Lake Oconee in Georgia would be their new primary residence, one that would feel all the comforts and warmth they wanted as empty nesters but also would be home to their grown children for holidays and summertime visits. “Our builders were great, but we truly must thank our design team at Enjolè Interiors who touched every room to design this home.”

Selecting Enjole Interiors to Travel to Georgia 

The best way to create a space clients will love is to begin with a design concept, and in most cases, that’s selecting the right design team for you. “Tammy and I are twins separated at birth. We think alike.” Vicki said. “The communication is almost non-verbal. What Tammy was able to do was to bring out things that I didn’t know were there.”

At Enjolè, we always start a project by discussing client likes and dislikes, and then we start to bring in different pieces of design, colors, patterns, furniture…etc. to see what direction the client is looking to go. “It was amazing to see how well Tammy and Frank clicked, as well. 

He had so much faith and confidence in Tammy. The project kind of exploded, in a great way, when Tammy was bringing things to us and Frank said, ‘Oh I love that!’” 

Within no time, we got an idea of the clients style by showing them examples and we started to take their lake home from dirt to drapes.

Deciding on a Color Palette  

“When we began discussing color, that’s when [Enjole designer] Margy Foster came in. She is such a ying to Tammy’s yang. Margy’s design experience was so helpful to our finished product, and I loved her vision,” Vicki said.  

“Then, as luck would have, a fabric we designed around became discontinued,” Vicki recalls. It’s times like this that call for a designer to get creative. In this case, Margy was determined to find the client’s beloved fabric, and it was a success. “We couldn’t believe it!” Vicki said. “Margy saved the day and found 40 yards of our fabric.” However, it’s important to remember that luck might not be on your side, so having a back-up fabrics to flow with designated color schemes.Using the Old to Create the New 

One way you make a house home is by incorporating pieces of your past and memories you’ve made along the way. “Our builder actually had a designer for us to use,” Vicki recalls. “We had a photo album of 400 furniture and decor pieces, some that were our must-haves to stay with us as we started our new build, and the other designer said she could not work with this. We showed the same thing to Tammy and Margy, and they said they could. It was a no-brainer who we wanted as our design team.” 

Thus, the work began on creating a traditional/transitional and eclectic style home for Frank and Vicki. One of the projects Enjolè completed was a recreation of a chandelier. “We knew this was one of the pieces the couple wanted to keep, so we got creative,” Tammy said. “Instead of the plastic balls originally on the light, we opted for crystals and gave them 3 different options for price. They opted for the median range, which worked out perfectly, and we replaced nearly 100 plastic balls with crystals. It turned out beautiful.” 

The creativity didn’t stop there. Our design team was also able to create a feature wall at the landing of the staircase that featured a built-in bookcase. Frank enjoys bourbon, so we added 2 bourbon bars downstairs and repurposed 2 lamps in the queen’s suite. “Another project we loved creating was the war memorial cabinet,” Margy said. “Both of the homeowners’ fathers were in World War 2, so we put together a special cabinet to honor them. We could tell they were truly touched.”

“They were able to work with everything we love, and now, we are surrounded by it. We couldn’t ask for more,” Vicki and Frank agreed.

Think Outside the Box

When you start from the ground up, designers are often challenged to “think outside of the box” to make things work and recreate the vision homeowners have in mind, which can prove to be difficult, especially when there’s a list of must-haves to repurpose alongside the new.  

“Vicki and I knew our visions wouldn’t be easy to recreate, but every step of the way, our minds were blown,” Frank said. “They had a piece of furniture custom made to hide my TV. Tammy and the furniture maker designed it to match the corbells in the bar and the kitchen. The idea was brilliant!” 

“We would have never thought of the concepts that Tammy and Margy brought, but they are some of the most special features that we now enjoy in our home,” said Vicki.

Designing the kitchen also proved to be a challenge. “We know white kitchens are all the rage, but I like wood,” Vicki said. “Tammy talked me into a white kitchen with touches of wood, which were brought to life with the bourbon bar, coffee bar and wine bar. And the kitchen cabinets are an antique white, with a glaze over it. It’s something I have never seen before. They executed it perfectly.”

When building a home, there’s no one right way. Each homeowner has their own vision. Their own style. Don’t ever feel like you have to let items and memories go to create a new space. There is something special about making the old new again and forevering cherishing items that brought you so many precious memories.  

“Some of our most rewarding projects are those that involve a vacation home or a new home as empty nesters. We want our clients to know that we are here for you, and we are able and capable of traveling to your project,” says Tammy.