Camp Spirit Lake

Camp Spirit Lake
© Ryan Hainey Photography

CAMP SPIRIT LAKE

Vetter Architects + Amy Carman Design

AREA
7915 ft²

YEAR
2020

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS
Tenxten

INTERIOR DESIGNERS
Amy Carman Design

MANUFACTURERS
Lutron, ArchiSpec Windows, DA Masonry, K.O.H. Wood Flooring, Lacanche Vougeot Range, Siding, XeroFlor

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
Core 4 Engineering

PRINCIPAL DESIGNER (INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN)
Amy Carman

PROJECT ARCHITECT
Erik Walsh

PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT
John Vetter

SURVEYOR
McMullen & Associates

LOGO DESIGN
Brittany Vogt of Amy Carman Design

LOCATION
Lac Du Flambeau, United States

CATEGORY
Houses

Camp Spirit Lake
© Ryan Hainey Photography
Camp Spirit Lake
© Ryan Hainey Photography

Camp Spirit Lake is a modern guest lodge located within this Chicago family’s multi-acre compound in Wisconsin’s scenic Northwoods. Surrounded by a forest of oaks and white pines, the home is perched on a bluff overlooking a pristine lake the family has been visiting for generations

Camp Spirit Lake
© Ryan Hainey Photography
Camp Spirit Lake
© Ryan Hainey Photography

It is part of a larger generational family retreat consisting of a main house, an artist studio, and two boathouses. Rooted into the hilltop, the new guest lodge captures views of Spirit Lake, while respecting the scale of the new boathouse below.

Camp Spirit Lake
© Ryan Hainey Photography
Camp Spirit Lake
© Ryan Hainey Photography

The main level is divided into two wings or pavilions consisting of a living hall and three uniform guest suites. The living hall and guest suites are offset and connected by a gallery corridor, providing a 125-foot sightline that frames nature on either end.

Camp Spirit Lake
© Ryan Hainey Photography
Camp Spirit Lake
© Ryan Hainey Photography

A series of first and second-story pavilions are designed to be intimate for small gatherings and functional for large-scale reunions and social events

Camp Spirit Lake
© Ryan Hainey Photography
Camp Spirit Lake
© Ryan Hainey Photography

Glass, wood, and stone are seamlessly woven together from inside to out, as they reference the primary building materials of the Northwoods. A custom wood door and window systems create a strong architectural connection to nature, while selected furnishing and interior cabinetry create a thoughtful and modern nod to Wisconsin’s Northwoods camp style and heritage.

Camp Spirit Lake
© Ryan Hainey Photography
Camp Spirit Lake
© Ryan Hainey Photography

The masonry in this modern home is an unexpected connection to the past, inspired by the stone silos and barn foundations that can be seen across the region.

Camp Spirit Lake
© Ryan Hainey Photography
Camp Spirit Lake
© Ryan Hainey Photography

Rough-cut fieldstone set in thick, hand-troweled mortar stretches across the exterior’s south façade and connects with the interior two-story central fireplace.

Camp Spirit Lake
© Ryan Hainey Photography
Camp Spirit Lake
© Ryan Hainey Photography

The interior of the main living space is a modern nod to Northwoods camp.

Walls are clad floor-to-ceiling in rift-sawn white oak and a wood-burning fireplace anchors the main gathering space.

Camp Spirit Lake
© Ryan Hainey Photography
Camp Spirit Lake
© Ryan Hainey Photography

Handprinted cement tiles in the half bath are patterned after Native American kilim rugs.

Camp Spirit Lake
© Ryan Hainey Photography
Camp Spirit Lake
© Ryan Hainey Photography

A stunning twelve-foot solid walnut dining table by Chicago-based furniture maker Mike Dreeben is designed for big family meals and is topped off by the sculptural metal spears of a David Weeks chandelier.

Camp Spirit Lake
© Ryan Hainey Photography
Camp Spirit Lake
© Ryan Hainey Photography

Three identical guest suites are outfitted with the modern amenities of a boutique hotel. Each has a built-in desk and wardrobe, a fully-appointed bath, a cozy seating area, and custom-made beds and nightstands. A private lakeside walk-out completes each guest suite.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of this house is the spectacular lower level. The rustic refinement of the first floor gives way to all-out fun below grade.

Camp Spirit Lake
© Ryan Hainey Photography
Camp Spirit Lake
© Ryan Hainey Photography

Two full-length automated bowling lanes make for easy family tournaments, while a full-size movie screen provides a real-time window to the outdoors.

An outdoor camera on the boathouse streams a live view of lake happenings and dock arrivals directly to the lower level.

Camp Spirit Lake
© Ryan Hainey Photography
Camp Spirit Lake
© Ryan Hainey Photography
Camp Spirit Lake
© Ryan Hainey Photography

The owner calls it her “surveillance art.” Friends can gather at the long zinc countertop in the bar or play vintage pinball in the arcade.

The built-in cabinetry is constructed with a combination of perforated metal doors and open display, showing off the owner’s collections and objects of family lore.


Camp Spirit Lake
Plan