Marie Flanigan Creates a Legacy on the Lake

“When this particular lot became available, I knew we had to have it, and I knew I wanted Marie to help us with the design,” says Shults in reference to Marie Flanigan and the team at Marie Flanigan Interiors. After following Flanigan’s work, Shults felt the two had a kindred aesthetic and that the designer would be able to translate this into a cohesive look that was reflective of the family. Namely, this vision was for a warm, comfortable environment that still held a level of sophistication.

Flanigan and the firm’s design director, Melanie Hamel, worked closely with the Shultses to bring the blueprints and floor plans to life. “Tina has a really great sense of style and elevated taste. She wanted us to maximize materials in the house and make it personal to them,” says Hamel. “She was drawn to our aesthetic, but it also aligned with hers, so there wasn’t a struggle to figure out the look.” Flanigan adds, “It’s elevated to a level I couldn’t achieve on my own. There’s such a special feeling when a space meets all the criteria on your wish list.”

From the early planning stages, the couple’s two daughters, sons-in-law, and five grandchildren were top of mind. For this reason, the shared spaces of the kitchen, great room, and dining room adjoin each other, all with a sweeping view of the lake, while the owners’ suite is also located on the ground floor. Additional suites for their daughters and sons-in-law, as well as spaces for the grandchildren to both sleep and play, are located upstairs. “This is a gathering place for us. We spend Thanksgiving, Christmas, and birthdays here, and it truly became our respite in 2020. Everyone was nervous, but this house became our safe zone,” says Shults of the family’s fondness for coming together, especially during recent times. “We immediately felt they wanted a legacy they could enjoy and that would stand the test of time,” Hamel adds.

To this point, durable materials with longevity as well as style played a role in many of the rooms. For example, the breakfast nook’s banquette, which has a 180-degree view of the water, was designed to be kid-friendly, encouraging lingered-over pancakes and syrup at breakfast as well as after-dinner ice cream cones. Similarly, Texas Lueders limestone covers the interior ground floor and extends to the outdoor living area, providing a surface that’s durable and only looks better with age.

Drawing on the couple’s original desire for a blend of natural style with cosmopolitan accents, Flanigan and Hamel used organic selections alongside more modern ones. In the bedroom, hand-hewn beams overhead blend with ultra-contemporary artwork on the walls, while in the kitchen, clean-lined, open shelving stands out against Vermeer-cut stone on the walls. “There’s a mixture of contemporary, traditional, and rustic that flows throughout the home,” says Flanigan. “Each client brings out a different side of our design mind. Our job is to illustrate his or her style and bring it to life.”