Photography: Adahlia Cole & Colin Peck

Not far from where Northern Michigan ends and Canada begins, lies the crystal clear lake of Walloon. It is on its shore that Lauren Tolles and her family have built a holiday home, a description that in no way does it justice. True, it is a rugged structure of stone and shingle, built in layers to better merge into its bucolic surroundings, but within: all is elevated. “I want people to feel welcome but sophisticated.” It is also ample. It very, very comfortably houses up to 20 so that Lauren can entertain friends, family, extended family and strangers.

View across the luxury kitchen worktop, housing a Gaggenau EB333 oven
A candid photograph across the worktop where Lauren prepares a meal

“Despite not having an open floor plan, I do find that people still gather in the kitchen. When we had all my family in town, there are 17 of us - at the end of the night - all 17 of us were gathered around that island playing games. We could have gone to any of the other spaces but we were there because the kitchen just has this really nice warm feeling.”

A wide angle photograph of the lounge area, with views across Lake Walloon
A candid photograph of Lauren opening her Gaggenau freezer
Aerial view of the lake house during the early evening

A trained architect, Lauren always gravitated towards interiors: cabinetry and detailed elements that people can warm to. This is now her speciality, creating perfect kitchens for clients in buildings old and new. For her own ‘holiday home’ she sought to cater for every eventuality with a full Gaggenau suite.

Close-up view of a dish in a Gaggenau EB333 oven

“Between the refrigerator, the freezer, wine climate cabinet, the 36” EB333 oven and 200 series combi microwave, the Teppan Yaki and the full surface induction cooktop - I feel like we could make just about anything.” And to help with the aftermath that comes with feeding 20 people, two dishwashers. “Oh, my goodness. I couldn’t do it without them.”

While not the main user of the Gaggenaus (“He’s the chef, I’m a cook.”) the 200 series combi-microwave is the one she uses the most. Its speed impresses “when my Children are here and they want some terrible frozen food” but its versatility is appreciated when creating better dishes. When roasting vegetables for example, the automatic function can determine: the size of the vegetables, the temperature and cooking time. It is an efficient way to ensure each element of a dish is cooked, and timed, to perfection.

Bathroom image showing the elevation and warmth of Lauren’s design style

Design that both eases and elevates an experience, while remaining joyful, is a rare thing.

“There’s structure to the house, there’s warmth in the finishes and in the styling. We were really trying to create something that was timeless. I think Gaggenau has really been a great fit.”

Close-up view of Lauren opening a Gaggenau 200 series oven
“We chose Gaggenau because we really wanted to invest in the latest and greatest with cooking technology.”

More US inspiration?

We have a wealth of kitchen stories that demonstrate how Gaggenau appliances enhance a myriad of lifestyles and tastes in the United States.