The goal for this new lake home was serenity, and it began with a spare palette rooted at the palest end of the color spectrum, challenging the notion that all-white interiors are chilly and soulless. Quite the opposite: When combined with organic forms, texture and soft northern light, white can be sensuous, atmospheric and inviting.
The homeowner is Nicole Wegman, an entrepreneur whose clear vision and engaging customer approach have fueled the growth of her business, Ring Concierge, from a small engagement ring consulting firm to a jewelry company with five stores and more than $100 million in revenue. Her approach to this house was no less focused.
Photography by Frank Francis Studio, Styling by Rebecca Bartoshesky
Most of the year, Wegman, her husband and their two young children live in Manhattan, where Ring Concierge is based. But in 2020, they decided to purchase a property five hours north of the city, at the spot where Nicole spent summers growing up.
“This lake has always been a place that grounds me,” she explains. “Building a summer home here felt like coming full circle. It was a way to create something lasting for my family in a spot that already holds so much meaning.”
In addition to a project team that included Design Works Architecture and Bayer Landscape, Wegman also brought in her sister-in-law, designer Devon Wegman of DGI Design x Build in Chicago — someone who knows her style well. “Nicole has a strong monochromatic and minimal aesthetic that she wanted to come through in the design,” explains Devon.
The contemporary architecture of the 7,500-square-foot retreat’s exterior is softened by black-stained siding that lets the wood grain show through, harmonizing rather than competing with its natural setting. A Tesla solar tile roof also responds to the setting by harnessing the sun, generating enough renewable energy to power the home and contribute to the grid.
Inside, the space feels more theatrical — soaring volume bathed in Benjamin Moore’s Oxford White, with luxurious stacks of white linen drapes framing floor-to-ceiling lake and wooded vistas. If a white room brings to mind an art gallery, then here, the views are the artworks.
The precision of a jeweler’s eye is evident throughout the house. Take the dining room chandelier: 32 porcelain Bocci pendants resembling lilies, each of which seem to disappear into the ceiling one by one.
“Nicole didn’t want to see a ceiling plate,” Devon explains. “We had our electrician on a cherry picker for two full days getting them placed correctly. It was a lot of work to figure out, but the results are spectacular.”
Around the sculptural dining table are eight oak Gubi C-chairs, a surprisingly classic touch, which, like the whitewashed, wide-plank oak floors, add warmth and a bit of hominess to the interior. Similarly, the way the adjacent kitchen is tucked under the second-floor library creates a sense of enclosure within the vaulted space, which helps the scale feel more human — but aesthetic rigor is not abandoned. The cabinet fronts feature unbroken, flat panels with concealed finger pulls and the kitchen appliances are arranged in a neat square between a paneled refrigerator and freezer. It’s a streamlined, efficient space that blends in with the rest of the main floor. The island is an exception.
This Devon refers to as the jewel of the house, wrapped fittingly in glittering iceberg quartzite. “We wanted to find a stone that represented the look of a diamond,” she says. “In the daytime, you can kind of see through it, and it reads like ice. Then in the evening, with the integrated LED lights on, the stone becomes a moment and people gravitate to it.” Within the monochromatic space, it’s easier for the stone to shine so that its colors, patterns and facets can be fully appreciated.
The airy library upstairs serves as a multipurpose refuge for relaxation, work and hosting the occasional off-site retreat for Nicole’s team. Instead of a desk, there’s a large custom conference table at one end of the room, with outlets and laptop storage concealed behind a center panel.
“I can attest to the brilliance of this idea,” Devon says. “When we’re all at the house for a family gathering, we adults often head up there with our coffee and laptops in the morning, work for a few hours and then enjoy the rest of the day with the kids.” On the other end of the room, a white modular Pixel sofa, arranged like a pinwheel on a nubby wool rug, offers an irresistible spot for reading, cuddling and enjoying the lake views.
Addressing the (white) elephant in the room — “how to manage keeping the sofa clean with small children,” Nicole says with a laugh — she points to performance fabrics on most of the white furniture. “We’re clear with the kids: Food stays in the kitchen, and the point of having a huge yard is to make a mess outside,” she adds. “I’m a big believer that you don’t have to completely change your surroundings just because you have children.”
But this home is more than just white. There’s cream and hints of gray and blush, all sharing the same hushed saturation level, which makes the interior feel restful. Touches of natural oak and loads of tonal pattern and texture — tufted upholstery, fluted legs, terrazzo, limewash and plaster add dimensionality and warmth.
Reflecting on the intersection between jewelry design, curation of a home and entrepreneurship, Nicole explains, “With jewelry, you’re working at a micro scale — obsessing over millimeters and light reflection. Design is similar, just expanded. And like starting a business, crafting a new space is about vision, risks and a thousand tiny decisions that add up to something meaningful. It’s all about creating beauty that lasts.”
Project Partners
Builder: Aristo
Architect: Design Works Architecture
Interior designer: DGI Design x Build
Landscape architect: Bayer Landscape
