Brian and Nicole Hopper, local Kirkland residents, began visiting Lake Chelan ever since they met in 1999. Year after year they would camp and boat at the state park, eventually bringing along their two children, Trustin and Claira. “With kids in the mix, we wanted to figure out a way to make traveling to our favorite place easier rather than just camping. When The Lookout at Lake Chelan was first being built, we would drive through it just dreaming of owning there one day; looking at the pool and all the kids playing," says Nicole. About 10 years later, what was only once a dream became a reality for the Hopper’s. During the early part of the Pandemic, Brian, who is a luxury realtor, had the biggest deal of his career close while they were renting at The Lookout. They decided that day to buy a lot, and just in perfect time because one week later the lots were sold out.
For those that don't know, The Lookout at Lake Chelan is a thoughtfully designed neighborhood, complete with shared spaces, walkability, and resort-like amenities. The community prides itself with providing a simplified building process that includes timeless design, smart floor plans and expert construction. With the charming architecture and landscaping, along with 700 feet of private waterfront and a sandy beach cove, it’s easy to understand why the Hopper’s were excited.
And thanks to Nicole’s expertise as an interior designer, they were able to build a home start to finish exactly to their liking within 12 months. Nicole’s interior design experience began with partnering with her husband on his listings for over 14 years. She’d update countertops, lighting, carpet, etc, and work with stager to style. Eventually the home buyers began hiring Nicole to decorate their house. In 2019 she got so busy that she was able to build her own business separate from Brian, taking on bigger jobs and even hiring an assistant. “I love all design styles, and get a lot of my inspiration from designers like Kelly Wearstler, Burkhart Interiors, Lazaro Rosa-VIolan, and Tanya Krpan ,” says Nicole.
They named their vacation home “The Palm Club” after a trip to the Parker Palm Springs. “The Parker transported me back in time. The vibrant and retro mid-century modern design was magic. It all came down to a feeling and I loved that I was able to design our home with that inspiration in mind.”
Home Stats
Location: The Lookout, Lake Chelan
Bedrooms: 4 bedrooms
Bath: 2.5 bath
Total Square Feet: 1,805
Dream Team
The creative team that helped the dream come together included: MWJ Homes (architect), Hard Key Homes (builder), Marvelous Miss Maple (The Palm Club graphic design), and the staff at The Lookout community.
Personal Touch
Nicole included pieces from her grandma (large bull horns and a watercolor painting) that added a personal family touch while maintaining a retro vibe.
Interior designer, Nicole Hopper, shares her favorite features of The Palm Club:
1. We love enjoying the view on our semi wrap around porch, outfitted with retro rocking chairs and a modern fire pit.
2. The dishes – coral and white with gold accents. It is so fun to have matching dishes.
3. Bright colored wallpaper, it makes the house pop!
4. The pink front entry door. So Palm Springs, you can’t miss it.
5. The fireplace, surrounded with porcelain horizontal stripe tiles that add a lot of texture.
6. Fun light fixtures, selected from Serena Lily, Cedar Moss, and Kelly Wearstler.
7. The kitchen fridge, wine fridge, dishwasher, and microwave oven are General Electric – Café Line in a beautiful white finish.