Design Ideas

Lake + Land Studio On Design

Note: This is the first installment in the ongoing Marvin “On Design” series. These stories will ask 10 questions to some of America's design leaders, from architects to photographers, covering their history, inspirations, goals for the future, and more.

Best known for their work on the 2023 Southern Living Idea House, residential designers Bill Holloway and Luke Sippel have channeled their understanding of and reverence for Southern architectural styles—not to mention honing their work on more than 150 projects for the Big Bay Lake waterfront development—into the successful boutique design company, Lake + Land Studio, founded in 2015, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

As the first subjects in the ongoing “On Design” series, the two share their favorite architectural styles, their most challenging projects, how they know when a project is done, and so much more.

What's the Most Challenging Project You've Ever Taken On?

Bill: The 2023 Southern Living Idea House was by far one of the more challenging projects our office has ever completed. We had a limited amount of time to produce a product that would forever brand our company on a national scale. Our entire office rose to the challenge and together, we produced a much-celebrated design in record time!

Luke: Probably a lake front retreat on an extremely sloped lot, with a terrible seawall that didn’t line up with any of the views. The clients were amazing, luckily. We had to straddle half of the house of the seawall at a 45-degree angle, incorporate a huge retaining wall, and plan out each individual pier support that was in the water to work with our barge restrictions. It turned out beautiful—and you would never even know all the troubles we had to navigate. There are many others, but I think of that one as it was super rewarding, even though it was difficult. The ones that are difficult—but not rewarding—I try not to dwell on those.

Where Do You Get Inspiration From?

Bill: Growing up in southern Mississippi, I have always been fascinated by the beauty and simplicity of rural vernacular farmhouses and turn-of-the-century homes found in small towns all over the South. There was just a level of design and craftsmanship accomplished during that period of time with natural materials that was just so timeless. It amazes me to see how well homes from that time were built, especially in rural areas with such humble building technology.

Luke: Books, travel, books, experiences, books. Honestly, my education was very lacking in regards to architectural history, so I try to thumb through as many books on architecture as I can. Then I soak up every opportunity to appreciate good scale, good interior design, etc., when I travel. Lastly, I get inspiration from my team, so many of us have different favorite architectural styles, so it is neat to see how we each craft and weave our individuality into our Lake + Land vibe.

Favorite Architectural Style and Why?

Bill: Arts and Crafts is currently my favorite architectural style. I love the expression and honesty of materials used in that style. The building forms are usually less formal and are almost playful. Arts and Crafts-style homes have a very welcoming and charming quality that I feel is timeless.

Luke: Cape Dutch or English Arts and Crafts.

How Do You Know a Project is Complete?

Bill: A project is complete when the design has taken into account the client's wishes, addresses its site, and has architectural design integrity. I am a perfectionist and always strive to give each project my all. Nothing makes me happier than to know the design I worked so hard on is going to help make my client's life better and contribute a better sense of place to its surroundings.

Luke: That is a hard question. Obviously when the client is satisfied, that is a given, but also when our team has had a chance to kind of “round table” review it and give their thumbs up as well. It can become very difficult to judge your own art, so having a team you trust to give the last thumbs up is really important. That isn’t very poetic, but is exactly what I look for as a project comes to a close.

What Building/Home/Installation Piece Do You Wish You'd Designed?

Bill: The Thorncrown Chapel, by E. Fay Jones, in Eureka Springs, Arkansas is one of my all-time favorite buildings. The scale of windows, and the repetitive structural pattern used was genius. I love the complexity and simplicity of the building, and how it interacts with the trees and surrounding nature. It's an incredible building!

Luke: Hmm, pretty much anything that Jeffrey Dungan and Carlisle Moore Architects draw up. Those guys are awesome. The golf courses and their clubhouses. I love golf design and when you pair that with a great clubhouse, I soak it up.

What Does Good Design Mean to You?

Bill: Good design has the ability to make everyday experiences more meaningful, efficient, and inspiring. Design allows me to express creativity in a way that brings joy to myself, and hopefully those who encounter it. I love to stop and admire things that have thought and purpose.

Luke: Thoughtful play and understanding of scale mixed in with practicality. Great design will always be felt, but not in an ostentatious type of way; people won’t know what it is that makes them feel certain emotions, but they will be happy they do.

When Did You Know You Wanted to be a Designer/Architect?

Bill: When I was 10 years old, I started noticing how houses in my hometown of Laurel, Mississippi were designed and built in various architectural styles, yet they were all beautiful and interesting in their own way. I begged my mom to buy me a house plan book at our local grocery store and started studying the floor plans and perspectives of all the house exteriors that day. The more I started looking at house plans, the more I became fascinated by how many looks and layouts a house could have in various square footage ranges. Each plan had its own personality and offered various perks that would appeal to different owners. I started imagining what it would be like to live in the houses in the plan books. I knew from then on I had to design houses one day.

Luke: When I was a young kid, I always loved different homes of my friends, churches, parks, schools, etc. I wanted to make cool spaces to live in and enjoy with friends. I used to go through model homes in every new neighborhood that went up—and was the only kid that actually enjoyed it.

How Do You Incorporate Light, Air, and Views into Your Designs?

Bill: When working on a design, I always try to give main rooms in a house such as living, dining, kitchen, primary bedrooms, and offices, as much light as possible, and usually place those rooms on the side of the house that faces the view. Anytime a room can get natural light, air, or views on more than one wall is a bonus. I find natural light coming into a room from more than one wall makes a space feel bigger and much more enjoyable to be in.

Luke: Simple: glass and more glass.

Anytime a room can get natural light, air, or views on more than one wall is a bonus. I find natural light coming into a room from more than one wall makes a space feel bigger and much more enjoyable to be in.”

Bill Holloway

Lake + Land Studio

What's Something that People Would Find Surprising About You?

Bill: My fascination with architecture started when I was a kid living in a manufactured home, in the middle of a cow pasture, on a chicken farm in Soso, Mississippi. I believe being around nature early on in life fueled my creativity and imagination. I was first introduced to architecture when I started taking piano lessons in downtown Laurel, Mississippi's historic district. Every week on the way to piano lessons, I would pass houses of various architectural styles built during the City Beautiful Movement. I always wondered what it would be like to live in the houses I saw in town and started collecting house plan books when I was 10 years old to learn what made all of the houses I saw so unique and different. After architecture school, I moved to New York City and worked for Robert A.M. Stern Architects when their office was on the 20th floor of a building on 34th Street. Needless to say, that was a very different experience than how I grew up, however, I love both extremes, and my incredibly diverse experiences have shaped who I am today. Now, I live in one of those historic homes that inspired my career in my hometown of Laurel, Mississippi.

Luke: I am super outgoing and love meeting new people, hanging out with large groups, but one of my favorite things is watching movies. When I start one, I want it dark, loud, and I don’t want to miss one line, no talking. That is very opposite of every other characteristic that I posses, but I love it. I am super excited that my oldest daughter is the same way. She will be my movie buddy forever, I hope.

What's Next for You?

Bill: I have always been a big fan of architectural history but I am looking to do a deep dive into learning even more about the architects and buildings I have always admired, but have not had time to research like I have wanted. There is such a treasure of information out there and I have a very curious mind. Also, I am hoping to do some more traveling and exploring for further design inspiration.

Luke: I hope life can settle down a bit, which is hard for me to imagine doing. I want to enjoy simple life moments with my family more often. I can only remember going 100% almost my whole life. I know work will keep growing (I hope it does), I hope that new opportunities arise, but I really don’t want what is important to pass me by. My relationship with Jesus, fun with my family, and designing amazing projects with amazing friends.

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The front exterior of a home with Marvin windows.