Julia Miller of Yond Interiors channeled a client’s memories into a collected and colorful second home

In the living room of Gina Henkemeyer's Minnesota lake cabin, a deep maroon built-in unit frames a custom sofa in dusty pink Dedar mohair velvet . Vintage wingback armchairs are reupholstered in a mocha Pierre Frey cotton polka dot and flank a 1940s Italian glass side table. A vintage cocoon pendant hangs above. The interior design is by Yond Interiors with construction by Bronder Construction. Malissa Mabey Photo

In the renovation brief for her Minnesota lake cabin, Gina Henkemeyer “envisioned a space that evoked the essence of Sophia Loren meeting Walden Pond or the olfactory memory of cedar wood and pasta water.” Inspired by childhood summers spent in the Iron Range near Lake Superior, with her Italian and Finnish grandparents, Henkemeyer didn’t specify an aesthetic or a color scheme—instead she described a spirit and a scent.

“This vintage bench was the perfect size, with this little rattan seat and…