A story of heritage, heart, and design.

For five generations, the Dowd family has cherished Lake Geneva as a retreat. When the opportunity arose to restore Bonnie Brae, Colleen Dowd Saglimbeni, founder of CDS Interiors, took on the challenge with her brother Michael and sister-in-law Diane. Although he was only able to enjoy one summer there before his unexpected passing, Michael’s vision and spirit live on in every detail. He was Colleen’s greatest supporter, protector, and fan, and restoring Bonnie Brae became both a labor of love and a tribute to him.

Bonnie Brae is a historic estate that unites family legacy with timeless design. Built in 1881 after the Great Chicago Fire and later home to the philanthropic Ryerson family, Bonnie Brae is a Lake Geneva landmark. Claude Monet visited the home during his time in Lake Geneva and was a great source of inspiration for Colleen's design approach. The estate's color palette and aesthetics—soft blues and greens, airy linens, performance fabrics, and layered textures—were influenced by the artist’s work, underscoring the estate’s artistic and cultural significance.

This deeply personal story of heritage, heart, and design is also one of legacy—of how a home can embody generations of family memories and the enduring presence of those we love.