Ideas inspired by the natural world.
There’s something so nostalgic about lake houses.
In addition to a walk down memory lane, lake houses are a stellar setting to make new memories.
Credit: Photo: Helen Norman
Simple curtains add an element of softness to the room.
Sliding pocket doors can be tucked away for seamlessindoor-outdoor living.
Focus On The View
Keep the beautiful views the primary focus.
Credit: Photo: Alexandra Rowley
A neutral palette devoid of area rugs or window treatments blends thisliving roomwith its surroundings.
Choose Durable Seating
Pick furniture that can withstand wet swimsuits for minimal worry and upkeep.
Keep the color palette in tune with the surroundings to blur the distinction betweenindoorsand out.
Credit: Photo by: Tria Giovan, Styling by: Matthew Gleason
Create An Effortless Look
Lake living should feel laidback, so keep the color scheme simple.
Here, blue and green accent pillows channel the outdoors.
Make It A Hybrid
The homeowners wanted both alake cottageand a mountain cabin.
Credit: Helen Norman
Pair favorite pieces with a crisp background of white walls for a comfortable look that is all your own.
She painted the original dark-stained ceilings pale gray to open up the space.
Add Extra Seating
Choose furniture or accessories that can double as extra seating to accommodate a crowd.
Credit: Photo: Helen Norman
Work With The Architecture
Incorporate the existing architecture to give your lake house an easier update.
Here, the original brick flooring is refinished with a sheen for an updated look.
A few coats of white paint took the former dark wood walls from drab to fab.
Credit: Photo: Lisa Romerein
Mix Motifs
Blend patterns and styles without reservation for an informal look.
Grass cloth wallcovering keeps in line with this lake house family room’s coastal look.
Create Cohesion
Keep the paint on walls, trim, and paneling monochromatic for a seamless look.
Credit: Photo: Laurey Glenn
For color relief, leave the ceiling white.
Make It Feel Rustic
Give your lake house a rustic feel with dark, woodsy hues.
Here, walls and trim are stained bark brown and cabinets are painted driftwood gray.
Credit: Photo: Nancy Nolan
Design 180 Views
If you’re remodeling or building, consider designing a bump-out bay of windows.
It creates a cozy sitting room with a panoramic view of the landscape.
Black and white photos and brass frames add to the charming, rustic style.
Credit: Photo: Lisa Romerein, Styling by: Rebecca Omweg
Retreating to the screened-in porch is a walk in the park thanks to this whimsical walkway.
Keep the main bedroom a serene oasis with a soothing palette like this grey and white scheme.
Set A Rustic Table
Pair a wood table with iron chairs for rustic lakeside dining.
Credit: Photo: Lisa Romerein, Styling by: Rebecca Omweg
Fill hurricanes with river rocks and pillar candles of varying height for a touch of elegance.
Add Extra Beds
To carve out more sleeping space, build bunk beds into the wall.
Here, three bunk beds stack all the way up to the nearly-20-foot ceiling.
Credit: Lisa Romerein
Intensify Paint Hues
Decorate with Earth tones to for a calm and balanced palette.
Keep It Essential
Simple living is the name of the game down at the lake house.
Open shelving in the kitchen will help pare down a lake house’s dishware to only the essentials.
Credit: Photo by: Lisa Romerein, Styling by: Rebecca Omweg
Bring Nature In
Welcome the outdoors inside.
Design A Dreamy Bedroom
Create a cozy bedroom nook by hanging curtains.
If you’re not comfortable mixing patterns, try using varying textures instead, like the designer did here.
Credit: Photo: Helen Norman, Styling: Rebecca Omweg
Slipcovered stools can be pushed out underneath the table and out of the way.
Balance It Out
Combine beautiful and functional elements for a dreamy bedroom retreat.
Plush curtains add softness as well as privacy.
Credit: Photo: Helen Norman, Styling by: Rebecca Omweg
An iron canopy bed has an airy feeling, while a braided-jute rug lends warmth.
A slipcovered headboard and matching bed skirt add a dose of pattern.
Blue vintage nightstands add more storage and provide extra color.
Credit: Photo: Helen Norman, Styling by: Rebecca Omweg
Lean Into Natural Style
At this 1,000-square-footlake house, the porch lives like another den.
Woven rugs add warmth while designating the dining space from the sitting area.
Choosing furnishings made of natural materials provides another earthy element to the al fresco room.
Credit: Photo: Helen Norman, Styling by: Rebecca Omweg
Choose Comfort
Sunlight pours into the living room of this Alabamalake cabinthrough a wall of windows.
Lining the beds against a wall freed up floorspace for playing games on rainy days.
A small reading lamp is clipped on each bunk for late-night stories.
Credit: Photo: Nancy Nolan
Fuss-free flooring stands up to water and mud tracked in.
Elevate Camp Style
Use summer camp nostalgia to inspire your dreamy lake house decor.
Incorporate camp style with a touch of grown-up sophistication by setting a pretty table to contrast with rustic furnishings.
Credit: Photo by Nancy Nolan
Set aside a small seating area somewhere with a dreamy view to watch the sunset.
Minimalist design and bright whites lend themselves to a cool, calm, and collected final result.
Bring the dinner party outside with aspacededicated to outdoor dining.
Credit: Photo: Nancy Nolan
The bathroom is no exception.
Set A Shortcut
Originally this porch wasn’t going to include an exit.
In china and in home decorating, blue and white is always right.
Credit: Photo: Nancy Nolan
This is a place for casual bites and memory-making rather than elegant, high-brow dining.
Kick Your Feet Up
A living room without a couch?
Hear us out before clutching your pearls.
Credit: Photo: Helen Norman
This designer chose lounge chairs instead of a sofa forlake houseresidents to stretch out in front of the fire.
Prepare your foodoutside, too to make the most of your lakeside getaway.
This creative and rustic outdoor shower uses a bucket for it’s spout.
Credit: Photo: Helen Norman
Embrace lakeside charm in details throughout the house like this or try other nods toclassic coastal design.
Invite Light
There’s never enough natural light in a home, especially in a lake house.
Welcome even more rays with breezy sky lights.
Credit: Photo: Helen Norman
Stay On Theme
Stay true to the locale with decor that embraces lakeside living.
This fishy bathroom could only ever suit a house by the water.
It’s a fun and stylish celebration of the getaway destination.
Credit: Photo: Helen Norman
Prioritize Storage
This 1950s lakeside cabinwas given a beautiful makeover to suit both beauty and function.
Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Kiera Coffee
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Kiera Coffee
Credit: Photo by: Helen Norman, Styling by: Rebecca Omweg
Credit: Photo by: Helen Norman, Styling by: Rebecca Omweg
Credit: Photo: Helen Norman
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Kiera Coffee
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Matthew Gleason
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Matthew Gleason
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Matthew Gleason
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez
Credit:Brie Williams Styling: Jennifer Berno Decleene
Credit:Brie Williams Styling: Jennifer Berno Decleene
Credit: Marta Xochilt Perez; Styling: Page Mullins
Credit: Marta Xochilt Perez; Styling: Page Mullins
Credit: Photo: Laurey Glenn, Styling: Matthew Gleason
Credit: Photo: Laurey Glenn, Styling: Matthew Gleason
Credit: Photo: Laurey Glenn, Styling: Matthew Gleason
Credit:Crystal Photography
Credit: Laura Sumrak
Credit: Laura Sumrak
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Frances Bailey
