Now that you’ve bagged your waterfront home, it’s time to get creative!
Below are the things to keep in mind when building, designing, and decorating your lake house.
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1. Know lake house styles
If you’re building from the ground up, you may want to consider two of the most popular styles for lake houses:
- Craftsman style
Marked by a low-pitched, gabled roof, overhanging eaves, exposed rafters with extended ends, with an open-plan interior and a centrally located fireplace. These are features typical of a 1-1/2-story Craftsman-type home that uses natural materials extensively. - Cottage style
A smaller, open-plan home often described as cozy and storybook like, with whimsical details like bay windows, diamond panes, porch columns, and shingled roofing. Cottages are also called bungalows or cabins.
These two residential types are cozy and practical and would fit a lake house perfectly.
2. Integrate nature
Integrating the home with nature is a key element in creating and designing a lake house. It’s always important to find ways to invoke harmony between the interior and exterior of the home.
Using natural colors is an excellent way to create that balance. Green is a top choice and you can add subtle accents of red or turquoise in your home’s fixtures. Fabrics with mushroom hues are also perfect for linens and chairs.
You can also use durable and low maintenance materials like wicker and cotton.
Having an open floor plan makes it easier to feel at one with nature. By adding ceiling vaults and step-downs, the different areas of the home are defined without compromising the floor plan’s smooth flow.
3. Highlight the view
When designing this type of home, making the most out of the lake view is important.
Here’s how:
Have a breezy wraparound deck and several railed balconies for views from more places in the houses. Homes with high ceilings and soaring windows, common in lakeside subdivisions, help bring the outdoors in.
Add a screened porch adjacent to your home, connected to a path filled with gorgeous flowers. Just imagine: it will be the perfect place to celebrate, gather the family, or lounge in during lazy Sundays.