Lake Home Decorating Ideas

While your lake home should feel like a natural oasis and fill you with a relaxed sense of joy, getting your home to serve that feeling can sometimes feel like a challenge. Fortunately, lake homes can typically still have a “rustic cabin” feel without compromising on luxury and space. Finding this balance can be challenging, so below, we’ll dive into lake home decorating ideas and some industry trends that aim to provide direction to your interior design journey. 

Use Your Views

One of the best components of a lake house is its views. For this reason, you mustn’t compete with them; instead, you must allow the views to flow into the home and expand your living space. Try sliding pocket doors for effortless indoor-outdoor living, or use a natural palette devoid of area rugs and window treatments to allow your rooms to blend with nature outside your doors. 

Choose Durable and Simple Seating

The trick here is blending functionality with style, which is actually easier than it sounds. Choose furniture that withstands wet swimsuits for minimal worry and upkeep, and try to stick to one clean color to create an effortless look. Some great brands to look for are Crypton, Sunbrella, and Inside Out, which are easy to clean, strong, and stain-resistant. Add some colorful accent pillows into the mix to provide a little flare without overwhelming the feel of the room. 

Maintain Rustic Elements

Incorporate rustic elements to ensure your lake home has a lake feel. Examples include using contrasting textures, like a soft, fluffy throw blanket or a chunky wooden stump as a side table. Another good strategy to incorporate a rustic design is making a stone fireplace the center of your living space and incorporating earth-tone colors such as green and brown into your decor.

Utilize Lighting Options

Implementing natural light into your lake home through large, frameless windows is an excellent strategy for any lake home. However, many rooms need more lighting options, which is where your lighting choices come into play. Soft lighting can create warmth, while spotlights can accentuate pieces in your home you want to be highlighted. Playing around with different lighting options over the span of a few weeks may help you figure out which combinations work best for the traffic and general use of each room in your home. 

Incorporate Polished Wood

Wood is a natural element with numerous possible applications in your lake home. From furniture to wall paneling, polished wood can give your home a rustic theme without overpowering the eye. Use polished dark wood in your cabinets or floors for a more luxurious look.

Related: Designing the Perfect Mountain Home Living Room

Lake Home Decorating Trends

Bunk Rooms and Convertible Furniture

More than ever, additional sleeping space is becoming common in lake homes and cabins. Bunk rooms, sleeper sofas, and blow-up mattresses can all be used to create more room for guests to spend the night. Outside of the additional bunk rooms, there are other simpler ways to add sleeping space, such as multi-functioning sofas and loveseats.

Lounging Spaces

While lounging spaces have always existed, they are becoming increasingly popular when designing a lake house for the summer. A successful lounging area encourages people to gather by providing a comfortable seating arrangement and plenty of space for relaxation or engaging conversation. Spaces can be designed for inside and outside the home, as well as hybrids for those who want a functionally efficient space.

Hassle-Free Entertaining

Enjoy dining outside and create a family dinner experience perfect for the warm summer weather. By utilizing table linens, melamine dinnerware, LED cordless table lamps, and fresh flowers, you can create an environment for lasting memories right on your porch or deck.

Functional Décor

Functional Décor is all about using everyday objects in your home while still maintaining style. To add some color and texture to your deck, add rolled-up Turkish or Microfiber towels to a basket for quick access after a day on the lake.

Find Your Dream Lake Home at The Cliffs

Whether you desire a lake or mountain home to call your own, you can find it all at The Cliffs. With seven communities to choose from, the selection is vast for those looking for an expertly crafted and luxurious home tucked away in nature. With the option to both build and buy your house, you can truly make one of our communities feel like a new home. Browse our properties below and reach out if anything catches your eye!