50 Lake House Decorating Ideas for a Laid-Back Look

Country Living editors select each product featured. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission.

There’s a reason country radio stays well stocked with songs about lake life. A lake house represents the ultimate in laid-back living, a place where time magically slows down, the , and memories are made around the . And while we have nothing against —let the record show that we’re always happy to secure an invitation to a —lake people are our kindred spirits.

If you’re lucky enough to own a lake house, first take a moment to count your blessings. (We’ll wait.) Now that that’s done, you’ll need to select a lake-friendly that’ll make fellow pontoon-boaters slow down in admiration. Once you’ve picked an exterior paint (you went with the , right?), it’s time to tackle the interior. Whether your tastes veer more rustic or more modern, most lake house owners agree on one thing: They want their home to feel effortless in a kick-up-your-feet, don’t-worry-about-a-coaster kind of way.

That unfussy, come-what-may feeling actually requires a lot of forethought. The more durable your selected materials, for example, the fewer worries you’ll have about upkeep. When views are prioritized, the more “one with nature” you'll feel. Oh, and a sense of nostalgia goes a long way, too. After all, if a house feels like it’s been around forever—like it’s seen the ebb and flow of life (and maybe a water ring or two)—it’ll make everyone else feel at ease. Antiques and collectibles—fishing creels, minnow buckets, wool camp blankets—also help reinforce that coveted timeworn aesthetic. “The 1960s movie The Parent Trap is the ultimate cabin vibe as far as we’re concerned,” says homeowner Megan Marsh, whose own Wisconsin lake property was featured in a recent issue of Country Living.

If you’re wading knee-deep in the process of designing a lake house, the 50 design ideas below will fill up your aesthetic tackle box.

Here’s more design bait for lake house enthusiasts:

1

Hang a Canoe Overhead

Brie Williams, styling by Elizabeth Demos

In the dining room of a Georgia lake cabin, a restored 1942 Peterborough canoe found on Facebook Marketplace hangs above a cross-legged wood table. (The canoe isn’t just for show—the homeowners use it regularly!) To reinforce the lake house feel, homeowner Kelly Gray () clustered together an arrangement of 1950s and ’60s King-Seeley thermoses for a casual centerpiece.

RELATED:

2

Give a Nod to Nostalgia

JOSH GRUBBS

Whether it’s an old lake sign, sepia-toned photos, or a vintage map depicting the destination, elements that speak to a property’s past help reinforce that blissfully stuck-in-time feeling. Here, a jagged-edge sign that’s original to the property—formerly a resort—speaks to the home’s storied history. The banquette, upholstered in a durable striped grain-sack material, is framed by a pair of old logs salvaged from the site.

RELATED:

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below3

Revive Old Wicker with Paint

Brie Williams for Country Living

This dreamy screened-in porch is one of the only new additions its homeowners made to their 1949 lake cabin’s original footprint. For the porch swing, and all the wicker throughout the house, the homeowner leaned on an old trick of painting indoor and outdoor furnishings the same shade as the house’s exterior. The result is a through-line that unites the indoors with the out. A vintage Coleman cooler serves double-duty as a coffee table and beverage storage.

Get the Look:
Green Paint Color:

RELATED:

4

Look to Old Lodges

Adam Albright for Country Living

Wisconsin is famous for its down-home, family-owned supper clubs, where Friday fish fries serve up beer-battered pollock and baskets full of cheese curds. Working with a custom upholsterer, homeowner Sarah Anderson () channeled the no-frills roadhouse style when designing the built-in channel-back banquette made of family-friendly faux leather fabric. Above it, a gallery wall of thrifted conversation starters— game boards, paddles, nautical knickknacks—came together with a lot of trial and error eyeballing. “There are a few extra holes in the drywall!” says Sarah.

RELATED:

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below5

Bring Outdoor Furniture Indoors

Brie Williams for Country Living, styling by Liz Demos

Woven green outdoor chairs around a late-1800s English tavern table set the relaxed tone for this lake house sunroom, where vintage lodge-style games like Bingo and Monopoly make for functional collections. Black-and-white family photos and artwork mingle with vintage rackets and paddles for a personal wall display, and vintage National Geographic magazines provide a yellow punch to the room’s built-in shelves.

6

Hang a Set of Antlers

Is it really a cabin if there’s not at least one set of antlers, real or faux, on display? Here, a large-scale set offsets this New York cabin’s more clean-lined and modern-leaning furnishings, including a vintage midcentury sofa and industrial-style coffee table.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below7

Turn Board Games Into Wall Art

Brie Williams, styling by Matthew Gleason

Salvaged materials and antiques aplenty, including vintage hand-painted game boards, help this newly built North Carolina mountain house feel like it’s been sitting pretty for centuries. The antique bench below the arrangement gets its patina from years of sitting on a porch.

RELATED:

8

Embrace Open Shelving

JOSH GRUBBS

When items are easily within view, early-riser houseguests don't have to go rummaging through cabinets to find a coffee cup. A blue beadboard island and handmade terra-cotta tiles set on the diagonal add to the cottage vibe.

RELATED:

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below9

Consider Built-in Bunk Beds

mike garten

In an upstate New York lake house, a smartly appointed, space-maximizing kids’ bunk room features built-in cubbies that house various old-fashioned wooden toys. The right-size ladders were made from a single one sawed in half.

RELATED:

10

Go Rustic with Reclaimed Wood

Brie Williams, styling by Matthew Gleason

In this North Carolina property, reclaimed wood graces the floor, ceiling, and center of the kitchen, which features a custom island crafted from antique white oak that is paired with rustic, . The vintage touches continue with the 1950s industrial pendants that came out of an old factory. The shelves and island hold antique finds such as stoneware, breadboards, whiskey jugs, and a collection of Native American baskets.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below11

Add Camp Stripes with Tile

Christopher Dibble

To pay tribute to the iconic stripes of the Hudson Bay point blanket, designer cleverly woke up a wall of plain white subway tile with a few select stripes using tiles from Daltile’s .

12

Turn a Vintage Postcard Into a Wall Mural

Annie Schlechter

To help their son’s itty-bitty bunk room feel more sprawling, Christine and Gabriel Bridger of created a based on a postcard of Michigan’s Lake Macatawa, where Gabriel spent summers as a child.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below13

Incorporate Whimsical Details

Alyssa Lee

Paying tribute to the trees that surround the lake cabin, nature-inspired birch cutouts in this built-in bunk’s frame add character while drawers with twig handles corral clutter.

14

Just Add Adirondacks

Brie Williams for Country Living

Surrounding a large stone fireplace, a collection of Adirondack chairs repainted in a dark green encourages conversation long into the evening.

Get the Look:
Chairs:

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below15

Hang a Pair of Paddles

Marta Xochilt Perez for Country Living

In this Wisconsin cabin, the primary bedroom features a pair of painted paddles by hanging above a bed topped with a striped wool blanket. The crisp colors happily offset the dark paneling.

Get the Look:
Striped Blanket:

RELATED:

16

Install a Rustic Shower

Audrey Hall

In a California property, the homeowner paired a circular galvanized trough tub with a shower curtain made from water-wicking duck cloth. Barn doors conserve space while offering privacy.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below17

Line a Stairwell with Skis

Adam Albright, Styling by Kelly Ryan Kegans for Country Living

“Everybody puts skis in their cabins, but I wanted it to be over the top,” says homeowner Sarah Anderson of her whimsical Wisconsin lake property. Here, her clever ski-lined stairwell offers a whimsical take on wall paneling.

18

Create a Game Station

mike garten

No proper lake house is complete without a stash of old board games—the more faded, the better! Here, an old post office sorting table () is just the piece to house an assortment of adult-friendly spirits and family-friendly games.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below19

Turn a Wall Into a Mudroom

mike garten

Every lake house needs a hardworking drop zone. Here, in lieu of a dedicated room, the homeowners turned a corner of the living space into a mini mudroom thanks to a few hooks and a bench made from a pair of small sawhorses topped with a live-edge slab of walnut.

RELATED:

20

Embrace Mixed Materials

Dana Gallagher

In Bone Lake, Wisconsin, homeowner Megan Duncan selected soapstone countertops, subway tile, reclaimed beams, Douglas fir cabinets, rush barstools, and a stone range hood that features the same stone seen on the living room fireplace. The thoughtful mix helps the new-build feel as if it’s been added to over time.

RELATED:

Editor-in-Chief

Rachel Hardage Barrett has written for and edited lifestyle publications for more than 20 years. As the editor-in-chief of Country Living, she has covered all things related to country life—including design, gardening, food, travel, antiques, crafts, and country pop culture—for more than a decade. Before Country Living, Rachel spent several years at Southern Living, where she served as Executive Editor covering travel, food, style, and features. Before Southern Living, Rachel was the Special Projects Director of Real Simple, where she wrote and oversaw books and special issues about food, travel, weddings, organizing, and parenting in addition to working on international editions and licensed products. Before working at lifestyle brands, Rachel started her magazine career at Glamour, where she wrote and edited relationship articles, celebrity interviews, as well as fashion and features content. When she’s not working on the magazine, she can likely be found poking around an antiques shop, perusing country real estate listings, or dreaming of opening a general store.

Watch Next Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Readers Also Read

Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below