So you finally did it: you purchased your dream lake house by the water. What comes next? Well, there are a lot of necessary things that come with any house purchase. But the most fun part is personalizing your new lake house. Here are some ways to make it the coolest vacation spot for you, your family, and your friends!
Get the outdoor patio ready to entertain
When buying a lake house, you imagine that most of your time will be spent outside. And that’s often very true. So when you’re decorating, start with the outdoors! You want to invest in some outdoor furnishings that fit the mood you want to convey.
A great place to start is by picking a general color you want in the patio and deck. Beige, gray, and blue are all great choices that go with a lot. The patio furniture should be a color which continues throughout the house, so look at simplistic color options.
When looking at the outdoor space, you also need to think about fire pits, fireplaces, and other entertainment features. Then you can build the rest of your outdoor setup accordingly.
Focus on a simple, comfortable interior
Being at the lake is all about enjoying the beautiful outdoors, but you’ll still be indoors plenty of the time. So don’t forget your lake house interior.
You want the interior to be easy to clean whenever you spend time there. This means minimal clutter, minimal over-the-top decorations, and a timeless, sleek look that you won’t grow tired of in several years. A few “gone fishing” signs are acceptable, but the rest of the space should have similar design features of a nice hotel.
This means comfortable lighting features like floor lamps and simplistic ceiling lights. A good “lake house” look might include cohesive linen and towel colors throughout the house. This also makes doing laundry before you leave a lot easier.
Another tip for the interior is to invest in wood floors. Wood floors are easy to clean and can handle getting wet occasionally. Carpeting, on the other hand, is a little bit harder to keep from getting dirty. Wood floors, beige walls, simple lighting, and light colored curtains give your lakehouse a bright and airy feel that won’t ever get stale.
Keep it stocked with fishing and boating accessories
The looks of the lake house is one thing, but you don’t want to be at the lake and realize you forgot lighter fluid for the fire. Lake houses should be well-stocked at all times.
There should be a shed full of floaties, tools, fishing gloves, fishing rods and just about anything else that you need at the lake. Towels are a big one; they seem to go missing every time kids are near. All you can do is buy beach towels in bulk and hope for the best.
Once you have all the water accessories and sport accessories, the next step is keeping an in-depth shopping list every time you plan a lake trip. The nearest grocery store could be a long drive away depending on where your lake house is. Don’t make a rookie mistake and forget hot dog buns after 30 minutes into grilling! Make sure to stock up and freeze some food at the house that you can use next time you visit.
With these lake house tips and tricks up your sleeve, you’re ready for your first decorating session and the first trip to your new paradise.
Image Credits: Lake House from alexandre zveiger /Shutterstock