Owning a lake home in North Dakota or Minnesota is a dream most locals shoot to achieve at some point in their life. From Memorial Day to Labor Day you can find families and friends gathering at lake cabins almost every weekend. As Memorial Day approaches every year you can sense the excitement everywhere you turn.
Interior Design has always been a skill of mine and I’ve slowly started branching more in that direction. My dad was a contractor and always tackled all of our home projects from scratch. Those projects typically ranged from laying flooring, to building additions to siding the house. My mom was the designer of all home projects.
My dad always joked that he could barely lay out his own clothes because he never knew what colors went together, but mom did.
I thank them both for my talent and desire in this area. It was always something they enjoyed and encouraged in me. When I was in grade school I never liked my room styled the same way for very long. I was always moving furniture around or asking if we could “redesign it”. Luckily, my parents always empowered us to do so, but the rule was that we had to help with the painting! And, due to our tight budget, I learned really fast how to utilize accessories to make big changes without costing us any money.
Hired As A Designer
When my mom and stepdad purchased a lake home on Lake Lida they asked me if they could hire me as the designer. Budgets are a priority to me, and I think that was my stepdads selling point. Ha! My mom knows how much I love design and her plate is full with 3 high schoolers and a full-time job, so it also made her life a lot easier.
The home they bought was beautiful in its own right and had so much history. When I say that, I mean that there was incredible potential to make it more modern and yet keep the charming, unique style. Their goal was to eventually live out there and for it to be large enough to host lots of friends and family.
Lake Home Theme: Beach Getaway
‘Beach getaway’ was the theme I based the design around and we incorporated a soothing palate of colors. Ranging from blues to greens and whites to grays, it feels soothing the second you walk through the door. Once you leave the city and get to the lake you leave all your cares behind and this style seemed like a natural choice of colors.
Lake Home Remodel: The Kitchen
The Island Issue
The kitchen was the most interesting piece to design. As you walked up the stairs into the main kitchen and living area you walked right into an island. It inhabited flow and it was very difficult to utilize it without blocking traffic. Due to the shape of the kitchen; a v shape (mimicking the shape of the property), it made the design a little challenging.
I watched how my mom worked in the kitchen and it was hard for her to prep and cook with the island so far away so I knew that was a top priority. I drew a quick design of what I thought would work well and presented it to them and they loved it. We pitched it to the cabinet designer and they made it happen! Their quality is incredible and they did NOT disappoint!
We moved the island to a more functional spot and added a coffee & drink bar behind it. Utilizing this open space allowed for more kitchen counter space and a separation between drinks and the food prep areas. Now, they can each prep food without constantly bumping into people who are trying to grab a drink.
Lake Home Remodel: Garage Stalls; Now Sliding Glass Views of The Lake
The main level of this lake home was very choppy. It had the typical lake home idea of “let’s put a bed where we can” style so that they could host as many people as possible. It was a functional design by solving the problem of sleeping arrangements, but it was not esthetically pleasing.
The Garage Doors
There were two garage doors. The first garage door was a true garage where they stored their small engine vehicles. The other one of them led to a small bedroom and then there was a wall separating another bedroom behind it. The layout only allowed private sleeping areas, but they were not safe nor comfortable. You had to walk through the true garage to get to those bedrooms. All of those bedrooms did not have windows and therefore they were not fire safe.
They needed these two bedrooms, but not the garage as they had another storage area available. So, I came up with an idea to replace the garage doors with large sliding glass doors. This would allow for more lighting in the bedrooms and a safer place to sleep. It also allowed for an incredible view of the lake from those rooms. It was an incredible transformation!
Solving “flow” problems
I then consulted with them on a different “flow” for the basement level to make these new bedrooms functional, and the contractor made it happen. I have shared all of the details and provided a walk through on my Instagram site if you’re interested in a tour! (Located in my Design highlights) My mom is very good with things like this, as I said before so it was super fun consulting with her and talking through the plans.
Lake Home Furniture Revival: Slip Covers
Committed to sticking to a budget and utilizing what they already had – I explored slip covers for the furniture. Not one piece of furniture was purchased, as I ordered slip covers for them or just spruced them up with new pillows. I was thoroughly impressed with these slip covers from Bemz Designs.
Bemz Designs
I ordered 2 chair covers that were velvet and a sofa cover and chair cover that were linen. I loved both styles. I was a little disappointed that one of the chair covers did not fit on the recliner, but that was my fault. I did not order a large enough size for it to fit perfectly, so I will probably buy another one of the Amazon ones I got! Keep scrolling to learn more about that incredible one…
The one slip cover that shocked me, and that I now love is one from Amazon!
It is stretchy, stain resistant, and easy to clean so I knew I needed to try it out; plus it was only $40! It is from Collections Etc and if you are looking for a quick and easy transformation to an old chair, I highly recommend it. I also ordered twistable pins to secure it so it doesn’t slip. We have a leather recliner that is wearing out and I will probably purchase a cover like this one to put over it.
Lake Home Remodel: Rugs Make A Room
Rugs instantly change the whole feel of a room. I love rugs and layering them to make it feel even cozier. They do not need to cost a lot either, and the best selection, quality and deals on rugs that I have found are from Boutique Rugs and RugsUSA.
Wait for a sale, if you can.
You can spend a lot of money on rugs or you can wait for the incredible deals. I am a fan of the latter and have no issues waiting for a good deal! If you are looking for something as massive as the rugs in these photos, I recommend waiting for a great sale. These had been folded or rolled up most of the winter (I ordered them during a big sale), so they still have some creases in them until they relax more.
I love jute rugs!
Jute rugs, even though they can be very dirty as they shed and carry dust; they’re so beautiful!
They work in any area of your house and you can easily layer a warmer softer rug on top if you do not like the feel of jute under your feet. I like them in high traffic areas because they hold up well and you cannot see wear on them or the dirt very much. We have jute in most of our main living areas and the jute rug style fit the beach feel of this lake home.
Master Bedroom
The master bedroom was not part of the remodel, but I wanted to surprise them with a cozier room that blended better with the rest of the house. It did not turn into a surprise as my mom ended up wanting to get some of it done as well. We aren’t mother and daughter or anything! Ha! Simply enough, the walls were painted, I threw a rug on the floor and hung some new arrangements on the walls.
The master bathroom was part of the remodel and the setup of it was a little quirky so we re-drew the floor plan. Even though it is still small it is a lot more open and functional now. Small, inexpensive changes can change the whole room!
My goal was to have my portion of this project done for Mother’s Day and I just barely hit that goal! They are also completing the exterior shortly so I will share more about that when it is done!
