Cozy Lake Cottages Are Trending, and We’re Stealing Ideas From These 3

A second-floor kitchen maximizes views.
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For a lot of people, it’s not summer until you’ve boogie boarded a bit, carried a heavy cooler over some dunes, and collected a bucket’s worth of shells. But with all the fun that comes with beach house life, there’s also a lot of sand. It gets in your floorboards, in your bed, in your lunch. So we get why more and more people are envisioning themselves lakeside this season. According to Pinterest’s weekly trends recap, there’s been a 45% increase in searches for “lake cottages” and “lake house decorating ideas,” as well as a 25% spike in “lake house decor.” 

As far as interiors go, lake houses aren’t all that different from beach houses. Many of them are designed to sleep troves of guests, withstand damp feet, and skew a little nautical. Here are a few of our favorite lake houses we’ve featured on Domino, and the ideas we want to steal from them.

Give the Best View to the Kitchen

Designer McKenzie Milhousen relocated this Alberta, Canada, home’s kitchen to the second level in order to maximize the views of the lake and bird sanctuary in the distance. She doubled down on counter-height seating by adding a bar in front of the window, just to make sure no one misses the vista while sipping their morning coffee. 

Carve Out a Practical, Paneled Mudroom

white kitchen with bike and baskets
Photography by Tessa Neustadt for Jenni Kayne

At a small lakeside cottage, the porch can easily become a dumping ground for boots and gear. Control the clutter inside with a hardworking mudroom–slash–laundry room, like the one in Jenni Kayne’s cozy Lake Arrowhead getaway. She outfitted her sleek, shiplapped space with lots of large baskets (they’re great catchalls for towels and toys), a work sink, and built-in drawers.

Paint Low Ceilings 

low blue ceiling
Photography by Nicole Franzen; Styling by Brittany Albert; Design by Of Place Studio

When you’re that friend with a place on the water, every unused corner suddenly becomes an opportunity for a mattress. Take it from this Lake Maxinkuckee home, where a space above the garage became a dreamy guest suite. By painting the ceiling panels the same color as the sky, you feel one with the outdoors—not the cars.

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Lydia Geisel

Home Editor

Lydia Geisel has been on the editorial team at Domino since 2017. Today, she writes and edits home and renovation stories, including house tours, before and afters, and DIYs, and leads our design news coverage. She lives in New York City.