Lake House Furniture Collection

In order for your space to have a natural flow, your lake furniture, inside and outside, should be of the same or very similar styles. Think about the vibe you want your lake house to have. Do you want a nautical theme with lots of wood, rope, twine, and boat-themed décor? Or do you want a contemporary theme with sleek finishes and minimalistic design?

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Rustic, coastal, and modern farmhouse styles are the most popular themes for lake house interiors, reflecting a desire to connect with natural surroundings.

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There is no right or wrong answer, but whatever you choose, you want to keep it consistent throughout the home. Don’t choose modern patio furniture and combine it with rustic interior furniture, for example.

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Indoor Furniture Materials

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As with your outdoor furniture, your interior lake house furniture will need to be durable, water resistant, and easy to maintain.  Teak is an excellent choice and fabrics, such as canvas, resist staining. Here are some more excellent material choices for indoor furniture:

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• Reclaimed Wood: Perfect for the rustic look, reclaimed wood offers a timeless appeal to any lake house. It is also durable, making it a good choice no matter how you intend to use your lake home.

• Metals: Going the opposite direction from rustic, metal is great for sleek, modern lake homes. But that’s not to say you can’t use metal for a rustic look, it just needs to be a weathered finish. Either way, steel, brass, and iron will always be fixtures in interior furniture design and you can’t go wrong with them.

• Wool or Jute: These materials are great choices for rugs, throw blankets, and pillows. The use of them brings a warm, cozy feel to your interior space, and they’re also fairly durable too.

• Wicker & Twine: For the boating-themed lake house, nothing beats the look of wicker, twine, or rope. Furniture that is decorated with rope immediately transports you to a water life mindset, and wicker-based furniture pairs perfectly with this theme.

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Side note: material selection is very important for the look and durability of your interior furniture, but a simple, yet often overlooked concept is the arrangement of your furniture. Specifically, if you have large lake house windows with spectacular views, arrange your furniture facing these areas in order to catch awesome sunsets and sunrises.

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Indoor Furniture Functionality

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Again, design your interior furniture with purpose in mind. A lake home to be used for gatherings will need an entirely different furniture collection than a cozy retreat that won’t get much traffic aside from you and your spouse.

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Get the most for your money by opting for furnishings that double as storage. The cushion of an ottoman may lift to reveal the perfect storage space for extra throws. Coffee tables with drawers and compartments may hold games, cards, or books. Even sectional sofas may have a secret little compartment here or there to hold a remote control or coasters.

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These storage areas will come in handy, especially if you plan to use your lake home as an Airbnb or rental property. You may want to stash away your family portraits and other items during times when the property is being used by guests.

You will most likely want to spend a good deal of your time at your lake house outdoors, so you will want a collection of patio or deck furniture.  Durability should most certainly be a priority. There are many types of materials that are made to withstand outdoor elements like rain, humidity, and UV rays. Below is a list of durable materials to look for in your outdoor furniture:

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Outdoor Furniture Materials

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• Teak: A great choice if you’re matching a rustic, natural design theme, teak is a hardwood that produces its own oils. These oils make it very water-resistant, so you won’t have to worry about rotting, warping, and cracking. Teak can last for decades with minimal maintenance, making it our number one choice for wood-based outdoor furniture.

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• Cedar: A close second to teak, cedar is another wood that produces natural oils. Although cedar is not as durable as teak and does require a bit more maintenance, it is still a great option for a wooden outdoor furniture collection and is also very lightweight, giving you the option to rearrange your patio or deck with ease.

• Resin Wicker: If you opted for the nautical theme for your lake house design, resin wicker fits perfectly with the style of your home. Resin is a combination of plastics, and today’s modern manufacturing processes are able to produce resins that are indistinguishable from real wicker. The benefit to resin wicker over the real thing is its durability. It is extremely easy to clean with soap and water and you don’t have to worry about mildew or degradation like you would with real wicker.

• Aluminum: Lightweight, durable, resistant to rust and corrosion – aluminum is perhaps the perfect metal for outdoor furniture. It pairs great with a contemporary lake house design theme.

• Tempered Glass: Often used for tabletops, tempered glass is manufactured to provide greater shatter resistance than normal glass. It can offer an elegant, modern touch to your outdoor furniture collection.

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As always, consider the use of your furniture when selecting options. If you plan to have a lot of gatherings, or have young children, choose a material that can handle spills, drops, and other abuse. Tempered glass may not be the best choice in those situations, for example.

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And consider your environment as well. If you live in an area where it stays humid year-round, you’ll need to pick materials that can withstand moisture and heat.

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Outdoor Furniture Functionality

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If you intend to use your lake home for a private retreat for just you and your spouse, your furniture selection should vary greatly from that of a family with small children intending to use the property for family gatherings and events.

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For a relaxing retreat, lounge chairs and chaises are a great choice. They offer the perfect spot to kick your feet up and read a book while you overlook the lake in peace.

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And while larger pieces of furniture such as these aren’t a bad idea for parties and gatherings, they do take up more space and limit the seating available for multiple guests.

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In cases where gatherings and parties are planned to be a main occurrence at your lake home, consider smaller seating options, but add more of them. This will provide room for everyone to sit, and here’s an insider tip: Your kids won’t be able to fight over who gets the chaise or couch.