The End of the Lake House

Posted by Kristin Abraham May 25, 2007

I can't tell you how good it feels to have this project behind me. I really loved the location and because it was a second home to the owners I usually had the entire place to myself (with my assistants of course). And the transformation was absolutely amazing but I just do not have the attention span to spend so much time on the same project.

We began about 9 months ago and then I look several months off during the winter and picked up my brushes again in the spring.

The project was huge but I have to admit that the homeowner is an excellent painter herself and her skills and talents helped finish their home. The plan was to fix and update as much as possible without spending a ton of money and then in 3 years they could decide if they would put more money into making this their home or if they were going to sell.

The entire home was paneled and rather than redrywalling we decided to paint the paneling and used solid, light, cottage inspired colors. The transformation was incredible. Then the woodwork and trim (including a ceiling beam) was primed and painted white which gave everything an even more clean, finished appearance. A great update that didnt cost a thing was the furniture, which was oversized, comfy hand-me-downs.

A decent sum of money went into some replacements and upgrades but it was money well spent. Indoor-outdoor carpet replaced old shag while dated light fixtures were discarded for newer, more efficient ones. The bathroom vanities were also replaced with more stylish, modern ones.

In the end I must say the home looks great and a lot more like a lake house should. I enjoyed the project and seeing it through from start to finish, but it does feel really good to be able to close the book on this project.