Houzz Tour: Modern Farmhouse Style for a Casual Lake House
A designer’s newly renovated holiday home blends a white-and-wood palette with homely touches
Bryan Anthony
29 November 2021
Designer Kelly Kole and her family love to spend most of their weekends nearly three hours from their Atlanta, Georgia residence to take in the serene sights and sounds of Lake Santeetlah in North Carolina. The lakeside holiday home they bought was originally built in the 1970s and was in need of a major revamp.
After a nearly one-year renovation, the house features a modern farmhouse style with white shiplap walls, wooden ceiling beams and a stylish mix of new and vintage furnishings. “It’s a comfortable, casual and relaxing space,” Kelly says. “But please don’t call it a cabin – it’s definitely a home.”
After a nearly one-year renovation, the house features a modern farmhouse style with white shiplap walls, wooden ceiling beams and a stylish mix of new and vintage furnishings. “It’s a comfortable, casual and relaxing space,” Kelly says. “But please don’t call it a cabin – it’s definitely a home.”
House at a Glance
Who lives here? Kelly Kole, her husband Mike and their two daughters
Location Robbinsville, North Carolina, USA
Size Three bedrooms and three bathrooms; about 223 sq m
Designer Kelly Kole of Kandrac & Kole Interior Designs
Photos by Lauren Rubinstein Photography
The exterior of the house has new vinyl siding panels that look like wood shingles on the left side and board and batten on the right. “The advancements in vinyl siding are pretty amazing,” Kelly says. “You can get the look of classic wood shingles, but not have to worry about all of the upkeep.”
The new front door is a bright yellow hue from the door manufacturer. Kelly chose the cheerful colour because it complements the grey vinyl shingles and provides a warm welcome for guests. She had the vintage tricycle painted in a matching shade.
Who lives here? Kelly Kole, her husband Mike and their two daughters
Location Robbinsville, North Carolina, USA
Size Three bedrooms and three bathrooms; about 223 sq m
Designer Kelly Kole of Kandrac & Kole Interior Designs
Photos by Lauren Rubinstein Photography
The exterior of the house has new vinyl siding panels that look like wood shingles on the left side and board and batten on the right. “The advancements in vinyl siding are pretty amazing,” Kelly says. “You can get the look of classic wood shingles, but not have to worry about all of the upkeep.”
The new front door is a bright yellow hue from the door manufacturer. Kelly chose the cheerful colour because it complements the grey vinyl shingles and provides a warm welcome for guests. She had the vintage tricycle painted in a matching shade.
The front door opens directly into the kitchen. To make the space feel larger and brighter, Kelly removed the original 9ft ceiling to take advantage of the pitched roofline. New decorative walnut beams with a grey wash stain add character and dimension to the ceiling.
The new walnut cabinets also have a grey wash stain to match the ceiling beams and give them “an old-timey feel”, Kelly says. The same walnut was used for the furniture-style island and custom-made cooker hood.
Ivory and cream mottled quartz worktops and a white metro tiled splashback provide a stark contrast to the dark walnut.
Kelly bought the brass pendant lights over the island because they reminded her of ones from an old train station. The vintage wood bread boards hanging on the wall are from France and Hungary.
The floors throughout the house are a wood-look luxury vinyl tile. The white walls on the upper level are painted in Pure White by Sherwin-Williams.
The new walnut cabinets also have a grey wash stain to match the ceiling beams and give them “an old-timey feel”, Kelly says. The same walnut was used for the furniture-style island and custom-made cooker hood.
Ivory and cream mottled quartz worktops and a white metro tiled splashback provide a stark contrast to the dark walnut.
Kelly bought the brass pendant lights over the island because they reminded her of ones from an old train station. The vintage wood bread boards hanging on the wall are from France and Hungary.
The floors throughout the house are a wood-look luxury vinyl tile. The white walls on the upper level are painted in Pure White by Sherwin-Williams.
The living room is a cosy space that comfortably accommodates the whole family for film and game nights. The walls are covered in white shiplap, and a decorative walnut ceiling beam visually connects the area to the nearby kitchen.
A large grey sofa is topped with a collection of cushions that Kelly made out of vintage Indian kantha quilts. The coffee table and the end tables have rustic wood tops and blackened metal legs.
A telescope is positioned in front of the window to take in the night skies. “The stars here are stunning,” Kelly says. “They impressed my husband so much he nicknamed the house ‘Stargazer’.”
Kelly commissioned Atlanta-based artist Carrie Willard to emblazon ‘Stargazer’ onto a salvaged piece of wood, and then hung it on the living room wall next to the TV.
Tempted to renovate? Find an interior designer near you.
A large grey sofa is topped with a collection of cushions that Kelly made out of vintage Indian kantha quilts. The coffee table and the end tables have rustic wood tops and blackened metal legs.
A telescope is positioned in front of the window to take in the night skies. “The stars here are stunning,” Kelly says. “They impressed my husband so much he nicknamed the house ‘Stargazer’.”
Kelly commissioned Atlanta-based artist Carrie Willard to emblazon ‘Stargazer’ onto a salvaged piece of wood, and then hung it on the living room wall next to the TV.
Tempted to renovate? Find an interior designer near you.
The dining room has a large white oak table that comfortably seats eight. The six side chairs are white oak with cream upholstery. To mix up the look, Kelly added black wicker carver chairs.
A lantern-style light fixture and pleated window curtains provide more touches of black and a stark contrast to the white shiplap walls. The black curtains have a subtle floral pattern. “The colourful flowers on the curtains reminded me of a field of wildflowers that we pass every time we drive up to the lake house,” Kelly says.
A lantern-style light fixture and pleated window curtains provide more touches of black and a stark contrast to the white shiplap walls. The black curtains have a subtle floral pattern. “The colourful flowers on the curtains reminded me of a field of wildflowers that we pass every time we drive up to the lake house,” Kelly says.
An antique drinks trolley with turned wood legs provides a stylish vignette in the corner of the dining room. “I love to mix and match new and antique pieces in a room when possible,” Kelly says. “And I’m a real sucker for turned legs.”
Sliding glass doors in the dining room lead to a covered deck that overlooks Lake Santeetlah. Kelly decorated the area with outdoor sofas and chairs gathered around a glass-topped wicker coffee table. The outdoor cushions are covered in a weather-resistant fabric from Sunbrella.
“When the weather is nice, we often eat our meals out here on the deck,” Kelly says.
“When the weather is nice, we often eat our meals out here on the deck,” Kelly says.
Kelly wanted the master bedroom to be a serene space with white walls and vintage-inspired furniture (an upholstered bed with brass nail heads and a pair of whitewashed bedside tables). The only colour comes from the blue-and-green curtains that Kelly chose to complement the view of the lake and trees from the window.
Siding glass doors in the master bedroom lead to another covered deck that Kelly and her husband like to use to relax and read books. A pair of dark grey wicker lounge chairs provide a comfortable perch underneath a ceiling fan. A planter on the exterior wall contains bright pink petunias.
Kelly also commissioned artist Carrie Willard to create the wood sign that reads “Lake Santeetlah” hanging on the exterior wall.
Kelly also commissioned artist Carrie Willard to create the wood sign that reads “Lake Santeetlah” hanging on the exterior wall.
The girls’ bedroom is on the lower level. It includes a pair of queen-sized beds with white bedding and Indian kantha quilts. “I love these quilts. They’re the perfect weight, and they add a fun, colourful pattern to the space,” Kelly says.
A pair of vintage wood trunks at the foot of each bed store additional bedding and blankets. An antique glass-and-wood curio cabinet in-between the beds serves as a bedside table and book storage.
The white walls on the lower level are Highly Reflective White by Sherwin-Williams.
A pair of vintage wood trunks at the foot of each bed store additional bedding and blankets. An antique glass-and-wood curio cabinet in-between the beds serves as a bedside table and book storage.
The white walls on the lower level are Highly Reflective White by Sherwin-Williams.
The lower-level guest bathroom has white shiplap walls, a white vanity unit with matt black hardware and a dark grey quartz countertop. The floor is covered in concrete-look porcelain tiles. The rug adds a touch of colour and pattern to the space.
Kelly converted a former storage area on the lower level into a bedroom alcove with a cosy day bed that’s ideal for overflow guests. Black-and-white family photos in rustic wood frames hang above the bed. A vintage-style rug completes the stylish scene.
The floating wood deck is anchored to the shore and provides a platform for swimming and taking in some sun. The pair of pink resin Adirondack chairs were a custom order that Kelly says she just had to have. “I wanted to be the only one with pink deck chairs,” she says. The chairs and the breathtaking views are indeed something to behold.
Tell us…
What do you love about this home? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Tell us…
What do you love about this home? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
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Loved this house - a dream property perfectly designed for comfortable living.
Apart from the antlers on the wall, everything was just about perfect. A beautiful home. Must be hard to drag yourself away after the weekend!
Everything, It’s a dream holiday home.