It may be many miles away, but for the owners of this lakeside holiday home on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, it was the smart coastal retreats of The Hamptons that provided the style inspiration for their own weekend getaway.
The owners wanted to replicate the sophistication and serenity reminiscent of traditional Hamptons house design, capturing both the style's refinement and approachability. This was to be a radical redesign of their 1990s cottage-style home, which combines cedar siding and shingles for a rustic feel, complemented by river rock accents. To help them achieve what they wanted with the new look, the owners turned to interior designer Andrea Rodman.
'Our clients had visited beautiful places in the Hamptons and loved the traditional coastal vibe,' says Andrea. 'They also wanted a place that was not fussy but warm and inviting, with comfortable furniture. The updated interiors now radiate warmth and coziness, ideal for relaxation and the creation of enduring summer memories by the lake.'
Take the tour, as Andrea explains how the new look came about.
The hub of the home is designed to be durable, and living room ideas here feature warm wood tones, white furniture, and a river stone fireplace. The Venua Seagrass coffee table is from Restoration Hardware.
'We gave the existing river rock fireplace a whitewash to tone down the high-contrast dark gray of the original stone, creating more of a rustic beachy vibe for the home,' explains the designer.
With its magnificent view of the lake and private beach, this relaxed area to the side of the main kitchen is the perfect spot for an informal family dining space. Eat-in kitchen ideas include a dining table with a salvaged wood x-base and dining chairs, all from Restoration Hardware. The paneled ceiling creates a soft, cottagey vibe, while the furniture and elegant Hackney 9-light chandelier from Visual Comfort give a more elevated look.
Explaining her kitchen ideas Andrea says: 'We played with traditional details in the millwork, while adding some curves in the backsplashes to introduce modern elements. We kept to traditional lighting and layered woods throughout the house in the flooring and included some whitewashed wood cabinets to capture the beachy vibe the homeowners were after.'
The kitchen is the designer's favorite space. 'I love designing kitchens and was particularly fond of the warmth of this one, with the soft bone color and how the wood blends so softly with these tones and the light countertop,' she says. 'We don't typically get the opportunity to design traditional homes, so it was fun to dive into this one with my team.'
When it came to kitchen flooring ideas, designer Andrea opted for medium ash oak wood flooring, while her kitchen cabinet ideas paired a lighter whitewash oak for the tall millwork cabinets with painted bone-colored kitchen cabinets.
'A wood countertop was added, as our client mentioned it was a must-have after visiting a home on vacation and falling in love with this design feature,' adds Andrea. 'And white walls throughout create a warm and welcoming beachy vibe in the home.'
Laundry room ideas continue the theme and color palette set in the adjoining kitchen, with the same Benjamin Moore Edgcomb Gray shade used for the cabinetry in this smaller utility space. Heritage-style bracket wall lights, and smart gray floor tiles evoke a traditional look, and the tiles are a practical, hardwearing choice.
The house sleeps 14 in total, and has two main bedrooms, with plenty of smart bedroom ideas to inspire anyone looking for a new scheme.
'This room was meant to be light and dreamy,' says designer Andrea. 'We found the perfect bed from Restoration Hardware with a paper cord feel, which echoed elements like the ottoman in the living room. This tactile finish gave the soft, warm vibe we were aiming for, with some light and dreamy white elements to capture the restful and relaxing atmosphere the clients wanted for the bedrooms.'
Imagine waking up to a view like this.
When space allows, incorporating a reading nook can really add a touch of luxury to a bedroom. It can be as simple as identifying a suitable corner for a comfortable armchair and lamp, as here. With good natural daylight and a view of the lake to enjoy too, it really makes the most of the setting. The chair and ottoman are from Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams. The unusual rope-handled table is the Lift Stool, from Barter Design, which adds another coastal element to the room.
This room is the main guest bedroom, featuring its own getaway living room and adjoining en suite. The star of the show, besides the view of course, is the Manzanita Cane Bed from Pottery Barn, complemented by the neutral colors and natural soft furnishing fabrics.
The lakeside home is a sociable space, intended for large gatherings of family and friends. When the family isn't using it for their own vacations, it's available for holiday lets, so creating the right kind of guest space was essential. For the children's space, thoughts turned to the best shared bedroom ideas.
'We designed four bunk beds for this room, intended for kids and slumber parties,' explains designer Andrea. 'The clients wanted the room to be a place the kids would love to hang out and fall asleep in. They shared inspiration that translated into a warm and inviting atmosphere, with lighting for reading and stairs to access the top bunks, so the kids felt safe climbing into the beds at night.'
The bathroom ideas for the en suite to the first main bedroom bring in further traditional influences, with a statement wall of Morris & Co. Pimpernel wallpaper.
'We chose to stay with the same bone color as the kitchen for this room to create a cohesive color palette throughout the home,' says Andrea. 'We incorporated traditional millwork details in the framing of the doors and drawers, along with brass hardware and fixtures, to achieve the desired period feel. We installed a limestone floor with rough edges to capture the warmth of natural stone while also bringing in a timeless feel.'
There's a contrast in style for the guest bathroom ideas, with a more neutral color scheme, but still traditional fixtures and fittings, with a classic-style tub and a large shower with seating for two. 'We matched the bone color of the kitchen and blended traditional elements like the lighting and millwork detailing with modern elements to create a fun fusion of our clients' tastes,' explains Andrea.
Like the rest of the home, this small bathroom blends traditional and contemporary influences to perfection, creating a livable, welcoming space with character and charm. It truly is the perfect setting for a relaxed vacation, and designer Andrea Rodman and her clients are delighted with the finished look.
Interior design: Andrea Rodman
Photography: Tina Kulic
