Houzz Tour: Woodsy Lakefront Getaway Designed for Generations
A log cabin overlooking a Georgia lake gets a do-over with timeless style and materials designed to improve with age
When remodeling your new vacation house, giving your interior designer a budget and letting her run with it takes a lot of trust. Almost as much trust as letting your spouse choose the house without setting foot inside it yourself. But that’s exactly what happened when an Atlanta couple with two young kids and another on the way set out to find a weekend retreat at the height of the pandemic.
After a lengthy search, the husband jumped on a dark, dated log-sided cabin on a prime lot overlooking Lake Blue Ridge in northern Georgia, right on the edge of a national forest. The couple then tapped their longtime interior designer, Kathryn McAdams of Meriwether Design Group, to make the cabin inviting and functional for both family gatherings and guys’ weekends. It’s a work in progress (bathroom renovations begin this winter), but the trust was clearly well placed: The clients are loving their newly bright and cheery getaway’s improved layout, cook’s kitchen, classic style and natural finishes, all designed with future generations in mind.
After a lengthy search, the husband jumped on a dark, dated log-sided cabin on a prime lot overlooking Lake Blue Ridge in northern Georgia, right on the edge of a national forest. The couple then tapped their longtime interior designer, Kathryn McAdams of Meriwether Design Group, to make the cabin inviting and functional for both family gatherings and guys’ weekends. It’s a work in progress (bathroom renovations begin this winter), but the trust was clearly well placed: The clients are loving their newly bright and cheery getaway’s improved layout, cook’s kitchen, classic style and natural finishes, all designed with future generations in mind.
After: McAdams kept the major kitchen appliances but changed the layout, opting for an island instead of a peninsula to improve flow. Then she placed a walnut serving cart at one end, which is perfect for setting out charcuterie and other snacks to which guests can help themselves. She also painted the wood paneling and drywall here and throughout the house a single color, Sherwin-Williams’ Dover White, in a satin finish.
To paint or not to paint is an age-old and polarizing question when it comes to wood. But McAdams didn’t hesitate.
“It is always difficult for men and for my subs to do it, but I had no reservations whatsoever,” she says. “I like natural wood, but this wasn’t precious wood. It was C pine.” Plus the mix of drywall and wood paneling clashed and gave the eye nowhere to rest.
“By painting it, we created continuity and added a little bit of modern brightness,” McAdams explains. But because the low-grade pine’s big holes and knots would inevitably show through the paint, she was able to maintain its character.
To paint or not to paint is an age-old and polarizing question when it comes to wood. But McAdams didn’t hesitate.
“It is always difficult for men and for my subs to do it, but I had no reservations whatsoever,” she says. “I like natural wood, but this wasn’t precious wood. It was C pine.” Plus the mix of drywall and wood paneling clashed and gave the eye nowhere to rest.
“By painting it, we created continuity and added a little bit of modern brightness,” McAdams explains. But because the low-grade pine’s big holes and knots would inevitably show through the paint, she was able to maintain its character.
The kitchen’s new Shaker-style inset cabinets, which McAdams paired with a budget-friendly ceramic tile backsplash, have a timeless look.
“I thought of it as a fishing cabin that they would have for generations,” she says. “I wanted to really keep the lines clean for them and not make it fussy, but also make it so that 20 years from now they would still feel comfortable in the space and it would not feel dated.”
Choosing natural materials that will develop patina with use, like unsealed bluestone countertops and raw wood knobs, was part of her strategy.
“I wanted this place to have the ability to look better with age,” McAdams says. “I do occasionally use [engineered quartz,] but the reality is it dates your project because technology always improves. If I look back at a 2008 project, I can tell [the age by] the type of printing, whereas natural stands the test of time.”
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“I thought of it as a fishing cabin that they would have for generations,” she says. “I wanted to really keep the lines clean for them and not make it fussy, but also make it so that 20 years from now they would still feel comfortable in the space and it would not feel dated.”
Choosing natural materials that will develop patina with use, like unsealed bluestone countertops and raw wood knobs, was part of her strategy.
“I wanted this place to have the ability to look better with age,” McAdams says. “I do occasionally use [engineered quartz,] but the reality is it dates your project because technology always improves. If I look back at a 2008 project, I can tell [the age by] the type of printing, whereas natural stands the test of time.”
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The kitchen transitions to a custom-made banquette that seats six to eight people in a tight space. The back of the banquette is painted in Sherwin-Williams’ Rosemary, a grayish-green that’s echoed in accents throughout the cabin.
The custom table is elm, the counter stools are distressed driftwood and the floor is pine, which McAdams had to restain after changing the kitchen layout. ("Once you open the can, you have to cook it!” she says with a laugh.)
“I like mixing my woods,” McAdams says. “If you do one wood throughout the whole house, you get that furniture suite feel.” She says the key to mixing them in this case was the pine floor, which has a variety of colors and tones. “Keeping all the wood finishes that are natural in that range is how I create[d] harmony.”
The custom table is elm, the counter stools are distressed driftwood and the floor is pine, which McAdams had to restain after changing the kitchen layout. ("Once you open the can, you have to cook it!” she says with a laugh.)
“I like mixing my woods,” McAdams says. “If you do one wood throughout the whole house, you get that furniture suite feel.” She says the key to mixing them in this case was the pine floor, which has a variety of colors and tones. “Keeping all the wood finishes that are natural in that range is how I create[d] harmony.”
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The kitchen opens to a compact living room, which McAdams furnished with a wool rug, a small leather bench for a coffee table, a slipcovered sofa and chairs covered in a durable Krypton fabric. Here, practicality outweighed her preference for natural fibers.
“I wanted to think about wet butts!” McAdams says. “Whenever [you design] a lake house or a beach house, you’ve got to think about sunscreen and you have to think about people who have little ones who are not totally dry.”
Next to the wood-burning fireplace, whose surround is made of local granite, is a spiral staircase leading to one of two sleeping lofts.
“I wanted to think about wet butts!” McAdams says. “Whenever [you design] a lake house or a beach house, you’ve got to think about sunscreen and you have to think about people who have little ones who are not totally dry.”
Next to the wood-burning fireplace, whose surround is made of local granite, is a spiral staircase leading to one of two sleeping lofts.
Behind the sofa, a 14-foot accordion door replaced two sliders, helping to make the adjacent porch feel like part of the living space. The doors are usually open, McAdams says, which makes the porch’s screens critical.
To the right of the door, McAdams hung a map of the lake that they found in the house and reframed.
The porch overlooks the lake, which is accessible via a small, rustic tram that descends to a dock.
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To the right of the door, McAdams hung a map of the lake that they found in the house and reframed.
The porch overlooks the lake, which is accessible via a small, rustic tram that descends to a dock.
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McAdams had the home’s log exterior painted black to give it a more modern look, then carried the color through to the porch. The ceiling remains natural wood, which creates continuity with the interior.
Originally the porch had heavy wood railings, which McAdams swapped out for more modern wire that also offers a better view of the lake below. Then she added a sectional (not pictured) and this dining table. The metal furniture is easy to hose down — a necessity since pollen shows up easily on the black surfaces, McAdams says.
Originally the porch had heavy wood railings, which McAdams swapped out for more modern wire that also offers a better view of the lake below. Then she added a sectional (not pictured) and this dining table. The metal furniture is easy to hose down — a necessity since pollen shows up easily on the black surfaces, McAdams says.
Before: The primary bedroom, which is on the first floor and looks out across the porch to the lake, formerly had a disjointed mix of drywall and pine paneling and a quirky blend of decor.
Check out the critters that sat on the bedside tables!
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Check out the critters that sat on the bedside tables!
8 Laid-Back Lakeside Cabins, Cottages and Retreats
After: McAdams added paneling on the walls and ceiling, also painted in Sherwin-Williams’ Dover White.
A natural-fiber rug is under the bed, which abuts a traditional-style dresser in lieu of a matching bedside table, providing both storage and style in the small room.
“I don’t really like to match anything if I don’t have to,” McAdams says. “A lot of people really feel strongly about having a matching nightstand. But if you don’t have to, I say don’t, because this gives you a really good opportunity to do something visually interesting.”
A natural-fiber rug is under the bed, which abuts a traditional-style dresser in lieu of a matching bedside table, providing both storage and style in the small room.
“I don’t really like to match anything if I don’t have to,” McAdams says. “A lot of people really feel strongly about having a matching nightstand. But if you don’t have to, I say don’t, because this gives you a really good opportunity to do something visually interesting.”
Using pendant lights instead of table lamps helps to keep the dresser top clear so the homeowner, who’s a big reader, can stack her books, McAdams says. The little vintage stool is a pretty landing spot for the overflow.
The pendants have white plaster shades with an iron rod, echoing other white plaster details throughout the house.
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The pendants have white plaster shades with an iron rod, echoing other white plaster details throughout the house.
Shop for pendant lights
The homeowners’ daughters share a bedroom on the second floor.
McAdams found a vintage mahogany dresser and painted it in Sherwin-Williams’ Rosemary. There are pink touches in the bedding and accents to add some sweetness, but McAdams says she generally avoids creating “precious” children’s rooms, especially if adults will eventually be using them.
McAdams found a vintage mahogany dresser and painted it in Sherwin-Williams’ Rosemary. There are pink touches in the bedding and accents to add some sweetness, but McAdams says she generally avoids creating “precious” children’s rooms, especially if adults will eventually be using them.
For now, the room also has a crib, but McAdams designed the room to accommodate two twin beds as the girls grow up.
McAdams chose a bronze crib with a vintage look but all of the modern safety features. Then she accented the room with artwork found locally and on Etsy.
McAdams chose a bronze crib with a vintage look but all of the modern safety features. Then she accented the room with artwork found locally and on Etsy.
The house has an inverted floor plan — common in lake houses. (Scroll to the bottom to see a plan of the main level.)
The upper floor has the main living spaces and three bedrooms, and the lower level has two additional bedrooms, including this guest bedroom.
The upper floor has the main living spaces and three bedrooms, and the lower level has two additional bedrooms, including this guest bedroom.
This second guest bedroom has a unique headboard that was McAdams’ solution to a “pretty horrible” concrete foundation wall that bumped out into the room.
“I really wanted to highlight that and make it an asset,” she says. “So I [had it] custom-padded, and then I used nightstands that were left over from the original owners.”
Here and in the other bedrooms she installed linen shades with blackout linings for light control.
“I really wanted to highlight that and make it an asset,” she says. “So I [had it] custom-padded, and then I used nightstands that were left over from the original owners.”
Here and in the other bedrooms she installed linen shades with blackout linings for light control.
Before: The lower level’s layout mirrors the upstairs’, with a family room beneath the upstairs living room.
After: McAdams turned the underutilized space into a comfortable hangout with a custom blue sectional that seats 15.
“They’re such social bugs,” McAdams says. “We wanted to sleep and sit as many people as possible for those guys’ weekends and family gatherings.”
“They’re such social bugs,” McAdams says. “We wanted to sleep and sit as many people as possible for those guys’ weekends and family gatherings.”
There was also a full second kitchen that seemed redundant, especially since the lower level doesn’t have a separate entrance.
McAdams kept the original fridge but replaced the full kitchen with a beverage center — a smaller setup that’s perfect for entertaining on that level and for letting guests make themselves coffee in the morning.
McAdams kept the original fridge but replaced the full kitchen with a beverage center — a smaller setup that’s perfect for entertaining on that level and for letting guests make themselves coffee in the morning.
McAdams turned the rest of the kitchen space into a playroom and art area, carpeting it with easily cleaned and replaced Flor tiles.
The spot could someday be used for card tables and additional seating, McAdams says. But if the cabin is used as she imagined it would be when she designed it — “I get to see their little babies now, but I was envisioning their little babies coming to it,” McAdams says — there’s a good chance it won’t soon outgrow its purpose.
The spot could someday be used for card tables and additional seating, McAdams says. But if the cabin is used as she imagined it would be when she designed it — “I get to see their little babies now, but I was envisioning their little babies coming to it,” McAdams says — there’s a good chance it won’t soon outgrow its purpose.
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with three young children
Location: Lake Blue Ridge, Georgia
Size: Approximately 2,500 square feet (232 square meters); five bedrooms and four bathrooms, plus two sleeping lofts
Designer: Kathryn McAdams of Meriwether Design Group
Before: Built in 2007, the cabin was wood- and taxidermy-heavy when McAdams’ clients purchased it, and its kitchen and dining space had an awkward bottleneck at the single entrance, seen here.
Her brief was to brighten and modernize the house while honoring its setting and architecture. And since her clients, who work in hospitality, love to cook and entertain, a new chef’s kitchen and as many sleeping spaces as possible were high on the priority list.
McAdams rolled up her sleeves, sending progress videos to the clients back in Atlanta whenever the spotty reception allowed.
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