There’s something so special about how you design art for a home on the lake. Humor me here, because I do not have my own lake house, but I thought it would be a lot of fun to talk about how to source artists and create a flow with the lake house decor that you choose for your home.
Here in Boston, most people who have lake houses either have them up in New Hampshire or Maine. Do people have lake houses where you’re from? I would love to hear more about you, where you’re from, and what brought you to my blog in the comments on this post or on Pinterest and Instagram.
This post is all about art for lake house, pictures for a lake house, lake wall art, and even a little bit about vintage lake house decor. Let’s get into it!
Sourcing art for lake house
Figuring out your favorite places to source art is such a huge step because it can help you decorate your entire home. One day (hopefully soon) I’ll be able to direct you to the Garland Collections shop where you’ll be able to find curated collections of art by emerging artists. Until then, I’ll share some of my favorite ways to source art.
I think that wall art is a great place to start for any house, and lake houses are no different! Wall art is so important in bringing character and soul to any home. If your lake house is not your primary residence, I would strongly encourage you to have fun with the art in this home and let loose a little. I think it’s so awesome when people take chances in their interior design because it often yields a result that you fall in love with.
Finding wall art for lake house can be a lot of fun. The first place I recommend looking is for local artists in the area. Original paintings by local artists add so much charm and character to your space. I have found that a simple Google search can lead to discovering local artists in your area. If you prefer to shop in person, finding local farmer’s markets or art galleries can also lead to talented local artists.
I have a post all about finding the best art for bedroom walls that can help you with the bedrooms in particular. You can also look at my post about Boston local artists if you’re interested in learning more about some amazing artists from the area.
Vintage lake house decor also makes your space so charming. Older works of art at antique shops can be so beautiful. Whether they are paintings, prints, or old black and white photographs. Mix old and new!
Creating a flow throughout the house
The art that you choose can help you create a flow throughout your home. I love when spaces feel distinct, but also work together and play off of one another. Pictures for a lake house should create a flow throughout the home, but you don’t want to be too lake themed or it will feel a little cheesy.
A subtle approach with the flow throughout your home is key. Rather than having all of the art on your walls showing lake themed activities and scenes, use a color palette to guide you. This will give you a more beautiful and classic look.
If you like abstract art, this can be a great way to incorporate the colors and emotions that you want without being too stereotypical. There are so many amazing abstract paintings and sketches that can come together to create flow through your house. Pinterest is my favorite place to browse and find inspiration for art that I love. I have a board titled Art Inspiration full of different types of artwork that you can garner inspo from.
If you like more traditional art, you can also create flow through your house by incorporating a variety of subjects in different paintings, drawings, prints, and sketches. Having wooded scenes, a sketch of the lake, and incorporating some art that relates to your setting can be so beautiful, especially when you mix in a variety of other art.
For every work of art that you have that draws inspiration from the lake, have one other work of art that is not so directly related. For example, you could have a painting of flowers, or a still life of fruit, or a sketch of a figure.
Flow is something that you can feel from room to room. Having a relatively consistent color palette helps you with this. Repeating an artist that you really love in two or three different rooms also can help create flow. There should be some common thread from one room to the next, but you can experiment with how you do this in your own way.
Hanging up your wall art
I really encourage you to be playful with where you hang up the art in your lake house. What I mean is, go for that gallery wall! Install a shelf that’s especially for leaning art against the wall. Pair together pieces in a way that feels a little out of your comfort zone. Let the options for layout excite you and inspire you to try something new.
Gallery walls are so much fun and look amazing. They draw in your eye immediately. I promise you, if you do a gallery wall it will be the first thing anyone notices when they walk into a room. I have a Pinterest board full of Gallery Walls and inspiration, so make sure you check that out before you get started.
Ledge art is a newer trend that I have been loving. I don’t think it’s going anywhere anytime soon either. Ledge art is when you have a shelf, ledge, or any flat surface that you use to lean art against the wall. This is so easy because it avoids hanging stuff on the wall, and it looks really gorgeous when done well. Check out my Ledge art Pinterest board so that you can get a better idea of what you like!
Cute pairings never fail. To fill you in, what I mean by a cute pairing is finding two pieces of art to pair together on the wall. You can hang them side by side or with one above the other. And have a lot of fun with this! They can be the same size, or you can stagger two different sizes together. There are so many amazing examples of this on Pinterest. I typically pin those kinds of pins to my Vignettes board, so check that out for more visuals.
Having fun with the process and taking your time
I talk about this all the time on my blog, but it is so important to slow down and enjoy the design process. It’s kind of like cooking โ everything tastes better when you cook with love. The same goes for design! Everything will look and feel so much better when you are enjoying the process.
I created a blog post with 5 simple design tips to help you with the process of designing any space. I love these tips and use them all of the time. One of my favorite tips is to embrace all of the senses with your design. Thinking about what you see, smell, touch, and feel in a space completely changes the way you approach design. You can click here to read the rest of the tips!
I also really encourage you to take your time to find artists that you really love. Doing this is a long term investment because it will save you so much time later. Seriously, you will thank yourself over and over for finding artists that you love who you take note of and go back to again and again. Their work will resonate with you on another level because of the familiarity you feel with it, too.
Figuring out some go-to artists that are not sold in Target or West Elm will add so much to your space. Your personality and values will shine through that art in your home. And most importantly, you will love looking at it.
Also, the collected feel that comes with taking your time is unmatched. Your home will have elegance that cannot be achieved any other way. It is so special to experience a space that was designed with intentionality. I think that everyone can feel it when they walk into a room. It is so worth the wait.
That’s all for this post about art for lake house!
I hope that it helped spark your inspiration and got some ideas flowing. The process of finding art for your home can be so much fun when you take the intimidation factor out of it. I hope that this post helped build your confidence to take a leap and try something new.
For more inspiration, follow Garland Collections on Pinterest and Instagram. And you can join our email list for exclusive updates by scrolling to the bottom of this page and joining the list!
