The ‘Lakeside Aesthetic’ Is Fall’s Most Livable Luxe Trend – It’s the New Stealth Wealth for Cozy Homes
If you’re also under the spell of Amazon Prime’s summery new melodrama Sterling Point, you’ve probably spent the last several weeks researching summer homes in Canada’s lakeside ‘cottage country’ Muskoka, wondering if you, too, should learn to canoe across those idyllic waters and, more likely than not, how to keep the lakeside aesthetic lingering at home for fall.
‘The lakeside aesthetic doesn’t require much to transition into fall, as it already incorporates mixed materials like stone, rough-sawn wood, and layered textures,’ says Atlanta-based interior designer Liz Williams. Like her recent Lake Martin project, it toes two worlds: the swanky details of the upper crust there just for the summer, and the cozily layered lives of locals who call it home year-round. ‘A base of warm neutrals always elevates soft blues and pale greens, adding richness to homes designed in this style, keeping them both casual and luxurious.’
If the lakeside aesthetic were a brand, it would be heritage homeware label GreenRow. Its newly redesigned lakefront cottage at Serenbe is essentially the look in a nutshell, reflecting the rugged landscape with handwoven rattan, antique floral wallpaper clashing charmingly against yellow plaid drapes, and patterned sink skirts hiding old bathroom pipes. And if it were a designer? Heidi Caillier. To the untrained eye, this trend is quaint. But like the vintage Huber Scoop chair Annie scored from the thrift, it’s actually quite expensive.
While most of us were first exposed to this golden slice of Ontario in a summer setting, nearly every hue on screen is even more apropos of autumn decor. ‘Since the colors of the lakeside aesthetic are typically greens, blues, and browns – colors we see outside – it is easy to transition into fall by adding hints of complementary warm tones, like rust and ochre,’ says Liz. ‘The simple, clean lines of this style can transition easily into fall with the addition of soft, colored, textured throws and rustic elements,’ she adds.
The trick, then, is not to autumn-ify it to death. Keep mirroring the landscape’s richness with crinkled cotton throws at the foot of the bed, heirloom wood (à la Pierce & Ward’s West Elm collab), and the ultimate analog accessory: a handmade broom hanging from a designated hook. Because, unlike the wannabes, you actually live here.
Not all of us are fortunate enough to inherit a charming waterfront cottage (or the lush, piney island it sits on, for that matter), so these 20 lakeside-inspired finds will have to do.
The Round is Homes & Gardens’ collection of the must-have pieces shaping styles, trends, and ideas. It brings together thoughtfully curated products that express a single moment – offering readers inspiring ways to style their homes through seasonal themes, emerging looks, and everyday pieces.
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