Waterside Retreats: Charming Nantucket-Style Lake House

Designed to mimic the look of a Nantucket cottage, this lakeside home in Missouri is a study in white, but it's also kid-friendly thanks to plenty of durable fabrics and finishes. Soothing neutral surfaces, like shiplap walls, ensure that bright colors stand out.

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July 24, 2017

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Photo By: Alise O'Brien Photography

Lakeside Vacation Home Exterior

This beautiful vacation home sits right on the edge of a lake; inside, the homeowners wanted to recreate the look of a Nantucket cottage.

White Cottage Great Room With Lake View

Can it be true? This gorgeous lake home done all in white is kid friendly? Yes, thanks to stain resistant fabrics and durable finishes! The armchair slipcovers with shabby chic ties were created by a local craftsman.

White Cottage Open Kitchen and Dining Room With Ladder

To counter the limited square footage in this home, designers combined the kitchen, breakfast nook and dining room into one larger, easy-flow space. Upper cabinets are accessed by a fun library ladder. The dining table is hand-crafted out of live-edge spalted elm.

White Breakfast Nook With Americana Pillows

The design inspiration for this breakfast nook started with the light fixture, discovered in a Nantucket shop. To cozy up the banquette, red, white and blue pillows were added for a touch of Americana.

Master Suite Entry With Twig Mirror

This charming scene sits at the entrance to the master bedroom suite. The designers layered the simple palette with unusual textures: white shiplap paneling, a citron twig mirror and a vintage-inspired settee.

Coastal White Study With Twig Light Fixture

The unusual position of the desk in this study is so that it can take advantage of water views opposite. A decorative light fixture made of twigs painted white brings texture overhead.

White Children's Bunk Room With Striped Rug

This sweet bedroom is a slumber party dream come true! Bamboo hanging chairs face the bunk beds for easy late-night chats. The turquoise, watermelon, and sunshine-yellow striped dhurrie rug brightens up the room.

White Cottage Entry With Green Cabinet

Most of this home is white, but touches of bright colors are a welcome dose of happy. An antique green cabinet is a pretty fit in the entry way.

White Master Bedroom With Canopy Bed

This dreamy master suite has the feeling of a treehouse with windows on three sides looking out into leafy green. The star of the space is the handmade canopy bed with a bleached Western maple headboard and footboard and a white oak frame.

White Bathroom With Vintage Vanity

The designers wanted a vintage quality for this guest bathroom and were inspired by old washstands. A sofa table became the perfect vanity, topped with marble corbels and a shelf. Smaller round mirrors and simple sconces next to the larger washstand helped balance the room's overall scale.

Guest Bathroom With Green Stool

For this guest bathroom, the homeowners wanted a space that would be friendly, have good storage and strike a coastal, casual vibe. Designers transformed a sofa table into a unique vanity and added built-in cabinets at the end of the room with fun chicken wire doors. A vintage green stool and blue-and-white striped dhurrie rug provide cheery pops of color.

White Cottage Guest Room With Blue Cabinet

A Ralph Lauren bed gets an update with fresh white linen upholstery and adds beautifully to this sweet bedroom. Splashes of blue throughout the space are a pretty nod to the home's lakeside setting.

White Master Bathroom With Green Vanity

The serene white palette of this master bathroom gets visual interest from its dynamic layers of texture: shiplap walls, white marble flooring, a mirrored bathtub. The only pop of color comes from the distressed wood vanity, a simple, cheery infusion.

Rustic Family Room With Leather Sectional

This family room was geared for casual entertaining, watching TV and playing games (ping pong anyone?). The designers went for a more rustic and relaxed look with a leather sectional and barn doors.

Coastal Porch With Shingle Siding

For a patio on the lakefront, furnishings needed to be kid-friendly and able to withstand the elements. The solution: aluminum chairs and a fully upholstered sofa made of marine-grade wood and quick dry foam which could handle getting wet. Classic barn lights above the French doors add a decidedly coastal feel.

Porch With Shingle Siding

Shingle siding was a winning choice for this lakefront home because it brought in the feel of the Nantucket coast (on the wishlist of the homeowners) and will patina beautifully with time.

Patio, Pool and Lake View

An infinity pool seems to spill directly into the lake, making this spot the place to be all weekend afternoons.

2017 Faces of Design