lake house diy Archives

Best Security Cameras for Your Lake House

Posted on January 21, 2021January 14, 2021 Camille Smith

Security cameras are one of the most necessary tools for your home. Especially for lake properties, which are typically second homes, it’s even more crucial to make your house less vulnerable to break-ins. Plus, security systems provide a significant advantage to deterring robbers. According to High Security Home, not having a home security system increases your chances of being robbed by 300%. Thankfully, with modern technology, keeping your home safe is easier than ever. Primarily with Wi-Fi access, you can check on your lake house’s safety from anywhere in the world. Whether you’re new to home safety systems or looking to upgrade your technology, check out the best security cameras for your lake house from top brands.

Lorex Technology Wi-Fi Security Cameras

The newest Wi-Fi security camera from Lorex is perfect for any lake homeowner. With two outdoor cameras and one indoor camera, you can keep a close eye on both curbs of your home — your home front and lakefront. The stand-out feature of this product is the ability to control the cameras with the sound of your voice. Commands like “Lorex, show me all outdoor cameras” and “Lorex, turn on all warning lights on outdoor cameras” utilize the same technology as an Alexa to help you keep tabs on your home from anywhere. In response, sensors can be linked to a nearby Wi-Fi camera to start recording. After the sun has set, color night vision helps provide maximum security.

Piper Home Security Cameras

New from Piper, this all-in-one security camera is a simple yet effective way to equip your lake house for maximum protection. It has all the features of the best security cameras, complete with pan, tilt, and zoom capabilities to view all parts of the room. You can set this device on one of three different modes: home, security, and vacation. If ever security mode is breached, an intruder deterrent siren will immediately go off. The two-way audio system allows you to use Piper as a video intercom to check in with family or pets. This way, it feels like you never left your home! No matter where you are in the world — whether you’re at your permanent residence or on vacation — you can watch live or recorded videos of your lake home from your phone or tablet.

Blink XT Wireless Security Camera

Ranked by Security.org as the most affordable outdoor camera (starting at $99.99), the Blink XT is undoubtedly one of the best security cameras out there. New from this Amazon-owned company, this product can run for an impressive two years with only two AA batteries. The simple set up makes this a perfect product if you’re just getting started in home security. Plus, its waterproof capabilities make it ideal for screening your lakefront property. So you can monitor your lake home while you’re away, the Blink XT comes with an easy-to-use app that can work with your Alexa. At a low price, you can have peace of mind about your home’s safety.

Ring Spotlight Cam

Ring’s products consistently rank among the best security cameras for a reason. The wire-free and waterproof features, combined with a simple installation, makes it very attractive to homeowners. The new spotlight cam is specifically known for its integrated spotlight, siren, and motion detection. With instant motion-activated alerts and a high-quality night vision camera, you can quickly determine whether it’s your mom or a total stranger at the door. The ability to hear, see, and speak to anyone on your property from a phone or tablet offers an additional stand-out feature.

Nest Outdoor Cam

Nest, a product of Google, is another well-known contender among the best security cameras. The Nest Outdoor Cam has every important feature of a high-quality outdoor camera — two-way audio, HD vision, face detection, night vision, and 24-hour recording. If you’re a new lake homeowner, you might be attracted to Nest’s simple installation process, using only a magnet. With push notifications for any activity in your front and backyard, you’ll be able to monitor your home’s safety easily — even if it’s been a month since you’ve made the trek to the lake house.

Security cameras with remote access provide the best solution for most lake homeowners. These security cameras are worth investing in, especially if you don’t live on the lake full time. Which one is your top pick?

Fall Indoor Plants for Your Lake House

Posted on September 26, 2020March 15, 2022 Camille Smith

Indoor plants add a sense of life to any room. A dull furniture set immediately becomes more colorful with hanging plants or potted flowers on a side table. Especially at a lake house, bringing the outdoors in is a relevant trend. It allows natural lakeside scenery to integrate into your home decor seamlessly. Plus, the beauty of indoor plants is that you aren’t bound by gardening zones.

Indoors, you can engineer the environment for them to grow. However, it would be best if you still considered seasonality for house plant care. As the seasons change, so do plants’ needs. For this season, check out these fall indoor plants to maintain your lake house’s bright, happy atmosphere.

Red Aglaonema

Red aglaonema is one of the most colorful house plants with a green base. Its varying shades of red and pink add color variation to fall’s typical orangey-brown tones. Plus, it’s simple to care for this slow-growing plant that only requires indirect sunlight. That ability to use lower light environments makes it perfect for a home office.

If you’re working from your lake home during COVID-19, keep in mind that office plants have tons of psychological benefits from stress reduction to increased creativity. If you’re new to plant care, this is the perfect, low maintenance addition to your lake home.

Snake Plant

Photo courtesy of Better Homes and Garden.

Of all fall indoor plants, this one might be the easiest to grow. As a succulent, it tolerates low light and is quite forgiving towards forgetful owners. It’s considered a plant of steel due to its hardiness. This trait makes it perfect for a second home like a lake house, where you won’t be readily available for plant maintenance.

Snake plants are also strikingly beautiful with a combination of yellow, light green, and dark green. Additionally, it’s an unintrusive floor plant because its thick leaves grow upright. Like aglaonemas, they require indirect sunlight so you can place them in most rooms of your lake home — provided it’s not a pitch dark basement.

Amaryllis

When it’s cold outside, and trees are bare, the amaryllis’s red, white, and pink shades add a rare vibrancy for your selection of fall indoor plants. Its colors also bring out a festive, decorative flare during the cold-weather holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.

To grow them, pot the bulbs yourself and keep the soil damp but not wet. However, growing the bulb in water is also an option. Whichever you choose, remember to plant your amaryllis in a heavy pot. If the pot is too lightweight, the flower will keel over once it grew to full size.

Goldfish Plant

Native to Mexico, Brazil, and Costa Rica, this house plant comes in 25 different types. Its name comes from the bright orange blooms that resemble goldfish among tiny dark leaves. These colorful blooms are most vibrant in the summertime. However, they’ll keep their fiery tone in the fall, as long as you care for it properly.

To keep your goldfish plant alive, place it in bright but not direct sunlight with some humidity. Because of its curved leaves, it looks attractive as a hanging plant.

Aloe Vera

You may think of aloe vera only in relation to sun protection. However, it’s status as one of the best fall indoor plants shouldn’t be ignored.

As a succulent, it’s tough and requires little water to stay alive. Mostly, it just needs indirect sunlight, making this plant perfect for your lake house’s kitchen or den.

Although its juices can aid in healing cuts and burns, be sure not to ingest this plant as its toxicity can cause nausea and indigestion.

Christmas Cactus

As indicated by its name, the Christmas cactus’ beautiful colors will help you start celebrating the winter holidays. These tubular, bright blooms will be a perfect addition to your windowsill this fall.

Unlike typical cacti, this plant isn’t native to arid environments. It’s native to the rainforests in Brazil. Since they’re accustomed to humid environments like this, you’ll need to water more regularly.

Croton Plant

Photo courtesy of KOMARGALLERY/GETTY IMAGES via mydomaine.com.

When it comes to fall indoor plants, the croton plant is a particularly fun choice. Usually grown outdoors in tropical climates, it also makes a great house plant. The shades of dark gray, orange and yellow create a whimsical yet striking look.

Because it’s native to a tropical environment, it dislikes humidity. Keeping the plant on a pebble tray and regularly misting it should do the trick! Also, it’s crucial to avoid moving the croton plant if possible. It doesn’t like being transferred to new environments, and doing so will result in leaf loss.

Rubber Tree

If you’re in search of a tall, sturdy house plant, a rubber tree is perfect. When it’s young, it can fit comfortably on a desk. However, it can reach extraordinary heights. In the rubber tree’s native home of southeast Asia, it can grow up to 100 feet tall, and domestically, it stretches between six and ten feet. It prefers indirect light, so a placement by a sheer curtained window is perfect.

In addition to preparing your existing house plants for fall, we hope you add one of these new fall indoor plants to your collection. No matter which you choose, they’ll help evoke a peaceful atmosphere in your lake home.

How to Detect and Repair Foundation Problems at Your Lake House

Posted on August 23, 2020August 20, 2020 Camille Smith

Owning a lake home has countless perks — a peaceful family retreat, access to nature, etc. However, being a homeowner also comes with the less glamorous territory, which includes repairing foundation problems. Although this responsibility can be a headache, homeowners can benefit from developing competency in this prevalent issue. According to 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty, 25% of all U.S. homes will undergo some structural distress. Further, while winter presents concerns, summer is when foundation settling is most noticeable.

Although foundation issues are similar for both traditional and lake homes, lake homeowners must be extra cautious due to the surrounding body of water. Especially in the case of a house that isn’t properly elevated, the home is at greater risk for foundation damage. To answer lake homeowners’ key questions about this important topic, we connected with Chuck Naish, founder of City Residential Foundation Repair. With his advice, we’re here to help you keep your investment on solid ground.

What Causes Foundation Problems?

Photo courtesy of Foundation Repair of CA.

Upon noticing a crack in the wall, many homeowners blame the original builder. However, most foundation problems are a result of active soil rather than human error. The damage is often due to either an excess or a shortage of water. Either can cause the soil beneath the home to shift over time. This movement disrupts the home’s foundation. Soil movement causes more property damage in the U.S. than natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornadoes combined. Active soil has several causes. First, a surplus of rain is common at the end of winter and spring, resulting in extra water in the soil and more leaks. This damage increases if your lake house is below a hill, which directs rainwater back towards the home. Chuck Naish adds that certain structural issues can exacerbate these leakages. For example, a cracked or broken gutter system causes improper drainage. Additionally, air pockets called “honeycombs” create cavities where water can easily enter and cause problems. Chuck comments, “These leaks can wreak havoc on the structure of your lake house, which could result in the need for costly repairs.”

How to Identify Foundation Problems

Photo courtesy of Atlas Foundation Co., Inc.

Many homeowners downplay cracks in the wall, dismissing the issue as “not a big deal.” However, they can be cause for concern. Chuck specifies, “If a dime can fit into the crack, it could potentially lead to significant basement leaks.” He adds that it’s most crucial to conduct a thorough inspection before and after the winter and during the high-tide season when homes are most vulnerable to cracks. They can happen anywhere along the home’s foundation and can be of any size. However, horizontal cracks are more severe than vertical because they indicate increased pressure on the house. Besides cracks, other problematic clues include pooling water around the home’s exterior, mold growth, musty odors, and buckling floors. Since mold thrives in moist spaces, its presence points to leaks in the foundation.

Further, if you notice gaps under your window or have difficulty closing doors, it could mean trouble. To check if your foundation is shifting, set a tennis ball on the floor, and see if it rolls. If so, the floor is uneven.

How Do I Repair My Foundation?

If you’ve noticed foundation issues at your lake house, the next step is addressing them. For filling cracks in the wall, Chuck says that it’s integral to use the right material, which varies depending on the crack’s nature. “After that,” he comments, “it’s all about reinforcing the walls’ strength and integrity. That means filling the cracks, smoothening them out, and then sealing the material to further prevent water from entering and damaging the area.” For long term prevention of water damage, install a sump pump. Chuck explains, “Any water that poses a risk to your foundation will be collected in the sump basin and then directed away from your home.” This tool prevents and reduces flood damage. To correct existing damage that’s resulted in uneven surfaces, consider foam jacking. A modern alternative to “mudjacking”, foam jacking involves inserting a high-density expanding foam beneath the damaged surface. Then, the foam expands and lifts the foundation. This intense foam can lift thousands of pounds of concrete without infecting the soil with chemicals. Whether you’re repairing a wall, preventing future damage, or fixing existing damage, there’s a solution for you.

As lake homeowners, we love the water — just not when it’s in our home! If you’ve noticed signs of leakage and other foundation issues, no need to stress. Local foundation repair experts like Chuck are here to help, so reach out to them about potential solutions. Ultimately, the goal is to keep your lake house on solid ground so you can keep enjoying your investment.

What is Wabi-Sabi Design and Why it’s Perfect for a Lake Home

Posted on August 9, 2020August 5, 2020 Camille Smith

Photo courtesy of Mademoiselle Claudine via The Spruce.

In recent years, concepts from various countries have become trendy in U.S. interior design like the Swedish idea of hygge, meaning comfort and coziness, which has grown in popularity. From further east, the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi has made its way into U.S. architecture and interior decor. Before diving headfirst into this trend, it’s important to understand its meaning and cultural context. For wabi-sabi specifically, this meaning happens to be aligned with the lake lifestyle. Let’s take a deep dive into this concept and why it’s perfect for a lake home.

What is Wabi-Sabi?

Although the trend is relatively new, the concept is rooted in ancient Japanese culture. Specifically, it comes from Buddhist tea ceremonies where the tea masters used simple, rustic, and irregularly shaped utensils. When you break the word down, “Wabi” refers to understated elegance that is often found in nature. “Sabi” is a celebration of the imperfections that come with aging. Wabi-sabi describes something humble, authentic, and beautifully imperfect. In other words, it’s appreciating the way something is rather than how it should be.

Wabi-Sabi in Design

In keeping with this definition, wabi-sabi design is typically asymmetrical, modest, and intimate. A classic example of these characteristics is kintsugi, the Japanese art of mending cracked pottery with gold and silver resin. Instead of trying to hide the ceramics’ flaws, this technique celebrates them.

In 1994, Leonard Koren’s book Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets, and Philosophers garnered more widespread attention. The work of architects like Tadao Ando made wabi-sabi into a lauded design trend. For the interior decorator, wabi-sabi design techniques include mixing and matching, embracing and repurposing old items, artisanal decor, and homemade projects. However, just because it’s an eclectic style doesn’t mean it’s full of clutter. A wabi-sabi space should also be highly organized and peaceful.

The Appeal of Wabi-Sabi

In a world where the latest trends are aiming for perfection and newness, wabi-sabi is refreshing. Helen White, design lead at House Of, says, “I think the main appeal of this style is that it appeals to the unpretentious and whimsical among us. There is so much beauty in the weather-beaten, cracks, and bumps in items as there are in meticulously crafted, smooth edges.” Further, this style offers permission to pick decor that simply brings you joy, even if it doesn’t match a specific aesthetic. Instead of showcasing a particular trend, wabi-sabi design introduces the people who live there.

Invoking Wabi-Sabi at Your Lake House

Wabi-sabi is evident in nature. Flora and fauna are not engineered to look a certain way– they simply are what they are, even as they age. At the lake, you’re surrounded by wabi-sabi. More broadly, the idea of leaving the city behind and retreating to nature with your loved ones is in itself, wabi-sabi. Since the lake lifestyle already adopts this concept, why not reflect it in your decor?

Jeneva Aaron, founder, and CEO of The House Wire, describes, “Wabi-sabi design is also about bringing nature inside your house. This is very much possible when designing a lake house… I believe the wabi-sabi concept is used in most lake house designs because of the natural effect. People are now more into fulfillment over materialism.” In practice, you may incorporate earthy tones and organic materials into your decor, such as driftwood. The bottom line is that it should reflect something you genuinely love, even if it’s not in vogue. After all, lake homes should be welcoming, and a wabi-sabi style expresses that sense of warmth.

What do you think? Would you consider incorporating wabi-sabi into your lake house decor?

2020 Outdoor Furniture Design Trends For Your Lake Home

Posted on March 31, 2020March 30, 2020 Camille Smith

navy and white coastal theme - outdoor furniture decor inspiration lake house — Photo courtesy of Martha Dayton Design.

With Spring quickly approaching, revamping your lake house decor might be on your mind. Of course, warmer weather means hosting family and friends on your outdoor patio, and as such, you may be wondering if your current outdoor furniture is sufficient or if it’s time for an upgrade. If this is you, we’ve got you covered with the outdoor furniture design trends of 2020.

Leaders in the outdoor furniture industry such as Brown Jordan, Sunbrella, and Summer Classics have all shared their cutting-edge insights about these trends on their respective blogs. We’ve synthesized the top trends from these companies’ reports and are here to share with you the latest color, material, product, and design trends for the year. We hope these inspire you to get started on redecorating your outdoor area at your lake home!

Color Trend – Say Goodbye to Saturation

While bright, bold colors were in style a few years ago, the theme that’s been emerging over the past few years is color-infused neutrals. Rather than aiming to wow your guests with bright neon pillows, you’ll instead find that fabric trends are headed in a more muted direction. These faded shades create a softer look that complements the outdoor furniture’s material, rather than overshadowing it.

neutral wicker patio farmhouse style - southern living decor inspiration — Photo courtesy of Southern Living Magazine.

To highlight this trend, Brown Jordan named Peche (French for “Peach”)– a dusty pink color, similar to rose gold– the color of the year in 2019. This color has also featured prominently in 2020 designs. Of course, peche is not the only neutral color that’s trending this year. Blue, especially a bluish-gray color called chambray, is still a classic, can’t-go-wrong color for pillows and cushions. Further, luxury umbrella retailer Shadowspec has named dark green as another trending color in 2020. Especially at a lake house where grass and trees abound, featuring green fabrics in your outdoor designs creates a look cohesive with nature.

Material Trend – Create Texture Variety

This year, don’t be afraid to mix different materials when it comes to your outdoor furniture. Whether you’re combining a concrete dining table with wicker seats or a teak sofa with an aluminum end table, the goal is to evoke an exciting, textured look. However, it’s best to be cautious about which materials you choose to combine. To avoid a junky, haphazard situation, start by focusing on two elements and exploring different combinations.

lake house boat house - outdoor furniture decor inspiration — Photo courtesy of John Bessler.

Currently, some of the most popular products in 2020 are natural materials such as wood and wicker. Lucky for lakeside dwellers, these materials fit seamlessly with the shoreline in your backyard. They also create an exciting sense of texture that already exists in nature. Another popular content to mix into your designs this year is concrete. On its own, concrete appears strictly industrial. However, when combined with contrasting materials like fabrics and wood, it takes on a more dynamic look.

Product Trend – In Keeping with Comfort

The trend of outdoor kitchens has been on the rise for the past decade, and there are no signs of this trend slowing down. As lake homeowners continue to host gatherings in their outdoor kitchens, whether it’s a small family get-together or a large party of guests, furniture manufacturers have kept up by creating large dining tables to accommodate the lifestyle of entertaining. This way, every guest can have a comfortable seat at the table.

daybed hayneedle summer - outdoor furniture decor lake house — Photo courtesy of Hayneedle.

Based on this trend as well as other popular products, it’s clear that comfort is the name of the game in 2020. Luxury furniture retailer Summer Classics lists barrel chairs as a new outdoor furniture trend this year. These chairs, designed with a broad, curved back rather than a traditional box frame, are made for ultimate relaxation. If you’re looking to dive right into the comfort theme of 2020, consider investing in a daybed. Hayneedle, an online home furnishings retailer, names daybeds as one of the top outdoor furniture trends this year. What better place to relax and take a nap than on a plush daybed surrounded by your beautiful lakefront property?

Design Trend – Stick to Simple

modern luxurious sofa outdoor inspiration — Photo courtesy of Summer Classics.

Quoted in the luxury lifestyle magazine Arizona Foothills, the chief brand curator for Brown Jordan notes that furniture with modern, clean lines is the trend for 2020. This simplistic style has been recently popular in interior decorating, and now, it’s making its way to outdoor designs as well. High-end retailer Summer Classics agrees, and they have incorporated this style into their 2020 collections Elegante and Claro. Both of these lines showcase unembellished elegance, underscoring the beauty of a simple, linear design. Additionally, Shadowspec names minimalism as a big outdoor furniture trend in 2020. Especially in the outdoor space of a lake house, choosing a minimalistic style will beautifully blend with your natural surroundings rather than overshadowing them.

We hope these 2020 outdoor furniture trends give you inspiration for your lake house designs. The use of stylish color and content will add fashion to your home and your life!