Lake House Dreams

Today our lake house dreams become a reality! We are closing on a house today and are so excited to have a summer retreat! It is not going to come without work, however. The house has not been updated since the 1960's, so we my husband and some wonderful family and friends will be renovating it over the next few weeks. No worries - I will post some "before and after" photos once it is complete. 

Of course, I am responsible for decorating, and I am on a pretty limited budget. Luckily, we have some nice furniture, dishes and other items from prior to combining households and getting married that we have saved for this hopeful occasion. We will still have some furniture to buy, but at least we do not have to furnish the entire place. I have made a few decor purchases so far from Target and Home Goods, but I have tried to refrain from spending too much money before we actually closed. Now, I can really get started! I am definitely going for that "light, beachy and airy" feel (with some nautical flair) for the house. It needs to be a place that represents pure relaxation. I will be spending a lot of my free time shopping Home Goods, Pier One, Etsy and the Target Threshold line (at least for now). This is perfect timing, as it will distract me from shopping for clothing and accessories! I am doing a #closetremixchallenge this month, but more on that at a later date. Take a look at some things I am loving for the lake house:

Target Threshold String Lights | Target Threshold Moroccan Mirrors

Target Threshold Lamp Base |  Target Threshold Wall Decor |  Etsy Oar Paddle Sign Numbers

J.Crew Factory Anchor Beach Towel | Target Threshold Hurricanes | Target Threshold Patio Chaise | Etsy Anchor Pillow

I am loving light blues, tans and creams for the walls. Navy, green and coral make excellent accent colors, so I will be playing around with those throughout the process. I have nice bedding from Pottery Barn for our master bedroom, but I am planning on finding something from Home Goods for the other two bedrooms. We really need night stands and dressers. I would love to thrift and re-purpose them, but so far, I am not having much luck! So many ideas and thoughts right now, and I am not sure how it will all come together yet. It will be a challenge, but I will be keeping you posted along the way! Overall, today is a great day to reflect on how truly blessed we are. Justin and I work very hard, and this is a day where we see one of our dreams come to life! We are looking forward to having a place to get away and relax this summer! It is so important to just be able to "shut it off" sometimes and enjoy the moments with each other and with family and friends. That is what this lake house will be for us.

What are your summer traditions? 

Do you have a place of true relaxation that you visit?