Houzz Tour: Cottage Style Goes Modern on Lake Wisconsin

This dark lake house needed to lighten up. After several years of living with dark cherry cabinets and trim and outdated faux-painted walls, the owners were eager for their summer home on Lake Wisconsin to reflect their own style. They spend most of June, July and August here every year, and wanted to keep the rustic lake cottage touches but put them together in more modern way. Interior designer Lauren Piskula of [de]luxe design studio answered with a mix of materials like reclaimed barn wood, crisp white trim and clean lines for a fresh and inviting summer retreat.

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: This is a vacation home for a young couple and their Goldendoodle.
Location: Lodi, Wisconsin
Size: 3,000 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 2½ baths

Photography by Paper Antler

A subtly nautical vignette sets the tone in the entry. Carefully edited rustic details like the driftwood lamp and clean-lined wood mirror mix with shiny chrome and an upholstered Parsons table. Guests pause here to sign the guestbook. “The house is definitely in a constant state of flux as guests come and go all summer,” Piskula says.

To get a sense of her clients’ personal style, Piskula had them create an ideabook on Houzz to share with her. “I always like to have my clients create inspiration ideabooks on Houzz,” she says. “This gives me a great idea of individual style and the general direction of where a project is headed.”

Custom upholstered Parsons table: LivenUP


Piskula kept the focus on the best views when laying out the furniture. “At first we were concerned with placing a TV above the fireplace,” she says. “However, the view of the lake is directly out of the fireplace wall windows, so we really wanted to keep the focus on beautiful Lake Wisconsin in their backyard.”

The moose antlers are a personal touch, as the homeowner’s nickname is Moose. “A world-famous Canadian moose caller taught the homeowner [also Canadian] how to moose call,” Piskula explains. “To commemorate this old family friend, who has since passed away, he wears a moose on the back of his helmet.”


Piskula brought in the spirit of an all-dark-wood cabin via reclaimed boards from a 100-year-old Wisconsin barn that was being torn down. A piece of it is seen here on the mantel.

Dark wood on the floors picks up on the reclaimed wood accents and grounds the room.

Floors: rawhide hickory, Anderson Hardwood


“Whenever anyone is asked — homeowners, friends, family — what their favorite part of the house is, I’d say that nine times out of 10 it is the reclaimed wood,” Piskula says.

Getting the stain on the wood just right took a couple of tries. The winning look came from a warm brown stain base with an antiqued gray wash.


A cozy tufted chair paired with a modern chrome tubular side table and apothecary floor lamp mix traditional and modern, for a comfortable reading corner.

Chair: Thomasville


An office loft offers a view out to the lake.





Different textures, such as reclaimed wood versus white finishes, “help balance the overall dynamic of rustic versus modern,” Piskula says.

Mirrored sconces with vintage appeal light up the entryway and the stairwell.

Winnfield Sconce: Pottery Barn


This photograph captures one of the owners and his dog enjoying the last days of summer. A rustic sideboard in the hallway conceals the cable and Internet boxes. A marine light adds a contemporary nautical touch.

Sideboard: I.O. Metro; photograph: Krakora Studios


A muted palette of grays, blues and greens lets the contrast of the wood provide much of the visual interest.

“Most of the fabrics my clients were drawn to were geometric in nature,” Piskula says. “We had a lot of fun mixing large- and small-scale patterns for each seating area.”

Chairs: Blake Grey Wash Lounge Chair, Crate & Barrel





In the kitchen more reclaimed wood turns up at the bar, enhancing the elegant quality of the Cambria Torquay countertops.

Wall paint: Stonington Gray HC-170, Benjamin Moore; bar stools: Madeleine Barstool, Restoration Hardware


A white apron-front sink marries modern white and a nostalgic farmhouse form.

Whitehaven Apron Sink: Kohler





The dining table adds another big dash of fresh rustic style. It was custom made by a craftsman in Sauk City, Wisconsin. Subtle splashes of blues and greens accentuate the water views.

“Lighting, in my opinion, is one of the most important elements to consider when designing any type of space,” Piskula says. For this home she went for fixtures that felt cottage-y with a modern edge.

Chandelier: Circolo Collection, Kichler; dining chairs: Madeleine, Restoration Hardware


Fresh rustic style continues in the powder room.


Candle sconces bring more dark wood to the walls. The home is a comfortable spot for unwinding after boating, paddleboarding, biking and hitting the town for traditional Wisconsin fish fries.

Candle sconces: HomeGoods

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