Renovations
How to Renovate a Lake House Kitchen
Renovating a lake house kitchen isn't like renovating any other kitchen. Here's my step-by-step approach, from someone who does only this.
Renovations · June 10, 2026
A Lake House Kitchen, Before & After
This lake house kitchen hadn't been touched since the '80s. Here's the full before-and-after, the budget, and the choices that made it sing.
Read MoreFrom the Workbench
Renovations
Small Lake House Kitchen Ideas That Live Big
Plenty of lake houses have tiny kitchens — the original cottage never planned for a crowd. Here's how I make a small lake house kitchen live big.
Renovations
The Lake House Kitchen Island, Done Right
In a lake house, the island is mission control. Here's how I size, build, and light a lake kitchen island so it runs the whole summer.
Renovations
Open-Concept Lake House Kitchens for a Crowd
A lake house is for being together, and a closed-off kitchen fights that. Here's how I open up a lake kitchen so the cook's never left out.
Renovations
A Modern Lake House Kitchen Without Losing the Charm
Modern doesn't have to mean cold, especially at the lake. Here's how I update a lake house kitchen to feel current and still completely charming.
Renovations
Refreshing a Dated Lake House Kitchen on a Budget
Not every lake kitchen needs a full gut. Here's how I refresh a dated one on a budget so it feels new for a fraction of the cost.
Renovations
Lake House Kitchen Layouts That Work Off the Boat
A lake kitchen layout has to handle a houseful coming in wet and hungry. Here are the layouts that actually work off the boat.
Renovations
Cabinets for a Lake House Kitchen
Cabinets set the whole tone of a lake kitchen. Here's how I choose, finish, and color them for the lake — and when to just paint what's there.
Renovations
A Galley Lake House Kitchen, Reworked
Lots of older lake cottages have a cramped galley kitchen. Here's how I rework one so it works hard and stops feeling like a corridor.
Renovations
What I'd Never Do in a Lake House Kitchen
A year of doing only lake kitchens has taught me what not to do. Here are the mistakes I'll never make in a lake house kitchen.
Kitchen Details
Lake House Kitchen Lighting: Pendants Over the Island
Lighting is the detail that most makes a lake kitchen feel special. Here's how I light one, starting with the pendants over the island.
Kitchen Details
Countertops That Survive a Lake House
A lake kitchen counter takes a beating from a wet, hungry crowd. Here's what I choose so it survives the summer and still looks great.
Kitchen Details
Lake House Kitchen Backsplash Ideas
A backsplash is a small surface with a big impact. Here are the lake house kitchen backsplash ideas I come back to again and again.
Kitchen Details
The Best Flooring for a Lake House Kitchen
Lake kitchen floors take wet feet, sandy paws, and dripping swimsuits. Here's the flooring I trust to survive it and still look great.
Kitchen Details
Open Shelving in a Lake House Kitchen
Open shelving is one of the most lake-house things you can do in a kitchen. Here's how I use it so it's breezy and practical, not cluttered.
Kitchen Details
Lake House Kitchen Colors and Paint
Color is what makes a kitchen read as a lake house. Here's how I build a breezy lake kitchen palette that bounces the water light.
Kitchen Details
Hardware and Fixtures for a Lake House Kitchen
Hardware and fixtures are the jewelry of a kitchen. Here's how I choose them for a lake house so they look great and survive the damp.
Kitchen Details
The Lake House Kitchen Sink (and the View Over It)
In a lake house, the sink belongs under the window with the best view in the house. Here's how I site and choose a lake kitchen sink.
Kitchen Details
Pantry and Storage for a Seasonal Kitchen
A lake kitchen has to store for a crowd and survive an empty winter. Here's how I plan pantry and storage for a seasonal house.
Kitchen Details
Dining Off the Kitchen: Lighting the Lake House Table
Dinner at the lake runs long and easy. Here's how I light the table off a lake kitchen so it glows for those long summer evenings.
Lake Life
Designing a Kitchen That Feeds a Houseful
A lake kitchen's real job is feeding a crowd. Here's how I design one that handles a houseful without the cook losing their mind.
Lake Life
Materials That Survive a Seasonal Lake House
A seasonal house is hard on materials — used hard in summer, damp and empty all winter. Here's what survives, from someone who's tested it.
Lake Life
Closing Up the Lake House Kitchen for Winter
Closing up the kitchen right is what keeps a lake house sound over winter. Here's the routine I walk every client through.
Lake Life
Opening the Lake House Up in Spring
Opening the lake house in spring is one of the best days of the year. Here's how I get a lake kitchen from winter-shut to summer-ready.
Lake Life
Hosting Off the Dock: The Kitchen's Real Job
At a lake house, the party's outside but the kitchen runs it. Here's how I design a lake kitchen to host off the dock all summer.
Lake Life
How I Started a Lake House Kitchen Business
A year ago I quit my job to renovate lake house kitchens. Here's the honest story of starting a niche business, and what year one taught me.
Lake Life
What a Lake House Kitchen Renovation Costs
Clients always want the number. Here's an honest breakdown of what a lake house kitchen renovation actually costs, and where the money goes.
Lake Life
Choosing Materials Clients Won't Regret
My job is partly to stop clients from choosing things they'll regret. Here's how I guide lake kitchen material choices for the long haul.
Lake Life
Why I Only Do Lake House Kitchens
People ask why I don't just do all kitchens. Here's the case for specializing in lake house kitchens, and why the narrow focus is my superpower.