Welcome to the Lake House

home tour + making it cozy

Hello from my bed-office this summer

This is really a two-part story. The first part is about setting a goal as a family and actually building this lake house. The second is about making it a home — and sharing about DFW Textiles Sourcing — the woman-owned company who made the custom rugs that make it feel warm and special (+ a special discount code!).

Nine years ago, we started coming to Lake Oconee as a family during the summer. We fell in love with this area of Georgia, just an hour outside of Atlanta. It’s far away from the bustle of the city, it’s charming, and it’s really, really quiet. Three years ago, Bryan and I were sitting on lawn chairs looking out at Lake Oconee, watching Brady, Tyler, and Caroline splash around in the water. The twins were seven, Brady was eleven, and I remember thinking how quickly these moments pass. (When they said ‘the days are long, and the years are short’ they weren’t kidding). 

"What if we actually did it?" Bryan asked, nodding toward an empty lot across the cove.

I laughed. "No way.” It felt like a pipe dream. 

But the seed was planted. For years, we'd been bringing our family here for long weekends and summer vacations, dreaming of eventually having our own place. Not just any place — a legacy spot where our kids could bring their kids someday. Where Thanksgiving dinners could happen way out here in the woods and summer days could stretch on forever.

We made plans, and started to save while watching lot prices climb higher and higher. Every time we visited, we'd drive slowly past the same area, and I'd picture a wraparound porch and kids fishing off a dock. It felt impossible, but the dream wouldn't go away.

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Finally, in 2021, we made an offer we weren't sure we could afford on a dream we weren't sure would ever happen. On the way to close on that lot, the song “Buy Dirt” by Jordan Davis and Luke Bryan came on the radio. It felt like a sign.

I love a little blue in every room. And this corner is a favorite.

Fast forward to last week — our first week actually living in the lake house we spent years dreaming about. I'm writing this from our kitchen island, looking out at the lake through windows I picked out myself, in a space that still feels a little surreal.