Painting your Lake House Interior this Summer? 10 Paint Colours that Always Work - Pamela Lynn Interiors (2024)

There were a lot of lake house and cottage purchases made during the last few years thanks to Covid. One of the few benefits of that time is that we all became a lot more acquainted with remote work. We also learned the importance of unplugging and slowing down and there’s no better place to do that than a lake house. If you’re one of those people that made a purchase and you’re wondering how you can update the interior I have one word for you – paint. I could talk about paint all day and I’m obsessed with my own lake house so I’m happy to share my go-to paint colours for any of you that are painting your lake house this summer.

MY GO-TO COLOURS FOR PAINTING YOUR LAKE HOUSE INTERIOR

SOURCE: Benjamin Moore

This colour is a beautiful compliment to any wood tones and stone so it’s perfect for your lake house. It’s a solid mix between a gray and a silvery blue. You’ll see it change throughout the day and evening light but it’s such a natural winner at all times of day.

SOURCE: Home Bunch

This one is a very soft gray that will look white during most of the daytime hours at your lake house, assuming that you have a lot of natural light coming in. It’s another of those tried-and-true colours that acts as a perfect backdrop when you just want it to fade into the background.

SOURCE: Studio McGee

This image might not be a lake house but everything in it screams weekend away. It’s got the casual, lake vibe that I crave. The walls are painted in Classic Gray and you can see how close they are to the white of the cabinets. It’s a perfect colour when you don’t want to commit to anything loud but you also don’t want to go pure white. This colour has a very creamy, warm undertone so even for those who use their lake house in the winter, this paint will never feel too cold.

SOURCE: Grande Builders

You might have looked at the collection of paint colours when you started reading and thought “Pam, Flint is way too dark for a lake house”. Now what do you think? We tend to assume when we think of paint that it’s just the walls. If you love a lighter backdrop but you also want to create a bit of drama, use it as this homeowner has. Just a touch of this bold colour will go a long way. Even though it’s deep and saturated it doesn’t look or feel overwhelming at all.

I love this colour as an accent but honestly, if you have a lot of light coming into your lake house you can go right ahead and use it everywhere. It’s totally Pam approved.

SOURCE: The Spruce

We all love Simply White and I know this because it was Benjamin Moore’s Colour of the Year in 2016 and since then, it continues to be a highly requested colour. If you’re painting your lake house this summer and you’re feeling the white vibes, give this one some serious consideration.

I would suggest that if you’re using it you should have a lot of colour elsewhere. Maybe you have an orange sofa or a multi-coloured rug. It doesn’t need to be just furniture though. Do you have a fun art collection that needs to stand out? White is the right thing for that. There needs to be something that says fun because white can look serious at times and that’s not what we want to create at the lake.

DON’T FORGET YOUR KITCHEN CABINETS. HERE ARE MY TOP 10 WHITE PAINT COLOURS FOR KITCHEN CABINETS

SOURCE: Benjamin Moore

Ok, let’s amp up the fun factor now! This space has a combo of blues and although it’s not something I would necessarily want for your house it’s so fun in a lake house. The cabinets in this space are Summer Shower and you can see what a light, radiant colour it is. If you have a darker space that needs an injection of brightness this is your colour.

SOURCE: Interiors by Colour

If the lake house you bought or own has panelled walls in that not-so-great orange-yellow oak you’ill see a huge improvement by giving them a coat of paint. Often our instinct is to go white and that does look great but just look at this space. No matter how bad or stressful your week was as soon as you walk into your lake house on Friday night, you’ll be instantly transported to a more serene you.

SOURCE: Heather Krout

This is another blue that yells water, sky and summer days. It’s a little more on the gray side so you can use it in a bedroom and won’t feel like it’s going to be too childlike. It would be a nice way to wake up and fall asleep.

Another advantage to this colour is that it looks great with wood, any tone. So again, if you inherited some weird stained wood floor or cabinetry and you don’t want to replace those, this could be a nice way to add some colour and detract from that.

SOURCE: The Lettered Cottage

If someone asked me what colour would work for their lake house everytime and I absolutely had to answer, it would be this. It’s a mix between blue and green and will look different from morning to night. It also plays well with just about any colour you can throw together with it. The thing I love the most though is that it screams lake house. You can’t go wrong with this one.

SOURCE: Sherwin Williams

Our last colour for painting your lake house interior is a chameleon. It’s definitely neutral but what are the undertones? It’s green but only those who are versed in detecting undertones would ever catch that. So if you’ve decided you want a neutral but you don’t want to detract from the natural aspects of your lake house, this could be your colour. The undertones will pick up on the surrounding nature and blend in seamlessly with the environment.

Sometimes we can get stuck in analysis paralysis in deciding on a colour. If that’s been you, I hope you found a colour or a couple of colours that work well for your lake house. If not, take a look at my Paint Consultation services. I can help you with any of your spaces. Did I mention I’m obsessed with colour?!

If you know your design style but you struggle with which paint to use, take a look at my Made-For-You paint palettes. They take the guesswork out and give you the confidence to get started.