

A custom cube pillow is by The Drapery Guy, Westlake Village. Rather than rely only on chairs, she placed a stylish rattan dining sofa with a 1940s satin cushion in butterscotch from The Ranch Uncommon on one side of the table. Shannon’s creative side is evident in her seating selection for the dining table. I also love my vintage military globe, which I found at a yard sale.” UNCOMMON SEATING. It made sense for a vacation cottage, but for full-time living it took up too much precious square footage. “The fold-out bar is a favorite it honors the fact that there was a huge built-in bar in that spot when we moved in. “We scaled way back to fit our lives into a one-bedroom house, so we kept only our absolute treasures,” Shannon says. Vintage decor treasures are strategically placed throughout the rooms. Over the years, she has built her own collection of portraits. Among the perks of living in Los Angeles are the estate sales in the grand mansions of Hollywood, where Shannon shops for vintage items and antiques. Built as a weekend cabin prior to 1924, the home maximizes lake and Santa Monica Mountain views.
Lakehouse decor red windows#
The western exposure sunlight in the living room is intense, so the floor-to-ceiling windows have automatic solar shades. The home’s current incarnation artfully combines many respectful nods to its history with some modern-lifestyle sensibilities. I love my red rug and door so much I had to have red in our home.” “Red is finally on the way back, but it was missing from the trends for years.

A bright-red Dutch door welcomes guests as a portal to the old cottage charm filled with lake house decor that awaits them inside. “I call it our ‘sophisti-cottage’ because the look is the fact that we love each thing, and the color palette is immense-as a designer, I love all colors!” Shannon says. The home’s current incarnation artfully combines many respectful nods to its history with vintage decor and some modern-lifestyle sensibilities. The impressive Great Dane portrait was a vintage find at the Rose Bowl Flea Market. An homage to the home’s historic roots, the Art Deco fold-down bar cabinet on the right features Russel Wright Eclipse Polka Dot and other vintage glassware. Its rustic quality makes the table appear to have “grown” inside the house, bringing its natural surroundings indoors. Andy built the family dining table from salvage beam splits with the rough side cut off. The fabulous cement head is architectural salvage from an Art Nouveau theater in India. The embossed-leather fireplace screen is early 19th century. A walnut game table adds another level of height and dimension to the space. The wood-block prints are by local artist Nan Kane. A fireplace made with local stones graces the living room and can easily heat the entire home. The cottage has been owned and loved for the past decade by Shannon Ggem, a veteran interior designer, and her husband, Andy, a contractor in the luxury real-estate sector, who share the home with their cat and two dogs.

Rustic cottages dot the landscape surrounding the tranquil water, and it’s not unusual to see neighbors paddle by in their kayaks on a lazy afternoon. The house is situated on Malibou Lake in a close-knit community established in 1922 as an enclave inhabited by Old Hollywood film stars. The brass Platner dining chair with mohair seat in the corner is one of Shannon’s favorite pieces. Teak lounges were outfitted with fun polka-dot patterned cushions that complement the blackand- white striped chairs nearby. “I call it our ‘sophisti-cottage’ because the look is the fact that we love each thing, and the color palette is immense-as a designer, I love all colors!” SPOT ON.

The Lake House sign, found floating in the lake, was gifted to the homeowners by the neighborhood historian. A life-long surfer, Andy propped a 1980s board next to the front door to greet guests. Take a look inside this beautiful lake house cottage filled with a treasure trove of vintage decor. But there’s another quality that makes them even more special: They each have a story to tell, and though it was built nearly a century ago, this cottage’s story continues to unfold. The charm, character and construction of old cottages are all qualities their owners cherish.
