How a family estate infuses charm and history into their lake side rental cabins

One of our new favorite things is to kick off our summer with a stay in Green Lake at the Terrace Beach Retreat cottages. Since we stumbled upon this rental a few years ago we have witnessed the renovations on the property grow from the three lakeside cabins to the two larger apartments on the hill by the main house. The family that lives here and cares for the estate are very warm and welcoming about their progress and were lovely enough to give us a tour. Their creativity and use of reclaimed materials that held special meaning to them is what inspired me to share a few ways they infused the space with sentiment.

Reclaimed woods

Sure, this might be an obvious one- but if your family had an old barn and you saved the wood from that old barn for a special project then this would be a very special range hood. What I notice is most unique about it is the use of the crackled end of the beam as the centerpiece of the top.

They also choose to be inspired by pieces of lumber they had vs trying to reform the wood for their needs. This irregular rough-sawn board might not be everyone’s first pic for such a prominent sill between the rooms but it warms up the space with it’s charm in a way new and perfectly milled lumber simply couldn’t.

History of the area

We all know “hotel art” when we see it. It’s those generic and mass produced paintings that hang in chain hotels. They match the floral bedspreads and wall paper borders of yesteryear. I can imagine it is hard to choose art that will appeal to everyone which is why I can appreciate this take on decorating the walls.

History about the area, including old maps and brochures, create gallery wall installations in the living room while black and white photos from year’s past remind guests of the lineage of the vacation scene in Green Lake.

The resort is family owned and has been for more than a generation, so the current caretakers were clever enough to salvage the old signs from around the property to use as additional wall art throughout the cabins.

There were a few other names prior to Terrace Beach Retreat over the years.

And how much cooler can you get than this nostalgic one, cut out to resemble the shape of the lake.

These authentic and well preserved wood signs are better than any art you could buy and far superior to any version of a Live, Laugh Love plaque.

Balancing old and new

The beauty of the spaces for me was the way the older elements blended in with the newer sheet rock and flooring, how the aged wood beams were highlighted against the cleaner tongue and groove wood.

While it would be easy to smother the room with antiques in hopes of achieving a historic feel, the restraint in choosing a piece to highlight is what allows this restored barn pulley turned accent light to become a showpiece.

An antique dining set is a sturdy and simple choice in a room without a fussy rug or draperies.

Even the bathroom, which is redesigned for our modern needs, benefits from a hint of nostalgia in the choice of mirror and the repurposed sink that was original to some of the cabins before a previous round of updates.

Supporting a family business

I can’t even begin to tell you how grateful I am that there are still people out there that care about family legacy, nostalgia and preserving something that is so special. Countless stunning and historic resorts in the area were demolished to build second homes for those that could afford them. The beauty of the Green Lake shoreline is not as accessible to those of us with an average vacation budget.

Which is why I am so grateful to this family, the current owners. Their renovations are inspiring and their devotion to their guests makes staying here such an enjoyable experience. Hopefully they feel that love and pride for as long as they choose to run this place.

I hope to continue to add this stay to my story year after year, to be a witness to the evolution of Green Lake and a participant in the history of this little place. I hope it all stays the same. But I also understand progress and I understand that money talks. So who knows what it might become. Who knows what this could all be someday when I am much older and out for a drive and I pause to say- “I remember when…”

Who knows… but I do know that I will feel so fortunate to have made those memories to look back on.