A Look Inside Lakeshore Lodge

When Katie and Andy Barnes (and kids 14-year-old Squire and 12-year-old Harper) make the five-hour car ride from their home in northern Missouri to their lake house in Shell Knob, they look forward to the same things many lake goers look forward to: outdoor water adventures, fishing, campfires and barbecues. What makes the Barneses’ lake house (they’ve deemed Lakeshore Lodge with the help of friends) stand out from the rest is its cheerful red exterior and all the unique vintage decor. The Barneses were purposeful when restoring and remodeling the Lakeshore Lodge they now know and love. “It provides us and others an opportunity to step back in time to a simpler pace of life,” says Katie. “Simpler by taking away the many distractions we have in our lives along with providing many opportunities to just really connect with those we love.”

The Barnes family are no strangers to remodeling. They own a construction company in their hometown of Rea, Missouri. They purchased the property in September of 2019 and finished it just in time for Christmas. “We have dreamed of owning a lake house for years and loved the nature of Table Rock,” says Katie. “It does not feel overpopulated like other lakes in Missouri.”

The lodge was in pristine condition but was very ’70s. Everything was given a facelift, with the original exterior red color being preserved. “We gave it a fresh coat of paint, but just had the red color matched,” says Katie. “We put down hardwood floors and painted them as well.”

It wasn’t an easy remodel. With the long drive and all the work to be done, the Barnes family really put a labor of love into Lakeshore Lodge. “When we first purchased the property and continued on for the first year, our kids would whine and say, ‘No, we don’t want to go to the lake house!’” Finally, the work lessened and there was more time for fun. “They now are excited and can’t wait to go to the lake,” says Katie. “We are so thankful for this lesson that the lake house has provided to our children. We have witnessed our kids go through this process of dreaming, planning, working, replanning, enjoying and upkeeping our family’s property.”

The view from the Lakeshore Lodge’s dining room is one of the Barneses’ favorite things when they bought the house. To further add to the charm of the home, the Barneses’ furnished it with their own personal touch. Both Katie and Andy have a love for vintage and antiques, which the lodge is brimming with.  “We both grew up surrounded by items with a past,” says Katie. As soon as they closed on the property, Katie began collecting vintage items for the lodge. She searched thrift and antique stores in the area and hit up lots of garage and estate sales to find the pieces.

One of Andy’s favorite finds was a porcupine lampshade. “I have never seen anything like it before,” says Andy. “It is so interesting. We found it at The Vintage Peddler in Springfield.” Katie’s favorite find was the large collection of vintage jelly drinking glasses. “I love the bright colors and bold designs,” says Katie. “We also find we always know whose drink is whose. How fun would it be to go to the grocery store and get to select not only the flavor of jam or jelly, but also a glass design?” If you love vintage style as much as the Barneses do, they have some great tips for decorating with vintage. “When you are out hunting for your vintage finds, don’t go looking for something super-specific,” says Katie. “You will be disappointed. This is hard and I often fail. Our best items are often found on the whim.” They also recommend enlisting family and friends for help as well. “Our dear family friends in Ash Grove, originally Northwest Missouri, collected many items for us,” says Katie. “They also are responsible for the hand-lettered sign in our lodge as well as helping us name our property.”

The lodge is always brimming with extended family and friends. They make a big breakfast to share in the mornings. The dads usually get up early to get some fishing in sans kiddos. “We try to maximize our time on the water in the summer months,” says Katie. “The kids are into wakeboarding and tubing, but we love just floating around near the lodge too. We also love grabbing the kayaks and canoes and floating from Arkansas back into Missouri.”

The Barneses are big fans of food. “We love the whole process: meal planning, preparing, serving, lingering over the table with good conversation and drinks,” says Katie. “We even enjoy cleaning up together while listening to some good vintage tunes.” Some of their favorite meals to create are shrimp boils. “We love all the yummy add-ins: sausage, corn, potatoes, onion, garlic, and good seasonings, tossed out on the center of a row of picnic tables either on the deck or out in the orchard,” says Katie. They love spending evenings playing fun yard games like corn hole and ladder ball and ending the day with a campfire. Andy plays the banjo and guitar, and his brother plays the mandolin and guitar as they sit around the fire. “The campfire time is just so special,” says Katie. “The sky comes alive.”