Driven by expansive lake views to the south and east, a design priority quickly emerged to reconnect the enclosed plan to its beautiful setting while maintaining the original integrity of the house. Although the existing home was well-built and maintained, it had a largely dated, choppy and incohesive interior, with limited views of the lake.
We discovered that a few key programmatic shifts allowed us to unlock the full experience of the space, moving the kitchen to the corner with the most sweeping views and placing the primary suite at the more private end of the house. There were beautiful, exposed beams original to the house, but they were supported on bearing walls that needed to be removed. A new structural steel beam was threaded into the center of the building, giving us a column rhythm that allowed for unique flexible design opportunities like shelving and movable slat walls. An expansive deck was built to accommodate fluid indoor / outdoor living and conceal helpful storage below in the off season.
Jim Haefner
Bosgraaf Construction
Christine Lilley Designs
Landscape Solutions West
Rutledge Design
To bring in more natural light, two areas of the roof were lifted for expanses of clerestory windows, highlighted by wood ceiling surfaces. This decision maintained the lower, original roofline while allowing new light to stream in from above, filtered through a network of painted wood beams. Warm wood tones, dark stone and natural steel finishes are used throughout.