Our client purchased an 80-year-old 800 square foot cottage for the purposes of building a new home. The first call they made was to us.
During the next two years, we worked with the client. Interviewing architects, contractors, landscape designers and other trades that were needed to complete their dream home.
Portions of the old cottage were reused. The flooring became the upstairs quilted wood wall. It was also used for the wall under the stairs, to conceal the access to the basement.
Items from their old home, such as the dining room doors, were repurposed as the sliding doors for the den.
Receipts from the construction of the original cottage found a new place on the back panel of the island. These also included references to their kids’ toys, board games, pressed tin from an old ceiling and a door knob from the old cottage.
Our role on this project was as the lead designer not only for the interior but also to work with Peter Archer Architects to collaborate on the shell and architectural styling. We acted as project supervisors to ensure that all the work was being completed to the standards we expected and stayed true to the intent of the project.
Our primary role was still to create a warm, open, appealing interior that our client could live in for the next twenty years.
We accomplished this by keeping their living and sleeping spaces on the main floor. The upstairs functioned more as a ‘loft’ with three guest bedrooms for family visitors.
View-Focused Design
Of course, the focus of any house on a lake is the view to the water. The entire interior layout keeps this in mind, to maximize not only the glazing but the views from each room. The overall effect is a house that is open and inviting and feels in touch with its surroundings.
