Design Home Waterfront Retreat

Waterfront Retreat Home

The original house was built with the ground level devoted to a two car garage and generous storage/workshop area, so that the upper living areas and wrap around porch had generous views in all directions.

In one corner of the garage there is a room with a utility sink and an outdoor shower – a real plus if you are building near a lake or beach. On the first level, a wide hallway runs down the center of the home, with a pair of doors at the front and rear. This house was originally built with the living areas facing the rear, but since both ends of the house work equally well as a front entry, this allows some flexibility on how you orient it on your site.

Waterfront Retreat Design

The back half of the house is devoted to a wide open living area with a vaulted ceiling. The living room has a large central fireplace hearth flanked by built ins, and the one interior wall is lined with built–in cabinets, an ice machine and a wine cooler. Two glass doors open onto a screened porch, extending the living space to the outdoors. The kitchen includes a center island for additional prep space, and an L–shaped counter with a breakfast bar facing the living and dining areas. A pair of glass doors in the dining area accesses the side porch, and another pair between the dining and livings areas provide access to the rear porch and the large deck beyond it. An open bridge located on the second level visually delineates the living area from the open dining and kitchen spaces. The entire front half of the house, on the main and upper level, has 10' ceilings.

After entering the home, you find yourself in a generous sized hallway that has room for benches and furniture on either side. To the right there a vestibule that leads to the stairs, an office with a glass door that walks out to the side porch, and a large laundry/utility room. The laundry room is large enough for a center work island, built–ins, a bench, and a door to a storage closet under the stairs that could be used as a pantry. It also has a door to the porch, making it an ideal mudroom as well. Across from the vestibule is the door to the master suite, and just beyond it is a powder room. The master bedroom has a tray ceiling, large windows facing the front and side of the house, and a door to the side porch. The entryway to the master bath is flanked by walk–in closets, and the bath includes two separated sinks.