Our clients lucked out in a down market and were able to get three 4-acre lots on a private lake in West Virginia, just a little over an hour from their home in Bethesda. We had been working with them on a multi-level screened porch for their Bethesda home when they decided to change gears and have me design a custom home for them on this amazing property.

Their goal was to create a home that was very green, very friendly, and open like the character of their family, and designed to enjoy the tremendous lake and mountain views.

We tucked the home in a location to minimize the trees that had to be taken down. The home has insulated concrete walls, geothermal heating, character cherry floors, alder doors, wood stoves to help with heating, eldorado stone walls mixed with cedar siding, and offers two levels of screened porches for enjoying the lake views.

The house also is designed to surprise. Upon arrival into a courtyard between the carriage house and the main house, the home appears small. You enter into the bedroom level, which also has a mudroom and laundry. To the rear is a screened porch off the master bedroom and a large deck with a fireplace. 

The stair leads down into the kitchen, dining and living room. A rear family room connects to a 4th bedroom with an en suite bath, an exercise room, and a side mudroom with a dog washing station. The side door off of the kitchen also connects to a hot tub deck and grilling area.

We also planned out the paths down to the lake, the dock, and a fire pit area.