The modern lake house is reminiscent of a classic waterfront home, both casual and elegant, with colors, architectural lines and furnishings best described as fresh, clean and crisp, like the breeze off the water. Inspired by the natural palate of the water and sky, cool colors are accented by clean white lines inside and out, with airy spaces naturally lit by advantageous windows. Today luxury home owners favor more open living spaces over hallways and chopped-up floor plans, easing the flow of movement between living spaces and from inside to the outdoors.
There are many versions to this waterfront home ideal, personalized by the owner and adapted to the property. The advantage of the more simple, clean line concept is to let the beauty of the natural environs play center stage, while subtle accents in the architectural design and decorating scheme make it uniquely personal to the owner. Some of the predominant themes that resonate with the modern custom-built luxury lake home include open concept living, generous windows, white trim and painted wood, covered and/or screened-in porches and nautical blues or decorative elements.
The open concept living space has become extremely popular among new homeowners in all types of urban and rural settings. Romanticized by the conversion of warehouse lofts into non-traditional living spaces and adapted by luxury homeowners to reinvent the flow of everyday life throughout the home. Removing the traditional borders (walls) between main gathering spaces creates additional natural light flow and increases opportunities for wonderful views of the outdoors.
The windows are an important feature of any home, particularly in beautiful natural settings where views are a priority. The modern luxury lake home maximizes views of the water from as many rooms as possible, providing optimal natural lighting even in heavily wooded settings. Manufacturers today can combine old world craftsmanship with modern insulation and maintenance standards, to provide homeowners with exceptional choices from an architectural and lighting standpoint.
White painted wood siding and trim are another popular trend among modern lake homeowners, both timeless and classic. On the interior, there is no easier way to refresh a space, add brightness and create a clean modern look. White trim beautifully frames windows, inside and out, may subtly highlight architectural highlights and gives an updated look to older wood paneling and cabinets.
Generously sized porches, large enough to accommodate mealtime gatherings, are a traditional feature of the classic lake home. Screened in porches were necessary features of lake homes, mostly used as summer retreats, in the days before air conditioning, as they offered protection from the bugs while enjoying the cooling breeze. Many still prefer the fresh breeze off the lake to air conditioning, which is why screened and three season porches are such popular and welcoming gathering spaces. And, covered porches overlooking the lake add a natural flow from the interior to the outside, a comfortable perch to relax and enjoy the view and a welcome shelter from the midday sun or rain showers.
