In honor of Valentine’s Day week, we thought to explore unique and distinct spaces or architectural features that homeowners have imagined for their custom built homes that have made their home distinctly their own. The very definition of the adjective “custom,” made or performed according to personal order, is cleverly contrary to its meaning as a noun, long-established practice considered as unwritten law. Ideally, every custom built home should reflect the unique characteristics and lifestyle of the families that reside there. The following examples of unique features in custom built homes to love embody this ideal.
Unique Features in Custom Built Homes to Love
The Entertainers
The whiskey bar created in this lake living couple’s entertaining dream home evokes the masculinity of a classic New York whiskey and cigar bar with the refined touches befitting a modern luxury lake home. Boasting rich dark woods for the bar and ceiling, polished brass fixtures and leather stools, the room is beautifully balanced and blended into the rest of the home by the lighter wood floors and the generous windows offering sweeping views of the lake.
The Weekend Getaway
A busy Chicago couple found the perfect lake setting to create the ultimate weekend retreat for the summer months, cozy enough for quiet family time and spacious enough to accommodate several families. Dorm-style sleeping arrangements, allowing for multiple families, are given an elegant and refined treatment in this home. This bright, spacious bedroom is bright and comfortable, its magnificent views of the lake affording a welcome sleeping retreat.
The Art Lovers
True art collectors find art all around them and incorporate it into their daily living environment. The perfect home is a simple, clean-lined canvas that allows each piece to be seen in the right light. The couple that built this modern lake retreat, replete with guest “cabins” to comfortably accommodate frequent visitors, created the perfect balance of art and nature. The home itself is a celebration of the harmony and beauty of its environment. The entrance to this spectacular retreat sets the tone for a truly sensory experience, a pastoral setting with lamb sculptures. Once the front door opens, the journey begins.
The Growing Family
As children grow and lifestyles change, homeowners are rewarded when they make the effort to creatively reimagine spaces to meet new demands. One couple’s custom lake home was built when their now teenage son and daughter were toddlers. The perfectly suited jack and jill bathroom outgrew its allure, as did the compact closets. The problem was how to carve out more closet space for their teenage daughter AND how to add a 2nd bathroom, without embarking on a major renovation. The solution was to reclaim space from above the garage that served as underutilized attic space. The result was a newly harmonious home with teens.
Preserving History
Owners of a historic island property wanted to build a luxury lake home while preserving elements of the original 1911 Tudor cottage that had served as their summer reprieve for 20 years. Both were accomplished by building the new home around the original cottage, making that space into an area for entertaining. Hiring the best craftsmen accomplished seamless flow throughout, as seen by the cottage’s former entrance, opening into the entertaining space.
