Lakeview

Design Portfolio: “Lakeview”

Lakeview is located in a small community, just an hour from Seattle, Washington, directly on Big Lake in Mount Vernon. A recent transplant from California, the owner brought their love for indoor-outdoor living into their vision for the project. Their home-to-be would need to feature innovative functions and flexible interior-exterior modularity. During the summer months, this would mean an increase in living space, as long as the weather cooperated.

This residence is intended to be their forever home, where they can age gracefully and pass it on to their children. In doing so, Lakeview accommodates additional accessories that make the home more practical for aging bodies. However, it needed to be done in a way that doesn’t detract from the home’s aesthetic. To ensure the client can enjoy their dream home for as long as possible, the design features space for a small elevator, stair lifts, and a home workout room. In doing so, the stars were widened, and ramps were added where possible.

Indoor-Outdoor Living: Adapting to Summer Months

Lakeview has a deck that faces Big Lake with almost 180-degrees of view; it was essential for the client to make the most of the beautiful location whenever possible. With that in mind, the owner requested that the home feature sliders that open the back of the house to the deck. The home itself sits on a downward slope, offering privacy from the quiet street. Though large at 4,317 square feet, Lakeview sits in a way that doesn’t obstruct the views of its neighbors and sits comfortably on the hillside. All of this lends itself to providing the owner the best possible chance to enjoy the indoor-outdoor aesthetic and summer weather of their location.

To tie toe design in further, Lakeview’s cladding takes inspiration from its surroundings, using local colors and raw wood materials wherever possible. The design was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie style homes (a style invented by the architect in 1900), and the result is both classic and contemporary. Inspiration from his work meant the home must meld aspects of the arts and crafts movement that came before: the environment that surrounds it, and simplicity that will carry the house well into the 21st century and beyond. Just like the homes that inspired it.

We would like to think that Lakeview’s design will serve the test of time and carry itself well into tomorrow so the client’s descendants may enjoy it or whoever may call Lakeview home.