This mountain modern lake house was designed by Samsel Architects, located in Bryson City, a small town in North Carolina, which is a gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This impressive home has achieved LEED Gold status, designed to integrate harmoniously with its surrounding Appalachian mountain setting. The understated exterior and carefully selected palette blends into the topography of the wooded hillside, which overlooks Fontana Lake.
The homeowners selected this property to indulge in the outdoor activities that this lakeside location offers; including boating, kayaking, swimming and campfires. The home has been configured to help the family to easily facilitate these pursuits. Walls of windows frames expansive views of the lake, surrounding forest and a passenger train bridge in the near distance. Positioned close to the water is idyllic, but also posed a challenge to the architects to allow privacy to the homeowners.
The architects thoughtfully positioned the home and re-forested the surroundings to minimize visibility of the residence from the lake. Mature landscaping was installed around the home to help it to further integrate into its peaceful setting. Thanks to the thoughtful integration into the site, the home is almost invisible from lake, even though it is sited so close to the waters edge.
“The house only truly exposes its form at twilight – the expansive glass facades glow lantern-like, providing a homeward beacon upon return from a sunset boat ride,” states the architects.
What We Love: This mountain modern lake house features beautiful design details and a serene setting that offers comfort and relaxation. The quiet solitude of the lake and its many outdoor activities makes this the perfect location for a family to enjoy. The architects did a fantastic job of creating privacy for the family while still maximizing views towards the lake. Overall a beautiful home with sustainability at the core… Readers, what do you think of the design of this home, what features stand out to you?
Note: Have a look at another home tour we featured here on One Kindesign from the portfolio of the interior designer of this project, Alchemy Design Studio: A cozy farm house surrounded by woods in North Carolina.
The house is divided into two zones: two levels of bedrooms at the north end, and the kitchen and gathering spaces on the south end. The separation between these two zones is the transparent main level entry and stairs to the lower lakeside level. The entry is a contemporary glassed-enclosed interpretation of a “dogtrot” – a traditional breezeway connecting two enclosed spaces.
Above: The walls consist of shiplap white oak with a gray wash and matte polyurethene. To protect the home from the elements, the windows have concealed roller shades made by Lutron.
Above: In the living room adjacent to the wood burning stove are tree sculptures made by a local artist named George Peterson. The swivel chairs are Hugo chairs made by Montis. The coffee table is made by Central Station.
Above: The interior designer of this project, Alchemy Design Studio, selected a neutral color palette with stylish furnishings throughout this fantastic lake house.
Above: When seated in the living room, the view offers the feeling that you are sitting directly above the water. The primary view to the west showcases the spectacular mountain sunsets. A six-foot overhang and concealed, electric roll down shades provide full sunlight control.
Above: The wicker chair is called Amari Low Back Lounge Chair from Janus et Cie.
Photos: Courtesy of Samsel Architects
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