Bringing Nature Home

“I thought it should have a name but never came up with one,” he said thoughtfully. “I always called it ‘the lake house’ and somehow that just seemed right. Located on a beautiful main lake point lot with massive rock formations, it seemed the perfect spot to build my dream rustic contemporary home.” Bob said he drafted the plans for the home by hand and took them to an architect who made them manifest. Those plans changed and evolved over the course of construction but endeared the home to him more fully. You can hear the love in his voice and the memories he’s shared with the people he loves when he talks about it.

This one and a half story walkout has over 3,000 square feet dedicated to wide open spaces and blending in. The abundance of expansive windows provides copious waterfront views and Bob said he thought the naturalized lot was so beautiful that it didn’t need anything extra and that the Lake House was designed with that in mind. He wanted the place to blend seamlessly with its surroundings inside and out but he also wanted this to be a space where anyone who dropped by, be it family or friends, could enjoy their stay in comfort. The slope of the property is capped with retainer walls of fieldstone to complement the natural look of the cedar wood home. “This is on a steep incline so you have to face that you’re going to have to have retainers,” he said. “Originally [the wall] was concrete but we wanted more warmth, a more natural look to go with the house so we decided on the fieldstone. If you look at it, there’s no trees, no landscaping, just natural rock formations. You should see it in the winter. We wanted a rustic look on the interior and exterior, more like like something you’d find in a mountainous area.”

Bob meticulously selected the inside décor, using pine paneling in the living area to maintain the light value and other finishing throughout the rest of the house to compliment it. He said he chose neutral and green values with very little red or blue and furnishings that invoked natural components. He was particularly fond of the Bristle cone pine table and the pine four poster bed. “The material selection was critical,” he said. “It includes random width heart pine floors, beamed and pine paneled ceilings, Italian thin set rustic tile, stone fireplace and other stone architectural accents, multilevel antler chandelier, and custom lamp fixtures by the top U.S. made Craftsman artists including Old California Lamp Co., Steel Partners, and Arroyo.

A home with such rich rustic contemporary design needed accents to provide the right compliments. The majority of the furnishings are all custom designed to enhance the unique natural feel. These include many custom pieces made by Pine Ridge Log Furniture, Old Hickory, and Stone County Ironworks. The rugs are handmade in the craftsman style and custom made to fit the home’s decor and earth tone colors. With two separate master bedrooms including en suite bathrooms, huge great room with 22 foot beamed ceilings, sun room with vaulted wood ceiling, basement family room and bar with a pool table, the home provides ample space on three levels for either privacy or group time together.

He remarked that one of his favorite features is the dock. It was built before maximum size reductions were placed so there’s enough room to fit recreational products and people simultaneously. He said that he realizes his is not the only dock that’s special on Lake Gaston, but his includes an integration of the decking and sunburst railings with the wide double staircases to the dock that he believes is absolutely beautiful. The 1,500 square foot dock with double boat slips, Doozi lifts, 25’ x 32’ upper sundeck and 16’ x 20’ lower also gives it a high degree of functionality. The double power awnings provide shade on the lower dock whenever desired and with unusual distance from neighboring docks, there is plenty of privacy. “It is one of the last ones approved of this size before the maximum size was reduced to 1,250 sq. feet,” Bob said. “This space is so valuable when hosting large groups of guests at the dock and accessing your lake toys: the pontoon boat, ski boat, and jet ski. It’s been fun choosing floats, skis, etc. to make sure all the guests enjoy the full ‘lake experience.’ The dock can be used and appreciated year round.”

Bob said the Lake House is a truly unique and remarkable place to create special memories with family and friends. “For nearly twenty years the Lake House has been instrumental in giving my two daughters and their friends an unforgettable childhood. Vacations and weekends with family and friends have always been easy to organize and affordable.”

To learn more about this home visit www.11anchordrive.com.