Drawing inspiration from both the lake and the land, a Woodhouse design is prime for these lakefront locales.
A refined contemporary lake house by Woodhouse in New York
Living near a lake is more than a location, it’s a lifestyle. Lake views enhance a home, filling it with a dynamic display of changing light and moods, evoking a serenity and freshness that cannot be duplicated. Waterfront homeowners also enjoy the benefits of having an aquatic playground just steps away for fishing, swimming, paddling, boating, or cooling off on sweltering summer days.
Your lakeside home is a key part of this lifestyle. The custom, luxury houses that rim a lake’s shores fuse a region’s unique architectural vernacular with the special features lakefront homes require. Thanks to their enviable good looks, high performance, design flexibility, and supreme ability to connect indoors and out with large decks and window walls, timber frames make premium waterfront homes. Check out some of America’s most premier lake locales just waiting to bring your timber frame and waterfront living dreams together.
A Woodhouse timber frame home in the Finger Lakes
The Northeast
This vast region is prized for its storybook seasons. Ice rinks in the winter and natural playgrounds in summer, Northeast lakes offer serene spaces where mixed hardwood forests embrace remote shorelines with lush foliage and autumn color.
While the Northwoods of the Adirondacks and New England inspired our Adirondack Home Series, the Finger Lakes are one of the Northeast’s best kept secrets. These glittery jewels are set in a bucolic landscape filled with forests, fields, wineries, charming towns, miles upon miles of trails and several mom ‘n’ pop downhill ski resorts. Shoreline properties are often on steep slopes. Woodhouse turns this into an advantage, like with this custom Finger Lakes home where decks and interior views amid the forest canopy show off the lake and literally elevate the woodland experience. Then there’s this custom Woodhouse lake home with industrial design details.
The Ridgeline plan, which would be right at home on Southeastern shorelines
The Southeast
Posh golf courses and lush landscapes dripping with flowers, trees, and a Southern atmosphere demand that you slow down, relax, and absorb the sweeter side of life.
In a region saturated with luxury lake living, Lake Lure stands apart. Its interesting shape has long arms that reach deep into its Blue Ridge Mountain locale. As part of the larger Appalachian range, homes here hark to the region’s deep pioneer history and unique culture. Designs like our Ridgeline and ForestPath would be perfect. Or, we can customize any of our Appalachian Mountain Homes to be your lakeside slice of heaven as your primary or vacation residence.
The luxurious shoreline of Lake Travis in Austin, Texas
Texas
The immense Lone Star State is filled with high-end destinations, but few rival the vibrant city of Austin. Bursting with its own version of creativity and Texas charm, it boasts a thriving, diverse spirit, foodie culture, and eclectic shops.
Austin is also known for its many man-made lakes that surround the city, with one of the most most luxurious being Lake Travis. Texas is known for going big, and around Lake Travis, stunning lakefront properties hold expansive, jaw-dropping, lavish homes. For a lakefront lot here, consider our stylishly modern Banff, Western-traditional MistyMountain, or Southwest-inspired Sedona (don’t miss the retractable wall!). It’s sure to impress you and anyone who sails by.
This Oregon home, the RockyView, proves Woodhouse knows a thing or two about building homes for all-season, all-terrain play on the West Coast.
West Coast
Where do we start? From the big trees in Washington to the Mediterranean climate and vineyards of California, there is no place in the world quite like the West Coast.
Straddling California and Nevada, Lake Tahoe is the West Coast lake. Deep, clean, pristine, and surrounded by the Sierra-Nevada, this lake is equal parts playground and natural retreat. Lake dwellers get the best of the lake life and trail sports, such as hiking and mountain biking, are huge. During winter, Lake Tahoe’s many ski resorts reign supreme, and the area becomes a thriving ski town. The Woodhouse RockyView captures the clean-lined, contemporary spirit of the West Coast and could easily take on the role of ski lodge, lake house or ideally, both!
Mountain-modern style, as seen in this Woodhouse Colorado project, is a prime fit for Mountain West lake homes.
Mountain West
The Mountain West is known for its rugged, dramatic locales. From hunting to skiing or even craft brew-pub hopping, people here love to be outdoors.
The gold rush aside, Flathead Lake could very well be why Montana is called the Treasure State. It’s the largest lake in the American West and one of the cleanest lakes in the world. As expected with alpine lakes, the water is cool and invigorating. It’s lakes like this that are primed and picturesque for Woodhouse timber frame mountain lodges. Think massive stone fireplaces anchoring great rooms, stone pillars, huge decks, and lots of timber trusses. Want to see it in action? Check out this custom Woodhouse home built in Breckenridge, Colorado. Mountain modern is another great style for lake homes in the region, like this custom timber frame from Woodhouse.
The Kettle Creek, perfect for a lakefront lot on Lake Michigan
The Midwest & Great Lakes
With the iconic five Great Lakes and tens of thousands of smaller (but equally enticing) lakes, the Midwest is home to some of the most idyllic lakefront property in the U.S. It’s also home to some spectacular Woodhouse projects, from a car barn in Michigan to homes and golf courses in Wisconsin.
Set up camp on the shores of Lake Michigan in a timber frame home for a lake getaway that really wows. With shores touching Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan, this Great Lake is the only one out of five located fully within the United States. In fact, it’s the world’s largest lake by land located in one country. So where to build with so much scenic shoreline? (1,600-plus miles of it in fact!) Areas like Glen Arbor (with bonus proximity to Glen Lake) or Grand Haven (known for its sandy beaches) boast luxury lake homes and gorgeous water views – the perfect setting for a design like the Kettle Creek or the aptly named Glen Oak.
Let’s Get Started
Beachfront, riverfront, or lakefront — Woodhouse will construct the waterfront dream you’ve always had and give you the lifestyle you’ve always wanted in a house that will look spectacular from both the water and the land. Float through our gallery page to see real examples of Woodhouse homes and structures built in locales just like those around America’s most desirable lakes, including some built in those exact locations. Or contact us for an open conversation about your timber frame waterfront home.