Journal
How we handle lake light and four seasons indoors.
The water is a second sky. Design for it.
Light from below
A room that faces a lake is lit twice: once from the sky and once from the water. In summer that is a soft, moving light. In winter the ice turns it flat and white, and a room that was pleasant in July can glare in January. We size overhangs and porch roofs so the low reflected light is filtered, and we face work surfaces away from the water where we can.
Finishes that do not fight the light
Honed stone, not polished. Matte or eggshell paint. Oiled or matte-finish wood. Fabrics with some texture. Glossy surfaces on a lake side throw the water back at you; quiet surfaces hold it.
Windows for the chair, not the elevation
The sill height of a lake window is set so that you see the water from a seated position, and so the frame does not cut the horizon. On the north and lake sides we specify triple glazing, because the view wall is also the cold wall.
Evening
At night the lake goes black and the house becomes the light. We keep lake-side lighting low, warm and indirect, so the house is a lantern rather than a floodlight, and so you can still see the stars from the porch.
Start where you are.
Tell us about the place you keep coming back to in your mind. The one you already love. Or the one that doesn’t exist yet. We’ll tell you what we see, what we don’t, and what only you can decide next.