Lake Room

The main thing that drew the owners to this house was the view of a small pond in back, but the existing house had a small, rickety deck. They wanted to replace the deck with a new room and deck from which they could enjoy views of the pond and entertain guests.

Ranch houses are difficult to add to. It’s easy to end up with odd corners that stick up here and there, or something that feels foreign to the rest of the house. Additionally, in this case the clients wanted the new room to feel more like an outdoor space, which would contrast with the all brick exterior of the house. The goal was to create something that felt fresh and open, but still fit with the character of the house.

The solution was to place a glass room, framed with heavy timbers, on the corner of the house. This preserved views of the pond from the living room while maintaining easy access from the kitchen. The large overhanging roof shades the room in the summer, reducing cooling costs, and provides a large outdoor area protected from summer storms. By mimicking the slope of the existing roof we were able to fit the addition into the existing house’s aesthetic. One end of the deck was pulled in closer to the house to preserve the view of the lake from kitchen, something very important to the clients, and the foundations were placed to disturb as few trees as possible.

The resulting design, with its surrounding trees, heavy timbers, and large expanses of glass, feels more like a tree house than a room. The clients use the addition all year round. Dining outside during the temperate spring and fall, and enjoying views of the lake from inside when the weather is too hot or too cold.