Keuka Lake Retreat
Nestled on the Eastern shore of Keuka Lake, this new-build Lake home was the dream of a local Rochester family with long ties to Keuka Lake and summers on the water. Part of their wish list for the home was that it become a retirement retreat they could enjoy for years to come with family and friends. Another wish was that the home have a casual open-plan design that would easily accommodate large gatherings and still be cozy for everyday lake living.
Working closely with the owners and with the architect, Design Works Architecture of Rochester, Heather DeMoras Design Consultants (HDDC) ensured that each part of the lake home was designed in detail – starting with the open plan kitchen that features a 14 foot live-edge Sycamore wood island, built in bar / coffee bar area, custom cabinets, stone fireplace, beamed and coffered ceilings, accent pendant lighting and reclaimed wood plank flooring.
Other thoughtful design elements include built-ins in the study that hide a fold-down Murphy bed, an extensive bunk room for use by future grandchildren or guests, and a bar / entertaining area at the lake level to accommodate large gatherings.
Laundry and pantry areas were carefully designed to keep the home organized and functional while providing guests and family with easy access to necessary conveniences.
Extensive 3D Modeling of the entire house, including kitchen, great room ceilings and all built ins throughout the home, along with the custom stairs, all 5 bathrooms and the lower level bar area was a part of the process by HDDC to help convey interior design direction and to provide the owners with visuals for feedback.
Live samples and product images were presented for floor and wall tile selections, cabinetry design, stair and railing design, plumbing hardware and lighting. For all interior selections, Heather worked closely with the owners bringing these detailed selections to them or meeting them at cabinetry, flooring, plumbing, tile and stone showrooms for final selections. Heather also worked with the couple and the architect for the exterior color selections as well as placement for trim and siding details and location and sizing of exterior lighting. Once final selections were done, HDDC recorded these decisions and communicated the owner’s wishes to the design team as final drawings and finish specifications for construction by local Builder Kevin Para.
Personalization of each project is a process that Heather DeMoras uses to bring an expression of each client’s unique personality into their home. On the Lake Retreat, these finishing touches were suggested and were incorporated in many ways. Some examples include the home owners request to personally select each of the paint colors, beautiful hues that Heather complemented in selections for other finishes. Second, with Heather’s suggestion of a wall-covering map in the Cabana Bath which shows Keuka Lake and the area where the home is located. Lastly, by working with the home owner to help create the owner’s vision for a floor-to-ceiling mural for the bar and entertainment area that depicts a vintage Keuka Lake postcard aviation scene.