The first things one notices when approaching this unique home are hipped roofs over an office/bedroom on the left and over the den on the right. Each room has a cathedral ceiling, and both are surrounded by lower and upper windows. With the exception of the office/bedroom above the garage, this is a one–story home with a complete lower level that walks out to the rear and side.

The original house was built on a lot that sloped in the direction of a lake, so the views are focused to the rear and sides. You enter the house from a covered entry, where a pair of doors open to a large and dramatic family room. The walls in this room vault from 10' at the walls to around 14' down the center. It features a large fireplace flanked by two pairs of windows that also faces the open kitchen. Sliding glass doors at the far end of the room lead to a large open terrace that is connected to a covered terrace at the rear of the house.

At the entry to the house there is a stairway to the left, and a den to the right. The stairs lead down to the full lower level of the house, and up to the office/bedroom above the garage. There is a convenient powder room adjacent to the stairs, and a coat closet across the hall. The walls of the den are just over 18' in height, rising slightly to a cathedral ceiling in the center. All three exterior walls include large side–by–side windows at eye level and the same number of smaller windows near the ceiling. This may well be the most unique room we've ever seen!

The open kitchen features an enormous work island with a double sink and a dishwasher. Like all the rooms on this level that are not vaulted, the ceilings are set at 10'. Next to and open to the kitchen is the formal dining room. A wall of windows on one side of the dining room look out to the open terrace and the views beyond it, while windows and a glazed door at the end of the room look out to and through the covered terrace at the rear of the house. A hallway behind the kitchen leads to a large walk–in pantry, a mudroom, a laundry room, and a 3–car garage. In the opposite direction it leads to the master suite.

The master bedroom also has a vaulted ceiling that is nearly 11' at the outer walls, rising to nearly 14'. Like nearly all of the rooms in this light–filled house, there are lots of windows facing the side and rear of the house, and a glazed door provides direct access to the covered terrace. The spacious master bath includes a window–surrounded sunken tub, an enormous shower, two separated sinks, and a private toilet. Swinging double doors access a walk–in closet that is more than 12' in length.

The stairs to the lower level bring you to a huge open space designed for entertaining and/or games. A full–sized wet bar on the left faces the large fireplace at the other end of the room. Double doors beyond the bar access an exercise studio. Both exterior walls are filled with windows, and a door in one of them leads to one of the two connected terraces on this lower level. A short hallway outside the studio leads to suite two and its bathroom. A changing room is located next to the bath, with a door to the outside. A door in the same hallway, across from suite two, leads to what the designer called the Lake Garage. A door in this garage accesses the mechanical room.

Suite three is located on the other side of the house. Like the den above it, it is ringed with windows. It includes a full bath and a walk–in closet. The ceiling height for this entire lower level is 10'8".

Above the garage on the main level is another unique room with spectacular views! Like the den, large lower and small upper windows installed side–by–side run the width of each outer wall, which in this case means four walls instead of three. Because it includes a full bath and a walk–in closet, this is labeled suite four, but we think it would make a truly incredible home office.

Foundation Info
This house was originally designed to have a basement foundation. However, if you prefer a crawlspace or a slab foundation, these are fairly simple and inexpensive changes that your builder can often make for you. If the basement design is not displayed in the Floor Plans, it's because it is unfinished.

Please Note
This house was originally designed for a couple in Charlotte, North Carolina, who (understandably) do not want another house just like theirs built nearby. If you're planning to build within a 50–mile radius of downtown Charlotte, the designer needs to approve the location before he'll grant a copyright release allowing you to legally build the house. Just give us the address or location of your property, via email or phone –– and we'll get back to you right away.

Electronic Format
These plans were drawn using a well–known and highly respected architectural design software program called SoftPlan (version 13). This software can export the same files in .dwg format, so they can also be modified by anyone who uses AutoCAD, which is nearly universal. The CD for this plan includes the files in both SoftPlan and AutoCAD–ready .dwg, as well as in .pdf for easy viewing on your home or office computer.