Building—or renovating—your lakeside dream home is no small task. Your home should match your vision, which is why it’s important to consider all the design elements and objectives that factor into creating the perfect residence.
Lakeside homes offer a multitude of amenities—from easy water access to picturesque views. When you invest in homes like these, you’re investing in a lifetime of memories and joy—but such a big investment also requires clearly defined vision and objectives. That’s where KDG comes in.
As you determine how you want to set out building your dream home, KDG helps you develop your vision. The perfect home starts with the perfect view—everything after that is just details. “You can always change a house,” says KDG Founder Dan Keiser, “but you can’t change the view of the water. If clients can find a location they love, then we can work with them to decide if it’s possible to get what they want by renovating a property—or if it’s easier to tear it down and start from scratch.”
“You can always change a house,” says KDG Founder Dan Keiser, “but you can’t change the view of the water. If clients can find a location they love, then we can work with them to decide if it’s possible to get what they want by renovating a property—or if it’s easier to tear it down and start from scratch.”
KDG has worked with clients to renovate houses into something completely new, build dream homes from scratch, and even design homes on islands in lakes—which means they’ve seen it all when it comes to facing unconventional barriers. “Lakefront homes pose some unique challenges because you’re dealing with the elements and working around freezing temperatures in the winter,” says Dan. “Especially when you’re building on an island, you have to strategically transport workers and materials, which can be complicated.” KDG is no stranger to unforeseen obstacles, and they are passionate about helping clients navigate challenges and empowering them to see their vision to completion.
When designing a lakeside residence, there are a variety of factors to consider to ensure that your home meets all your needs—not just immediately but in the years to come. This includes planning for multi-generational living, deciding on whether you want a full-time or part-time residence, and adding design elements that can integrate both indoor and outdoor living.
Multi-Generational Living
One of the best parts of a lakeside residence is that it often becomes a gathering place for family events. It’s the perfect opportunity to make memories with all the people you love—but that means the home needs to accommodate all the people you love.
Planning for multi-generational living can be a challenge, but it’s not impossible. Developing a design for the home you envision can help you decide where everyone in your family will fit, how many rooms you’ll need, and how you can best lay those rooms out to maximize your space. Parents often want a master suite, where they can be separate from all the bustle of family activity—but kids love staying active and energetic, so it often makes sense to put young children in a bunk room and have them share a bath.
As you’re designing all the details of your lakefront home, it’s crucial to picture your family there in the long term—what kind of allowances will you need to make? Through this process, KDG will walk with you as you envision the design, plan the details, and ultimately make it a reality.
Full-Time vs. Part-Time Residence
Before building a home, it’s important to know how often you’ll be living there. The details of your home will change depending on whether you’ll be living there full-time or part-time. When you’re living at your lakeside home year-round, you’ll probably want more amenities—like an attached garage and more storage space.
“When people live in their lake-side home part-time, it becomes more like a cottage,” says Dan. “The storage space doesn’t have to be extensive, so we can design other features that are more conducive to part-time living.” Because every client’s dream is different, KDG knows that every design will be entirely unique—and they want to make the most out of those designs so that clients get the most out of them, whether they’re living there year-round or just for a season.
Integrating Indoor and Outdoor Living
Perhaps the greatest advantage of lakeside living is the ease with which you can integrate the indoors and the outdoors. All the beauty of nature lies just outside your door—and KDG can bring it even closer.
“Everyone likes open-concept designs,” says Dan. “Having a view from everywhere is important.” To bring the outdoors close to home, KDG has designed several lakeside houses with expansive sliding glass doors that maximize the view of the lake.
One popular feature for KDG clients is phantom screens, which can open or close off a porch with just the push of a button. Thanks to these screens, which come down from the ceiling on the track, residents can choose when they want to be outside and when they want to be inside. “The reality of winter and bugs is harsh,” Dan says. “We want to get people outside without them being eaten completely.”
KDG believes your home should be your castle. If you’re going to create the perfect lakeside residence, it’s crucial for the design process to continually match your vision. “We really want to listen to our clients’ needs and make them a top priority,” says Dan. “At the end of the day, we hope clients have enjoyed the entire process of building a home, from the moment they buy their property to the moment they step in the door of the finished home.”
Building the perfect lakefront home can be stressful—which is why it’s important to have a partner who is committed to your needs and willing to walk alongside you during the entire process.
