The Height of Entertainment
With a buildable area now better suited to the clients’ needs, Estes set about designing a home that maximized the views and accommodated their wish list. To meet the buyers’ love of entertaining, the living and dining areas are open and inviting, with 17-foot ceilings above and a dramatic stone fireplace extending to the full height.
Expansive amounts of glass—via double 12-foot sliders and two sets of transom windows stacked above—offer primary views across the water and into Canada. Because the ground was leveled, the designers were able to add a large, raised, covered patio off of the ample kitchen from which to enjoy the views during meals. A second patio off of the front entry provides an additional gathering area, with the opposite exposure so that the homeowners and their visitors can stay in warm or shaded areas depending on the weather and temperature.
The layout splits the bedroom areas into two, with one wing housing the primary bedroom and en suite bathroom, an office, and a laundry room; two guest bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an exercise room make up the wing on the other side of the central living/entertaining space. The primary bathroom includes a separate soaking tub, walk-in shower with niches and a flush entry, and a water closet with a toilet and separate bidet.
Another item on the wish list was plenty of space in the garage for the husband’s workshop. The resulting garage is 30 feet deep rather than the traditional 20 feet, with some of the extra area outfitted with lockers and benches after move-in.
