When Modern Farmhouse Meets Lake House

There’s nothing more exciting than a full-home remodel, especially when tasked with completely updating a home while keeping the original footprint. This two-story home with a walk out basement was in desperate need of some love and a new vision, but its location near a rare bird sanctuary and the lake came with some strict renovation rules.

We were tasked with opening up the floorplan, finding a way to take full advantage of the view, and combing the comfort and familiarity of the modern farmhouse aesthetic with the accessibility and clean lines of a lake house, without building a new addition.

Elkhorn Lake House Bathroom
Elkhorn Lake House Bathroom

Making a New Entryway

The original three bed, two-bathroom home had a closed off floor plan and an obstructed layout that made moving throughout the house difficult and cumbersome. We started by moving the main entryway from the side of the home to the front, so the homeowners and guests no longer had to enter the home through a cramped stairwell.

We reconstructed the entryway façade, extending it by four feet to create more space and adding custom cedar brackets and beams to create a functional covered porch. We finished the porch with a modern cable railing system to complement the new white board and baton siding and black trim.

Creating an Open Floor Plan

Inside, the new floor plan includes an open, welcoming foyer with a custom bench and storage closet. The room opens to a fully remodeled new bath, with custom glass shower, tile floor, decorative vanity, and champagne bronze fixtures. Moving into the interior, you’re greeted with a newly open kitchen, complete with a custom island, luxury appliances, custom cabinetry, and white oak flooring with a view of the bird preserve on one side and the lake on the other.

The kitchen and great room share an open space and a full wall of windows that let in an incredible amount of light. To the left, two large glass patio doors open to a generous deck with a black railing system to match the window trim and front porch. Custom built-ins set the stage for chic and easy entertaining while newly milled, open stairs with custom white oak treads and black risers and stringers make a modern, eye-catching statement.

Creating the Ultimate Master Suite

Updating the entryway façade and adding the new front porch created extra space upstairs to open up the master bedroom. The new bedroom includes a private balcony, spacious layout, a custom walk-in closet, and a full bathroom. We installed new marble flooring, a custom tile shower with marble niche, and a built-in custom vanity in the bathroom.

Taking Full Advantage of the View

The original home only had two windows facing the lake, but we wanted the new homeowners to enjoy a full view. We outfitted the whole home with new windows and added a series of six extra tall windows facing the lake directly from the great room.

We brought in an engineer and completely reconstructed the original, DIY three-seasons room to bring it up to code and to create a beautiful focal point on the lake-facing side of the home. The three-seasons room was originally built on a water table and was not engineered to withstand that type of environment. The new room includes custom built-ins, a direct gas fireplace, full wet bar with beverage center and ice maker, and two large picture windows framing the large glass patio doors, just steps away from the deck.

Everything a Family Needs in One Place

The fully renovated home and garage now include:

  • 3 bedrooms
  • 4 bathrooms
  • Foyer
  • Custom walk-in showers
  • Custom cabinetry and quartz countertops throughout
  • White oak flooring throughout
  • Laundry room
  • State-of-the-art luxury kitchen
  • Open great room/family room
  • Outside deck
  • Handcrafted milled wood stairs
  • Walkout basement floor
  • Recreation room with full wet bar
  • Mechanical room with storage and yard access
  • Oversized double car garage
  • New concrete driveway, parking page, and walkway

Take a Virtual Tour!

Join our team as we walk the property and floorplan of this newly-renovated lake home nestled in the heart of Elkhorn.

Renz Construction collaborated with Dream Build Developers for this home renovation.

Get Started Today

For more information or to schedule your consultation with Renz Construction, contact us!