Artfully blending the modern farmhouse aesthetic with classic lake house style for this property in New York’s Finger Lakes region, this home features steep gables, traditional white shiplap, a screened in timber porch, and extensive timber detailing.

“The clients really like that clean, white, modern farmhouse look with steeper gables, white shiplap, and timber detailing,” Peter Heintzelman, AIA, LEED G.A. from Method Architecture Studio shared. “On the exterior we also added a little character with stained and finished timber. There is also a large screen porch that is connected to the living area that increases the size and variability of the space. The owners left it pretty open ended in terms of the design work, but they definitely had a look they were going for overall.”


Crafting a new waterfront home full of character and contemporary charm was a long-term dream for the homeowners and their three growing daughters. The homes design reflects the owners desire to finish raising their children on the lake, but also entice them to return to the nest as they leave in the years to come.


“This house had some interesting site constraints,” Pete added. “On every custom home project, the site helps to design the house, but this project had some restrictions for building on this particular lake, and we were using the footprint of the previous structure as part of the development of the new plans. No property is impossible to develop, so using those constraints as a positive for design always produces a more creative solution for the finished project.”

“Working with New Energy Works is always great.” Pete concluded. “They had the professionalism and well detailed collaborative structure to help create the prefect scenario to achieve what the clients were looking for as well as the engineering expertise necessary to make the project successful.”

See our case study: Classically Modern Lake House | New Energy Works
Project Credits:
Architect: Method Architecture Studio
Builder: Canterbrook Meadow Corporation
Engineer: Fire Tower Engineered Timber
Photography: Don Cochran