Mountain by the Lake
A mountain style lakehouse on the Tanglewood hill, built from a single first sketch.
The Brief
The clients asked for a mountain style house, the mountain brought to the lake. The property rests on top of a hill in Tanglewood with a full view of Lake Texoma, and the program included a great kitchen at the center, a game room and media room upstairs, covered terraces front and back, and a four car garage.
The Design Idea
I drew the first sketch for this house on the hill, and that same drawing guided the project all the way to the end. I love it when the final result is so close to the initial sketch, and here the built house is a faithful reflection of it.
I placed the house on the crown of the hill to take advantage of the flat area. That choice kept water runoff away from the walls and gave every noble space its view. The hill is visible from a long distance, so I gave special attention to the elevation: stone, timber, and rooflines that read as a mountain lodge above the lake.
The four car garage is a detached volume joined to the house by a breezeway, an idea the clients brought from the start and one that kept the main house calm and compact.
This house is a milestone in my career in the Texoma area. It was the first project I led directly with the client, from the first sketch to the final plans, and it opened the door to the relevant projects that followed.
- Location
- Tanglewood, Pottsboro, Texas
- Lake or course
- Lake Texoma
- Style
- Mountain
- Square feet
- 3,496
- Stories
- 2
- Bedrooms
- 5
- Bathrooms
- 4
- Garage
- 4 bays, detached
- Builder
- Ceci Bates Custom Homes
- Year
- 2023
- Status
- Built
- Service
- Premiere
Inside the House
All the spaces gather around the Great Kitchen, the heart of the house. The living room, coffee bar, butler’s pantry, and wet bar flow from it. The primary suite wing holds a large bedroom, a generous bathroom, and a walk in closet connected to the laundry room.
The upper level has two bedrooms with a shared bathroom in one wing and the social spaces in the other: a game room, kitchenette, wet bar, powder room, media room, and balcony. A catwalk joins the bedroom wing with the game room wing and overlooks the great room below. Stairs lead up, and an elevator rises from the mud room. Terraces flank the front and back of the house, and the rear terrace is covered with outdoor cooking.
Questions about this house
Why is the house on top of the hill?
The crown of the hill offers a flat area to build on, which avoids channeling water against the house, and it gives the best views of Lake Texoma.
How close is the finished house to the first sketch?
Almost identical. It is one of the facts I am proudest of in this project. The design had a very high accuracy from the start, which tends to happen to me, and in this case the built house came out nearly identical to those first lines.
Why is the garage separate from the house?
It was the clients' idea from the beginning. A breezeway connects the four car garage to the main house.
What is at the center of the plan?
The Great Kitchen. The living room, coffee bar, butler's pantry, and wet bar all connect to it.
What makes a mountain style house fit a Texas lake?
A hilltop with a full view of Lake Texoma, stone and timber, and rooflines that read as a mountain lodge above the water. Every noble space faces the views, and terraces on the front and back extend the living areas outdoors.
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