Victorian Lakehouse
A Victorian lakehouse on a Pottsboro hill, with the four car garage tucked beneath the house.
The Brief
The clients asked for a Victorian house, designed for an extended family in which every member has their own space and the amenities for a great life at the lake. The kids of this family were going to collect memories to treasure from this place. The clients found a raised spot above Lake Texoma in Pottsboro, with privileged views of the lake and the summer sunset, and the program grew around those views.
The Design Idea
This was my first formal Victorian commission, and what a fantastic way back to tradition. I went back to the books and the art history to see Victorian houses from another perspective, and I designed for the sweetest lady ever. She was so excited about her project that I could not help falling in love with it too.
Victorian elements cover the elevations: bay windows, double tin columns, brackets, oval windows, and overhanging gables. A vertical octagonal turret over the front porch emphasizes the main entrance and invites you back to that glamorous era. Teal siding with white trim gives the house its romantic character.
A four car garage does not belong to a Victorian house, so I placed it under the house. It is out of sight from the street and becomes the foundation of the home, in a walk out basement.
- Location
- Texoma Estates, Pottsboro, Texas
- Lake or course
- Lake Texoma
- Style
- Victorian
- Square feet
- 4,409
- Stories
- 3
- Bedrooms
- 5
- Bathrooms
- 4
- Garage
- 4 bays, attached
- Builder
- Ceci Bates Custom Homes
- Year
- 2023
- Status
- Built
- Service
- Premiere
Inside the House
The main level holds the gathering areas, the utility spaces, and the primary suite. A wrap around porch starts at the entrances and continues as an extended deck behind the house facing the lake. The upper level holds the bedrooms and the family room, which opens to a deck facing Lake Texoma, with an observation deck, a terrace, and a screen porch for more ways to enjoy the view. An office and a four car garage in the walk out basement complete the home.
The house rests on a hill among so many trees that it appears only after a turn, a surprise waiting to amaze you.
Questions about this house
Can a Victorian house have a four car garage?
Yes. I placed it under the house, in a walk out basement. It stays out of sight from the street and works as the foundation of the home.
What makes the house Victorian?
Bay windows, double tin columns, brackets, oval windows, overhanging gables, and a vertical octagonal turret over the front porch.
How does the house work for an extended family?
Every member has a space of their own: the primary suite on the main level, bedrooms and a family room upstairs, an office, and decks for gathering.
How does the house take advantage of the lake views?
The wrap around porch becomes an extended deck behind the house facing the lake, and the upper level family room opens to a deck facing Lake Texoma. The garage plays a part too: building on top of it gave the house a raised base that lifts the living levels above the tree canopy, so the lake views stay with the owners all year.
What is the approach to the house like?
It sits on a hill surrounded by trees, so it appears only after a turn, as a surprise waiting to amaze you.
Ready for yours?
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