CREATIVITY & CRAFTSMANSHIP
Family comes first.
Always has, always will, says a Western New York couple who built a lakeside home with the intention of making it a gathering place for generations to come. Indeed, they see it as a haven not only for themselves but for a large, extended family whose busy personal and professional lives have everyone moving in all directions.
“What we put together here will last a long time,” they say. “We built it not only for us but for our extended family so that someday our children will take it over, and then our grandchildren – we want it to stay in the family for quite some time. That’s our hope.” The two-story home sits on a generously-sized waterfront lot that offers sweeping views of Lake Erie and the Buffalo skyline. With a wood-and-fieldstone exterior and a copper roof, it is rustic yet refined and boasts the handiwork of local artisans and craftsmen, all part of a valued team of workers during a multi-year construction project.
“We didn’t want to rush things. We wanted to make sure that everything was done correctly,” explained the homeowners, who moved in last summer. “The key to getting a good product is hiring good people who know more than you do about design – and we did just that. … When you collaborate with people who have vision and talent, you’re going to end up with a very good product.”
The three-bedroom home has an open floor plan with an eclectic blend of styles and textures that promise beauty and function, according to interior designer Carol Schaper of Carol Schaper Interiors. High-end finishes mix with natural woodwork for a warm, relaxed interior that is flooded with natural light, thanks to picture windows facing the lake and the wooded lot.
“The house is very unique in terms of the materials used. It has some of the finest craftsmanship you will ever see in a house in Western New York,” says Schaper. “It’s very livable; it feels comfortable. It really reflects the personality of the homeowners.”
After buying the property nearly a decade ago, the couple enlisted the help of some trusted architects in evaluating their options for the existing house, a Tudor-style structure that had seen better years. Neglected for decades, the structure was deemed a lost cause.
“It was in such disrepair,” they said. “We decided to start fresh. But instead of just demolishing it, we had it ‘disassembled,’ so to speak.”
They contacted Buffalo ReUse, a not-for-profit environmental organization that promotes reclamation and recycling. A long list of salvaged items included doors, windows and trim work.
Construction of their new home started in 2011. It’s a dramatic departure from the larger, Victorian-style residence in the suburbs where they raised six children.
“I wanted a home that would be comfortable for my wife and me. And I think we achieved that here. The rooms are ‘right-sized,’ as opposed to just large rooms,” the homeowner said. “I also wanted to make it comfortable for our children, who are older now and don’t live with us anymore but come over and visit. We have grandchildren, too, so I wanted it to be comfortable but not ostentatious. A lot of people build these big mansions – we knew we didn’t want that.”
The end result? A traditional-feeling yet thoroughly modern home whose owners place high value on the extraordinary workmanship that went into creating it. Here’s just one of the many unique elements: A large oak tree that was scheduled to be removed for the driveway was carefully taken down, debarked and trimmed for use as an interior post.
“It’s about 35 feet tall and has a nice, straight trunk,” the homeowners pointed out. “The tree supports the roof structure. The root flare sits on the basement floor and the tree trunk goes all the way up to the second floor.”
Another tree removed from the property is incorporated into the Great Room. The black walnut tree enhances the design of the room while serving as a support post on the side of the fireplace.
Also notable: The doorways and hallways found in a traditional home aren’t part of the plan here.
“What we did to differentiate the rooms is change the height of the ceilings,” the homeowners said. “In the dining room, the ceiling is a bit lower – it’s cozier. Then in the kitchen, it rises up another two feet. And in the eating area off the kitchen, the ceiling comes down again. You keep an open floor plan; you’re not walled off.”
Some highlights of the home:
• Three baths and a five-car garage.
• Tongue-in-groove ceilings.
• Natural walnut flooring and walls of fieldstone or European plaster inlaid with decorative stones.
• Custom-made stained-glass windows and a beveled-glass door created by a local Roycrofter.
• Statement furnishings including a Kittinger mahogany sleigh bed in the master suite and a tiered, lacquered chest that graces a side area off the entranceway.
• A Great Room fireplace featuring custom-designed, hand-forged ironwork. The distinctive, curved design also graces an archway at the driveway entrance. Also in that room, the curved mantel shelf was made from New Zealand reclaimed wood. The large coffee table, meanwhile, was fashioned from a full-circle piece of California redwood.
• A sunroom furnished with oversized, tufted lounge chairs in turquoise leather with matching ottomans. Floor to ceiling windows allow an unobstructed view of the waterfront.
• A Gourmet Kitchen featuring an oversized, dark granite island; built-in cherry cabinetry with a distressed finish that reveals the wood’s natural grain; and a custom-made iron and brass stove hood.
• A hand-painted family tree on a kitchen wall traces their proud roots for all to see. The pantry backsplash with a copper penny motif, meanwhile, is fun and different.
• Full household automation with lighting that turns on before dusk, utilizing four-wire touchscreen, that can be completely controlled with an iPhone or iPad.
• A high-end 12-seat theater with 7.2 surround sound.
• A two-story carriage house that welcomes guests with a kitchen, comfy living space, two bedrooms and an exercise room.
Still to come: an outdoor patio, a swimming pool and a cabana.
This is something that we feel we can leave as a legacy to our children and grandchildren, and that feels good,” the homeowners say. “It’s soothing here … very relaxing. You hear the waves come in. At night, you look out the window and see the lights from the City of Buffalo. It’s such a unique vantage point.”