Early design concept for the lakefront home renovation in Hopatcong, NJ
When the owner found this home on Lake Hopatcong, she immediately fell in love with property. It’s located in a cove near a marina that stays calm and peaceful in the summer months, a rarity at this popular lake.
The house, on the other hand, left a lot to be desired. Over the years, it had undergone several ill-conceived and poorly constructed renovations that obstructed many of the picturesque views of the lake and created several dark interior spaces.
To get the house she wanted on the property she loved, the owner knew she would need to make some significant changes to the existing structure. But she was also working within a tight budget, which meant designing and building a completely new home was out of the question.
Instead, she wanted to utilize as much of the existing structure as possible to renovate the home in a way that would make better use of the property and bring more light into the house. Having worked with our firm several times over the past decade, she was confident that De Biasse & Seminara could transform the existing home into a beautiful vacation home while staying within her budget.
A new layout for the home on Lake Hopatcong
To reach her goals, we used the assistance of a few hardwood flooring Atlanta friends, and designed a second floor for the home where we moved the master suite, opening up the main floor for a new family room. The family room acts as the focal point of the home and opens to the kitchen for entertaining.
We also added a large stone fireplace to the room to complete the rustic lakefront aesthetic as well as large windows, sliding glass doors, and a cathedral ceiling to open up the limited space even more, bring in more light, and take advantage of the sweeping views of Lake Hopatcong.
The new master suite on the second floor of the home also takes advantage of the gorgeous views offered by the property and features a private balcony overlooking the lake.
Both floors are connected by a balcony on the second floor that looks down to the family room below.
To improve the curb appeal of the home, we designed a new, inviting front entrance that frames several views of the lake as your approach the door. In the original design, the house completely obscured the water. Now you will be able to see over the deck to the lake as you pull up and enter the home.
We also designed a new wraparound deck for the house that not only improves the look of the home from the outside but also maximizes the outdoor living potential of the property. In the summer, when the weather is nice, the owner can open the sliding glass doors in the family room to the deck, adding extra space for entertaining.
In addition to improving the design of the home, our team put in an application for a Flood Hazard Area Applicability Determination permit, which is required for any new construction on a flood plain. We often handle these tasks in-house for our clients’ convenience and to ensure the project moves ahead smoothly.
Sure enough, we had no problems attaining the permit and the project is currently under construction with an anticipated completion date of Spring 2014.
Looking for an architect for your home renovation project? Contact us to discuss your project and check out some of our other residential architecture projects. We look forward to hearing from you!