Houzz Tour: Modern Design Meets Local Character on Lake Champlain
Clean lines, a claw-foot tub, a sunken living room and a fresh palette mix it up in a lakefront home in Vermont
Living on a waterfront property is a dream for many people. Designing and building one’s own home is another. Read on to see how one lucky Brooklyn family made both dreams come true in the form of a contemporary home with a regional accent — plus a fun sunken living room — on Lake Champlain, just outside Burlington, Vermont.
Before: Built in 1968, the existing house had awkward angles and a lot of wasted space upstairs. But it also had character and charming elements that Polk appreciated, including an original sunken living room and a fireplace built from local stone.
The family lived in it for a year while preparing for what it thought would be a mere renovation. But you know what they say about best-laid plans.
“As we started peeling the layers away, it soon became clear that this was going to have to be a teardown,” Polk says. “There was a pervasive odor that, even when we took out the drywall, was still in the wood.”
They moved again — this time into a 450-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment above a garage on the property.
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The family lived in it for a year while preparing for what it thought would be a mere renovation. But you know what they say about best-laid plans.
“As we started peeling the layers away, it soon became clear that this was going to have to be a teardown,” Polk says. “There was a pervasive odor that, even when we took out the drywall, was still in the wood.”
They moved again — this time into a 450-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment above a garage on the property.
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After: Working closely with architect Gabriel Stadecker and contractor Bryan Miller, they ended up taking the house down to its foundation and rebuilding on top of it.
The team decided to keep the original concept for the first floor, but it corrected the top floor so that the roofline is a standard gable, which is consistent with Vermont vernacular architecture. It also added dormers and a garage extension with a bedroom upstairs, expanding the square footage slightly.
The new home has a standing-seam metal roof, stained black cedar shingles on the dormers and clapboard on the lower level.
Exterior paint: Onyx, Benjamin Moore
The team decided to keep the original concept for the first floor, but it corrected the top floor so that the roofline is a standard gable, which is consistent with Vermont vernacular architecture. It also added dormers and a garage extension with a bedroom upstairs, expanding the square footage slightly.
The new home has a standing-seam metal roof, stained black cedar shingles on the dormers and clapboard on the lower level.
Exterior paint: Onyx, Benjamin Moore
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After: At the front of the house, they left the shingles unstained in the covered cutout entrance (seen here, with Zelda making a cameo appearance).
“My thought with the natural, unstained cedar was that I wanted it to kind of glow with warmth at night so that you feel like you’re coming home to a warm place, especially in the cold of winter,” Polk says.
As you approach the entrance, its glass door and the windows allow you to see right through the house to the lake beyond.
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“My thought with the natural, unstained cedar was that I wanted it to kind of glow with warmth at night so that you feel like you’re coming home to a warm place, especially in the cold of winter,” Polk says.
As you approach the entrance, its glass door and the windows allow you to see right through the house to the lake beyond.
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Through the door, there’s a mudroom with a white oak slat wall that defines the zone and preserves the view. Custom birch cabinetry by Wooden Hammer painted in a warm terra cotta has circular cutout pulls, integrated LED lights inside and a New Englandy-y woven basket for each family member’s stuff.
Hidden doors under the stairs access another large storage space. For a sporty family in Vermont, that space is essential.
“We used it for my daughter’s hockey gear, which is just massive, and all the off-season sporting gear,” Polk says. “You have everything in Vermont. You have snowshoes and skiing stuff and boot bags (because you don’t want to keep your boot bags in the garage, because they’ll get cold and then your feet will be cold). So you just need a lot of storage.”
Here you can also see the painted wood paneling around the mudroom, which is an homage to the paneling in the original home.
Entry cabinet paint: Spoonful of Sugar; trim and molding paint throughout the home: Silver Song, both by Benjamin Moore
Hidden doors under the stairs access another large storage space. For a sporty family in Vermont, that space is essential.
“We used it for my daughter’s hockey gear, which is just massive, and all the off-season sporting gear,” Polk says. “You have everything in Vermont. You have snowshoes and skiing stuff and boot bags (because you don’t want to keep your boot bags in the garage, because they’ll get cold and then your feet will be cold). So you just need a lot of storage.”
Here you can also see the painted wood paneling around the mudroom, which is an homage to the paneling in the original home.
Entry cabinet paint: Spoonful of Sugar; trim and molding paint throughout the home: Silver Song, both by Benjamin Moore
White oak stairs have another slat wall on one side and a handrail with slim balusters on the other that keep sightlines clear.
Triple-pane windows stretch across the entire back wall of the ground floor.
“Being in Vermont, it was important to us to be as environmentally friendly and green-focused as we could. However, being on the lake, we did prioritize a lot of glazing,” Polk says.
It’s easy to see why with a view like this. Plus, the light is really helpful in the long, gray Vermont winters, Polk says, which she also aimed to counteract with the terra-cotta tones and warm wood. Nevertheless, were she to rebuild the house today, she says, she would probably make more strategic use of the glazing and try to have an impact while using less of it.
Stairwell paint: Mill Springs Blue, Benjamin Moore
“Being in Vermont, it was important to us to be as environmentally friendly and green-focused as we could. However, being on the lake, we did prioritize a lot of glazing,” Polk says.
It’s easy to see why with a view like this. Plus, the light is really helpful in the long, gray Vermont winters, Polk says, which she also aimed to counteract with the terra-cotta tones and warm wood. Nevertheless, were she to rebuild the house today, she says, she would probably make more strategic use of the glazing and try to have an impact while using less of it.
Stairwell paint: Mill Springs Blue, Benjamin Moore
Large windows frame beautiful views of the wooded property out the kitchen windows.
The perimeter cabinets match those in the mudroom and are topped with a 25-foot-long Caesarstone counter and coordinating glass subway tile backsplash. The window sills are Caesarstone too.
The island is white oak. “You could certainly use it as a chopping surface, but we chose to seal it,” Polk says. “We didn’t plan on using it that way because we’re too neurotic!”
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The perimeter cabinets match those in the mudroom and are topped with a 25-foot-long Caesarstone counter and coordinating glass subway tile backsplash. The window sills are Caesarstone too.
The island is white oak. “You could certainly use it as a chopping surface, but we chose to seal it,” Polk says. “We didn’t plan on using it that way because we’re too neurotic!”
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This view looking toward the living room offers a peek into the kitchen pantry area and shows the layout of the open-plan space.
The artwork on the far wall is by Polk, who is also an artist.
Throughout the first floor, polished concrete floors keep the home comfortable with radiant heat. Currently the heating system is powered by propane, but the idea was that someday it could easily be connected to a more environmentally friendly heat pump.
The artwork on the far wall is by Polk, who is also an artist.
Throughout the first floor, polished concrete floors keep the home comfortable with radiant heat. Currently the heating system is powered by propane, but the idea was that someday it could easily be connected to a more environmentally friendly heat pump.
Photo by Lenny Christopher
If you look closely at the previous picture, you can see a sweet porch swing outside the far window on the right. It came with the house, and Polk sanded it and repainted it to match the cabinets. Now it’s one of several spots where people can sit outside and gaze at the water.
If you look closely at the previous picture, you can see a sweet porch swing outside the far window on the right. It came with the house, and Polk sanded it and repainted it to match the cabinets. Now it’s one of several spots where people can sit outside and gaze at the water.
After: The team salvaged and reused the stone to build the new fireplace, which separates the kitchen and pantry from the living area. It also raised the sunken area a foot or so and installed radiant heating in the floor.
They made tweaks for safety too.
“Originally the walkway in front of the fireplace was really narrow and kind of scary. You always felt like you were going to fall into the sunken area,” Polk says. Now the walkway is wider and a comfy wraparound chenille couch that protrudes above the walkway creates a barrier.
“If you were to fall, I suppose you’d fall on the couch,” Polk says, noting that even their elderly parents navigated the space safely.
They made tweaks for safety too.
“Originally the walkway in front of the fireplace was really narrow and kind of scary. You always felt like you were going to fall into the sunken area,” Polk says. Now the walkway is wider and a comfy wraparound chenille couch that protrudes above the walkway creates a barrier.
“If you were to fall, I suppose you’d fall on the couch,” Polk says, noting that even their elderly parents navigated the space safely.
The white cabinet pictured here also offers a convenient handhold next to the steps. The cabinet stores games and a concealed television on one side and serveware and dishes for the dining room on the other side.
For inspiration, Polk scoured Houzz for photos of other sunken living rooms.
For inspiration, Polk scoured Houzz for photos of other sunken living rooms.
Upstairs, including in the primary bedroom seen here, the flooring is wide-plank white oak with radiant heating underneath.
Polk used Houzz for designing the room’s paneled half wall as well. “It’s such an unusual feature and the Houzz search engine was able to provide me with several other examples to review, which was helpful,” she says.
The wall is topped with white oak, and behind it is a dressing area outfitted with closets, a bench and dressers.
“The architect wanted to bring it all the way up and separate the spaces, but I was like, ‘Why not see my view while I’m getting dressed in the morning?’ ” Polk says.
Polk used Houzz for designing the room’s paneled half wall as well. “It’s such an unusual feature and the Houzz search engine was able to provide me with several other examples to review, which was helpful,” she says.
The wall is topped with white oak, and behind it is a dressing area outfitted with closets, a bench and dressers.
“The architect wanted to bring it all the way up and separate the spaces, but I was like, ‘Why not see my view while I’m getting dressed in the morning?’ ” Polk says.
This photo offers only a peek of her expansive view. The primary suite has a 15-foot span of triple-pane windows overlooking the lake.
Polk furnished the room with an eclectic assortment of items, including a midcentury chair, a side table from West Elm, her husband’s parents’ dresser and a French plaster mirror from her family. The mix of classic and modern elements fits the spirit of the home.
Polk furnished the room with an eclectic assortment of items, including a midcentury chair, a side table from West Elm, her husband’s parents’ dresser and a French plaster mirror from her family. The mix of classic and modern elements fits the spirit of the home.
The same is true in the primary bathroom, where Polk thought long and hard about every detail. White-glazed terra-cotta tile in a circular pattern covers the floor, and a Vermont Danby marble vanity that she designed herself floats on the wall.
Black hardware adds contrast to the mostly white space.
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Black hardware adds contrast to the mostly white space.
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Getting the right enameled cast-iron claw-foot tub was especially important. “I’m a very serious bath person and I wanted a tub that would physically fit me perfectly,” Polk says.
Another of her art pieces adds a splash of color on the wall above.
Another of her art pieces adds a splash of color on the wall above.
Photo by Lenny Christopher
Perfect fit notwithstanding, the coda to the story is that after taking three years to build the home, the family lived in it for only eight months before moving back to Brooklyn. Among other reasons, they missed city life, Polk says. Now, presumably, the house is making someone else’s dreams come true.
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Perfect fit notwithstanding, the coda to the story is that after taking three years to build the home, the family lived in it for only eight months before moving back to Brooklyn. Among other reasons, they missed city life, Polk says. Now, presumably, the house is making someone else’s dreams come true.
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: Jessie Polk and her husband and two children renovated the home and later sold it.
Location: Colchester, Vermont
Size: 4,000 square feet (372 square meters); four bedrooms, three bathrooms
Architect: Gabriel Stadecker
Interior designer: Jessie Polk of Polykrome Design
Seeking that swim-in-the-summer, ski-in-the-winter lifestyle, all-around creative professional Jessie Polk and her family decamped from Brooklyn, New York, to Vermont with the goal of finding a waterfront property to call home.
They lived in a rental for eight months until they found it: a former summer camp on 2½ acres just outside Burlington that had been shared by the same two families for generations.
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