Living room with stone fireplace, clerestory windows

This new house, designed by Charles R Stinson Architecture + Design maximizes a spectacular lakefront setting.Architect Charles Stinson says he envisaged a home with long, horizontal lines and large platforms reaching out to the water, much like a ship floating on the lake.The home has several signature features that define much of the firm’s architecture, including the strong composition created by intersecting horizontal and vertical elements. The horizontal roof forms and fully glazed exterior reinforce the idea of a floating structure.Natural materials feature inside and out. The house is clad in Midwestern limestone. This extends through to the interior, blurring the line between indoors and outdoors.Other features include cedar wood ceilings, fir doors and windows, and a huge stone, double-sided fireplace and chimney that soars over two-and-a-half stories.The house provides a mix of public and more intimate spaces, so the owners can experience the home in different ways. Changes in the floor level enhance a sense of anticipation and journey.