Steps from the lake, this amenity-filled six-bedroom family home spans over 10,000 sq ft of timeless living space. Inside, floor to ceiling windows enjoy lake views and flood the interior with natural light. Outside, extensive landscaping features and plantings shelter the flagstone patios, saltwater pool, and hot tub and provide complete backyard privacy. Together, artisan use of authentic old-world materials and expert design by Gren Weis creates a seamless space inside and out. 

The main floor contains formal living areas to the front and everyday living to the back. The dining room features French doors that open to the covered front flagstone porch. The living room contains floor to ceiling windows on two sides with Lake views and built-in automated roll down blinds that provide shading and privacy from the street when needed. The living room also contains the first of five massive stone fireplaces that rise up through the center of the home. The back of the home is centered around a modern walnut kitchen and servery equipped with fifteen built-in Miele appliances. The adjoining eat-in area and family room all have floor to ceiling windows, with French doors that open to the backyard patios. Subtle details are too numerous to list. One example is the hidden staircase that descends from the primary bedroom to the family room inside the structural stone fireplace. Its purpose is to allow quiet access to/from the primary bedroom without passage through the shared galleys.

The second floor was designed to accommodate four suites centered around the upper galley, with laundry, library and a guest suite anchored around the lower galley. All four suites have built-in closets with custom walnut cabinetry, ensuites and automated blinds to ensure ultimate privacy. The largest of these upper suites occupies the entire South side of the second floor and features a balcony with Lake views, a stone fireplace, and a seven-piece bathroom with a steam shower. The upper galley can be separated and secured from the lower galley by an oversized hidden walnut door. The guest bedroom (two closets and an ensuite), the first of two laundry rooms, and the library share the lower galley which is open to the main staircase. On this entire floor, the architect consistently created large interior spaces, brightness, and interest within the pitched roofline so as not to overwhelm the surrounding streetscape. 

The basement is similarly uncompromised. The upper level of the basement contains the theatre room, gym and spa which are separated by the central stone walls that contain two more fireplaces, a wine cellar, bar area, and hidden dart room. Audiophiles will not be disappointed by the home theatre, the centrally racked audio system, as well as rockwool for sound deadening and 80+ built-in interior and exterior speakers throughout. On one side of the gym, basement French doors open to a tiered outside space that provides access to the hot tub and pool area. On the other, the spa features a change room, huge steam room and shower, and a separate two-piece bath. The lower basement occupies the space below the Porte Cochere and has a large nanny flat (with its own bedroom, ensuite and separate sitting room with kitchenette) and a second laundry room. Generous masonry window wells allow light into the lower basement from the North. 

Early in the design of this home, the combination of a Porte Cochere and rear garage (coach house) was selected to maximize sightlines to the lake, privacy and light to the pool, parking spaces, and preserve the authentic aesthetic. Not unlike years gone past, the coach house was purpose built to support the main house. It contains a heated garage, pool bathroom, garden room, upper loft with two-piece bathroom, and basement mechanical room. Backyard guests enter the pool bathroom directly from the rear covered porch of the coach house. The separate loft space is accessed either from the front (driveway courtyard) or rear (backyard) of the coach house via the garden room. The basement mechanical room contains three natural gas boilers; a glycol radiant system to heat the driveway, pool, and domestic hot water; one of five geothermal furnaces; as well as the pool equipment. Here, particular care was taken to locate all gas boilers away from the main house for safety reasons (the main house is heated and cooled by four geothermal furnaces). In addition, this avoids both the ambient noise and aesthetic compromise of conventional outside pool equipment and air conditioning units. Lastly, given the physical separation of the garage from the main house, two storage rooms with outside access were added on the North side of the Porte Cochere. One is used for garbage and recycling, the other for bicycle storage. Both have tiled floors with floor drains. By design, the garage itself is free of other pressures and can remain a dedicated place to safely store prized cars.

Liberal use of natural stone and limestone cover the first story exterior and continue on garden walls and around the pool area. Copper, millwork and cedar shakes are used to complete the beautiful facades. At the rear of the house, the poolside flagstone patio enjoys direct sunlight from sunrise to sunset. On hot afternoons, raised patios closer to the house provide shade and enjoy a cool breeze off the lake. The courtyard, mature plantings, and alternating use of open wrought iron fencing and cedar privacy fence complete the backyard. At the front, the covered porch offers a great spot to sit and listen to the waves breaking just steps away along the fully accessible waterfront. 

This large family home offers every imaginable modern convenience and yet preserves a natural lakeside vibe. Welcome to 11 Howard.