When John and Jeanette Freeman first saw this 1910 lake house in Vermont, they fell for the architectural details, like the picturesque front porch, the red chimney poking through the slanted roof, and the Douglas fir flooring throughout. Although the house was in rough shape, the couple loved its old-fashioned charm and planned to renovate the original space with the help of Vermont-based firm, Smith & Vansant Architects. But before the transformation began, a storm caused a large tree to crash into the house, badly damaging the roof and structure. After assessing the costs to repair the storm damage, as well as the renovations needed to make the 100-year-old house fit for a modern family, John, Jeanette and the architects came up with a new plan: tear down the old house, and build a replica from the ground up.
The new space retains several of the house’s original details, yet has been given modern amenities like a bigger kitchen, more windows, and new guest bedrooms. The lake house is a case study of what you can do with vintage charm and new bones.
