Birmingham architect Bill Ingram designed this charming stone and cedar shingle lake house on Lake Martin.
He gave it enough traditional details that it looks like it could have been there for decades. For the exterior they used Alabama natural stone and cedar shingles.
The cottage-style windows totally charmed me. The Southern Living article by Zoë Gowen says they “have a top sash that’s shorter than the bottom—making them appear taller. Paneled shutters are outfitted with operable iron hardware.”
Southern Living magazine dubbed it the “Best New Home” of the year.
“I always design floor plans to pull visitors toward the daylight,” Ingram says.
SL Executive Editor Jessica Thuston says, “It looks like a historic country house, yet it’s new!”
Visit Southern Living to read the article by Zoë Gowen.
Photography by Laurey W. Glenn.
For more information about the architect, visit Bill Ingram’s website.
Gorgeous! That last photo looks like something out of a storybook.
I know, right? I love it!
Just stunning!
-shelley
Positively beautiful. Thoughtful new construction, how refreshing.
This is beautiful! I love the view of the lake from the great room and the details are perfect.
Really nice. I love how the exterior looks smaller because it’s broken up into sections, with different materials. Love the working shutters and the stone. The interior is a bit modern but very well done. The only thing I really don’t like is the massive light in the kitchen, but that would be an easy fix. Lovely.
I’ve spent far too much time on your blog this morning, Julia! This home is STUNNING! I could just move in, couldn’t I? A beautiful, warm and inviting home. Thank you for sharing.
Feel free to hang out here as long as you want, Jennah! You don’t have anything else you need to get done today, do you? 😉
WOW… this lake house is a dream!!!
Love
ETta
This is MY kind of new construction!!! As a Realtor I see all kinds of homes, but this one really stands out. Nicely done Mr. Ingram!
Gosh, that just oozes charm doesn’t it? But the more contemporary elements make it not too sweet. I love it. Not sure about the uncentered sink in that kitchen; it seems weird to me that you’d want the dishwasher centered on the window. How’s that for picking a nit?
This architect is a genius! What a beautiful and perfect home. I love his idea of floor plans that pull you toward the light and the raised entry is wonderful!
Love, love, love!
Lovely home. I’m a sucker for nice stonework. Would love to see the bedrooms and bathrooms.
I am, too. I love a stone house. Add some cedar shingles — even better! 🙂
Stone cottages are my favorite kind of cottage. Thank you Julia! What a compliment to have a new house look like it has been a home for many families over the years. This home fits perfectly into the land…it is just right!
oooh, I know that house on lake martin! I’ve seen it many times when riding on the boat on the lake. thank you for sharing the gorgeous interiors….maybe i’ll get lucky and get invited in sometime.
If you do, be sure to snap a few pics for us lookiloos. Ha. 🙂
Beautiful house!!! When was it built? Imre
I think the article said 2011?
Amazing! I love that this looks and feels old.
Lovely house, absolutely beautiful, inside and out. My favourite feature is the open staircase and the raised entry. Cleverly executed. Oh, and that last photo . . . What a happy location for a charming house. I’m swooning here.
That house is stunning and I want to live there. When can I move in ha. I really like the rustic nature of the come with contemporary materials. Very simple and elegant at the same time.
Superb!
Yes, yes, and yes!
How can anyone not like this? Absolutely amazing inside and out. Love that it doesn’t look or feel like new construction (hopefully a trend.) Looked at his portfolio and the rest of the photos–impressive! I wonder how much this cost (excluding the land.)
Anyone else having this problem — whenever I click a link on this site, instead of taking me to the house I go to a link for some no-doubt bogus company selling gold and silver — most annoying!!
I’m puzzled by this. It shouldn’t be doing that, obviously. I checked out all the links and never got sent to a gold and silver website myself so I’m not sure what’s going on. We did have a problem with sidebar ad code somehow getting mixed up with links in my posts a few months back but I thought we fixed it. If it’s that problem again, it should only do it once, then it usually cleared up and the link would work properly the second time. If it’s a new problem then, well, I have no idea! Sorry about that.
Hi Julia there is only on word I could add to this blog. and that is… DREAMY… I’m going back to look some more. Thank you for sharing beauty. Regards Esther from Sydney with lots of rain. PS I needed you to brighten my day.
Hi Esther! It’s starting to rain here tonight, too, and they’re using the “s” word for the morning forecast (“snow”). Yikes. Hope the sun comes out for you again soon! 🙂
Just a lovely home, inside and out. The use of materials, perspective and light are all wonderful. The stone walls, the extensive glazing and modern architectural touches are terrific. I do think, however, as a nit — the kitchen is a bit of form over function, probably to keep the sightlines intact (ventilation — is it downdraft? refrigeration — only drawers?).
I love stone cottages. I live in one, here in California. I particularly love the interiors on this home. The outside-even with all that stone–feels like it needs a few more decades to look right in its setting, but the interiors are knock-me-out!
The subtle use of contrasting materials creates such a elegant look with a nice balance. With the contemporary/modern elements mixed in, it makes for an interesting confluence. I had to go back to check out the position of the sink/dishwasher. At first I thought it was odd then I thought about how I cook in my own home and it made sense to me. I’m always working to the side of the sink so I can look out my window at a specific angle to catch the sunset; it also puts me closer to my stove/oven. Don’t know if that was their reason but there must have been a purpose. Lovely home.
Good grief. I need to stop coming here, I have perpetual house envy … and each house is BETTER somehow, than the last!!!! I only have so many gasps in a lifetime…LOL!!! 😉
What a lovely stone house! I could see myself enjoying each room and enjoying the outdoors.
This is one of my all time favorites. The stonework had me from the start & it just got better from the inside pictures to the gorgeous property. So beautiful.
PERFECTION!!
Love it. Not much I would change either.
I’m in love with this house. Love all the stone–I could just move right in! ~Delores
Yes, love this house. It doesn’t look like 5000 square feet – great massing. And I’m always a sucker for a stone house. I subscribe to Southern Living and remember this house, but darn if I can find my copy. I usually save everything I like but we’re trying to get our house ready to go on the market and I’ve been throwing things away like crazy. Fortunately, there’s the internet!
P.S. I had to look at Galapagos Green on my Benjamin Moore fan deck. It’s really a dark olive! I don’t think I could have been that brave – but the high gloss reflects the light, making it seem not so dark I guess.
Oh…my…goodness…I love this home. I love a stone house that is well done. It seems like this stone will never be trendy, but classic. I wish I had more money sometimes. 🙂
how charming i just love the stone and how they used on the inside too and the lake as well is just beautiful it totally toke me by susprise
My perfect retirement home. Just have to wait 20 years.
Everything about this house feels like home, just love it! You really did some digging too, thanks so much for finding all of those pictures!
I guess I am the only one getting tired of architects and builders throwing every single feature they can find into one house, resulting in a crazy hodgepodge of style. That next to last photo of the exterior shows all the façade setbacks, the goofy rooflines and the poor design that resulted in a single weirdly thin bracket holding up the roof overhang. The interior has just as many competing elements. How did this kind of fussy look become so popular?
So beautiful ! Wow.. absolutely dreamy inside and out. I also feel cool , because I have B.M’s Galapagos green in my kitchen. Thanks for sharing this beauty, Julia.
Do you really? Love that color. 🙂
Love this house! Thank you for sharing it with us. Great location for a movie! The kitchen is amazing (funny how the camera and good lighting can change the look of a space) but also love the foyer stairs…
Always inspiring….Thank you!
I could definitely see a movie being filmed here. And it would be the kind of movie I’d love to see! 🙂
Beautiful home. And it sits on our Lake Martin!
Shoutout!
https://johnhoodfamily.blogspot.com/2013/11/weekly-favorites.html
Thanks for the shout-out, Nancy! 🙂
That lake house is AMAZING! Absolutely insanely amazing. That’s all can say.