Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Adirondack Camp Inspiration on an Alabama Lake
Separate structures create a summer camp feel and capture the best views in this woodsy retreat for a grandfather
The story of this vacation home began when one of the inventors of paintball, Charles Gaines, bought about 50 acres around a small lake in Alabama. He created an informal compound of his favorite outdoorsy people by selling off plots to family members and friends, including the owner of this inviting home. Now several pals have second homes and a boathouse here, all designed by the architects at Dungan Nequette Architects. Each house is private and secluded but close enough to pals to form an adult summer "glamping" site; the group and their extended families gather for fishing, canoeing, parties and other woodsy lake fun.
This homeowner is an avid remote control airplane hobbyist and a grandfather whose main home is only about 20 miles away from the lake compound. He wanted to enjoy very specific lake views from each room of his vacation cabin, and also had fond memories of spending time in the mountains of upstate New York. Thus, the architects created an Alabama interpretation of an Adirondack camp, breaking the home's scale down into smaller structures that create a feeling like a camp village, each precisely angled to capture all the right vistas.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A man with grown children and a bunch of grandchildren
Location: About 25 miles northeast of Birmingham, Alabama
Size: About 1,600 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, plus a barn with 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom
This homeowner is an avid remote control airplane hobbyist and a grandfather whose main home is only about 20 miles away from the lake compound. He wanted to enjoy very specific lake views from each room of his vacation cabin, and also had fond memories of spending time in the mountains of upstate New York. Thus, the architects created an Alabama interpretation of an Adirondack camp, breaking the home's scale down into smaller structures that create a feeling like a camp village, each precisely angled to capture all the right vistas.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A man with grown children and a bunch of grandchildren
Location: About 25 miles northeast of Birmingham, Alabama
Size: About 1,600 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, plus a barn with 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom
Here is a conceptual sketch to give you an idea of how the plan works.
Specific views to the lake from rooms in the house were priority number one for the homeowner. By fracturing the plan, the architects were able to create different angles to capture all of the desired views. They laid it out on paper but did a lot of adjusting with stakes and string out in the field with the contractor and the homeowner to get it just right.
Specific views to the lake from rooms in the house were priority number one for the homeowner. By fracturing the plan, the architects were able to create different angles to capture all of the desired views. They laid it out on paper but did a lot of adjusting with stakes and string out in the field with the contractor and the homeowner to get it just right.
For the siding the architects chose cypress. "I think cypress is much prettier than cedar, with its color range," Dungan says. "It's also denser; the carpenter bees aren't interested in it; and it stains up really nicely." Tennessee fieldstone complements the cedar's range of hues. The red trim adds just a touch of whimsy to the palette of natural materials.
The foyer in between the kitchen and master wing has French doors that open onto the deck. The windows are by Monarch and were manufactured in Alabama.
The foyer in between the kitchen and master wing has French doors that open onto the deck. The windows are by Monarch and were manufactured in Alabama.
The main front door opens into a foyer with an 8-foot-high ceiling. Architect Richard Long describes the entry sequence as a "palate cleanser between spaces" — you walk up from outdoors, arrive underneath a low copper roof, then enter through the front door into a more compressed space. This small hallway then leads you into a large open living room and kitchen space.
Entering from the compressed entry hall makes walking into this space that much more dramatic. High vaulted ceilings complete with 8- by 12-inch cypress trusses connect the kitchen and the living room in one open space.
The walls in here are also cypress. Transom windows and high dormers let in loads of natural light. The large windows at the end of the room look out on the lake.
The walls in here are also cypress. Transom windows and high dormers let in loads of natural light. The large windows at the end of the room look out on the lake.
The space above the room for the remote-controlled airplanes and Ping Pong in the bunkhouse is the kids' favorite spot. "The barn has become the kids' domain, and after playing they just come up here and crash," Dungan says. Cozy slanted ceilings plus beds tucked between built-ins and into dormers make it an inviting place in which to hunker down for the night.
Fans and reading lights are practical in the bunkhouse bedroom, and its perch and views give it a treehouse feel.
Tell us: Have you joined up with friends on a vacation getaway?
More: Riverside Vacation Cabins That Friendship Built
Tell us: Have you joined up with friends on a vacation getaway?
More: Riverside Vacation Cabins That Friendship Built
The center contains the living room and kitchen underneath one large vaulted ceiling; the east wing contains the guest bed and bath and the laundry room; and the west wing contains the master suite. A separate bunkhouse (right) has room for the large remote control airplanes that the owner enjoys flying while up at the lake, a Ping-Pong table and a cozy bedroom and bath.