Starting Over Inside the Existing Footprint
The Antioch Lake House had been in the family for years, but little had changed inside since the 1970s. The homeowners were ready for a comprehensive renovation that would improve the home’s appearance, create more usable living space and make the lake a much stronger part of the experience.
The site imposed firm limits. The existing first-floor footprint was already maxed out, and the roof ridge could not be raised. The design therefore focused on rebuilding the second floor, reworking the interior and finding opportunities around the edges of the house without expanding the main footprint.
Just before the project began, an old toilet valve failed while the house was unoccupied. Water ran for several days, damaging walls and ceilings throughout the interior. Although the timing was difficult, the house was already headed toward extensive demolition. A remediation team was able to gut and treat the structure, giving the renovation a clean starting point.
More Space Without a Larger First Floor
With outward expansion off the table, the design concentrated on making the existing house work harder.
New porches improved circulation around the exterior and strengthened the connection to the lake. A long shed dormer was reshaped with a central gable to create a more composed lake-facing elevation. Portions of the upper level could extend over the porch, adding useful second-floor space without increasing the first-floor footprint.
The rebuilt upper level accommodates four bedrooms. On the first floor, nearly all of the interior walls were removed; concealed steel beams made it possible to replace the original compartmentalized plan with a large, open living space. Floor-to-ceiling glass brings in natural light and opens broad views toward the water.
A Zoning Problem That Nearly Stopped the Project
The most consequential challenge appeared during permitting.
The project had gone through an early-assistance meeting with local officials, where the preliminary concept received support. When the completed drawings were submitted, however, the permit failed zoning review. The existing house was nonconforming because it sat extremely close to the property line, and part of the roof overhang extended too far into the setback.
That seemingly small issue threatened the extensive second-floor work and could have stopped the project entirely.
Live by Design Architects proposed a direct solution: trim back the existing side overhang until it complied with the setback, retaining only the amount needed to shed water. With that revision, the project cleared zoning and was able to move forward.
Finding Opportunity Within the Constraints
The Antioch Lake House required the design team to respond quickly to conditions that could not have been predicted—from major water damage to a late zoning reversal.
Rather than allowing those constraints to dictate the result, each became part of a practical design process. The finished home uses the same limited footprint far more effectively, with open living spaces, a rebuilt upper level and expansive glass that reconnects the house to the lake.
Before and In-Progress
The Finished Product
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