Recent Projects

Shangri-La Lake House

LOCATION: LAKE SHANGRI-LA, WISCONSIN, USA

DATE OF COMPLETION: NOVEMBER 30, 2023

A Family Lake House Ready for Its Next Chapter

The Shangri-La Lake House had been part of the owner’s family since his grandfather purchased it during the lake community’s early development. The family even retained an original brochure from that period. As the homeowner approached retirement, he wanted to transform the small ranch into a more comfortable long-term home without losing its modest relationship to the surrounding neighborhood.

The property left very little room to work. Like many older Midwestern lake lots, it was narrow, closely bordered by neighboring homes and already built as near to the water as regulations allowed. The house could not expand toward the lake or to either side—not even with a balcony.

The only viable direction was up.

Rebuilding Above the Existing Lower Level

The project became a second-story addition and an extensive reconstruction of the first floor. Much of the house above the walkout basement was rebuilt as window locations changed and the interior was reorganized.

Rather than attempting to preserve every room, the design removed a bedroom from the first-floor plan to create a larger, more open kitchen and living area. The main space rises into a vaulted ceiling with tall glass that brings a sense of scale to a relatively compact footprint.

From the front, the completed house still feels measured and appropriate to its setting. Toward the lake, the roof and interior volumes open up to capture the views and create a more expansive living experience.

Bringing Daylight Into the Center of the Home

Adding a second floor created a particular challenge: a long interior hallway leading to the primary suite could easily have become dark.

Live by Design Architects addressed the problem by aligning skylights over frosted interior windows. Sunlight enters through the roof, fills the vaulted space and then passes through the frosted glass into the second-floor hallway. The windows provide borrowed light while maintaining privacy between the rooms.

Built-in cabinetry beside the staircase makes use of space that might otherwise have been lost. Metal stair railings, the interior glass and other restrained modern details reinforce the clients’ preferred style without making the house feel out of scale.

Making More of a Fixed Footprint

The Shangri-La Lake House shows that a restrictive site does not have to produce a compromised home. By building upward, removing space where it was less useful and using light strategically, the project created a larger and more open residence while staying within the limits of the original lakefront property.

The result is a modern family home that feels substantially more spacious than its footprint suggests—and one that remains connected to both its setting and its history.

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