This custom stone house was built in 2014 on a peninsula of a 5-acre lake. It is surrounded on 3 sides by water. Designed and built as a retirement home with 3,000 ft2 of living space on a single level, it was positioned to enjoy the beautiful lake, trees and wildlife. The house is laid out on the cardinal directions - it faces due north - with the bedrooms on the cooler north side of the house, and the eat-in kitchen, living room, office, screened-in porch, utility and hobby rooms on the sunnier south side with views of the lake.
The 5-acre lake, shared with the horse farm west of the house, is a focal point of the property. It attracts wildlife of all sorts, from occasional mink, otter and fox to resident and migrating water fowl, heron, egret, bald eagles and osprey. Largemouth bass, bluegill and crappie abound. (The neighbor's son-in-law caught two 8-lb. largemouth in one day.) The bulk of the lake lies to the southwest of the house and stunning sunsets on the water are common.
The house is 700 ft. north of Buck Creek Road on a 17.75 acre tract. About 800 trees populate the land to the south and immediately north of the house, including over 40 different native species. About half the trees are oak (bur, cherry bark, chestnut, chinkapin, Northern red, overcup, pin, post, sawtooth, Shumard, swamp white, white and willow oak). The northern half of the tract is currently farmland, and 8 acres are leased for production of soybeans and corn but of course could be repurposed for horses, cattle, etc.
Western cedar timber framing supports a large gable roof over the front porch. The wide entrance hall has doors to the primary bedroom, guest bedroom, 2 closets and main bath, then opens to the living room. With its vaulted ceiling, views of the lake, natural lighting and its massive limestone fireplace, the living room is the hub of the house. A wide doorway separates the eat-in kitchen and living room, for an open, airy great room feel. The kitchen shares a pass-through window with the screened-in porch. The 13 x 17 ft. screened-in porch typically receives a breeze from the southwest and it is the thunderstorm-watching, 3-season dining area of the house.
The exterior house walls are 18 in. thick. The 12 in. thick structural (frame) walls are clad with 6 in. of natural limestone from Hope, Indiana. The structural walls are sealed against air in-leakage with 1-in. of closed-cell foam against the outer sheathing and filled with fiberglass batt insulation. The ceiling in the main house (excluding the garage) is also sealed with 1-in. of closed-cell foam and is further insulated by blown-in cellulose. The exterior garage walls are 12 in. thick - 2x6 framed structural walls with 1 in. of closed cell foam to reduce air in-leakage and filled with fiberglass batt insulation. To complement the low-maintenance stone exterior, all facia, soffits and frieze boards are Hardi-board (fiberglass reinforced concrete board) that won't rot or degrade in the sun. All exposed members of the screened-in porch are also clad in Hardi-board. Windows are double-pane Anderson casement Fibrex windows that never need painting, inside or out.
The house is cooled and heated by 7 high-efficiency Mitsubishi mini-split wall units connected to two independent outdoor units. Each mini-split unit allows room-specific temperature and humidity control. Because the house is well-sealed against air in-leakage and mini-splits do not provide outdoor air exchange, an Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) is used for forced air exchange. The ERV ensures fresh air to the house and odors do not linger. A 10 - 70,000 BTU wood-burning fireplace provides an alternative winter heat source. The fireplace is mounted at waist-height so loading and cleaning are done without getting down on your knees. A powered vent inside the stone chimney pumps hot air from the fireplace to the primary bedroom's walk-in closet (above the heat-pump water heater) and a hobby room. High-efficiency Emerson ceiling fans in the living room, kitchen and master bedroom stir air silently. All interior walls are clad with ] in. drywall and packed with fiberglass batt insulation to minimize inter-room noise.
The house was wired, plumbed and finished by its current owners. All 120V electrical circuits in the house are 20 amp with combination ground-fault and arc-fault circuit breakers - safer and more efficient than required by code. The house water supply is plumbed with PEX tubing from a homerun manifold, minimizing the impact of different users on water temperature. No joints, tees or elbows of any kind are hidden in the walls or ceiling - a precaution against future leaking fittings. The water heater is centrally located to reduce the time to get hot water. The solid cherry heartwood interior doors, door frames, window boxes and baseboard were made by the owners. The hand-made doors employ classic through-mortise joinery with wedged tenons to ensure long-lasting stability and are hung on stainless steel ball-bearing hinges (no squeaks). All doors in the house with the exception of 2 closet doors are 36 in. wide for handicap access. The window boxes have book-matched panels and are flared to maximize light from outside. 13-in. wide one-piece window sills were made from figured cherry as available. Cherry wood darkens with age and sunlight so the doors and trim will grow progressively richer tones for future owners. The flooring, a select grade of 3-¼ in. wide, ¾ in. thick tongue-and-groove white oak, compliments the much darker cherry trim.
The house has 2 large bonus rooms. A 12 x 31 ft. hobby room occupies the southeast corner of the house. Used as a pottery studio by the current owners, it serves as a mudroom between the garage and house and includes a large dog door to the backyard. The hobby room is trimmed in ash from the property and includes a deep stainless steel utility sink. A 17 x 33 room in the northwest corner of the house was specifically designed for a woodworking shop - it's the shop where the cherry doors, window boxes and trim were made. Per the original plan, this large room can be converted to a spacious master bedroom with two large walk-in closets. Two extra cherry doors, door frames and baseboard were made by the owner for that, but the choice to add the closets or use the room for something else is left to the next owner. The bathroom attached to the former woodshop is plumbed for a shower, tub, sink and toilet, but only the sink and toilet are currently functional (choice of tub, fittings, etc. left to the next owner).
Attached to the house is a 25 ft. deep, 43 ft. wide 3-car garage. From the garage a full-width staircase leads to a 1,400 ft2 attic. The attic has flooring, lighting, electrical receptacles, and one large dormer window. It is currently unfinished but could be finished for additional living space. To the northwest of the house is a 30 x 40 ft. pole barn. The pole barn has a covered porch, two overhead doors on opposite gable walls, 240/120 V electrical service, lighting and receptacles.
Utilities (electric, water and internet cable) are buried underground from the road to the house. 39 solar panels on the south-facing roof provide more electricity than the current home owners have used - electric bills have been about $18/mo. (the utility connection fee) since the solar panels were installed. Over the last 5 years the solar panels have produced an average of 13.7 MW/yr., while the average use has been 10.6 MW/yr. (but note the current owners have heated with the wood fireplace). The house uses a pumped septic system with a 1,000 gal. solids tank, a 1,000 gal. pump tank, and septic field north of the pole barn.