This custom home built on the shores of Candlewood Lake in historic Sherman CT was built with lake life and entertaining family and friends in mind. Bringing it to life was the inspiration of Architect Erich Diller of Evolve Architecture in collaboration with the owners. In order to construct this home 6000 yards of rock had to be removed to provide sufficient space for construction. The house’s exterior features a lower level of meticulously cut stone that grounds it into the hill side letting the natural landscape features join together making it feel as though they are one. It features 3 outdoor entertainment areas that let this couple enjoy the outdoors no matter the time of year. From the back terrace with its hot tub set up against the amazing rocky face with views of the lake. On the front the home is a large main deck with views of Candlewoods most northern inlet where grilling and dining can be enjoyed while watching boat traffic and sometimes catching a passing bald eagle. This deck has easy access to the home’s kitchen making it feel more like a casual ding room. On the south side of the house is a covered porch with comfortable couches, a large TV and infrared heaters so that nighttime movies can be enjoyed by family and friends in a warm environment to bring a great lakeside day to a close.
The interior of the house is no less inviting. Stepping through the Walnut front door you’re greeted by an open floor plan that keeps the entertainment going in full swing. The large living room features a two-sided fireplace that makes the transition into the dining room and adjoining chef’s kitchen lets you know it’s time to relax. The large windows overlooking the lake allow for generous natural light to fill the space throughout the day never letting you feel far from the outdoors. Just off these areas is a wet bar for mixing cocktails and a large children’s playroom. The playroom features monkey bars climbing ropes and rock-climbing wall with activity board and built-in cabinetry that can be filled with enough supplies to keep the kids occupied on the occasional rainy days.
Descending the stairs to the lower level opens to a game space that everyone can enjoy from comfortable couches for movie watching and a game table. Get out the monopoly board, put down the phones and have some laughs. Never letting you forget your location the large windows bring in plenty of natural light and views of the surrounding hills rising above the inlet. This space is just the beginning. It also features a gym to get your workout in and a sauna. In keeping with the theme that this house is meant to entertain, there are additional guest rooms and a bunk room so the kids can stay up way past their bedtimes. Additional spaces on the level help to make this house function with a house full of people. It has a large mudroom with adjoining laundry, a wine room off a large pantry that has multiple refrigerators and shelf space.
Climbing the stars to the second floor on the you will pass the large picture window overlooking the rock face exposed during construction. Once on the second floor you will find 3 large bedrooms with enough space to allow the kids a place to retreat for the night. The primary suite has a large bedroom with a cathedral ceiling that features tongue and groove boards and oak beams. The primary bath is truly a space that offers a retreat for a little me time. Whether soaking in in the soaking tub overlooking the lake or enjoying a hot shower while being drenched by two shower heads and a rain head that makes a summer storm feel like a drizzle.
This custom home built on the shores of Candlewood Lake in historic Sherman CT was built with lake life and entertaining family and friends in mind. Bringing it to life was the inspiration of Architect Erich Diller of Evolve Architecture in collaboration with the owners. In order to construct this home 6000 yards of rock had to be removed to provide sufficient space for construction. The house’s exterior features a lower level of meticulously cut stone that grounds it into the hill side letting the natural landscape features join together making it feel as though they are one. It features 3 outdoor entertainment areas that let this couple enjoy the outdoors no matter the time of year. From the back terrace with its hot tub set up against the amazing rocky face with views of the lake. On the front the home is a large main deck with views of Candlewoods most northern inlet where grilling and dining can be enjoyed while watching boat traffic and sometimes catching a passing bald eagle. This deck has easy access to the home’s kitchen making it feel more like a casual ding room. On the south side of the house is a covered porch with comfortable couches, a large TV and infrared heaters so that nighttime movies can be enjoyed by family and friends in a warm environment to bring a great lakeside day to a close.
The interior of the house is no less inviting. Stepping through the Walnut front door you’re greeted by an open floor plan that keeps the entertainment going in full swing. The large living room features a two-sided fireplace that makes the transition into the dining room and adjoining chef’s kitchen lets you know it’s time to relax. The large windows overlooking the lake allow for generous natural light to fill the space throughout the day never letting you feel far from the outdoors. Just off these areas is a wet bar for mixing cocktails and a large children’s playroom. The playroom features monkey bars climbing ropes and rock-climbing wall with activity board and built-in cabinetry that can be filled with enough supplies to keep the kids occupied on the occasional rainy days.
Descending the stairs to the lower level opens to a game space that everyone can enjoy from comfortable couches for movie watching and a game table. Get out the monopoly board, put down the phones and have some laughs. Never letting you forget your location the large windows bring in plenty of natural light and views of the surrounding hills rising above the inlet. This space is just the beginning. It also features a gym to get your workout in and a sauna. In keeping with the theme that this house is meant to entertain, there are additional guest rooms and a bunk room so the kids can stay up way past their bedtimes. Additional spaces on the level help to make this house function with a house full of people. It has a large mudroom with adjoining laundry, a wine room off a large pantry that has multiple refrigerators and shelf space.
Climbing the stars to the second floor on the you will pass the large picture window overlooking the rock face exposed during construction. Once on the second floor you will find 3 large bedrooms with enough space to allow the kids a place to retreat for the night. The primary suite has a large bedroom with a cathedral ceiling that features tongue and groove boards and oak beams. The primary bath is truly a space that offers a retreat for a little me time. Whether soaking in in the soaking tub overlooking the lake or enjoying a hot shower while being drenched by two shower heads and a rain head that makes a summer storm feel like a drizzle.
My wife and I purchased a lake home in Sherman to spend time with our three children on Candlewood lake. We knew we wanted to do some meaningful renovations and met with a number of General Contractors on-site to talk through our options and the challenges the worksite presented as the buildable land was sandwiched between the side of the mountain and the lake.
We took an immediate liking to Lou and his team at LS Construction the first time we met with them. Ultimately we decided to start from scratch and rebuild our home rather than renovate. When it came time to bid, the estimate from LS was in-line with others and after seeing a number of their other projects in person, we knew the quality of the build would be top echelon. We also appreciated the transparency of their fee/billing structure, which was different from other GCs, but more aligned with our interests. The scope of work ended up being huge, for lack of a better term.
LS did not shy away from the job. The excavation was extensive and Lou and his team (shout out to Shawn) were instrumental in shepherding the project from start to finish. They helped us take our vision and bring it to life. We will forever be grateful to them for the home which we love.
