This was the dream: sipping fine wine at sunset, sitting by a fire pit overlooking the lake while dogs run free between the trees.
It became a reality for one California couple who moved to the Upstate to be closer to their college-bound children. They purchased two adjacent lots on Lake Keowee, where a custom home could be constructed in the center, enveloped by loblolly pines and poplars.
The lot hovered above a quiet inlet of the lake, but it didn’t require extensive grading—just minor excavation for the lower-level walkout. On a clear day, even the Blue Ridge Escarpment joins the serene backdrop.
Scott Johnson from Alair Homes was the project manager from start to finish. He and MHK architect Jeremy Driskell met with the homeowners over mood boards and conceptual designs. “This house was extremely custom,” Johnson says, “Every room had something I’d never done before.”
One idea, to make the home twice its current square footage of 6,500, turned out to be literally for the birds. “Eagles were living on the property,” Johnson says, “You have to be cautious of [not] disturbing [them during] nesting season.” During a five-month-long eagle delay, the homeowners moved into a smaller house in South Carolina. This proved beneficial: they learned what areas of a dwelling they used most and how they wanted to entertain. “We were able to build exactly what they wanted without having wasted space,” Johnson adds.
The home’s exterior was designed to be low-maintenance and enduring. From the standing-seam metal roof to PVC tongue-and-groove ceilings and soffits and Hardie Artisan siding, materials resist the elements (and carpenter bees).
A five-by-eight-foot pivoting front door leads inside, where on any given day, music will be playing throughout the four bedrooms and four and a half baths. Immense windows with motorized shades face the sunset.
To balance the scale of it all, there are impressive design details. Stained, illuminated hexagons frame the front entry. Rope lights swing from the vaulted ceiling. Every room reveals textured tiles and geometric marvels to accentuate concrete panels, glass, stone, and striations of granite.
There was one catch: adding so much wow factor raises the difficulty level. “We decided to tile all of the stair risers—that was involved,” Johnson says. “I really enjoyed the challenges and the creative ideas.”
Lake Keowee Home Photo Tour
Quartzite slabs make an impression in the kitchen, which is open to a living room with soft gray seating and a curving rope light from New York Lighting.
Off the main living area is an outdoor seating space that can be completely open to the natural surroundings. Motorized screens and vinyl provide flexibility and protection from the elements for relaxing in all seasons.
A butler’s pantry off the kitchen is a convenient nook for grabbing morning coffee or preparing to host an evening party.
Crystal Venato quartzite from SLABCO provides an exciting contrast to the reeded-panel cabinetry in the kitchen. The cooking area is flanked by backlit, climate-controlled wine rooms on either side.
Glass walls and windows give the suite at the top prime views of the lake, greenery, and distant mountains. Hanging globe lights and floating nightstands frame the custom platform bed. The homeowners found the patterned tile behind the bed in Atlanta. Above the tile, striations of gold dance across black wallpaper.
A hidden pivoting door leads to one of the bathrooms, where the mirror is backlit and framed by custom tiles from Circles & Squares Design. “We spent more time on a powder bath than the rest of the house,” says Scott Johnson, Project Manager, Alair Homes.
