Welcome to Our Lake House Journey

How one spontaneous trip to Smith Mountain Lake turned into the home we’ve always dreamed of building.

It Was Never Supposed to Be a Lake House

If you had asked us a few years ago where we’d build our forever getaway, Smith Mountain Lake would not have been my answer.

Like so many families, we dreamed of owning a beach house. Chris and I had spent nearly a year and a half searching the North Carolina coast, especially Holden Beach. We loved its quiet charm and the fact that you could enjoy both sunrise and sunset because of the way the island sits along the coastline.

But six hours began to feel farther away every time we made the drive home.

With two growing kids, we wanted a place we could enjoy often—not just a few times each year.

One weekend, almost on a whim, we visited friends at Smith Mountain Lake.

Everything changed.

Woman kissing a smiling child on the cheek outdoors under a clear blue sky, sunlight on their faces.

Beach scene viewed from a turquoise wooden balcony: sandy shore, a long pier, people with umbrellas, and calm blue sea into the horizon.

Silhouette of a person jumping on a sandy beach at sunset, with the orange sky and calm sea in the background.

Smiling man wearing sunglasses poses in front of a wall covered with Virginia license plates and vintage signs.

Finding a Different Kind of Paradise

What surprised us wasn’t just how beautiful the lake was—it was how it felt.

The calmer water.

The mountain views.

The boating.

The swimming.

The slower pace.

As we explored different areas of the lake, I kept coming back to Penhook. The wide-water views were incredible, the mountains framed every sunset, and the quieter atmosphere immediately felt like home.

I have no doubt this side of the lake will continue to grow over the coming years, but for us, its peaceful character was exactly what we were looking for.

People riding in a boat on a lake: a woman in a straw hat and two children wearing life jackets sit on a cushioned seat with shoreline houses in the distance.

Sunset over a calm lake with an orange sky and dark silhouettes of trees on the horizon.

Then We Found the Lot

After touring several existing homes, it became clear none of them matched what I envisioned.

I wanted a property that felt like the beach—a gentle walk into the water, room for kids to play, and expansive lake views.

Someone connected us with Joe Greco at Sole Source Solution.

He walked us down to Lot 27.

The moment we reached the shoreline, we knew.

A quiet cove.

A charming little beach.

Wide open water.

Joe even took us out on his boat—in November—to see what the view would look like from the future home.

We called the seller from the boat and made our offer before we even got back to the dock.

It was one of the easiest decisions we’ve ever made.

Curved paved road or driveway with a dense stand of bare trees and a blue sky, a lake peeking through the trunks in the background.

Lake view with calm water, forested shoreline, and autumn leaves on the grass; colorful stakes mark the foreground construction area.

Man wearing a hat and light shirt stands at the water's edge on a sunny lakeshore with trees along the right bank.

View from a boat on a calm lake, with a tree-lined shore and a clear blue sky above.

Girl in a mustard sweater jumps with peace signs in a grassy park, autumn trees and a lake in the background.

Why I’m Sharing This Journey

As an interior designer, one of the questions I hear most often is:

“Why?”

Why this finish?

Why this furnishing or accent piece?

Why this layout?

The truth is, there usually isn’t a quick answer.

Every design decision connects to another. Materials influence architecture. Furniture affects circulation. One thoughtful choice leads to the next.

This is why it’s often difficult to answer design questions on social media. The honest response is frequently, “It depends.”

My clients hire me to create homes designed specifically for them, and those ideas belong to them.

This home is different.

It’s ours.

For the first time, I can share every decision, every revision, every lesson learned, and exactly how my design process works from beginning to end.

You’ll see the beautiful moments, but you’ll also see the challenges.

My hope is that you’ll learn something along the way and enjoy watching this home come to life with us.

Meet the Team

Builder — Sole Source Solution

Architect — Lake Life Architecture

Interior Design — In Focus Interiors

Cabinetry — Brass Key Design Society

Millwork — CTS&I

Our Vision

We wanted this home to feel like a private resort.

Every decision has been filtered through the same design principles:

Resort-inspired
Low Country influence
Comfortable luxury
Layered textures
Indoor-outdoor living
Timeless materials
Family-friendly
Unexpected moments

This home wasn’t designed to impress someone for five minutes.

It was designed to make people want to stay for a week.

Construction site with a large Gaines Residence sign and a CAT excavator arm nearby.

Designing Around the Way We Live

Every bedroom has its own ensuite because we want guests to feel comfortable.

The infinity-edge pool sits on the main level so we can always keep an eye on the kids while everyone naturally gathers around the kitchen.

The scullery doubles as our prep and pool house kitchen, allowing the main kitchen to remain focused on hosting instead of dirty dishes.

One of my favorite features is the cupola.

Chris proposed to me in a widow’s walk in Cape May years ago, so this became our way of honoring that memory. As an added bonus, it overlooks the Fourth of July fireworks on the lake.

Throughout the home, you’ll notice another priority—flow.

I don’t like dead-end rooms.

I think about how twenty people can comfortably move through a home for an entire week, where conversations naturally happen, and how every space should encourage people to continue exploring.

Michael Moore at Lake Life Architecture took what felt like a mile-long wish list and transformed it into a home that captures exactly what we imagined.

This project is also the perfect example of why I encourage clients to bring their interior designer into the project as early as possible. When the architect, builder, and designer collaborate from day one, every decision works together.

What You Can Expect

Future posts will include:

Construction updates
Design decisions
Material selections
Lessons learned
Interior design tips
Product favorites
Honest conversations about the building process
Plenty of behind-the-scenes moments

We’re excited to share every step of this journey with you.