This custom-built stunner on Brant Lake was built with one thing in mind: the water. “The magic is the water, so everything you do, you have to think about the water and your view,” says Dave DePaulo of Bella Home Builders, who designed and built the home for Denise and Jack Rifenburg of Brunswick-based Rifenburg Construction. So with H2O top of mind, DePaulo strategically put all of the closets and pantries on the non-lakeside of the house, so there’s nothing but seemingly endless glass on the side overlooking the picturesque Adirondack lake. “The family room, kitchen and all bedrooms and bathrooms have beautiful views,” DePaulo says. The living area, dining room and screened-in porch all spill out onto the lakeside.
The 5,603-square-foot weekend getaway was built for entertaining and relaxation, featuring a finished 1,902-square-foot lower level that boasts a fabulous bar and TV room. “They put in changing stations and designed the lower level so people may come in and out of the lake wet,” DePaula says. The porch also has a floating tile floor with a rubberized deck.
DePaulo worked hand in hand with the Rifenburgs to design their dream home. “We started with a blank piece of paper,” he says. “We removed a raised ranch that was there, and this breathtaking house was drawn and designed every inch of the way with Jack and Denise. The home’s layout is perfect as it has exceptional flow. The design, scale and uses of material blend nicely with the surroundings.”
The five-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath home features a custom timber frame from the front entrance to the interior, and mahogany flooring throughout. The railings inside are all custom, and there’s an open staircase. “Denise did all the design and chose the color of the stones,” says DePaulo, noting that real granite was used all the way around the house, and inside along the fireplace.
Another feature DePaulo is proud of is the use of radiant heat, designed and installed by Anthony “Moose” Lashway, throughout the house. “It’s highly technical,” he says. “For a camp like that to have all of that high-tech stuff is very cool.”
These top-of-the-line amenities paired with the enviable views make this Brant Lake’s newest, and ultimate, boater’s paradise. Jack is “big into boats; that’s his passion,” says DePaulo. “So the lake house empties out onto their private beach with a private dock and the best views of the lake, so they can fully enjoy the sunsets and sunrises.”