Check out this 'ultra-livable' showhouse in S.C.

Home and Garden

This lake house at The Reserve at Lake Keowee in Sunset, S.C., is owned by Brookhaven residents Chris and Ashley Stenglein. The home was selected as this year's "Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles" designer showhouse. Atlanta Architect Keith Summerour of Summerour Architects designed the home and designers Beth Webb of Beth Webb Interiors and Nancy Pendergrast of Summerour Interiors co-designed the home's decor. See photos of the home.

This newly built lake house at The Reserve at Lake Keowee in Sunset, S.C., is owned by Brookhaven residents Chris and Ashley Stenglein. The 7,280-square-foot home was selected as this year's "Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles" designer showhouse. Atlanta Architect Keith Summerour of Summerour Architects designed the expansive windows and wraparound porch to maximize enjoyment of the lake. The Stengleins and their three young sons will move into the vacation home at the end of the month.

The home, which sits in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in northwestern South Carolina, features several outdoor vignettes, such as the sectional and rail tie tables from PierceMartin. Interior designers Beth Webb of Beth Webb Interiors and Nancy Pendergrast of Summerour Interiors co-designed the home's decor.

The home's outdoor dining area is steps away from the kitchen and living room. The screened-in porch encourages breezes from the lake to flow through the porch and home.

Webb, the interior designer, imports these copper-accented ceiling fans from Italy. Here the fan blades echo the copper roof.

This outdoor mantle features a working fireplace and minimal decor.

The home's primary living space is found on what could be considered the basement level. Summerour intentionally designed the home with an ultra-livable first floor to create a closer relationship between the home and the lake. "I really try to minimize wasted space," he said. "By taking kitchen and living areas with porches and compressing them, you make interesting spaces that are comfortable."

The kitchen, living and dining area, which overlooks the lake, is homeowner Ashley Stenglein's favorite room. "I know I'm going to spend so much time in there," she said. "You envision so much on paper, but once it came to life, it blew away my expectations." Summerour calls the second-floor open area 'the gallery.'

The black soapstone countertop on the bar adds a dramatic note to the soft, yet edgy aesthetic of the home.

The family's cozy media room can be found off the kitchen and living area. The artwork throughout the home is on loan from the Bill Lowe Gallery, Jackson Fine Art, Lumiere and David Waldron.

Webb said she and Pendergrast strove to use a variety of textures in the home, from the media room's stucco fireplace to plaster walls to wallpaper and fabrics.

This reproduction of an Indonesian chair adds an earthy touch to the media room.

The home's first-floor guest bedroom features custom furniture and linens, such as this chaise lounge by Tecnosedia in Atlanta. This piece will remain in the home after the home tour ends on July 27.

Designers Webb and Pendergrast relied on custom linens such as these by Leotine Linens throughout the home. The Greek key motif is repeated in rugs and furniture details.

This powder room features a sterling silver sink and textured wallpaper reminiscent of the home's barn wood floors. All hardware, such as these crystal fixtures, were provided by Waterworks.

Take a closer look at the sterling silver sink and crystal fixtures.

Of all the details in this massive house, Summerour said he is most proud of this stairwell that leads from the front of the home to the main living level. "It's a floating-like sensation from the entrance level to the lake level," he said.

The children's bunkroom has an antique, whimsy feel with chalkboard siding. The children will also enjoy a recreation room on the top floor of the home, where they will keep toys.

The bowling pin hooks add a touch of fun to the second-floor bunkroom.

The bunkroom leads to an open-floor gallery where these Dale Chihuly sculptures will be on display throughout the tour. Stenglein said the couple wouldn't dream of purchasing the artwork with active kids in the house.

The light-filled gallery makes it the perfect place to display art.

The sleeping porch off the second level features suspended daybeds made from Indonesian rail ties. Summerour said he was channeling an old Southern way of life, when sleeping outside on a summer night was customary. Ashley Stenglein said she doesn't worry about her boys swinging on the beds -- the weight of the beds keeps them from swaying.

Take a closer look at the Indonesian rail ties used to create the suspended daybeds.

These bee skep sculptures add a rustic, antique feel to the sleeping porch. Bee skeps were once used as beehives but are now a popular garden decoration.

The second floor of the home offers magnificent views of Lake Keowee.

The master bedroom has a sweeping, pooled linen drapery wall that adds serenity and an intimate feel. Webb said her client wanted the drapery to block light for the occasional weekend morning snooze.

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This newly built lake house at The Reserve at Lake Keowee in Sunset, S.C., is owned by Brookhaven residents Chris and Ashley Stenglein. The 7,280-square-foot home was selected as this year's "Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles" designer showhouse. Atlanta Architect Keith Summerour of Summerour Architects designed the expansive windows and wraparound porch to maximize enjoyment of the lake. The Stengleins and their three young sons will move into the vacation home at the end of the month.

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