Lake Dunmore House

Salisbury, Vermont

For years, the owners returned each summer to the same small three-season camp on Lake Dunmore, renting it season after season until the property finally became available for purchase. Rather than renovating the aging structure, they chose to build a new home on its existing footprint—one that could support year-round living while preserving the quiet character that had drawn them to the lake in the first place.

The design embraces the constraints of the wooded site and existing clearing, allowing the house to settle naturally among the mature pines overlooking the water. Warm natural materials, restrained detailing, and carefully framed views establish a continuous relationship between the interior and the surrounding landscape. A generous screened porch extends the living spaces outdoors, while a central stone fireplace and intimate gathering spaces create a home equally suited to quiet weekends and large family holidays.

Completed as a deeply personal retreat, the project reflects an appreciation for craftsmanship, simplicity, and the enduring rituals of lakeside living. Rather than competing with its setting, the house quietly reinforces it—creating a home that feels as though it has always belonged among the trees.