Lakeview Home Blends Inspiration and Timeless Design
Story by David Kilmer Photography by Quicksilver Studios

For years she tucked away pages torn from design magazines — glimpses of houses she loved, images that sparked possibility. When the right piece of land appeared, those long-held inspirations finally had a home. Together with a trusted architect and builder, she and her husband shaped a residence that captures both the sweep of the landscape and the intimacy of their vision.

They came to Coeur d’Alene searching for open skies and a gentler altitude. What they found was a site that called out for imagination — and a chance to bring years of those saved ideas to life. Today, the house they built feels both fresh and familiar, a place where family gathers, light pours in and the design seems to grow right out of the hillside.

Sketching the Dream

The couple had lived in Montana for more than two decades, spending summers at nearly 8,000 feet above sea level. Eventually the thin air wore on them. They wanted a place with the same sense of open skies and natural beauty but closer to the ground.

“We came over to visit friends who lived nearby,” the husband says, “and we just kind of fell in love with the area.” Golf was a passion and caddies they met at the Yellowstone Club kept nudging them toward Coeur d’Alene. At first, they imagined buying a condo — something simple, a place to land between travels. But at the time, no condominiums were available. Building began to make sense.

The lot they chose was both a challenge and an opportunity: a long, narrow double lot perched high with sweeping lake views. “We looked at half a dozen others,” he says, “but this clearly had the best view available. We recognized right away it would pose some design issues, but it was worth it.”

Her design passion took the lead. She had kept a thick file of clippings over the years — photographs of houses she admired, pages torn from magazines. When she spread them out, she noticed something surprising: many of the homes were by the same Lake Tahoe architect.

“I’d always saved pictures of houses that inspired me,” she says. “When I pulled them out, I realized the same architect had designed them all. That’s who I wanted for this project.”

She sketched the first floor plan herself. “The final layout is almost exactly what I drew,” she says. The architect refined her vision with soaring panes of glass, a rhythm of steel and a guesthouse and garage that fold seamlessly into the structure.

“We wanted something modern but not too modern,” she says. “Something that would still feel right twenty years from now.”

Built on Rock

Breaking ground meant breaking stone. Rather than perching the house awkwardly above, the team carefully blasted until the structure felt cradled by the hillside.

It was literally built on solid rock — and engineered with strength to match. The California structural engineer designed the home as though it sat in an earthquake zone. “We had 168 hold-downs in the frame,” the builder laughs. “It was a little overdesigned for Idaho.” Still, that overengineering became part of the story: a house framed with the strength of a mountain.

Natural Inspiration

One of the home’s most striking features greets visitors before they even step inside. A once-dry creek bed wound across the property. At first, the plan was to cover it with contemporary cement planters. Instead, the builder suggested bringing the stream back to life.

“Why spend a fortune moving something beautiful, when you can design around it?” he says.

Today, the creek flows again, tumbling through native stone and mature landscaping, making the entryway feel as if it had always been there.

Inside, continuity defines every space. Peace Design helped ensure the owners’ vision that outdoor and indoor spaces would flow together beautifully. Steel beams extend through glass walls to become exterior supports. Wood soffits extend outdoors without interruption. Reclaimed Montana timber lines every ceiling — even closets — softening the soaring scale with warmth.

“Great architects understand the relationship of scale to human emotion,” the builder says. “That’s why this house feels so right. It’s large, but it doesn’t overwhelm. It feels good.”

Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the lake and mountains, turning the living room into a natural observatory. Light floods the interiors, grounded by creamy walls, stone and warm wood. A sunken bar, tucked into the main living area, invites long evenings here, with its reclaimed wood cladding adds intimacy to an otherwise expansive space.

Throughout, chandeliers become sculptural statements: twin fixtures in the living room, a dramatic Barlas Baylar piece above the dining table and a striking pendant in the master bedroom. Chosen with the care of gallery art, they shape the house’s character.

“The chandeliers are more than light — they’re conversation pieces,” she says.

Tranquil Living

Despite the project’s scope, they never felt the need to rush. “We told the team from the start — we’re not going to push you. We want it done right,” he says. The result was steady progress and clear communication. “We were talking two, three, sometimes four times a week,” the builder adds. “That’s the only way to do a project at this level.”

Now, three years later, they use the home in a deliberately low-key way. Their Florida life is full of events and social obligations. Here, they prefer quiet.

“When we come here, we want to fly under the radar,” he says. Family visits are the highlight. Their grown children love the guest wing that opens directly to the outdoors. “They can step outside first thing in the morning, or just retreat to their part of the house. It works beautifully.”

“At Yellowstone Club, everything was spread out. Fourteen thousand acres meant you were always in your car,” he says. “Here, we can walk to the clubhouse, walk to the gym or hop in the golf cart. It’s more practical, and somehow, more fun. Life feels easy. Everything is close — and yet you’re still in the middle of nature.”

Finishing Touches

Even in a home defined by views and volume, it’s the details that transform it into something unforgettable: the creek running beneath the house, the sunken bar that turns a great room into a gathering place, the siding weathered by Montana winds before settling into its Idaho hillside.

“This place really was built on solid rock.”

Everywhere, the home reflects collaboration — a mix of determination, creativity and trust between homeowners, architect and builder.

“This house is the result of a fantastic team,” she says. “We’re totally grateful.”