The open flow of the third-floor living area offers spectacular views from an entertainment space through the kitchen to the dining room. The glass windows are 16 feet high and 10 feet wide. A soft palette of earthtones gives the illusion that the room is an extension of its wooded setting.
Photo by Erhad Pfeiffer
Chattanoogan Jim Lacey’s challenge was to make a six-story, contemporary home blend into a mountainside above Lake Tahoe. Its Western red-cedar siding was given a deep brown-black stain and 14,292 square feet of glass was given an anti-reflective coating to prevent glare.
Photo by Erhad Pfeiffer
The cylindrical gas fireplace is 11 feet of frosted glass, with a removable panel to allow cleaning. To the left behind the fireplace are doors to the pantry, which includes an indoor grill, bar and storage. Directly across from the fireplace is a 1,500-pound glass door that pivots on one titanium hinge to allow access to the terrace.
Photo by Erhad Pfeiffer
Walnut cabinetry adds warmth to the kitchen built by Poggenpohl. Instead of a traditional backsplash beneath the glass range hood, Laney opted for a window, which allows exterior views out both sides of the room. U-shaped, tech-steel, pendant lighting follows the shape of the island, with a pendant fixture spotlighting each seat.
Photo by Erhad Pfeiffer
A central spiral staircase twists 65 feet from ceiling to floor. Each step is three laminated pieces of glass with a slightly textured surface to prevent falls. Curved glass panels follow the shape of the stair, topped with a satin-finish stainless-steel handrail.
Photo by Erhad PfeifferThe challenge given Jim Laney was straightforward but daunting: Remodel a 1960s mountain cabin into a six-story, contemporary, glass house.
Oh, and make the redesign blend seamlessly into its rugged mountain setting so the Lake Tahoe vacation home would not be intrusive nor distract from the surrounding natural beauty.
“It took 10 years to build and finish,” says Laney, who with wife, Peggy, owns The Design Co. on Lookout Mountain. “I was with it from the initial purchase of the property through all the planning and implementation to completion.”
Laney’s harmonious integration of manmade and natural environments has earned him international recognition. The home was featured in Trends magazine’s U.S. and New Zealand editions, and the magazine also named the project one of the Top 50 homes in America for 2013.
On Friday night, Laney was honored by his peers with the 2013 ASID National Elevate Award for Residential Interior Design, presented by the American Society of Interior Designers. He accepted his award at the ASID Design Awards in Los Angeles.