Home tour: a modern lakeside retreat in Alabama that harmonises with its natural surroundings

Taking cues from the horizontal expanses of the lakeside terrain, architect Jeffrey Dungan drew inspiration directly from the site’s topography and scenic vistas for a new build that features four bedrooms arranged across two storeys–two on the upper level and two on the ground floor.

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“[The full-time residence] has some aspects of Texas ranch houses, particularly in its use of aged white limestone and gently pitched rooflines,” Dungan says.

A subtle homage to traditional forms reinterpreted within a contemporary lakeside context, “it is, in some ways, a throwback to another place and time,” he adds.

In terms of architectural massing, Dungan introduces vertical accents through chimney stacks and sculpted rooflines, echoing the rugged silhouettes of the surrounding mountains and hills while providing a counterpoint to the horizontal planes that define the site.

Set against the façade’s dark timber cladding, light-coloured Texas limestone forms a striking contrast: “not only an essential part of the bold, organic exterior, but an ode to the man of the house, who has spent his career working in natural resources,” Dungan elaborates.

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Meanwhile, expansive porches, a porte-cochère, and a permeable, see-through entry sequence establish seamless indoor-outdoor connections, reinforcing the home’s dialogue with its lakefront setting.

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The same limestone pavers and warm wood elements from the exterior are carried into the interior, where Dungan collaborated with Melanie to ensure that the interiors were as thoughtfully resolved as the architecture.

“She had some great ideas and we both love Costa Rica, where she had also lived,” the architect recalls, referring to an interior design that reflects the family’s personal history, travels, and collection of pottery and artworks gathered abroad.

A restrained palette of black and white defines the interior scheme, while nature-based materials–ranging from tactile stone surfaces to natural wood grains–reinforce a sense of continuity and material honesty, creating a layered, sensory environment.

Sculptural openings connect the living, dining, and kitchen areas in a fluid spatial sequence, while still offering subtle thresholds between the public zones. Furthermore, floor-to-ceiling glazed panels and doors foster an immediate connection with the water, framing views that accentuate the outdoor seating area and the lake beyond.

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Adjacent, the dining area and kitchen are animated by curated objects collected by Melanie during her travels in the Caribbean and Central America, balancing functionality with a sense of lived-in elegance.

“It wasn’t something out of a book,” Dungan notes. “It’s a real picture of their life, and I think that is perhaps the most powerful part of the design.”

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In the private quarters, the theme of understated luxury continues. Natural materials dominate, promoting a sense of calm and authenticity, as light and shadow play across surfaces to accentuate texture within the restrained palette.

Each room reflects a personal narrative, integrating collected art and pottery to convey warmth and character, thereby avoiding any sense of artificiality.

“In as much as I try to see them for who they are and let that voice come through in the story the house tells, it was real, not fake, and not a pastiche of something else,” Dungan concludes. “The best houses have a soul to them, and I think this one does.”

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