An Alabama Lake House Designed For Laid-Back Living

"I wanted to go inside only to sleep," says homeowner Hampton Stephens of her vision for lakeside living. Growing up, she spent summers bunking at a cabin on the banks of this tucked-away spot outside Birmingham. But after she started a family, Stephens began scoping out an area nearby to call their own. Up went a temporary tent next door to her parents' place, but down it came when she hiked to a hillside across the water and was instantly sold on the view. An architect by training, she envisioned a rustic retreat that emphasized spending time outdoors. She collaborated with friend and architect Bruce Lanier (of Birmingham-based ArchitectureWorks) to design a pair of minimalist modern cabins: a main house (with a kitchen and living area on the top level and a guest room underneath) connected by a pathway to a bunkhouse (with the kids' quarters on the ground floor and a master suite above). This summer-camp-style setup brings everyone closer to nature, and the different floors of the cabins are accessible only via exterior entries. "Houses are usually vessels for interior living, but this design lends itself to being outside," says Lanier. The structures were nestled into the existing hillside with a goal of cutting down as few trees as possible. "I wanted the homes to seem hidden as if they'd just crawled out of the earth. When you look out over the water, you feel disguised by the trees," says Stephens. Get inspired by their life on the water.