In harmony with nature

To Bill and Anneliese Piatt, their home is not only a lake house, but a house designed around and completely integrated with its surroundings – the narrow point lot, the water and the spectacular mountain view.
    “The outdoors is our canvas,” said Anneliese. “We live very close to nature, seeing the seasons change, feeling the warmth of the winter sun and the cool shade of our leafy trees in summer.”
    Bill added, “Our frequent comment is that the best part of the house is the part we had nothing to do with — the views of Smith Mountain.”
    Located up Witcher Creek near the base of the mountain, the home was designed for efficiency.
    “Rather than a couple of very large open rooms, we created several cozy spaces that all have multiple uses,” Anneliese said. “So the home is just right for the two of us, but it also readily accommodates large groups.”
    One of her favorite features is the European-style kitchen. Unlike some massive American kitchens, it is an efficient, galley-style space filled with high-tech German appliances, which perfectly suit the accomplished chef. The home’s energy footprint also reflects German inspiration.
“We were visiting Anne’s relatives there recently, and we saw solar panels on houses, barns, garages, just everywhere,” said Bill, noting that solar panels on the Piatts’ roof provide for hot water in summer and toasty radiant floor heating during winter months. The system also allows for seven separately controlled heating zones.
    “We can economize when it’s just the two of us and heat additional rooms when guests come,” Bill explained.
    The Piatt’s home, which was featured on the SML Charity Home Tour last fall, also draws passive solar heat from the morning sun streaming in the windows in the winter. Leaves on strategically located deciduous trees block that sun in warmer months. Two whole-house fans provide enough air circulation that air-conditioning is rarely needed.
     Another feature the homeowners are particularly glad they incorporated is the stacked natural stone patio with firepit and extensive landscaping.
    “The patio doesn’t just complement the house, it completes it. Kudos to Anne for her landscape design and layout,” Bill said. “It makes us feel like we’re living in a park.”
The couple met in 1974 in Togo, Africa. Bill was there as a Peace Corps volunteer and Anneliese was working as a nurse. The Piatts have lived in several countries around the world and have an eclectic collection of art and crafts — carved tables, unusual pottery, wall hangings – that includes pieces from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Mideast and Latin America. They also have incorporated artwork from local artists, friends and family into their home’s decor.
    Looking to possible needs in the future, the Piatts made the main living areas handicapped-accessible and included a separate entrance to an upstairs suite of rooms that could serve as a caregiver apartment. For now, they plan to offer that space as bed-and-breakfast accommodations.
    “We’ve already had some experience hosting a couple during their homebuilding project.” Bill said. “It worked out just fine.”

BUILDING BASICS
Year Built: 2002; renovated and expanded in 2008
Square Footage: 3,500
Design Style: Contemporary European Chalet
Architect: Balzer & Associates, Inc.
Builder: Ken Brodin Builder, Inc.
Dock Builder: Peter Beckman

HOME JOURNAL
Anne’s Top Splurge
“We love the radiant floor heating in the winter. There is no substitute for warm feet and a cozy feeling in a room full of windows.”

What Inspired Us
“It all started with the window seat and grew from there with a heavy focus on maximizing the panoramic views,” Anne said.

Bill’s Favorite Feature
“The mountain setting with the clear azure waters of the lake.”

We Couldn’t Live Without
“Anne’s kitchen.
It’s highly effecient for a highly skilled chef!”