Bishops Place | Cedar Lakes Estate

This off-grid house, designed by Lara and Nick as their family home in Cedar Lakes, was created to take full advantage of the lake views, as a relaxed comfortable, barefoot space, perfect for family, friends, and dogs to feel at home.

The house is divided into two distinct zones: the family wing housing the open plan kitchen, dining and living room, with two bedrooms above, both en suite, for the couple's then-teenage children, and the adult wing: incorporating Lara and Nick’s work-from-home design studio, boardroom and private lounge, and main bedroom en suite upstairs. A private outdoor courtyard with a shower and bath off the main bedroom opens to the stars.

The double volume staircase and formal dining room in the center of the house link the two wings and acts as a sun trap in winter. In summer massive sliding doors open, making this place a breezeway to cross ventilate the house.

Complete with photo-voltaic panels for generating electricity, solar thermal geysers, and rainwater harvesting tanks, the house is low key and energy-efficient: a place to kick off your shoes and be at home.