That’s the story behind this Lake Norman home, designed by Melodie Durham. Her clients already owned a home on the lake when they would frequently pass by, thinking this one was their favorite home of all the ones lining the water. When it came on the market, they weren’t able to make an offer, but filed it away and looked at it often.
Two years later, it was available again and this time, they snatched it up. After working with Melodie on several other projects in their primary Salisbury home, they knew they needed her keen eye for their new weekend home.
“My clients had owned other homes on the lake and in the mountains, and wanted to use their collected items in this home as well,” explains Melodie. “They wanted each floor to have its own ambience. The home rambles and has so many nooks and crannies, it was the perfect summer/weekend home for their children and grandchildren.” With lake views on three sides, Melodie knew they could dial up the scenery.
Over the next 14 months, Melodie worked closely with the homeowners placing their collection into spaces that made their possessions shine. “I always say that it’s easy to decorate with a magazine shoot in mind,” offers Melodie. “But it’s much more fun and challenging to mix heirloom pieces with new treasures that aren’t intended to ‘match.’”
As her clients traveled around, they would find pieces they loved and call or text Melodie to ask if it would work in their design. “Most of the time, they were dead on the mark,” she says.
Melodie accessorized according to each floor. The main floor is more rustic, and many items were used from a previous mountain home, pulled from their attic with consignment pieces added alongside. The second floor, by contrast, is a study in lake living and many of the furnishings were purchased from a friend’s beach home as well as custom-made and found pieces from places all over North Carolina.
“Despite the many design aesthetics, the house flows effortlessly because the home is large,” explains Melodie. “Its easy to allow each floor to have it’s own personality.”
When asked what her favorite room in the home is, Melodie quickly decides on the master bedroom. “You can lay in the blue Habersham bed watch the lake shimmering in the morning or dancing in the moonlight at night,” she says. “The sun porch is my second favorite. We re-covered a Duncan Phyfe sofa that belonged to the lady of the home’s grandmother, and the homeowners and I mutually adored the French coffee table in an antique shop separately before I even knew they purchased it. That’s how intune we were.”