Seduced by the Shingle Style

After discovering a widespread mold problem in their Wisconsin lakeside cottage, the owners decided to go with a new house rather than rebuild the old. Architect Arleta Chang went to the drawing board with their vision of a shingle-style cottage in mind, and the result fits the site perfectly. The drawing board, meanwhile, was in California, more than a thousand miles away. Thanks to Web-based technology, though, the project went smoothly; in fact, Chang says the cottage might be the only project her firm has completed that is exactly like the working drawings. An abundance of curvy, asymmetrical shingle-style details decorates the exterior of the house, while inside, varied floor levels simultaneously create a sense of intimacy and expansiveness. In an open floor plan such as this one, plenty of nooks and alcoves provide safe haven from household hustle and bustle.