Project Objective: A small lakeside cottage, with small and awkward living spaces. Our clients asked us to expand the house to provide a better interior arrangement and to increase their views of the lake. To do this, we both extended the house toward the water and opened the new spaces to the narrow living room and kitchen in the original house. We also created a good-sized deck with easy access from both the house and the yard. We dropped the deck down a few steps to keep the railing from obscuring the downhill lake view. It was also important to the client to respect the rustic character of the original house. Therefore, we continued the same siding and trim on the addition.