This is a very special post for me because growing up I was fortunate in that my parents purchased a small lot on a nearby lake where we spent summers. While it wasn’t on the lake and while our home wasn’t a villa, it was close enough to the water that we spent weeks every summer in the water and boating.
For hundreds of years, people longed to live on lakes evidenced by many of the older villas and palaces featured in the second part of this gallery of lake houses.
Moreover, there is no typical lake house design or architecture. You can find beautiful lake homes in all styles including modern, craftsman, log, brick, castle and more.
The demand and willingness to pay a premium for waterfront property is so great that some communities create large man-made lakes to create waterfront lots. This gallery includes examples of this “suburban” lake home as well.
Typically in the West, we think of lake homes as vacation cabins often built of wood, but the fact is lakes are all over the world, including tropical countries where beautiful homes are built on lakes as well… this gallery also features tropical lake homes.
One interesting design feature of a lake home is the boat garage, which is depicted in 2 of our pictures. Boating is a popular lake activity, especially water skiing enthusiasts.
This gallery is split up into 2 sections:
2. Older lake homes (villas, palaces, etc.).
1. Contemporary Lake Homes
Elegant white mansion on large property on the lake.
Large lake mansion with extensive landscaped grounds.
Large wood home on mountain lake with private dock.
To see another spacious, grand rustic home…click here!
Modern lake home design with floating lights, private dock built on the edge of the water.
Huge red brick mansion on the lake in remote forested area.
Large red brick mansion with arched columns on a small lake.
Contemporary Victorian home with wrap-around porch on a canal. This is a home on a canal – not a lake, but I liked the style so it’s included. See 50 Victorian mansions here.
Multi-level rambling white mansion with green roof on the lake.
Remote home on mountain lake,
Row of large contemporary homes on suburban lake.
The above homes bring to mind the famous “Floating Homes” of Seattle, Portland and Vancouver!
Aerial view of large contemporary home on bluff overlooking a lake.
Contemporary home on large property with sprawling lawn down to the lake.
Small wood cabin in the forest with steps down to private dock on the lake.
Large white summer home on the lake with evergreen trees surrounding the home.
Large wood home with private dock on the lake.
Secluded wood home in the forest on the lake in winter.
Large contemporary home with large deck over the lake.
Contemporary home with patio leading down to the lake.
Classic lake home with sun deck over on top of boat garage.
White cottage on the lake near Cape Town, South Africa.
Lake home with boat garage and large sun deck on the water.
Mansion on man-made lake
Wood home built on wooden dock on the water.
Large tropical style home on a lake in Thailand.
Large contemporary home on quiet lake.
Large mansion with sloping lawn to the lake.
Scandinavian style home in red on remote lake.
2. Older Lake Homes
Old four story villa on the lake.
Luxurious pink Como Lake villa.
Famous Villa Melzi on Lake Como.
Front view of Villa Mezi.
White palace on a pristine lake.
Eye-catching Red Water Chateau in Czech Republic.
Villa on Lake Maggiore in Italy.
Spectacular Solar de Mateus Villa in Portugal.
Villa on Lake Garda in Italy.
Red brick Castle Duivenvoorde on the lake in Voorschoten, Netherlands.
Lyme Hall in Cheshire, England.
Villa on Oberhofen Lake in Switzerland.
Famous Taj Palace on Lake Pichola in Rajasthan, India.
Remote old ornate home on small lake surrounded by trees.
Palace on the lake in Belgium.
Old manor home on quiet lake.
A small lake house featuring a wooden exterior and a sprawling lawn area. It also offers a breathtaking view of the lake. See this entire home here.
Outside view of the home featuring its custom swimming pool and its stunning exterior. See more of this house here. Source: TopTenRealEstateDeals.com
This is a view of the mansion from the vantage of the lake. Here you can see the exteriors of the house with balconies and dormer windows as well as the boathouse with a background of tall trees. See more of this house here. Image courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
Other homes you might be interested in:
39 Floating Homes | 39 Beach Houses | 32 Modern Homes | 50 Victorian Mansions | 29 Log Homes
(c) 2015