Explore a thoughtfully designed home on the shores of Lake Norman that brings together a love of art, a commitment to family-centered entertaining, and architectural innovation.
Written by Bek Mitchell-Kidd
Photography by Madison Weaver and Kendyl Bradley
Interior Design: Melissa Rieser, Melissa Rieser Interiors
Builder: Jason Tanenbaum, President & Managing Partner, Grainda Builders
Home Design: Troy Smith, Partner, Smith Slovik Residential Design Group
Pool Design: Lake Norman Signature Pools
On the shores of Lake Norman, NC, an approximately 9,000-square-foot home designed by Smith Slovik Residential Design Group, built by Grainda Builders, and furnished by Melissa Rieser Interiors brings together a love of art, a commitment to family-centered entertaining, spaces that celebrate their child’s passions, and architectural innovation.
Inspired by its lake setting, a warm, tonal palette echoes the natural beauty of the water and surrounding landscape. Natural stone, marble, quartzite, travertine, alabaster, plaster, warm metals, and richly textured fabrics bring organic depth and an understated sense of sophistication indoors.
The homeowners’ art collection adds another layer of individuality. Rather than filling every wall, principal interior designer Melissa Rieser deliberately gave the pieces room to breathe, allowing the artwork to become part of the experience.
“We really like how our artwork collection comes to life across the whole home,” the homeowner says. “From the downstairs area to the main floor to small little Easter eggs of art like in one of our son’s closets.”
In the primary bedroom, oversized stone slabs meet custom millwork to create a dramatic feature wall. Seamlessly integrated sconces add warmth without competing with the material.
The installation demanded extraordinary precision. “We worked very closely with our stone masons and the designer to source, fabricate, and install the wall with no horizontal seams,” says Jason Tanenbaum, president and managing partner of Grainda Builders. “It’s an amazing stone wall with integrated fixtures and a real showstopper.”
The powder room offers another jewel-box moment: a custom-made marble sink paired with a tiled wall and ambient lighting. “I love using powder rooms as an opportunity to be a little more dramatic and create an experience for guests,” Rieser says.
That same attention to detail extends outdoors. The pool is the centerpiece of a carefully choreographed sequence of entertaining spaces. The topography of the waterfront property made a traditional pool placement impractical. Undeterred, the design team orchestrated a series of terraces that extend from the covered porch to an outdoor kitchen and bar, down to the pool, and ultimately to a covered lower-level patio and fire pit.
“The outdoor living space was definitely a unique challenge for our project team to collaborate on,” Tanenbaum says. The solution preserved the walkout basement and direct lake access while making the outdoor areas feel connected rather than divided by the site’s elevation changes.
“The sloped waterfront lot was a huge part of our early design conversations,” adds Troy Smith of Smith Slovik Residential Design Group. “I think the result is a testament to the kind of ingenuity that can come out of working with the right team and relying on each vendor’s specific expertise.”
The pool terrace also demonstrates the level of behind-the-scenes craftsmanship that defines the home. Hidden conduit was installed beneath the pool deck and foundations to provide future access to the hardscape lighting, allowing maintenance to be performed without disrupting the finished stonework.
Returning to the inside, the same philosophy guided the family-oriented details. A dedicated soccer room for their son gives his passion a place of its own—a space to play, celebrate the sport he loves, and make the home feel uniquely his.
For the homeowners, that balance ultimately delivered what they wanted most: a home that feels expansive without feeling disconnected. Their favorite area is the main floor, where the living room, kitchen, patio, and pool function as a single continuous space.
“You don’t ever really feel like there’s a separate room—it’s just one big area,” the homeowner says. “And that’s exactly what we wanted.”
The result is a residence where luxury lives in the details: a floor-to-ceiling quartzite fireplace, custom millwork, a handcrafted marble sink, and a deeply personal art collection that rewards a closer look. Everything feels considered, yet nothing feels excessive. And together, the pieces create a lake home designed not simply to impress, but to be lived in beautifully.
The homeowners explained, “When you’re building a home that feels like it may be your last to build, you’re surprised at the gravity that each decision carries because you want to ensure you don’t have any regrets. I think weighing those decisions against your budget and your goals is the ultimate challenge, and partnering with our designer and builder helped us arrive at the answers that were right for us.”