Lake House Design

Architecture for the Way People Actually Live on the Water

Brickmoon Design’s residential architecture practice has designed lake houses and waterfront properties across the Texas Hill Country and Highland Lakes for over 17 years. The firm operates from a second office in Wimberley, TX,  positioned directly in the region it serves — giving every project the benefit of architects who know the land, the lakes, and the regulatory environment that comes with building near Texas waterways.

Architecture and interior design are coordinated under one roof, so the view from the living room and the finishes inside it are part of the same deliberate design from the very beginning.

Lake House Design Styles

Waterfront homes shouldn’t fight their setting. Brickmoon works with the landscape and the water — not against them. The firm doesn’t have a default lake house aesthetic. The right architecture responds to the specific site, the specific lake, and the specific way a family lives on the water.

Site Analysis and Regulatory Review

We visit the site before drawing anything. Shoreline, views, flood zone classifications, LCRA setbacks, and impervious cover limits are all evaluated first. The site shapes the design. Understanding it upfront isn’t optional.

Conceptual Design and 3D Walkthroughs

Design directions are built around the water view, outdoor flow, and dock integration. Clients walk through the home in 3D before construction begins. Changes made here are inexpensive. Changes made during construction aren’t.

Integrated Interior Design

Laura Rickaway’s team joins at conceptual design, before the architecture is finalized. Materials are selected knowing the humidity, the light, and how the house will be used across the seasons. The interior should feel like an extension of the landscape, not a suburban living room relocated to the water.

Detailed Architectural Drawings

Every detail is specified. Structural plans address waterfront wind loads. Mechanical systems account for humidity. Electrical is designed with water proximity in mind. Deck railings, dock connections, and outdoor structures all meet applicable safety codes.

Permitting and LCRA Approval

Brickmoon manages city permits, LCRA approval, water board reviews, and dock permits. Waterfront projects involve multiple agencies on overlapping timelines. Clients don’t manage that. Brickmoon does.

Construction Administration

Regular site visits verify the build matches the approved drawings. Issues are caught early. The project concludes with a final walkthrough confirming every detail has been executed as designed.

Lake House Design Styles

Waterfront homes shouldn’t fight their setting. Brickmoon works with the landscape and the water — not against them. The firm doesn’t have a default lake house aesthetic. The right architecture responds to the specific site, the specific lake, and the specific way a family lives on the water.

Modern Waterfront

Clean lines, open glass, and natural materials. Modern lake houses frame water views while staying grounded in the landscape. They feel contemporary without feeling disconnected from where they sit.

Traditional Lakehouse

Timeless proportions, covered porches, stone, and wood. Traditional design respects the landscape. These homes carry regional character and hold their quality across decades.

Transitional Waterfront

Modern open spaces with traditional warmth. Clean lines meet generous porches. It’s the most requested approach for lake houses and for good reason. It handles almost every site well.

Rustic and Lodge Style

Wood, stone, and relaxed elegance. Rustic design celebrates the natural setting. Brickmoon creates lodge-style lake homes that feel like genuine retreats, not show houses built to photograph well and live in poorly.

Hill Country Vernacular

Native limestone, local materials, and regional character. Hill Country lake homes use building traditions that belong in the landscape. These homes look like they’ve always been there.

Coastal Contemporary

Light-filled, durable, and oriented toward the water. Coastal design principles translate well to Texas lakes. Brickmoon adapts coastal aesthetics to freshwater lake living with materials and details suited to the environment.

Why Choose Brickmoon for Lake House Design

Learn more about the firm and the experience behind every Brickmoon project.

  • Wimberley Office — In the Region — Brickmoon’s second office is in Wimberley, Texas. The firm isn’t designing lake houses from Houston and visiting occasionally. The team works in the Hill Country and Highland Lakes market, with direct knowledge of the sites, the contractors, and the regulatory environment.
  • LCRA and Waterfront Regulatory Experience — Brickmoon has navigated LCRA permitting, county approvals, and waterfront setback requirements across dozens of lake projects. That experience means designs built around regulatory constraints from the start — not redesigns that happen after the first permit rejection.
  • Architecture and Interior Design Together — Lake house interiors require the same site-specific thinking as the architecture. Brickmoon’s integrated team produces waterfront homes where the inside and the outside feel like they belong to the same design — because they were designed that way from day one.
  • Dock and Boathouse Integration — Docks and boathouses aren’t afterthoughts at Brickmoon. They’re part of the overall site design from the beginning — coordinated with the home’s architecture, the shoreline, and LCRA requirements so the entire waterfront property functions as a single cohesive plan.
  • Award-Winning Work — Best of Houzz recognition year after year, Houston’s Best Prism Award, and multiple Star Awards. The waterfront work holds the same standard as every other project the firm produces.
  • 17 Years of Texas Residential Experience — Founded in 2008. Completed projects on Lake Travis, Lake LBJ, Lake Conroe, Canyon Lake, and across the Texas Hill Country. That’s not a niche the firm recently added. It’s been part of Brickmoon’s practice from the beginning.

What Our Clients Say

Past clients share their Brickmoon Design experience across Google, Houzz, and HomeAdvisor — consistently praising the firm’s listening skills, integrated approach, and quality of execution.

Explore the Brickmoon Lake House Design Portfolio

Browse Brickmoon Design’s project portfolio to see completed lake house and waterfront projects across the Texas Hill Country, Highland Lakes, and Houston-area lake communities.

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Celebrating 15 Years
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Our Communities: Big Easy Ranch
Glen Cove Modern Home Design
New Project Completion: Glen Cove Modern
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Brickmoon Design Interiors
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Contact Brickmoon Design

Schedule an initial consultation with Brickmoon Design to discuss a custom home, remodel, addition, or lake house project.

Houston Headquarters
7155 Old Katy Rd, Suite N190
Houston, Texas 77024

Central Texas / Hill Country Office
13501 Ranch Road 12, Suite 111
Wimberley, Texas 78676

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Lake House Architect Design FAQs

What makes lake house design different from standard custom home design?

Waterfront homes must address water views, flood elevation, LCRA compliance, dock integration, and how lake life shapes daily use in ways standard custom homes don’t. Getting site orientation wrong or missing a regulatory requirement early produces expensive corrections late. Brickmoon specializes in these waterfront-specific challenges — they’re not edge cases, they’re standard practice on every lake project.

Which Texas lakes does Brickmoon Design serve?

Lake Travis, Lake LBJ, Lake Conroe, Canyon Lake, and the Highland Lakes region including Horseshoe Bay and Marble Falls. The firm has completed projects across all of these lakes and understands the unique regulatory environment and site conditions each one presents. Projects outside these areas are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

What are LCRA regulations and how do they affect lake house design?

The Lower Colorado River Authority manages water levels and property use along Texas Highland Lakes. LCRA regulations determine where a home can be built, how high it must be elevated, setback distances from the water, and dock placement rules. Requirements vary by lake and county. Brickmoon reviews applicable LCRA and county requirements before the design begins — not after the first permit rejection.

How does flood elevation affect lake house design?

Every waterfront property carries a flood elevation — the height water is expected to reach during major flooding. Building codes require living spaces to sit above that elevation. This changes how the home is positioned on the site, affects dock design, and shapes the relationship between the house and the land beneath it. Brickmoon factors flood elevation into every design decision from the initial site analysis forward.

Can Brickmoon design a dock or boathouse?

Yes. Docks and boathouses are part of the overall lake house project — not a separate scope added after the main contract is finished. Brickmoon designs waterfront access structures to integrate with the home’s architecture, work within LCRA regulations, and function for how clients actually use the water. Integrated dock design produces better results than coordinating two separate design processes.

Can Brickmoon work with a builder the client has already selected?

Yes. Brickmoon works with client-selected builders regularly and maintains relationships with trusted builder partners across the Hill Country. Lake house projects require clear communication between architect, builder, and LCRA. Brickmoon structures that communication from early design through construction — waterfront building is complex, and coordination failures are expensive.

What interior design considerations apply specifically to lake houses?

Waterfront homes face humidity, temperature fluctuations, water spray, and intense direct sunlight that inland homes don’t experience at the same level. Finishes must be durable. Materials must resist moisture damage without sacrificing refinement. Brickmoon’s interior design team specifies finishes with the waterfront environment in mind — it’s part of every selection decision, not an afterthought.

What is the difference between architecture and interior design?

Architecture designs the building itself — structure, systems, and spatial organization. Interior design determines how those spaces are finished, furnished, and experienced day to day. Combining both under one firm produces far better results.

Does Brickmoon design lake houses for vacation rental properties?

Yes. Investment rental properties require different design priorities than personal use lake houses. Durable finishes, layouts that work for diverse groups, and strong outdoor amenities matter more when a property sees high turnover. These requirements shape the design from the start at Brickmoon — not after the floor plan is already set and locked.

Related Resources

The Brickmoon Design blog covers lake house design guides, LCRA building regulations, site selection for waterfront properties, architectural styles for Texas lake communities, and what to expect when commissioning a custom lake house.

Get In Touch

At Brickmoon Design, we believe the best projects start with great conversations. To make sure our first virtual meeting is as valuable as possible, we'd like to understand your vision, goals, and project details upfront. This helps us come prepared with ideas, insights, and solutions tailored specifically to your needs.

Get In Touch

At Brickmoon Design, we believe the best projects start with great conversations. To make sure our first virtual meeting is as valuable as possible, we'd like to understand your vision, goals, and project details upfront. This helps us come prepared with ideas, insights, and solutions tailored specifically to your needs.

Get In Touch

At Brickmoon Design, we believe the best projects start with great conversations. To make sure our first virtual meeting is as valuable as possible, we'd like to understand your vision, goals, and project details upfront. This helps us come prepared with ideas, insights, and solutions tailored specifically to your needs.