Living in a Work of Art
The Mastrapas considered themselves lake people. But the lakes they were accustomed to are a little different than those found in the Southeastern foothills.
Paul and Anne Mastrapa were from the suburbs of Chicago. And the home that made them fall in love with being on the lake was in Wisconsin, where the cool water made for a perfect summertime escape.
They first heard about The Cliffs at Lake Keowee and the South Carolina mountains from a friend. He was talking the area up, telling the Mastrapas how much they enjoyed the area.
At first, Paul and Anne didn't pay much attention to all the hype.
"We had no idea about South Carolina," Anne said.
Then they came down for a visit. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Above:
The homes' center core houses the stairwell and elevator, divides public and private living spaces and required extensive engineering. Large open spaces and featuring all-aluminum windows by Quaker Manufacturing.
The entry portal brings you directly into the core of the home, with access to the open-riser stairwell and 3-story elevator. Anvil Art Metalworks provided the custom-fabricated chimney surround and cap.
The 2-story concave fireplace elevation is crafted in stucco with brass inlays. In a room of hard angles, the fireplace's curvature softens the space considerably. The contemporay gas fireplace was manufactured by Ortal®.
It Only Took One Visit
The Mastrapas first laid eyes on Lake Keowee in 2021. Three months after that trip, they bought a lot.
"After we saw it, we just couldn't believe it," Anne said. "The beauty of the area is just unbelievable."
Now came the task of finding a builder. The Mastrapas wanted a modern lake home design. And they wanted a builder who had experience with similar homes.
They interviewed several construction firms but ultimately landed on The Stillwater Group because of their experience building contemporary lake houses. Along with the building experience, the Mastrapas said The Stillwater Group’s construction management process stood out to them.
“We felt like it was a more developed organization,” Paul said. “And we really liked the people. We consider them friends.”
Paul and Anne knew having an architect work closely with the builder would be critical. The Mastrapas collaborated with MHK Architecture to design their home. While many designs can take several meetings and alterations, the Mastrapa’s home came together in one shot.
"Our house as it stands now was designed in one super fun meeting," Anne said.
The close coordination between MHK and The Stillwater Group gave the Mastrapas even more confidence that the design they envisioned would materialize during the building process.
The four-season outdoor living space features a Isokerm® Magnum gas fireplace. Retractable screens and vinyl curtains make the space enjouable all year long.
Embracing Challenges
The Mastrapas construction documents were finished in June 2022. Building began during a difficult time due to supply chain issues and other delays, which set the Mastrapa's project back. But the delay ended up working out in their favor.
As construction progressed, the Mastrapas saw opportunities to make changes that would define their home. And they ran those ideas by The Stillwater Group.
"One thing we really appreciated was, whenever we came up with a cool different idea, Stillwater really embraced the challenge of that," Anne said. "And they seemed like they found it fun to solve those problems."
Once ground was broken, the Mastrapas stayed updated on progress through CoConstruct.
"CoConstruct is extremely valuable,” Anne said. "Everybody in the build benefited from that software."
In addition to those digital updates, the Mastrapas had regular meetings with their project manager and architects so they could work through any challenges and get updates on what was coming up next.
The Mastrapa's home was completed in August 2024. They've moved south permanently and now call Lake Keowee their home.
They said there's no single favorite part of the house because the whole thing feels like a work of art.
"We call it our live-action piece of art," Paul said.
It's on full display, with windows overlooking the lake in the mountains. The Mastrapas constantly call each other over to see a new change in the scenery.
For the Mastrapa family, a place they'd never considered has become their permanent home.
Dividing the living and kitchen spaces, a custom glass fireplace was a challenge to produce and shelving above is suspended from the ceiling in a truly unique design. The modern kitchen feaures a restrained palette with brass and natural materials.
The owner’s private study with deeply-coffered ceiling, Farrow and Ball paint in Railings #31, with contrasting brass hardware provides a private space to work and relax.
The infinity pool’s catch basin doubles as a soothing water feature and looks out over outstanding views of Lake Keowee.
Paul Mastrapa shares his home building experience from design through completion.
