A Lakeside Princeton Home Focuses on the View

It features space, style and spectacular sight lines

Designers Dana Miller and CJ Mapletoft were brought in early in the rebuilding process at this lakeside Princeton home. “This project was a wonderful collaboration between the homeowner, the architect, the builder and us,” Mapletoft says. Miller adds, “It was wonderful that we were able to give our input from the very beginning.”

‘We first fell in love with the location,” says the owner of this scenic property on Lake Carnegie in Princeton. “We knew we had an opportunity to create a living space that maximized lake views.” But while the owners adored the location, they were less enthused about the existing home. “The old house was dark. It didn’t highlight or take advantage of the beautiful view,” says designer Dana Miller who, with her partner, CJ Mapletoft, is a founder of Bedminster-based design firm Mapletoft & Miller.

So the owners and their team — consisting of the designers, architect Louisa Bartle Clayton of Bartle Clayton Architecture in Princeton and Mike Danna of Pinneo Construction, also in Princeton — started the project almost from scratch. Mapletoft explains, “They took the existing center-hall Colonial and stripped it to the frame. Technically, it was a renovation, but you could call it a new build.”

“The owners didn’t want window treatments in the rooms facing the lake,” Miller says. Instead, retractable motorized shades provide privacy or a sun shield when needed.

The layout of the newly built structure fulfilled the homeowners’ wish for expansive water vistas, and the designers set about creating interiors that would highlight that landscape. “We wanted an aesthetic that would complement the nature that surrounds the house,” the homeowner says.

To that end, Mapletoft and Miller stuck to a primarily neutral palette interspersed with hints of color inspired by the outdoor environment. In the living room, for instance, green armchairs and coordinating throw pillows reflect the flora outside. In the den, earth tones abound—from the rust accent pillows to the clay tone on the walls.

The expansive dining room is ideal for entertaining, which the owners do frequently.

The ecological environment was top of mind when the designers chose textiles as well. “The homeowner wanted natural fibers so, with things like carpets, we brought in organic elements such as sisal,” Miller notes. “And for the living room rug, the homeowner wanted 100% wool.” The clients also wanted sturdy (and dog-proof) materials, so Mapletoft and Miller chose performance fabrics for the furnishings.

“We had the furniture custom made to fit the space better,” Miller says of the large pieces in the spacious den. The deep wall color ensures that the room is warm and homey. “It’s a dark and cozy space,” Mapletoft says.

A cohesive palette and an overall emphasis on organic furnishings ensure a harmonious aesthetic throughout the home. “We wanted it to be very restful to the eye. It all flows together,” Miller says. Mapletoft notes, “We tied in the colors from one end of the house to the other by referencing the warm colors in the kitchen on one side and the family room on the other and incorporating them into the rooms in between.”

Attaching the bar shelving to the mirror in the den was a challenge for the builder. “I know it was a stressful day,” Miller shares. “But it went on without a hitch.”

Lucy, a poodle mix, gets cozy in a mudroom nook designed specifically for her.

According to the designers, the overall aesthetic defies standard design categories. “I hate to label it,” Miller says. “Some labels are so overused.” Mapletoft describes the look as an amalgam: “traditional, transitional, cozy and comfortable.” Miller adds, “it has a quiet elegance”—all of which could describe the homeowners themselves. “They’re such lovely people,” Miller says. “We stopped by one day and just looked out at the views. It’s mesmerizing. Spellbinding. You feel like you’re on vacation the minute you go in that front door.” Mapletoft enthuses, “there isn’t a place in that house where I wouldn’t want to sit and have a cup of coffee.”

A game table in the music room is a scenic spot for the puzzle-loving homeowners to pass the time. The chairs are the same as those in the dining room and are relocated there when extra seating is needed.

The designers chose cabinet colors that would harmonize with views outside the windows.

The homeowner agrees: “Every day is a new day in the house on the lake, with the varying seasons, lighting, wildlife and boating. The floor-to-ceiling windows that span three sides of the first floor make the views and enhance our daily living.”

“If there’s one place in the house you can go crazy, it’s the powder room,” Mapletoft says. The homeowner agreed, Miller notes. “We showed her the wallpaper and she just loved it.”

The back of the house is set up for outdoor entertaining. “One of our first parties was to cheer on the Rutgers women’s rowing team in the Ivy Invitational,” the homeowner says. “The deck provided a wonderful viewing spot.”

EDITOR’S NOTES: This story appeared under the headline “Pleasing Panorama” in the October/November 2024 issue of Design NJ. For a discussion with the architect of this home, see “View Finder” in the December 2024/January 2025 issue.

For more about homes in this popular university town, see “A Princeton Home Gets Reconfigured,” “Property Potential in Princeton,” “The Nature of Things,” “Bright and Breezy,” “Detail Oriented,” “An Upside-Down Colonial With Plenty of Light” and “Michael Graves — An American Legacy.”