Situated 35 feet above Splinter Creek’s North Lake is Seldom Seen, the contemporary lake house built in 2015 by homeowners Beverly and Bill Painter. “It’s so absolutely stunningly gorgeous out there,” Bill Painter says. “We walked all around the property and got to the top of that hill and said, ‘this is it.’”
The lake house is a secluded getaway for the couple, who live full time in Jackson, Mississippi. When they decamp for Splinter Creek to enjoy the house and property, “it’s magnificent. All your cares drop away,” Bill says. “It’s peaceful. We just sit there and stare out into the lake and relax.”
The Painters worked with Vermont-based architect Jean Terwilliger, who specializes in the design of sustainable homes using collaborative design methods and cost-effective green building technologies. The result is a house that, in Beverly’s words, “is like being in a treehouse.”
“The house is filled with windows that look out through the trees and down to the lake,” Beverly says. “Whether you are sitting on the deck or screen porch, or even inside the house, the lines between inside and outside are blurred. The constant sounds of wildlife, the wind rustling the trees, the blanket of quiet makes it a place of refuge and peace for us.”
For the couple, that feeling extends beyond the main house and into their extensive raised-bed garden, garden shed, and garden cottage. The 530-square-foot cottage includes a kitchenette, full bath, sleeper sofa, and Bill’s home office.
“It’s very cozy,” Bill says. “We love to cook and drink wine. We go for walks. We sit on the screened porch and the deck, eat out in the garden.”
Although currently hampered by Covid, the couple says their favorite thing to do is share Splinter Creek with friends. “We love to entertain there. People love coming there,” Bill says. “Our friends can’t believe they’re in Mississippi.”
