With the Adirondack Mountains on one side and Lake George on the other, the town of Hague, N.Y., is an idyllic escape from big city living. Here, a three-story lake house with large porches and a private dock encourages its owners to slow down and soak up the natural beauty.

The approach to this handsome vacation home in Hague, N.Y., is certainly scenic, with tall trees, rolling hills and Lake George visible in the distance. A winding drive follows the slope of the yard down to the garage, where there's plenty of space for guests to park their cars.

The exterior of the lake house is defined by materials like locally milled douglas fir, eastern white bark on cedar planks, poplar bark shakes and New Baltimore Stone that was quarried close to the project site. In turn, the home feels perfectly in tune with its environment.

From this view, guests can see that the lake house takes cues from both Japanese and regional Adirondack styles. The towering architecture and curved overhangs were inspired by the former and evoke a sense of quiet tranquility, while the rugged materials -- in line with Adirondack tradition -- help the home complement its surroundings.