Wolfeboro, New Hampshire | Four Seasons Sotheby’s International Realty

The boathouse is one of the oldest of residential amenities, a once utilitarian shelter for boats, fishing supplies and assorted craft, built partially over the water or set just back from it. And it has retained this core purpose and footprint for centuries. What has changed is how architects, designers and homeowners now envision the space.

Waterfront living appeals for more than the views. It’s about how your lifestyle engages with the shoreline, lakeside or riverbank. Tackle boxes and fishing poles might still be stored within a boathouse, but features such as panoramic sun decks, wine racks, mood lighting and guest suites are increasingly common, helping to turn a day by the water into a night of entertaining, long after the boat has docked.

“The boathouses we design are basically lakeshore clubhouses with enough amenities in them to utilize the space throughout an entire day,” says Wade Weissmann, founder of Wade Weissmann Architecture, whose projects span waterside homes in both California and New York and their Great Lakes base in Wisconsin.

 Austin, Texas | Kuper Sotheby’s International Realty

Lakeside structures can err towards the nostalgic, bringing to mind summer-camp style. A creative approach takes more contemporary form on Lake Austin in Texas, where a new-build residence by architect Evan Fisher includes plans for an elevated glass pavilion positioned over the water, complete with a large minimalist living area and spacious sun deck above covered storage for boats and water toys.

For Jennifer Schuppie of Milwaukee-based interior design studio Peabody’s, it’s the boathouses with guest suites that she finds clients fighting over in properties on the shores of Lake Michigan. “[The boathouse] acts as another residential space, just one that happens to be above the water,” says Schuppie. Ultimately, she adds, a boathouse should both reflect nature and act as an extension of its built surroundings.

Windemere, England | United Kingdom Sotheby’s International Realty

At Ridding Bay, a 10-acre property in England’s Lake District, there is no need to choose between amenities and privacy. Along 900 feet of Lake Windermere’s natural lakefront, this recently refurbished 16,500 square foot estate features an indoor pool, movie theater and wellness suite, surrounded by landscaped gardens, woodland and rolling hills. But the main gathering area is the newly built boathouse, with a living room, open terrace, kitchenette, shower room and proximity to the water all day long.

No longer an afterthought, boathouses have evolved into miniature destinations within a property, a focal point for hosting or relaxation. Many of Weissmann’s clients approach them with the same care and consideration as parts of the primary home. “They are investing time and money into boathouse design,” he reports, “especially regarding material and craftsmanship.”

Wolfeboro, New Hampshire | Four Seasons Sotheby’s International Realty

On Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire, the three-acre Woodland Cove estate fronts 310 feet of sandy shoreline. This hilltop home has enough bedrooms to host a large family and then some. Down along the water is a beautiful extended boathouse crafted from mahogany and fieldstone with a sheltered boat garage and lift, detailed masonry and plenty of storage space.

“This boathouse is unique because it blends into the natural surroundings and has the capacity to house a 50-foot boat,” says Brian Neidhardt, global real estate advisor for the New Hampshire Lakes Region at Four Seasons Sotheby’s International Realty. “Boathouses on Lake Winnipesaukee are extremely desirable and can add up to 30% to the value of the property. Designs have become more extravagant and in many cases mirror the level of finish of the main home,” he adds.

This growth is reflected in other waterfront markets, too. “A lot of my clients are trying to create a multigenerational family presence, so they’re thinking generations ahead,” says Wade Weissmann. “Every single project we’re working on seems to be a legacy project.”

Loosdrecht, North Holland | Netherlands Sotheby’s International Realty

Few properties set up that multigenerational structure better than a Lac McGale estate in Quebec’s Upper Laurentians. Its 1,205 forested acres encompass three lakes and a private island, plus a traditional white clapboard boathouse that sits beside a timber dock.

Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, life on the water takes a more practical form. This contemporary property sits at the end of a private peninsula on the Loosdrechtse Plassen, a system of five interconnected lakes within easy reach of Amsterdam. Just steps from the main house and gardens is a low double boathouse from which to speed away easily. Its restrained design reflects a place where boats are part of everyday transportation and recreation. Because no matter a boathouse’s appearance and add-ons, it retains one core function: bringing its owner closer to the water.

Take design inspiration for indoor-outdoor spaces that work with the changing seasons

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