Silver Lake Cottages

A celebration of historic and modern landscapes.

Silver Lake has long been a place of respite for travelers, and offers a peaceful getaway while being located only an hour southwest of Rochester, NY. It is often referred to as the western-most Finger Lake, and has a reputation for beautiful scenery, excellent fishing and boating, as well as fabled lake serpent sightings in the early 19th century. Historic cottages are scattered along the landscape surrounding the lake and in 2021 BDL had an opportunity to craft a masterplan for two neighboring cottages. Each cottage was given a nickname - Woodpecker 1 & 2, as well as an aesthetic personality that drove the landscape design and material palette of each cottage. The goal was to marry the two properties and celebrate the unique landscapes of upstate New York - including the wildflower meadows, wooded forests, glacial lakes, and agrarian countryside. 

Woodpecker 2 is a charming lakeside cottage that leans more to the modern side in its styling, making it the refined sister of the two cottages with its authentic and simplistic design. The landscape behind the cottage was the initial project in the masterplan implementation.  BDL constructed a low retaining wall that carves out a new patio space off of the back entrance to the cottage. Features of the design choreograph a new sense of arrival to the site, alleviate the drainage issues plaguing the cottage, and provide a large entertaining space to watch the sunset. The exquisitely crafted dry-laid stone wall is constructed of local fieldstone 24 miles north and reclaimed granite curbing from Buffalo. The wall is accented by a charcoal colored brick patio and a lush perennial garden anchored by evergreen boxwoods. 

Woodpecker 1 is the original family cottage that has served as a cozy retreat for decades. Landscape design features for this historic cottage include a patio constructed from reclaimed granite curbing and stairs that lead visitors to the vegetable garden and writers studio at the back of the property. Native woodland species embrace the cottage and eventually reveal the stunning lake view as one travels around to the front of the cottage. The installation of these landscapes are in future phases of the masterplan.