A covered wood bridge ushers residents into a Glenbrook estate, where Lake Tahoe is the star of the show

The elevated back deck features a firepit along with ample seating and spectacular views overlooking Lake Tahoe

Set on a spectacular lot in one of Tahoe’s most historic communities, a striking new three-story home in Glenbrook provides a family with a high-end yet inviting retreat with plenty of room to soak up the best of lakefront living.  

Smart planning and craftsmanship ensured that the home balances durability, comfort and elegance, while locally sourced stone and timber connect the house to its alpine environment while reducing environmental impact. 

“Sustainability was a core objective,” says Daniel Fraiman, owner of the eponymous construction company known for bringing elegant mountain designs to life. “The home employs energy-efficient glazing, high-performance insulation and smart HVAC systems to minimize energy use.”

A substantial covered wood bridge leads to the top level of the home, where expansive glass walls frame the lake views. 

“The bridge is a major, major focal point,” says Natalia Wieczorek, owner and architect at BFD / Key Architecture, who worked on the project in collaboration with Benjamin Fagan Designs. “Because it has the posts, it creates this really distinct sense of entry and pushes your eye since everything is see-through. You just look at the lake as though you’re walking into it, even though you’re entering on the top floor.”

Inside, the 5,900-square-foot home contains four bedrooms, four full baths and two half baths. A custom staircase showcasing white oak treads and glass-and-metal railings unfurls across all three levels and serves as a sculptural statement piece. 

“The indoor staircase is a huge feature of the home,” says Fraiman. “From the main floor to the upper floor, it is floating [and] supported by a substantial steel beam. There is textured tile along the walls with sconces to match.” 

The textured tile extends from the ceiling to the main level just before the stairwell enclosure, evoking the look of tree bark and helping the home feel rooted in its Tahoe setting. 

The home was designed to blur the line between indoor and outdoor living and frame the lake views rather than compete with them

Mother/daughter duo Dominique Faedi and Jordan Hughes of Dominique’s Interiors & Consulting oversaw the interior design process and chose finishes and furnishings to achieve their mission of creating a sense of lived-in luxury. Throughout the home, elegant touches—from white oak flooring and wall paneling to natural granite and marble slabs on the interior fireplaces—were used to give the home a cohesive and timeless feel. Custom white oak interior doors featuring reeded paneling were chosen to create a fluted look and add visual interest. 

“Our goal is not to be trendy, it’s to be timeless,” says Hughes, who was the lead designer on the project. “So [we were] pulling in the rustic elements to bring in our Tahoe surroundings, on top of some more current sleek suede and leathers to bring that warmth in.”   

In the open-concept great room, Hughes chose a pair of hanging lights in a hammered silver matte finish that resembles bark, ensuring visual symmetry with the textured tile in the staircase. She also commissioned a custom coffee table by furniture artist Neiko Pagaduan of Timber Library Designs, who blended concrete and maple wood with a metal base. The one-of-a-kind piece was fashioned from a large wood slab, adding a level of sophistication and originality that remains consistent throughout the rest of the home. 

On the first two floors, sliding glass pocket doors lead to decks that function as extensions of the indoor living areas, complete with firepits and swivel chairs that face the lake. 

“When you’re doing a lakefront [property], the lake is your art and that’s where a lot of our color comes into play, from the natural elements around,” says Hughes. 

To that end, she made interior design decisions that complement the lake without distracting or detracting from it. Since the homeowners like green, Hughes also incorporated verdant hues throughout the property, from a green sofa in the great room to marble slabs for the countertops and shower in the primary bathroom. 

The warm and timeless residence celebrates panoramic lake views and blends seamlessly with its natural surroundings

The great room flows into the dining room and a custom-designed wine enclosure, which houses the owners’ expansive wine collection. A live-edge slab with chevron-style shelves made by Timber Library Designs accommodates choice bottles. 

The nearby kitchen features white oak cabinetry mixed with black paint, panel-ready appliances, and a range wall backsplash and island of Calacatta marble. 

“It was just such a unique slab that we found,” says Hughes. “And once it was laid out, our client and I noticed how much green was in it, which was such an exciting surprise to pull in the green sofa and all the rest of the greens that were being pulled throughout the home.” 

The house is also equipped with a separate butler’s pantry, which features a metal-and-fluted glass pocket door to hide the prep station when hosting guests. Reeded glass extends from the ceiling down to the countertop, which then stretches into the kitchen. 

Originally designed as the dining area, a space next to the kitchen was reimagined as a sitting area with a view. From there, sliding glass doors lead to the far side of the deck, where a pizza oven and barbecue sit at the ready.

The two-story primary bedroom feels expansive but serene, balancing architectural volume with soft furnishings and natural materials

Stationed across two separate levels, the primary suite represents a unique departure from traditional sleeping quarters. The upper-floor study features a custom desk made from the same wood as the coffee table in the great room, while the lower-level bedroom has a two-sided fireplace and a bed with a white oak headboard. The adjoining primary bath features green marble slabs for the countertops and shower, a reeded white oak vanity and a herringbone floor design made from marble and ceramic tiling.

The design team also ensured there was plenty of space for the owners to pursue their shared love of playing games. The lower level was turned into a de facto game hub, anchored by ping-pong and shuffleboard tables, along with a felt wall installed by Hughes and Faedi that displays an old dartboard the family brought back from Ireland. A custom bar rounds out the space, complete with panel-ready cabinetry equipped with a cognac leather-like finish and leather pulls. A smoked mirror spans the entire backsplash, while ceiling-mounted shelves showcase liquors and glassware sourced from Jackson Hole, Wyoming. 

A three-sided fireplace with book-matched marble slabs adds warmth to the space. The same marble motif carries into the nearby powder room, where it forms a floating vanity paired with green chevron tile and a gold vessel basin.

The wine room was designed as a sculptural feature, with custom chevron millwork and integrated lighting framing a live-edge figured maple slab by Timber Library Designs

Outside, the lot offers private beach access via a wide path that leads to a sandy beach with space to store the owners’ paddleboards and other lake toys. Across all three floors, the home reflects a thoughtful collaboration between the design and build teams, marrying elegance with everyday living to craft a Glenbrook treasure that will serve the residents for years to come.

Award: Lakefront Luxury

Building Design: Benjamin Fagan Designs; BFD / Key Architecture

Builder: Daniel Fraiman Construction

Interior Design: Dominique’s Interiors & Consulting

Landscape Design: Lumos & Associates

Square Feet: 5,900