Secluded home at 865 Laurel Cove Rd. built for relaxation

Call it the lake effect.

“I’ve never been able to work here,” said Ian Hessel, president and CFO of Highlands Diversified in London. “I come home with intentions to work, but as soon as I turn down the driveway, it changes.”

Who can blame him? His home at 865 Laurel Cove Rd. sits on a point on Wood Creek Lake. In two minutes, he can be relaxing at the stone firepit at water’s edge; in 4, he can be sitting on his private dock catching dinner or cruising the lake on his pontoon.

“Before I moved here, if you had asked me my ideal place to live, I’d have said a secluded property on the lake where I couldn’t see my neighbors and they couldn’t see me,” Ian said.

He got all that and more in 2015 when he bought the equivalent of a vacation home a short drive from the office. Designed to maximize enjoyment of the outdoors, the two-story home sits on 1.41 wooded acres with abundant wildlife. It looks and feels like a hunting lodge. Windows and doors wrap around the back and side, keeping the interior light and views unencumbered. Twin covered wood decks off the main and lower levels add a combined1,400 square feet of outdoor living space—and front-row seats to nature.

As Ian observed, “Every season has its own attributes, but the better view of the lake is when the leaves are off the trees.”

Beginning with speakeasy front doors, it usually takes a while for guests to take in all the details. Once inside, the focal point usually is the soaring cathedral ceiling and walls, trim, and doors crafted of polished natural pine. Dark wood floors and a stone fireplace with gas logs augment the cozy, comfortable aesthetic.

“When the power went out for a few days one year, I moved to the great room,” Ian recalled. “The fireplace can put out a lot of heat.”

The chef’s kitchen can handle and cook for a crowd. It’s equipped with a gas range plus a pair of refrigerated drawers for extra storage and a food prep sink in the island. The colorful tile backsplash is an unexpected touch that stands out against seriously beautiful wood cabinetry done in honey and black.

Ian had pretty much decided to rent rather than buy when he moved to London from Cleveland five years ago. “I didn’t know how long I was going to be here,” he explained. However, an exterior photo of the house piqued his interest, and he asked his Realtor to schedule a showing.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” Ian said, recalling that it was the last of several houses he toured that day. “It blew me away.”

“The quality of construction is top class,” he continued. “When I walked in, I was hooked. I knew I had to buy it.”

Built by Joe Hammond, one of the area’s leading builders of high-end homes, the residence has 3,966 square split evenly between both levels. The owner’s suite on the main level includes a spacious bedroom, two-person walk-in tile shower, whirlpool tub and huge his-and-hers customized walk-in closets.

An ensuite for guests that’s as big as the owner’s suite is located in the walk-out basement. Originally intended as a play area for the previous owners’ grandchildren, the lower level has a large recreation area that opens to the deck. There’s also plenty of space to add a couple more bedrooms and bathrooms.

Citing the need to be more nimble, the South Africa native who has lived in big cities and small towns all over the world recently decided to downsize.

“I’ve moved around quite a bit, but I really enjoy living in London. I like the slower pace of life,” he said. “Plus there’s no traffic.”