The People Behind the Work

Built By Two People Who Love Creating Stunning Spaces Together

Freshwater Design & Build was started by us – Karen and Alan – a husband and wife team who happen to bring exactly the right combination of skills to succeed in this kind of work. Karen designed. Alan builds. And because we share a home on the lake, a vision, and over 20 years of deep roots in the Lake Norman, North Carolina community, every lakefront home we design and build feels personal. Because to us, it is.

Together, we’ve watched this area grow, raised our family here, and built relationships with the people who call it home. That history informs everything we do and is evident in the care we put into our work, the standards we hold ourselves to, and our deep commitment to getting it right.

We’re so proud to have built Freshwater into the go-to luxury design and build firm for lakefront homes in the area – one project, one family, one home at a time.

Karen – Principal Designer

For Karen, design has always been about putting people first. She gets to know each client – really know them – before anything goes on paper. What makes your family tick? How do you want to feel when you walk through the door after a long day? Those key conversations are the foundation of every project, and they shape each decision that follows.

Alan – Principal Builder

Alan is the kind of builder who takes it personally when something isn’t right – and that’s exactly who you want working on your home. He’s on site, paying attention, and holding every trade to the standard he’d want for his own home. For Alan, a job well done isn’t a checkbox. It’s a point of pride.

When you work with Freshwater, you’re not hiring a distant firm with no ties to the community or your project. You’re working directly with us – locals who know and love our community and want to see it grow more beautiful. That’s the way we’ve always done it, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.