Spokane’s population can dwindle on a summer weekend as residents clear out to enjoy a lake option so bountiful in the surrounding area.

Lake Coeur d’Alene—always a hot spot—offers opportunities for both day and overnight excursions between the resort, private cabins and residential rentals.
Caribou Lodge, tucked away in Kidd Island Bay, inspires adventure both indoors and out.

Homeowners Bob Poole and Shawn Richardson, California residents, purchased the home in 2012 when it was in foreclosure.

Richardson says that despite the home being completely stripped at the time of purchase (as in no toilets, baths, and in need of a complete remodel), she and Poole knew the instant they walked through the door it was something special.

“We literally bought the property right there on the deck. I don’t even know if we went to all the floors,” says Richardson.

The family worked with local builders and designers on a grandiose remodel, breathing life back into the property.

In the following years, summers and holidays were spent at the lake home. Yet as seasons change, so does life, and the home sat unoccupied for a while.

Vacation Rental Authority approached the owners offering to make it a premiere rental property, and Richardson and Poole saw this as a viable option for their unused home, which is also now on the market.

Thus, this summer marks the first the lodge is open to outside guests for rental.

The five floors of Caribou Lodge offer a luxurious getaway easily accommodating a group of 12-14, making it a hotspot for family reunions and vacations. It sits nestled amongst other work-of-art homes. creating a vibrant community in the sheltered bay.

There’s a view of Coeur d’Alene Resort down the lake. “I love seeing the resort and fireworks, yet being tucked away in that quiet bay,” says Richardson.

The 6,872 square foot home stretches across 120 feet of private sandy beach, architecture and materials inside mirroring the magnificence of the surrounding great outdoors.

The home towers over the private dock, a rocky pathway leading from the beach through natural plants to the sliding glass door entrance.

The initial impression suggests a castle, encasing the entrant in stone on all sides. A pair of kayaks beckon for adventure on the waves. An arched tunnel leads to a rock-encased hallway ending at a full bath and a wrought-iron spiral staircase serving as a portal to the world above.

Entertainment options abound on the second floor of the home. A pool table overlooks the bay, a gas fireplace tucking in one side. Other entertainment options include a central gaming table set beneath a statement chandelier whispering adventure, a mixture of Edison-style bulbs set atop a wagon-like wheel cascading from the ceiling with thick braided rope. A plush sectional sofa surrounds the adjacent TV and bar area.

French doors lead to a guest room, where one can only imagine the late night giggles and conversations that have taken place among the set of bunk beds with full view of the bay and evening stars. This guest room also leads to a private porch.

At the far end of the floor, a full bath again echoes elements of the outdoors with a slate tile shower, commanding oak-framed windows and baseboards, and stylistic details like lantern sconces flanking an iron mirror suspended by rope above the sink.

There are two options for upward travel in the lodge. A glass elevator spans floors two to five, serving as both an interesting architectural piece and a handy mode of transportation.

The second option is an open set of wide plank stairs set against stone walls. Both lead to the third floor, marked by two living room spaces adjacent to a gourmet kitchen setup.

Luxury appliances dot the spacious kitchen, like the Thermador double oven above a warmer, and a side-by-side Kenmore fridge and freezer. A six-plate Thermador cooktop sits on a granite island.

Even drinks enjoy deluxe accommodations in a wine fridge or one of two beverage fridges.

Meal prep need not be a solo activity in this setup, spacious enough to welcome onlooking guests without overcrowding. A free-standing barnwood countertop is an open invitation to sip a cocktail from the full wet bar beneath old fashioned pulley-style lamps.

Meals are easily enjoyed by a crowd, as the wooden bar and round dining table each seat six comfortably, with alternative seating on the deck outside. No matter the seat, it’s lakeside accommodations as a bay of windows provides a constant reminder of the serenity of the lake and the majestic pines outdoors.

Congruent with the pattern of natural elements and fabrics throughout the home, neutral colors mix beneath custom wood cabinetry and overarching exposed beams in the adjacent living rooms.

One living room flows right into the next, each stocked with plush furniture inviting guests to sink into couches and soak in the serenity of the great outdoors.

Both spaces are most notably marked by a ceiling that spans to the floor above. A stone fireplace extends from floor to ceiling in the main living room, decorated by a stuffed caribou head inspiring the lodge’s most recent name.

“There is something about that main floor: people snuggle into the couches with big open windows and the fireplace. It’s also a great place to spend Christmas,” says Richardson. “The bay freezes over and eagles fly around like crazy.” In fact, the home was originally called The Aerie, for Eagle’s Nest.

A green canoe—a Lake Louise original that found its retirement refuge in the rafters of the luxurious lake home—decorates the overhead pathway from one living room to the next, another fun detail in an ode to adventure.

The floor above provides a vantage point to both living spaces, and is also the main point of entry from the front door as well as home to the master suite.

French doors separate the suite from the grand entryway and powder room, leading into the master suite stocked with luxury.

A king bed sits beneath an antler chandelier, windows looking out to the bay and another set of French doors beckoning for a closer view from the private deck. A triangular window on one wall offers a unique perspective to the outdoor scene. The coziness of the master suite, with the bed separated from the rest by a half wall, definitely feels like an aerie, or eagle’s nest.

Imagine opening your eyes to the lake view spanning before, swinging yourself out of bed and making your way to the bathroom. Bare toes meet the cool stone surface of the bathroom floor. A roman soaking tub stars in this space, waiting to cocoon its inhabitant facing out to yet another panel of windows providing spacious views of lake and pines.

A showerhead offers similar luxury in the same space, while a stone seat separates the two areas.

Frosted glass blocks hide the toilet, and more curves and carefully placed dividers allow privacy while keeping the open feel throughout the artful master bath.

Additional accommodations exist up the open stairway to the fifth and final floor of the home. A large gathering room offers relaxation with a plush chair set beside a bay of windows on one side and a smaller arched stone fireplace on the other.

One can take in the scenic view from on high via the balcony just off the main room. Two guest rooms, each with king beds and en-suite baths, lie in wait for guests.

Richardson admits a part of her is sad to sell the home. “But it’s more sad it’s sitting there unused. I hope a large family can congregate there and love it as much as we do,” she says.

An avid traveler, Joni Elizabeth constantly snaps photos to document inspiring architecture and design. Writing about such spaces melds Joni’s love for design and decor with that of sharing an individual’s story, as she believes spaces are often a small reflection of the owner. She’s also convinced no space is complete without a dog.