The charms of an existing lake cottage enchanted our clients, despite its advanced state of decay. We determined to salvage what was possible, take down all walls, and reconstruct the house entirely with an energy-efficient envelope. With fewer than 1,000 sq. ft. of living space, LineSync Architecture was able to incorporate two bedrooms, a full bath, a powder room, and a new kitchen in an open-concept design. Cattail Cottage is now a small house that feels exceptionally big. Expansion options were limited to the grandfathered footprint by zoning ordinances, and the clients could not afford a full second floor. The original L-shaped cottage could not be ‘squared out;’ instead, the addition had to fit between the legs of the L. In a design that bridged the L with a bay window that tilts up and out toward the lake into the cattails, the room attained dimension at its narrow end and the cottage gained a commanding view of Lake Bomoseen, all without adding foundation to the sensitive site. The window seems to reach out and embrace the scenic vista of the lake in an unexpected and delightful way. A window seat adds scale to the window wall and completes the conversational circle of the living room while taking up minimal space. The roof, discovered to be rotting and decayed, was removed and redesigned to include the small triangular addition.