Entire home

Secluded 'Green' Award-Winning Contemporary Lakefront Home

Nano Doors open to view on three sides of the living space!

Exceptional

1 bedroom1 bathroomSleeps 467.4 sq m

Popular amenities

Kitchen
Washing machine
Dryer
Pet-friendly
Air-conditioning
Outdoor space

Rooms & beds

1 bedroom (sleeps 4)

1 bathroom

Bathroom 1

Spaces

Deck or patio

Kitchen

Balcony

Dining area

About this property

Secluded 'Green' Award-Winning Contemporary Lakefront Home

This is not a vacation home that we built as much as it is an experience that we created. Please read our guest reviews!

As seen in Sunset and Dwell Magazines, the Lotus Lake House is a completely 'green' exclusive home designed by the award-winning architect Michelle Kaufmann. Its sleek & modern with accordian-style glass walls that completely open to the deck and views of the lake. Lots of windows and cool welcoming tones. We are completely off-grid and have been awarded 'Build it Green' and 'Keep the Sierra Green' certification.

We're situated on 7 acres of private forested property. We cleared just enough trees to have fabulous views of Rollins Lake or instead of just gazing, hike the private trail from the deck to the lake and hop in the canoe we provide guests. With the glass 'Nano' walls open to the outdoors - indoor and outdoor living is blended. No neighbors or other structures in sight! Just the Sierra Mountains, trees, deep blue water, deer, owls, raptors and the ocassional honking geese.

Whether you are on the deck sipping coffee and watching the beautiful sunrise over the mountains, reading, sipping a drink at sunset or star gazing at night, the experience is magical.

Our home is ideally suited for a romantic get-away, or for a couple of good friends or close family members who just need a retreat from the stresses of daily life. Sit on the deck and enjoy the water activity during the summer, swim in the lake or come off season when it's absolutely still. Ideal for writer/artist retreat. Only earth-friendly products are used so it's perfect for people with chemical sensitivities.

For those who want to support the environment while staying in an exclusive and unique property, you can't ask for more. You'll feel like you are in a treehouse. As one of our guests said, 'if you need to relearn how to breathe, this place will teach you'!
Come experience off-the-grid living in luxury!

The Lotus Lake House was the showcase home at the 2007 West Coast Green Show in San Francisco.

Please read our guest comments as they describe the experience better than we ever could!!

Keywords: ecofriendly,contemporary,unique,lakefront,romantic,pet-friendly,luxury,secluded,private, boating,close to downtown Grass Valley & Nevada City, green, eco, dog friendly (25$ per dog )lake, forest, cabin, unique,

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Kitchen

Washing machine

Dryer

Pet-friendly

Air conditioning

Outdoor space

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Kitchen
Washing machine
Dryer
Pet-friendly

House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM

Minimum age to rent: 25

Check out before 11:00 AM

Children

Adults only

Events

No events allowed

Pets

Pets allowed

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Check-out instructions

The host requires you to complete the following before checking out:

Return the keys

Please don't strip the bed, cleaning will handle that.

Turn the heat down to 58

Return the keys to the mechanical room

Failure to complete these may result in a negative review from the host.

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy

Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges

Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed

On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited

Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip

Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property

Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit

We should mention

A car is required for transport to and from this property

About the area

Grass Valley

Located in Grass Valley, this holiday home is in the mountains and on a lake. Bourn House and Bourn Cottage are local landmarks, and some of the area's activities can be experienced at Montoliva Vineyard & Winery and Grass Valley Brewing. Grass Valley-Nevada County Chamber of Commerce and Center For The Arts are also worth visiting. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.

View more Holiday homes in Grass Valley

Grass Valley, CA

What's nearby

Rollins Lake - 3 min walk - 0.3 km
Center For The Arts - 17 min drive - 15.5 km
Nevada County Fairgrounds - 17 min drive - 16.6 km
Westfield Galleria at Roseville - 54 min drive - 64.4 km
Thunder Valley Casino - 58 min drive - 65.4 km

Getting around

Colfax Station - 12 min drive
Sacramento, CA (SMF-Sacramento Intl.) - 68 min drive

Restaurants

‪McDonald's - ‬9 min drive
‪Red Frog - ‬7 min drive
‪Starbucks - ‬9 min drive
‪Trailblazer Craft Pizza & Brews - ‬23 min drive
‪Dine n Dash Pub & Grill - ‬10 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Secluded 'Green' Award-Winning Contemporary Lakefront Home pet-friendly?

Yes, pets are allowed at this property. Some restrictions may apply, so please contact the property for more details.

How much does it cost to stay at Secluded 'Green' Award-Winning Contemporary Lakefront Home?

As of 31 Mar 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Secluded 'Green' Award-Winning Contemporary Lakefront Home on 27 Apr 2026 start from AU$320, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.

How much is parking at Secluded 'Green' Award-Winning Contemporary Lakefront Home?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at Secluded 'Green' Award-Winning Contemporary Lakefront Home?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Secluded 'Green' Award-Winning Contemporary Lakefront Home?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is Secluded 'Green' Award-Winning Contemporary Lakefront Home located?

Situated on a lake, this holiday home is 0.5 mi (0.7 km) from Rollins Lake and 1.9 mi (3 km) from Montoliva Vineyard & Winery. Sierra Vista Community Center and Colfax Area Heritage Museum are also within 6 miles (10 km).

9.6

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.

Learn more

9.2/10

Cleanliness

8.0/10

Amenities

7.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.8/10

Check-in

9.6/10

Communication

9.8/10

Liked: Check-in, location

Disliked: Cleanliness

The area was beautiful and absolutely would love to come again! Main issues were locking doors for some reason, as well as the lack of cleanliness. We expected it cleaner since the price was pretty up there. What I had to clean during the stay was the grill, the couch, windows were a bit smudged when there, and the shower was full of mildew and the red bacteria. Would come back again if cleaning improves(:

Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2025

Verified

10/10 Excellent

Simone Oktavia

25 Oct 2025

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities, communication

It always blows me away with this location! Very quiet and safe and definitely a needed getaway. We enjoyed our time there and Tod was as always a super host and made sure we felt comfortable. However we did wish that the washing machine/dryer was functional. There was also a jacuzzi this time, but it seemed out of function. We wish that there had been more info about this, but we enjoyed our time there without regardless!

Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2025

Verified

10/10 Excellent

Dianne C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Nice, quiet place to relax

Only downside that had nothing to do with the property itself was that when we got home our dogs had ticks. We pulled close to 2 doz so we probably won't visit that area again. The place though was quite beautiful and very comfortable.

Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2021

Response from VrboOwner on 15 Dec 2021

I'm sorry for not mentioning to not let the dogs run free, early winter is deer tick season all over the Sierra Nevada mountains and this year has been especially bad.

Verified

8/10 Good

Arthur R.

28 July 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Mountain/Lake Getaway

We had a great time at Lotus Lake house. The house is unique and very well taken care of. Fully stocked with everything you could possibly want or need. Tod, the owner, was very responsive to any questions we had. We would definitely stay there again. Suggestions would be to replace the queen size bed with a king size, as the room is large enough. Also, shades would be an asset in the front of the house to block the sun .

Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2020

Verified

6/10 Okay

Donald

28 July 2024

If you’re looking for peace and quiet this is for you. This green prefab is very secluded. It is starting to show its age though. Music system is set up for docking an old style iPod. Deck is at the point it will need to replaced soon. Unfortunately, currently the lake is about 20 feet low making access from the home difficult at best.

Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

Archival

10/10 Excellent

15 Aug 2010

An off the grid getaway

We truly enjoyed our time at Lotus Lake house. We chose this listing because of the lovely photos depicting the deck looking out over the lake and it did not disappoint. We ate breakfast and lunch on the deck each day, and my husband especially enjoyed having his morning coffee out on the deck. We also took our dog with us and that made us feel right at home. The dog run is big and full of great places for dogs to curl up for a nap. Lotus Lake house is new, beautiful and well maintained, and Barrie was super. We relaxed and had lots of down time, just what we needed.

Response from VrboOwner on 22 Mar 2020

We agree! The LLH is the best place for dogs and the people they own to relax! Most of our guests intend on exploring the Grass Valley and Nevada City area and wind up never leaving the deck/house!

Archival

10/10 Excellent

Lele Diamond &.

19 Aug 2010

We didn't want to leave ...

As lovers of modern architecture and conscious living, we were thrilled to find the Lotus Lake House and it did not disappoint. The location is beautiful, the amenities are top notch and being off the grid provided a much needed break from the outside world. We spent our days lounging on the decks (in the most comfortable outdoor furniture we've ever sat in), swimming in the lake, and eating dinner under the stars. The Nano walls were awesome and brought the outdoors in. The owners, Barri and Tod, were also very welcoming and communicative; we were told to call them if we needed anything and had their phone numbers and contact information. Our time at the Lotus Lake House went way too fast and we're already making plans to return.

Response from VrboOwner on 25 June 2020

We're so delighted that Noelle and Lele loved the house, the surroundings and their time decompressing from the city and work. We' were especially pleased that they swam in the lake every day. It's beautiful to look at but also wonderful to experience!

Verified

10/10 Excellent

Alena N.

19 June 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

open living space above the lake

We have had nice warm days there and could take advantage of sliding doors to open the whole cottage, modern, contemporary area and connect with nature around. The cottage needs some upgrades such a kitchen cabinet doors, wood on the deck here and there. We though the housekeeping has a some space for an improvement. But overall it is a very unique place and we have had absolutely wonderful time in this incredible open space set up above the turquoise lake. Thank you Tod for sharing your property with us. We would love to come back in the future. A/J

About the host

Hosted by Tod duBois

We are very interested in doing our part to protect our planet and the environment. A refuge from the corporate world in Silicon Valley where I held demanding jobs we enjoyed building my lakeside dream eco-friendly vacation home in the middle of a forest overlooking beautiful Rollins Lake. Tod designed the off-grid system himself, it's amazing! This is my home and when it's not rented we delight in escaping the Bay Area for the beauty and simplicity of its zen-like qualities.

Why they chose this property

I love the Sierras and a number of years ago bought 8 acres in the forest overlooking Rollins Lake with the intent of building a low carbon-footprint vacation home that would be all about the views. Although our home is private & secluded I liked that you are within 5 minutes of wineries, 15 minutes to the quaint artist town of Nevada City, 12 minutes to the historic Gold Rush town of Grass Valley, hiking, exploring the gold mines, and organic farms and only 45 minutes to Sugar Bowl Ski resort.

What makes this property unique

You will come away rejuvenated, even after just 2 days! As one of our guests wrote: 'If you need to learn how to breathe again, this place will teach you'. Most of our guests have plans to do lots of things and wind up not leaving the house! The seclusion, the tree-house feel, the lake views and access to the lake and a canoe make this a very special getaway for 2.

Premier Host

They consistently provide great experiences for their guests

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Secluded 'Green' Award-Winning Contemporary Lakefront Home

Photo gallery for Secluded 'Green' Award-Winning Contemporary Lakefront Home

Reviews

Popular amenities

Rooms & beds

1 bedroom (sleeps 4)

1 bathroom

Bathroom 1

Spaces

About this property

Secluded 'Green' Award-Winning Contemporary Lakefront Home

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Have a question?

Similar properties

Hummingbird House - Scenic Peaceful Foothills Getaway only minutes from downtown

House Rules

Children

Events

Pets

Smoking

Check-out instructions

Important information

You need to know

We should mention

About the area

Grass Valley

What's nearby

Getting around

Restaurants

Frequently asked questions

Reviews

Exceptional

9.2/10

8.0/10

7.0/10

9.8/10

9.6/10

9.8/10

9.6/10

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Melissa M.

Melissa M.

10/10 Excellent

Ana S.

Ana S.

10/10 Excellent

george d.

george d.

10/10 Excellent

Sara B.

Sara B.

6/10 Okay

Ashley V.

Ashley V.

10/10 Excellent

Simone Oktavia

Simone Oktavia

10/10 Excellent

Dianne C.

Dianne C.

10/10 Excellent

Rachel F.

Peaceful getaway

Rachel F.

10/10 Excellent

Denise W.

Loved it

Denise W.

10/10 Excellent

Shannon S.

Awesome lake views

Shannon S.

10/10 Excellent

forrest d.

Three day get away

forrest d.

10/10 Excellent

Michelle F.