Mahogany woodwork replaces the former blonde wood that dominated homes in the 1950s. Oriental area rugs are used throughout the house.

When the Labinskis moved to Whitefish Bay in the summer of 1995, both Kathy and her husband, John, knew they’d miss the Southwest. "We were leaving an adobe home we had designed and built two years prior," Kathy Labinski says.

Their Realtor showed them a home that was lacking in curb appeal but was prime real estate on Berkeley Boulevard. "When we pulled in front of the house, our hearts sank," Labinski says.

The home was built in 1953, "which isn’t a period either one of us cared too much about." But it was structurally sound, the previous owners had taken good care of it and the layout and flow were appealing. "Did I mention it was in our price range?" Labinski says.

The deal was sealed, and the remodeling project began. "We started out with a face-lift in the front," she says. With the help of architect Mark Mishefski, recommended by a neighbor, the house’s structure was changed with new Pella Architect Series windows, a pergola and shake shingles. Plus the yellow brick was painted sage green.

Inside, the dated carpeting hid nice hardwood floors, and soon the ’50s blonde woodwork gave way to mahogany-stained, mission-style carpentry.

The interior walls were also painted sage green. Chocolate, terra cotta, salmon and gold are other colors seen throughout the redone house, which Labinski now defines as neoclassical/European/eclectic.

Pella architectural series windows, a pergola and shake shingles take the curb appeal of this 1950s Whitefish Bay home from drab to fab. The color of the outdated yellow brick has been repainted a soft sage green. David J. Frank Landscape Contracting Inc. did the landscaping in both the front and back yards.

In the living room, furnished with classic Baker pieces, a "Madonna and Child" print by a Taos artist that the Labinskis fell in love with in New Mexico and a large Steinway piano create the focal points.

Likewise, Baker furniture, a style recommended by interior designer James Connelly, is in the dining room, and their Southwest past comes into play here too: their Tarahumara pots accent the room.

In the kitchen, the walls were painted chocolate brown, and it was remodeled by Wisconsin Kitchen Mart, which took ideas Labinski had been collecting over the years for the project. "I was crazy about the tumbled travertine floors, the variety of surfaces and finishes on the cabinets, and the wrought iron pulls and chandelier," she says of a kitchen she saw in a magazine and fell in love with.

Since she and her husband love to cook, it was important the kitchen be functional and inviting. With Wisconsin Kitchen Mart’s Russ Waters’ creative flair, that’s what they got and more. "I know 20 years from now, it won’t be out of style," Labinski says. M

Classic Baker furniture mixes well with the Tarahumara pots the couple brought from New Mexico. "We still have hints of our previous life here in Milwaukee," the homeowner says.
	The homeowners wanted a European feel to their kitchen, which is achieved in part by replacing linoleum flooring with travertine tiles. Mary Lou Mooney Interiors is credited with the selection of furnishings and fabrics.
The homeowners extend the home’s living space with the newly redone backyard patio by David J. Frank Landscape Contracting.