Authentic materials make this 2-year-old French Provincial style house appear that it’s been there for a long time.

"Mission accomplished," the homeowners quietly chuckled when complimented on the "remodeling" of their newly constructed French Provincial house. With exquisite details, fine craftsmanship and a standard of absolute authenticity, at that moment the couple knew they had achieved their goal of creating a home that transcended time.

Embarking on a journey to build their dream home, the couple enlisted architect Tom Ela of Ela Construction Services in Milwaukee, who had designed a previous house for them, and Bob and Sue Thierfelder of Thierfelder Builders in Cedarburg. The collaboration of homeowners, architect and builders resulted in a house that feels like it’s been around forever, but is in fact less than 2 years old. "Even though the project was built with a team approach, it really was the vision of the homeowners," Sue Thierfelder says.

"We knew what we wanted," says the homeowner. "We needed a house that was not too big, yet spacious enough for lots of visiting children and grandchildren." Two main rooms, the kitchen and a combination living room-family room were where the couple planned to do most of the everyday living. A home office and two guest suites are also on the first floor, with the master suite and another office on the second level. The basement houses an endless fitness pool and lots of unfinished space for grandchildren to play.

An arched porte-cochere connects the garage stalls, adding drama to the setting and framing the entrance to the garden.

While not large, the kitchen has an open feeling with an eating area and a counter with extra seating. Beams crafted from solid, hand-hewn timbers in both the kitchen and family room were distressed on site by carpenters using antique tools. A hand-applied, wetted, skip-trowelled plaster finish gives a soft, aged appearance to the walls. Stunning black walnut floors tie the spaces together.

Great care was taken in the selection of outdoor materials too. "Cedar shingles, rough-hewn timbers, a dry-stack stone wall, copper spires, crushed stone pathways, even the angular position of the house on the property and the porte-cochere, all add to the authenticity of the home’s exterior," says Bob Thierfelder.

Because of the proximity to the Milwaukee River, the couple wanted to take advantage of the spectacular setting. Off of the kitchen is a "river room" surrounded by windows allowing year-round river views. Also overlooking the water is a 40-foot long screened porch for summertime eating and entertaining. The porch floor has the appearance of worn timbers. Exposure to extreme climate conditions prohibited real wood, so stained and epoxyed concrete durable enough to withstand the harsh Wisconsin winters was used instead.

Although the look is pure Old World, house mechanicals are the latest technology. Heating and cooling innovations and other advances make this a home that will stand the test of time, looking beautiful, but also being comfortable and energy efficient for years to come.

A wide arched passageway joins the kitchen and family room.
	The family room is large enough to accommodate a cozy seating arrangement in front of the fireplace as well as a long table that seats 12 for large family gatherings.