 Living
larger
A family cottage on Lac La Belle turned into a personal project for
architect Kent Johnson. Johnson and his wife, Heidi, took on the task
of converting a 1947 summer cabin into their year-round home. The
cottage was built by Heidi’s grandfather.
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 Art +
Architecture
In designing a 23rd
floor condo in the University Club Tower, architect Wade Weissmann
researched early 20th century apartment houses constructed in
Chicago and New York to examine how his predecessors laid out
floor plans.
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 Build or
remodel
The
same elements that led a family to a home are the same ones that
generally keep it there — location, location, location.
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 Treasure
hunt
What started as a maintenance project
for their home in Milwaukee’s North Point Historic District evolved
into a restoration project that yielded some surprising discoveries
for homeowners Mark and Grace Thomsen.
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Past meets
present
The day after the hole was dug for this
contemporary farmhouse in the town of Merton, a tragic accident ended
the life of one of the homeowners. The widow, too grief-stricken to
continue the project, filled in the hole and put the project on hold.
A year later she decided to build the home in memory of her late
husband.
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Plan ahead
The
days of one-size-fits-all housing are long over. Today’s home buyers
want a home designed with their needs in mind.
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Elegance
defined
It’s all in the details when it comes to
John and Patricia Bosbous’s Elm Grove home.
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A new
neoclassic
The 1912 Georgian Revival house on Milwaukee’s East Side is a
timeless classic with its symmetrical composition, peaked gable roofs
and portico front entry. Inside, visitors are wowed by the oak
staircase and a large stained glass window of a Greek temple arch and
an Irish church ruin on the foyer landing, and paneled wainscoting and
leaded-glass china cabinet in the dining room.
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Atlantic is
calling
In planning their retirement home on Big Cedar Lake, architect Wade
Weissmann’s clients presented him with three pieces of information:
a picture from a magazine, the word Nantucket and the DVD
"Something’s Gotta Give."
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Acre by acre
If the earth at Mark and Cheryl Brickman’s 15.5-acre Dragonfly
Farm could share its memories, it might tell stories about its life
nourishing a farmer’s crops, or the years when it was simply the
anchor for a lawn dressed in suburban green. Today, though, the land
seems to sing in sweet harmony with nature.
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Rising to
the challenge
A simple wrought-iron motif that graces the courtyard gate at the
home of Cathie Madden and Jeff Yabuki is much more than an
architectural afterthought. The floral motif, repeated numerous times
throughout the home, is a signal that this house is about more than
square footage, walls and forms. "It elevates the entire design
to an art form," says architect Jorgen Hansen of Port City
Studio.
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Pool party
Everybody can’t live on a lake, Elaine Lesko says, but having a
backyard pool is the next best thing. "We have very few beautiful
months in Wisconsin. It’s nice to be able to enjoy them to the
fullest," Lesko says.
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A fresh look
Throughout their marriage, Allen and Jan Dembski have always
enjoyed contemporary design.
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Upward
mobility
In designing her condo atop the Marine Terminal Lofts in Milwaukee’s
Third Ward, the homeowner, a Gen X business executive, had an eclectic
wish list for Greg Holm and Lisa Manetti, designers with Peabody’s
Interiors in Whitefish Bay. "I was going for a vintage, modern,
contemporary look — a bunch of oxymorons actually," the owner
says. "I wanted a little bit of everything. I wanted it to
reflect who I am."
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Unique taste
When
the Pautzes decided to remodel their kitchen they really wanted to
make a statement.
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The big
picture
With
all the doom and gloom about the economy and the housing market in the
news, it is easy to lose sight of the No. 1 reason why it’s still a
good time to build a home in southeastern Wisconsin — because it is
a long-term financial investment.
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Royal
transformation
A Bayside couple likens their interest in a 1930s Tudor cottage to
caring for a misfit, smelly, ugly, poor man — who, after some tender
loving care, turns out to be a better catch than someone else’s
ideal of a prince charming, or a brand new home, as the case may be.
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Vivid hues
Little did Tricia Bortz realize, when she collected four porcelain
plates she liked, that one day those plates would be the driving force
behind a home remodel’s color palette.
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Historical
facelift
Realtors
like to remind us that updated kitchens and bathrooms sell houses. But
owners of historic homes face a unique set of challenges when they
decide to remodel their kitchens.
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Home for the
holidays
Warm and inviting are two words that best describe John and Chris
Lesko’s Brookfield home. Drapery in rich hues and Oriental rugs in
warm, dark colors make every room feel like a welcome escape on a cold
winter day.
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Winter
wonderland
From the traditional Spode Christmas
tree tablescape to the playfulness of life-size toy soldiers and a
purse-adorned Christmas tree, the Tom and Trish O’Brien home is the
place to spread Christmas cheer.
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Urban
retreats
Influenced by the Mediterranean-style architecture of the home and
the waters of Lake Michigan, interior designer Karen Kempf created a
peaceful sanctuary in the master bathroom of the Fox Point home of
Jeff Yabuki and Cathie Madden.
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Navigating the
building process
Building
your new home should be one of the happiest times of your life.
Unfortunately, that’s not always the case, especially if you enter
into the process without doing a little detective work. Here’s some
advice that should help you sail smoothly through the building
process.
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Living
lakeside
When Carl Tomich’s friends called and asked him to build their
home, he knew it was fulfilling one of their dreams. The Waukesha County natives always wanted to live on a lake so
their children could build the same memories they shared of good times
with their friends on the inland waters.
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Back at the
barnyard
In the countryside northwest of Milwaukee, endless rows of corn are
interrupted only by stands of mature trees and the occasional barn.
One of these "barns," however, is different from the rest.
It is a recently constructed home equipped with all the modern
conveniences. Authentic barnyard touches extend the farm feeling
throughout the uniquely designed and furnished home.
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Cape Cod reborn
The Collins moved into a 1950s Cape Cod home in Elm Grove after
relocating from central Wisconsin.
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Fusion
living
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.
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Simply
perfect
Contemporary and family friendly design sounds like an oxymoron.
But take a look at the home that Susan Kim, the co-anchor of
"Live at Daybreak" on WTMJ-4, and her family share in Wales.
Kim obviously did not have to sacrifice style when designing a
kid-friendly space. "We designed a house that we wanted our
family to grow in and love," she says. "I wanted a place
where my kids would be comfortable, happy and love growing up in, and
a place that my husband and I could enjoy."
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Urban
retreat
Most people wisely choose to evacuate during a major home
renovation. But few move to such an amazing location as Jamie Wilke
and his family. Wilke is the owner of Jamie Wilke Interiors.
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Custom
character
Those who like to follow trends in paint color will be happy to
know that the palette is wide open. While many people continue to
stick to neutrals, there are many who are choosing to paint their
kitchens red and their living rooms espresso brown.
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Milwaukee's
grandest home
At
a time in their lives when most parents are contemplating empty nests
and plans for their golden years, the contemporary thought is to
downsize, perhaps make life a little easier. But that wasn’t quite
what Fred and Maria were thinking when they acquired a parcel of land
at 2000 Grand Ave. in Milwaukee.
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Inside
Ten Chimneys
Ads tout it. We all strive for it. But the husband and wife acting
team of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne actually achieved the good life
in their summer home located at Genesee Depot.
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