|
|
 Not
So Black & White
You’ve been living with your HGTV-inspired, modern
farmhouse décor for a few years now and you like it just
fine, but suddenly you’re craving something extra. A pop
of color. Real color. Something that will set your home
apart from the other farmhouse fans in your circle of
friends and neighbors. |
 Color
My World
When my husband and I bought our Bay View
fixer-upper in 2018, we knew what we were getting into:
A serious roof repair, extensive plaster work and a
major landscaping project, just for starters. When it
came time to decide on interior paint colors, we felt
burnt out and indecisive. |
 At
Home on the Ranch
With their airy, West Coast casual charm,
ranch homes have never gone out of style in metro
Milwaukee, bucking numerous local and regional
homebuying trends throughout the decades. In fact, local real estate professionals
agree that ranches are more in demand than ever in
today’s frenzied housing market. |
 One-Of-A-Kind
Wonder
When James and Susee Wiechmann wanted to
downsize from their stunning three-story home on the
East Side, they turned to longtime friend Andrea Farr of
Farr Interiors to help turn three apartment units into
one beautiful, bold condo. |
Nicely
Nautical
Gifts
for the lake lover in your life. |
 Delicious
Design
They say
that the kitchen is the heart of the home, and if you’ve
ever presided over pots or pans of something delicious
while friends and family gather ’round, you likely
agree. But what if you look around you and realize that
that heart needs a bit of mending? Here, local designers
and firms share the details of recent kitchen makeovers
that made the spaces as appealing as the meals and
memories created in them. |
 Coastal
Elegance
Many homeowners, renovators and DIYers
turn to sources like Pinterest or HGTV for inspiration
when designing their homes. To create the beautiful
Beaver Lake home shown here, one couple brought
inspiration from a coastal, shingle style home they fell
in love with to Deep River Partners, who turned a dated
cottage into a newly built oasis. |
 A
Lake Home of One's Own
A
definitive guide to buying — and building on — lake
property in the greater Milwaukee area. |
Making
A Splash
Call it a natural evolution. Homeowners have long relied on water
features to add beautiful, tranquil design elements to
their landscape. And local experts say that today’s
homeowners now gravitate toward more naturalistic
man-made features such as ponds and streams.
|
 An
Urban Edge: This year’s WBCS Showhouse for a Cure gives
designers a new challenge.
For more than 20 years, the Wisconsin
Breast Cancer Showhouse (WBCS) has offered visitors the
chance to meet interior designers from across the state
and view stunning redesigned homes — and, most
importantly, to contribute tens of thousands of dollars
in annual donations to the Medical College of Wisconsin
to support their diligent research to vanquish breast
and prostate cancers. |
Rethinking
Home: Homeowners are trading single-family spaces for
the comfort and convenience of upscale condos
Luxurious condominiums priced at $500,000
that are located in the heart of downtown Milwaukee and
in the idyllic suburbs are rising in popularity, but
buyers are finding that there is a limited inventory of
those top-of-the-line listings. |
 Inside
Out: Make the most of your backyard and warm Wisconsin
summers with extravagant outdoor spaces.
Adding a simple patio or pergola can
create an outdoor oasis. But local landscapers have
noticed homeowners stepping up their backyard game,
adding luxurious open-air living, dining and kitchen
spaces that bring their indoor aesthetic outside.
|
 Feels
Like Home: To celebrate National Remodeling Month, area
pros talk what’s trending
Classic. Sleek. Modern. These are the most common words designers
use when discussing remodeling trends here in the metro
Milwaukee area. In other words: when it comes to
rethinking our homes, we proudly to like whatever we
like. |
 Timeless
Elegance: A classic North Shore home gets an
international upgrade
When renovating an older space,
homeowners and designers often blend the house’s unique
character with their own personal taste and touches. |
Brick
& Mortar: Curated Home Decor
Tucked into a Germantown shopping mall on
Mequon Road is Curated Home Decor, a locally-owned home
furnishings store that first opened its doors last
September. Inside, a series of impeccably styled
vignettes, which wouldn’t be out of place in the pages
of Architectural Digest or Elle Decor magazines, line
the perimeter of the space. |
 TOP
TRENDS In New Home Construction For 2019
Creating a home
that speaks to our personal style used to be all about
the interior design. No more. Today’s busy lifestyles
(even long after we’ve retired) demand that modern home
design cater to our need for rooms and amenities that
keep our households humming not just beautifully, but
efficiently, with plenty of space for activities like
work and working out. |
Get The Hang!: Wall art trends for 2019
Are you eying
your wordy wall art and colorless gallery walls and
thinking perhaps the time has come for something with
more pigment and pop? |
 Take
It Outside ...With Style
“Backyard Envy.” “Desperate Landscapes.” “Going
Yard.”
They’re just a few of
the dozens of television shows devoted to outdoor-space
design. And for good reason. Whether yours is a huge
yard in the suburbs or a tidy urban plot, making the
most of your outdoor spaces can feel overwhelming. |
Outdoor Artistry
An architect by trade, Beata Major knows the value of
hiring just the right professional to bring out the best in a home,
inside and out. So when Major and her partner, K. Paul Petersen,
built their house on a brand-new plot of land, she admits to
shopping around for the perfect landscaper to help bring her vision
of a relaxing retreat to life. |
 Luxury
on the Lake
For one Midwestern couple, the idea of a long-term,
centralized family hub led them right back to Lake Country.
Pittsburgh natives who raised their family in Chicago,
the duo already knew of the area’s appeal courtesy of
friends. |
Brick & Mortar: Mark and Renee Ebert
On an unseasonably frigid February day at Ebert’s
Greenhouse Village in Ixonia, Renee Ebert’s smile is a dose of pure
sunshine. |
 Curb
Appeal Counts
Whether you’re planning to sell your home or not, you
should know that “curb appeal” is more than just Realtor-speak.
It’s how you feel about your home when you pull into the drive. How your
blockmates feel about your investment in the neighborhood. |
 Gentlemen’s
Companions
These locally sourced
home accessories add a tastefully masculine touch to
your home. |
 In
The Details: This Elm Grove home gains more room for
family without sacrificing its classic appeal
Michael and Jodi Perrone bought their Elm Grove home
knowing they would eventually need to add more square footage for
their growing family. When the time came, the couple teamed up with
designer and project coordinator Matt Retzak and interior designer
Heather Scott of Bartelt. The Remodeling Resource.
|
Power
Showers: Local design firms turn the bathroom staple
into a sanctuary of sweet self-care.
These homeowners
turned to Wauwatosa’s S.J. Janis Company Inc. to turn a
cramped and dated bathroom into an inviting haven that
reflects their worldly style. |
 Beachy
Keen: Froze Design Build turns a water-devastated home
into a lake-living dream
Most homeowners install
security cameras in their homes with the hopes of never
having to see anything they don’t like on them.
Unfortunately, for these Lac La Belle homeowners, those
cameras alerted them to unimaginably bad news. |
 (Un)common
Areas
Raise your hand if you think online outlet or big-box
retailer when you’re in need of an area rug. Now raise your hand if
you’ve ever looked at your purchase and felt a heaping dose of “meh”
… or, worse, a pang of regret. |
 Your
Kitchen, Your Way
Choose
one look or mix and match these local products to give
your kitchen fresh and on-trend style. |
Snug Style
When
the holiday decorations are packed away but winter wears
on, these cabin-inspired choices will warm your room and
your soul. |
 Organic
Warmth
When two Washington County homeowners wanted to
downsize from their 20,000-square-foot, traditional home but still
have a dwelling that spoke to their family-centered, nature-loving
lifestyle, they called upon Lisa Moore, vice president of
Germantown’s Moore Designs Inc., to design and build their
3,500-square-foot dream home. |
Pretty
Functional
Local designers demonstrate how to add substance and
style to your utility spaces. |
 Rethinking
Shared Space
When Tom Czisny and Thom Bauldry decided to combine
their lives — and their belongings — into a single home, they had
multiple options to choose from. |
 Classically
Modern
When interior designer Nick Konzal of Nicholas Carl
Design bought his 1928 Craftsman home in Wauwatosa, he had big plans
for a renovation — as long as those renovations maintained the
integrity of the 90-year-old home, whose previous owners had lived
there for six decades. |
 Warm
Welcome
Deck out your entryway
with these locally sourced holiday decorations. |
'Tis
The Season
Tips
and trips for dressing your home for the holidays and
entertaining your nearest and dearest. |
 Luxurious
Living
Milwaukee’s new condo and apartment communities draw an
active, upscale clientele. |
The Designer Edit
Three industry experts share their must-have products of
2018. |
 Teamwork
Makes the Dream Home Work
Whether
you’ve decided it’s time for a kitchen update or a
whole-house overhaul, home renovation is no small feat.
Unless you’re an ambitious (and confident) DIYer, you
don’t have to go at it alone. |
Practical Comfort
For one Washington County couple, having their 1880s
farmhouse extended and remodeled came with a logical next step: An
8,000-square-foot barn to house vehicles and provide additional
living space. |
 Gothic
Tudor Revived
Reimagining much of her
own home recently gave Lynn Tarrence, founding owner of
The Egg Design Group in Milwaukee, a whole new
appreciation for the lifestyle disruption that goes into
a home makeover. “Going through this has made it easier
to empathize with clients,” Tarrence admits. “It does
make you appreciate the inconveniences.” |
Personalized Creativity
Sculptor Carrie Chimenti talks studying abroad, working
with Italian plaster, and how she encourages clients to
just “go for it.” |
 Autumnal
Accents: Six ways to warm up your indoor and outdoor
spaces this fall
Fall is all about feeling
cozy. Inviting touches in coppery, creamy autumnal hues
set a harvest-time mood indoors, while a stylish and
functional outdoor fire pit extends evenings outside
beyond summer’s end. |
 A
Calming Oasis: How local design teams transformed this
River Hills home
A lushly peaceful Japanese garden blooms at a Bayside
home, thanks to the convergence of the homeowner’s reawakened
childhood passion and the skill of a local landscape company. |
 Beckoning
Backyard: How local design teams transformed this River
Hills home
Jim Gleason paints a vivid picture of what he loves
about his newly renovated River Hills home.
“[There was] a doe walking through the backyard with her fawn who was on
wobbly legs, very young,” Gleason says. “She slowed down to let the fawn
catch up before moving on. It was a moment.” |
 Shop
Talk: Teresa Olson of Olson House
A chalkboard sign
outside the cute Shorewood store Olson House reads
“Where Nordic Design Meets Local Makers.”
|
 Hot
List: What’s Trending in Home Interiors
If you’ve
spent time perusing real estate listings or binge
watching “Fixer Upper,” you know that hardwood floors
and kitchen islands are here to stay. But before you
take the plunge on bold ceramic tile or whimsical
wallpaper, we checked in with Milwaukee area design
experts to see which trends are on the rise and which
are due for retirement. |
 Fit
to Please
I have a friend, Frank, whose front door opens into his
kitchen, which features a tear-shaped bar, a large table
with seating for eight, a fireplace and more. “I think
traditional homes are designed backward,” he says. “The
kitchen is the heart of the house. It’s where I spend
most of my time with my family, so I want it to be front
and center, not hidden behind the living room.” |
 Purple
Craze
Accents
and accessories inspired by Ultra Violet, the 2018
Pantone Color of the Year. |
 Time
Gone By
For many new homeowners, the renovation process
provides the opportunity to transform an existing structure into a
space that is entirely their own. But for one couple, restoring and
remodeling their historic stone home, which was built in 1855, meant
honoring its former owners and preserving its storied past. |
 Four
Instant Kitchen Updates
A
few fun touches to add character with no renovations. |
 Kitchens
That Shine
A stunning kitchen is more than meets the
eye, but appearance definitely counts. |
 Repurposed
Retreat
When a professional Mequon couple dreamed of having a
more casual lifestyle for family and friend gatherings within an
hour drive of their North Shore home, they set their sights on
building a farmhouse on an 80-acre prairie next to the Milwaukee
River in Random Lake. |
 Nature-Inspired
Landscaping
Landscape inspiration is easily kick-started by
trends chronicled in national news sources. Area experts can help
shape those ideas with a local sensibility. |
 Design
For a Cause
“One of the things that I have found is that houses
speak to you and rooms speak to you. Places speak to you,” says
Ellen Irion, board member for Wisconsin Breast Cancer Showhouse (WBCS)
and one of the many talented designers participating in this year’s
showhouse design. |
 10
Trends to Watch in 2018
Local professionals
predict the year’s top trends for kitchens and
bathrooms. |
 Pool
School
Before you take the pool plunge, it’s
important to understand what you’re signing up for. With
the help of Peter Kudlata at Flagstone Landscaping Inc.
in Cedarburg and Jeff Schuelke of Pool Park Inc. in
Menomonee Falls, we’ve broken down some of the options
available to homeowners looking to create an aquatic
oasis in their own backyards. |
 Lush
Landscape
When
Jim Drzewiecki went to scope out a backyard in Cedarburg
for a landscape design project, he arrived to an
unusable patio and no landscaping at all, with the
exception of a single tree on the lawn. “It was a pretty
uninviting backyard,” says Drzewiecki, landscape
designer and owner of Ginkgo Leaf Studio in Cedarburg.
|
 Serene
Sanctuary
Homeowners renovate with their long-term house needs
top of mind, such as room for children to grow or home offices for
big job jumps. Architects and founding principals of Johnsen
Schmaling Architects, Brian Johnsen and Sebastian Schmaling, say
this 3,380-square-foot home with a 1,400-square-foot lower-level
walk-out was built from the ground up and designed with the
impending gloomy Wisconsin winters top of mind. |
 Mixed
Metals
Add character and depth
to your home this spring by combining
various metallic hues. |
 The
Sunny Side of Things
A three- or four-season
room is a great way to bring a little bit of the outside
into your home. But which option is best for you, and
what are the most important considerations when
designing your dream sunroom? |
 Wisconsin’s
Wallpaper Pioneer
After living all
over the world, from London and Paris to New York City,
Elizabeth Rees, founder and CEO of removable wallpaper
company Chasing Paper, says she’s ecstatic to be back in
her hometown of Milwaukee. |
 Industrial
Abode
Located in the bustling Historic Third Ward, this newly
renovated penthouse proves that you can indeed have
privacy in the busiest area of the city. Nick Konzal of
Nicholas Carl Design worked closely with homeowners
Kathy and Rick Weatherly to completely redesign this
historic loft space to fit the family’s needs. |
 Shoreline
Sublime
A recent addition to the Pewaukee Lake shoreline is a
sleekly crafted home that blends Scandinavian-modern and
Euro-contemporary sensibilities. The result is a nautically inspired
residence that emphasizes natural and enhanced light, specialized
furnishings, neutral hues, and an invitation for family and friends
to gather in an inviting, open-concept space. |
 Now
Trending
What's hot in outdoor living for 2018
It
may seem far off, but summer is just
around the corner. It’s time to start planning for its
arrival now. From patios to plants and pools, here are
this year’s top five trends in backyard design. |
 Give
Your Yard A Face-Lift
Last year I visited the local garden
center and bought everything I thought I needed to turn
my backyard into a flowering paradise. And, just like
every year since I’ve owned a home, the result didn’t
quite live up to my expectations. My backyard will once
again need a face-lift, but where to begin? |
 Scoop
Style
Transform your
entryway with these locally sourced, modern
farmhouse-esque accessories and fixtures. |
 First
Impressions
“First impressions count.” (Or so the saying goes.) And
that time-honored concept rings true throughout the home
building and home improvement industries too. Here two
local experts, Kate Schley, a project consultant with
Carmel Builders in Menomonee Falls, and Mike
Slawnikowski, owner of Mequon-based M Design Build, echo
the sentiment, weighing in on the latest trends in
exterior design, building materials and colors.
|
 The
Sequel
Sometimes the missing
piece of one’s dream home puzzle is found years later —
even after the picture seems perfect. Over the past 20
years, a Cedar Grove couple fell in love with a 7-acre
prairie property located along a semi-private road on
Lake Michigan.
|
Bold
Approach
While
neutral-washed, spa-like environments are a favored
theme for today’s bathrooms, local designers say there
is plenty of room for bolder approaches — be it in
color, pattern, texture and even intent. |
No
Remodel Required
Six easy ways to
update a blah bathroom. |
 Shipshape
Classic
A recently supersized
lake home proves that one can reimagine a longtime
family residence for today’s needs. Jeremy
Hartline, studio manager of Wade Weissmann Architecture,
and Emily Winters, a senior interior designer with
Peabody’s Interiors, teamed up to convert a ranch
retreat in Lake Geneva into a two-story main residence
that maintains yesteryear’s weekend and holiday fun. |
 Can
You Handle It?
Spruce up your
cabinetry with these locally
sourced knobs and pulls. |
Creative Kitchens
Three local experts reveal the most popular classic,
historic and contemporary design trends for 2018. |
 Clean
Sophistication
Interior designers are no strangers to relationship
building. Referrals become one-time clients, and one-time clients
become repeat clients. So when a young family of three sought
interior design assistance for their newly built Lake Country home,
they turned to Warren Barnett Interiors — and the staff they had
previously worked with: Director of Design Emily Ebben and interior
designer Mary Lewandowski, WRID — for help. |
 Savvy
Living
Move over, phones, televisions, audio and home security systems,
vehicles and a host of other “smart” items dotting our culture — space
planning has joined this clever club. |
 Cozy
Up
Ultra-luxe throws and
blankets to keep you warm this winter. |
 Interior Designer Spotlight
Emily Winters, Allied ASID
Six questions with the interior designer at Peabody’s
Interiors. |
 Rustic
Retreat
Smart
design and carefully curated interior selections shine
in this family-friendly River Hills abode. |
Interior Designer Spotlight
Six questions with Randi
K. of Biltrite Furniture-Leather-Mattress. |
 Small
Spaces
Homeowners with small-space dilemmas need not fret:
You don’t have to give up on aesthetics to achieve functionality.
Here three industry professionals share recent, smaller-scale
projects, plus tips that can work for everyone. |
 Relaxed
Respite
Find the right home in a great location: check.
Secure a builder to convert the space into your version of
perfection: check. In DIY fashion, furnish and decorate the home for
the long haul: reset! |
 15
Minutes With: Lynnea Katz-Petted
In
2005, Lynnea Katz-Petted, CEO of Revitalize Milwaukee,
left a lucrative corporate career to take a part-time
job with the local nonprofit because, she says, “It was
what I needed in my life at that point.” At the time,
the organization was providing free repairs for 10 homes
a year, but she saw the potential to do so much more. |
Interior Designer Spotlight
Q&A with Kristy Lombardo
Six questions with the senior designer of California
Closet Company Inc. |
 Makeover
Mania
Who doesn’t love a dramatic makeover? A boring, dated
look gets updated with new hair, makeup, clothes and
accessories, and the result is a whole new person. That
same kind of dramatic change can happen in your kitchen,
and it’s one home improvement project that industry pros
agree is a great all-around investment. |
 True
Roots
A West Africa native, Amin Konkada moved to Milwaukee
— a city he now calls home — seven years ago. “I have family living
here, so I thought it would be good for me to be here,” Konkada says
of his decision to relocate from his hometown of Benin, a country in
West Africa, to Cream City.
In just seven years’ time, Konkada’s entrepreneurial side has
flourished. |
 Delicately
Airy
Almost seven years
after a Wauwatosa couple selected Elm Grove-based Amy
Carman Design to put a clean, modern touch on their
home’s lower level, they called on Carman again to
extend the look to a first-floor guest suite. The result
is a delicately airy space that emphasizes tone and
texture, playing well against an outdoor woodsy
landscape tucked along the Menomonee River. |
 Interior
Influence
Long-term relationships between a home design-build
company and its client can begin in myriad ways. It took a broken
ceiling pipe in an Elm Grove residence built in the 1930s to forge a
strong association between Mequon-based Ruvin Brothers Artisans &
Trades and homeowners Mike and Barb Lauer. |
 Modern
Character
Despite having good bones, many homes require certain
tweaks or updates to accommodate their new owners’ wants and needs —
or, in the case of this Kohler area home, an extensive, whole-house
renovation spanning nearly a year’s time. |
Interior Designer Spotlight
Q&A with Leslie Dohr, ASID
Six questions with the interior designer at Deep River
Partners |
 Social
Setting
An entire-home
makeover provides interior and exterior gathering spaces
for both the homeowners and their guests. Designing an
outdoor space for a residence is as much about allowing
the home’s exterior to blossom to its full potential as
it is for the landscape to take hold.
|
 Relaxed
Sophistication
The basic elements of good design for a remodel are
to create a space that meets the client’s lifestyle, functional and
budgetary requirements while establishing an aesthetic that honors
the architectural character of the home. |
 To
Upsize or Downsize?
Turn on HGTV on any given night, and you’re likely to
see someone either restoring a large house or building a
tiny one. Upsizing or downsizing — isn’t anyone
satisfied with the house they have? |
Interior Designer Spotlight
Q&A with Betsy Hoke, ASID,
WRID, NARI CR
Six questions with the owner of Sturgeon Interiors |
 Out
of the Woodwork
A
wabi-sabi-inspired craftsman celebrates the beauty in
his material’s imperfections. |
Urban Oasis
A
custom-designed Historic Third Ward condo combines sleek
lines, high-end amenities and endless city views. |
 Rug
Layering 101
Layering rugs gives color, texture and warmth to a
room. This technique also provides a focal point and helps to define
a space. Ready to try the trend in your home? |
 Interior
Designer Spotlight: Q&A with Suzan Wemlinger
Six questions with the
interior designer at Suzan J. Designs — Decorating Den
Interiors
|
 Less
Is More
A bathroom makeover in Wauwatosa is a testimonial to
the notion that high-tech encompasses craftsmanship as well as
products. |
From Fallen to Flipped
"It was in really dire shape,” says Milwaukeean Jenni
Radosevich of the 1,465-square-foot, Walker’s Point home she and
four friends — project manager and handyman Alan Damato, real estate
broker and contractor Mike Styke, and design team duo Mallory Davis
and Benji Bernhard — flipped last year. |
 Interior
Designer Spotlight: Q&A with Kim Streater
Interior Designer at
Boston Store Furniture Gallery |
Exterior Envy
Three alluring projects
make the most of hardscaping, architecture and
plantings. |
 Creature
Comforts
Inspired by the home’s
history, designers behind the 20th-anniversary showhouse
created rooms made for lingering. |
 This
Old House
From kitchens and
bathrooms to master suites and basements, many people
are choosing to remodel their entire home instead of
moving to a new one. But converting an existing house
into a dream home can easily turn into a contracted
nightmare that drains your savings and drags on for
months.
|
 Interior
Designer Spotlight: Q&A with
Anna-Marie Miles
Six questions with the
Haven Interiors, Ltd. interior designer. |
Delicate Balance
Differing style preferences converged to
create a lofty outdoor living space for a Lake Country
couple who chose to upsize their empty nest. |
 Modern
Refresh
As co-owner of QRS Group, a
Waukesha-based design-remodel firm, Jake Ruiz uses his
own refreshed Milwaukee area home as a model to showcase
his work, and most recently the designer added an
outdoor oasis. |
Interior
Designer Spotlight: Q&A with Sara Ryan
Six questions with
Sara Ryan, Interior Designer at McNabb & Risley Fine
Furniture and Interior Design |
 Made
In MKE
Accent your home
with these locally manufactured goods. |
 Gushing
For Greens
Decorating with greenery officially
became trendy earlier this year, when Pantone named
Greenery its 2017 Color of the Year. “Green is popping
up everywhere in interiors,” says Trish Johnson, a
Waukesha County-based interior designer and owner of
Trish Johnson Interiors. “It’s a great counterbalance to
all of the distressed, reclaimed wood and grays that are
so popular these days. It relates to the organic feel of
those materials and connects us to nature and the
outdoors.” |
 DECORATING
THE NEST
Surely you decorate your
home with personal photos and mementos. But have you
chosen artwork for its walls, shelves and end tables
with the same care and emotional connection?
“People should feel the living essence of the person who
created the art,” says mary rose, owner of willows
gallery in Oconomowoc. “Original art has the energy
where you can feel the artist and you can explore it
yourself in the piece.”
|
 MODERN
MIX
For homeowners Jeff and
Alison Mays and their two children, two main colors —
orange and blue — drove the interior design selections
of their newly built Lake Country abode.
“They chose the colors and just let me run with it,”
says interior designer Jenny Carr of Warren Barnett
Interiors in Brookfield. “Orange and blue are their
favorite colors.” |
 ALL
IN THE DETAILS
While some folks escape to Lake Country
to slow down and unwind from the pace of city living,
others fall in love with the easygoing lifestyle and
make a permanent home here, where they entertain family
and friends. The husband and wife who recently built a
Midwestern shingle-style lake house on Oconomowoc Lake
fall into the latter category. |
 Urban
Renaissance
Milwaukee’s post-World War II real estate
market was marked by an exodus of residents. The freeway
system expanded, and urban sprawl and weekends at the
mall became a way of life. |
 Interior
Designer Spotlight: Q&A with John Edbauer, ASID
Six questions with
Fringe Interior Design and Home Furnishings Co-Owner. |
 The
Past Is Present Again
The modern
home has made a comeback of sorts — more than 60 years
past its heyday in the 1950s. Design authorities
nationwide have recently touted the popularity of
midcentury modern design and architecture, and closer to
home, local experts echo the resurgence.
|
 Comfortable
Balance
Sometimes designing and building a home is all about
making the right connections. One such example is a
3,000-square-foot, modern jewel in Elm Grove, enveloped
by a mini forest of trees and hidden from the hustle and
bustle of nearby Bluemound Road. |
 Unveiled:
Interior Design Trends
What's in for 2017.
|
 Interior
Designer Spotlight: Q&A with Dawn Adamec
Six questions with the
Steinhafels Interior Designer.
|
 Powder
Rooms That Pop
The moment she saw it, Nancy Lindenberg knew the red
Greek-key chest with the raised white geometric design
on the front would be the star of her Historic Third
Ward condo’s powder room. “I wanted it to be fun with a
feminine flair,” says the homeowner, who knew choosing
the furniture piece from Warren Barnett Interiors
instead of a traditional vanity would present some
challenges.
|
 Labor
of Love
A perfect blend of design and
organization emerged as the ideal solution for a busy
physician couple and their three young children as they
moved into their newly built, 8,000-square-foot modern
craftsman home in northeast Brookfield. |
 Interior
Designer Spotlight: Q&A with Emily Ebben
Six questions with
Warren Barnett Interiors' Director of Design and
Marketing.
|
 Three
Stories, Three Styles
Every renovation
has a backstory. Here’s a look at three kitchens, each
crafted with unique inspiration.
|
 Moving
Parts
Some extensive home makeovers begin traditionally — a
homeowner meets with the design-build company to go over needs,
noodle ideas and work toward a plan to become reality. Other
projects have a different rhythm, percolating for years while the
family dreams, gets ideas through an out-of-town architect friend,
and then searches for a firm willing to take on the preconceived
project. |
 Luxe
Redux
From over-the-top,
extravagant features to those with more sentimental
meaning and value, local industry pros dish on their
most luxurious projects to date.
|
 Deck
The Halls
After almost a decade, homeowners Ed Fischer and
Julie Mokhtar still revel in their expansive home, tucked amid trees
and set atop a ridge, overlooking 60 acres in Jefferson. The
impressive, rustic setting fits a sensibility for each —
fun nuances for him, and a spectacular Christmas canvas for her.
|
 Is
a Second Home Right For You?
The choice between buying or renting a vacation home is
an important financial decision for many adults, but
now, with the advent of peer-to-peer rental sites, the
choice has gotten a little easier. |
 The
Business of Being Neat
Surely by now someone has told you how wonderful and
how truly life-changing “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” is.
The self-help book by Marie Kondo tapped into a shared feeling that
we are overwhelmed by clutter, and it sold more than 1.5 million
copies in the U.S. and more than 5 million copies worldwide,
according to her publisher.
|
 Smart
Spaces
Creating space in
any home remodeling project requires the ability to work
within boundaries and craft a sensible scale that fits
the big picture.
|
 Modern
Comfort
A family of four is not the Historic Third Ward’s
typical demographic, but for one Milwaukee area homeowner, his
fiancée and his two children, a 3,200-square-foot condo in the
trendy Cream City neighborhood is home.
|
 The
New Rules In Interior Design
Forget
the conventional wisdom that small spaces appear larger only when awash
in light colors.
Today’s expertise suggests almost anything goes. |
 Cost-effective
choices
Not
all home improvements are created equal. Fortunately for
us, local remodeling/renovation, appraisal and real estate
pros know which alterations make sense — and which don’t. |
 Lakefront
luxury
For
some projects, three minds are better than one.
When Anne
Wangman of Forbes Design was approached by a Chicago area
couple to transform their second home, a nearly
8,000-square-foot retreat on Oconomowoc Lake, into an
oasis fit for the pair and their four children, she called
in Andre Walker and David Simmons of Walker Simmons Design
to assist. |
 Good
intentions
The
newcomer at the north end of Shorecliff Lane on Mequon’s
Lake Michigan bluff is a 4,500-square-foot, prairie-style
home with a midcentury, modern-influenced interior. |
 Beauty
lies in the details
Standing
on the outside of this three-story, 6,700-square-foot
Hartland home, one might easily believe that its
inhabitants yield to the traditional. With its large stone
and stucco exterior, and adjacency to the marshland, the
newly constructed home seems more reminiscent of a lavish
rustic retreat. |
 Not
just a pretty view
"It’s
one of the most sought after types of property in our
market and holds its value better than any other kind
because they just don’t make it anymore. It is also a
big responsibility because ownership means you are
effectively an environmental steward as well as a property
owner," says Mike Ruzicka, president of the Greater
Milwaukee Association of Realtors.
|
 From
front to back
For
homeowner and landscaper alike, meeting aesthetic and
functional needs is ultimately important. "The
key to a good landscape is listening and giving
advice," says Mike Manke, landscape architect for
LandCrafters in Wauwatosa and New Berlin. "You have
to look at the home’s architecture and also the
architecture of the neighborhood."
|
 A
professional perspective
Moving
into a new house is like stepping onto a blank canvas.
With so many possibilities, where do you start? Luckily,
you can find a partner in an interior designer with
experience transforming client wishes into reality.
|
 Real
Talk: Can a zero-net-energy home be achieved in Milwaukee?
"The
first thing to understand about ‘zero-energy homes,’"
says Steve Homa of Muskego-based PEA Builders Inc.,
"is that no home by itself can really ever be zero
energy. Whether it be (in) Wisconsin or Arizona, at some
point in time it will be too hot or too cold to sustain a
comfortable temperature.
|
 A
personalized retreat
The
master bedroom should be a place to escape the haste of
everyday life, but for many homeowners the retreat often
resembles a bad hotel room: a bed, a picture above the
headboard, double nightstands with lamps, maybe a chair.
|
 What
women want
From
her condo’s vantage point, where the Historic Third and
Fifth wards meet, Nancy Lindenberg can view the city’s
active urban landscape, stretched out from the confluence
of the Milwaukee and Menomonee rivers.
|
 Get
the look: Easy Breezy
When
Veronica Sosa Agnoli and her husband, Robert Conley,
bought their Pewaukee home four years ago, its interior
was cast in red and gold hues, loud wallpaper covered the
walls, and honey-oak woodwork framed every window and
door.
|
 Countertop
Counterpart
If
you’re looking for the perfect counter for your kitchen,
check out the profiles of these popular options.
|
 Ultimate
kitchens
Some
kitchen makeovers just don’t work. That’s
what the new owners of a nearly 100-year-old home on
Milwaukee’s East Side discovered with their kitchen.
Despite recent remodeling, the kitchen was neither
functional nor beautiful. It did not match the character
of the rest of the home.
|
 Challenging
the status quo
Tucked
between spec colonials along the Lower Nemahbin Lake
shoreline is a private residence roused to challenge the
status quo. In an area branded for its sprawling
suburbanism, the contemporary pied-à-terre both
acknowledges and defies its surroundings. But that doesn’t
mean this dwelling sticks out like a sore thumb.
|
 Extended
potential
Any
residential landscape is potentially a feast for the eyes,
especially in its blend of color and texture throughout
hardscapes and plantings.
|
 Light-filled
lake home
"We
wanted to create a perfect relaxing getaway space for easy
lakeside living," say Jessica Forston and John
Edbauer of Fringe Interior Design & Home Furnishings,
designers participating in Wisconsin Breast Cancer
Showhouse Inc.’s annual Showhouse for a Cure. In fact,
it seems most of the designers shared that goal for this
year’s home on Oconomowoc Lake.
|
 The
careful edit
For
Paul Apfelbach of Mequon, restoring historic homes is more
than just a day job — it’s a passion. "I have a
passion to resolve nonroutine solutions versus everything
being prepackaged the way new construction is," says
Apfelbach, whose many hats include real estate developer,
residential broker and home-restoration expert.
|
 Factoring
in
Every
great landscape begins with a plan. While
the amount of space is an obvious parameter to any design,
three local designers point to other factors. Peter
Kudlata, principal of Flagstone in Cedarburg, Wendy Wiza,
a staff designer at Hartland-based Century Landscaping,
and Steve Brown, president of Outdoor Accents in
Thiensville, emphasize architecture/spatial relationships,
function, focal points and municipal codes over lot size.
|
 Outdoor
flow
With
a need to elevate an outdoor living environment to match a
newly created interior, Whitefish Bay homeowners conquered
the challenge with
the help of local landscape and architectural experts who
know their way around creating seamless transitions.
|
 Secluded
escape
When
homeowners Dawn and Cameron Knuth bought their property in
Nashotah, the couple instantly knew the nearly 1-acre lot
adjacent to a bounty of woods and wildlife would make the
ultimate backyard paradise.
|
 Historic
homes
In
the late 19th century, the splendor of the Gilded Age was
in full effect as rapid industrialization and economic
growth propelled the country forward. Much of the growth
happened in the northern United States, including in
Milwaukee — a bustling beacon during an era of grace and
beauty.
|
 Everyday
glamour
When
Pamela Coleman and her husband moved into their
20th-century Classic Georgian Fox Point home, the living
room wasn’t exactly inviting. With red walls, inadequate
seating and insufficient lighting, it had all the stuffy
feelings of an antiquated parlor. Far from reflective of
Coleman’s warm personality, the room went virtually
unused for years.
|
 Playful
plates
There
are few design essentials that transcend interior styles
as effortlessly as the subway tile. It is as equally at
home in a contemporary bathroom as it is in a traditional
country kitchen. But to say subway tile is making a
comeback may be disregarding its endurance
throughout a century of American design.
|
 Connectivity
reigns
When
a Menomonee Falls family enlisted David J. Frank Landscape
Contracting Inc. to make over their existing backyard
patio, they had one goal — to create
a place where they could come together as
a family.
|
 Defined
spaces
A
landscape project completed during a new home construction
in Mequon achieved a twofold purpose: providing necessary
drainage for a structure designed without gutters and
downspouts as
well as crafting attractive, multifaceted outdoor
living spaces.
|
 The
modern tree house
When
a Milwaukee architect helped a Portage-based couple move
to Madison to better suit their careers, he also assisted
in their transition from an 1880s Victorian/Italianate to
a new millennium modern.
|
 Harnessing
the power of color
When
it comes to choosing the right hues for your home, heeding
the practice of color psychology probably isn’t the
first thing to come to mind. Yet between all those fan
decks, paint samples and fabric swatches is a world of
emotion waiting to be tapped into — and it could
significantly change the feel of your home.
|
 Boosting
the backyard
According
to a survey conducted by the American Society of Landscape
Architects, the top three most requested outdoor design
elements for 2015 were fire pits, lighting and grills.
Other popular choices were pergolas and decks and spa
features like hot tubs, saunas and swimming pools.
|
 High-end
home trends
Although
open floor plans and clean lines still dominate local home
design, Milwaukee area designers are seeing homeowners
increasingly embrace design trends that may once have been
outside their comfort zone.
|
 A
leg up
The
array of 20th century modern chairs exhibited since Nov.
24 at the Milwaukee Art Museum is more than a revealing
window into past design — it is a study in various
materials and shapes that some local designers say
resonate today.
|
 A
repurposed gem
A
repurposed home intersects with a repurposed life in
Whitefish Bay, where build and design professionals
created a rustic, modern gem.
|
 Black
and white resurgence
The
European design scene has been experiencing a resurgence
of black and white home décor as of late, and it appears
the enduring duo is making its way stateside.
|
 Redesigned
and Reimagined
When
designer Carol Johnson of AB&K in Greenfield tackled a
master bathroom remodel in Mequon, she knew it would
require a higher level of design for a taller-than-average
couple. That included removing soffits to expose a vaulted
ceiling and providing pivoting mirrors at the double
vanity.
|
 Natural
Reign
A
North Shore couple with a colorful business portfolio
discovered how to put their home life in neutral (no pun
intended) with the help of a local interior designer, who
is ironically now part of their corporate family.
|
 Recently
renovated
Expanded
space extends the possibilities. That notion was put into
practice by Terri Schmidt, owner-designer of Delafield’s
Dream House Dream Kitchens, when she helped an Elm Grove
family expand the capabilities of their midcentury modern
home’s kitchen.
|
 Bowling
in style
For
Bill Koehnlein of Waukesha-based Collaborative Design,
completing the bowling alley renovation of this Milwaukee
area home was the final piece of the project puzzle. The
house was built three years ago, but Koehnlein and the
homeowners toyed with how to customize the bowling alley
before deciding on a final design concept.
|
 A
collective effort
For
Cameron and Dawn Knuth, building and moving into a new
home meant more than fulfilling a lifestyle need for their
family, which includes two children and two dogs. It also
meant meeting that need with very specific style.
|
 Accent
with Brass
Brass
is making a comeback. But if memories of Grandma’s house,
"Dynasty" and shoulder pads come to mind, think again.
Contrary to the shiny, polished variations popular in the past,
this brass is set to complement any room — not to overwhelm it. |
 The
hypnotic effect
Come
gather around the fireplace. "Have
you ever sat in front of a fire in the morning on a cold winter
day?" asked Dennis Forston, owner of Forston Construction in
Sussex. |
 Timeless
treasure
It took
a village of artisans to help a Whitefish Bay family make its 1929
home practical for today’s lifestyle without losing yesteryear’s
charm. |
 Innovative
practicality
It’s
been nearly two years since the Meredith Corporation, a publishing
giant whose subsidiaries include Better Homes & Gardens
magazine, initially contacted Lakeside Development Company of
Mequon. |
 How
to style a console table
Console
tables are among the most versatile pieces of furniture in a home.
Because they are shallow, they are great for spaces like a foyer.
A console table in your home’s entryway welcomes guests and adds
personality and function to your front hall. |
 Raising
the bar
The bar
has been set higher than ever. Homeowners seeking a convivial
space to enjoy a beverage and much more are turning to design
pros. Bill Koehnlein, president of Collaborative Design Inc. in
Waukesha, and Tara Wilke, owner of McNabb & Risley Fine
Furniture and Interior Design in Thiensville, served up their home
bar expertise. |
 A
majestic makeover
Hartland
homeowners Jim and Sue Marriott more than refreshed their home’s
1995 contemporary interior. They reset the look and the impressive
space to reflect their current life as well as their modern taste. |
 A sense of
harmony
Renowned interior
designer and fine arts expert Timothy Whealon credits his Midwest
upbringing with influencing his approach to interior design.
"Growing up
in Wisconsin, I developed an appreciation for wide open spaces,"
says the Fox Point native, who now calls New York City home. Downtown
Milwaukee landmarks and nearby Lake Michigan have also had a lasting
impact on Whealon’s style.
|
 Quality
matters
When
discussing trends in home remodeling, industry experts agree —
quality is trumping quantity. "In the past, the most
important thing was, ‘How big can I afford to make it?’"
says Chris Egner, a member of the Milwaukee/National Association
of the Remodeling Industry board of directors and owner of
Design-Build-Remodel in New Berlin. |
 Projects
with a purpose
When
remodeling the basement of a Washington Highlands home, Matthew
Jahns of Refined Renovations, Wauwatosa, understood the homeowners’
desire to have an adult space to call their own. |
 Room
with a view
Two
Whitefish Bay homeowners and a local architectural
designer/engineer spent a decade transforming a near-teardown home
into a contemporary gem that takes advantage of Lake Michigan
views and incorporates a plethora of building materials. |
 Perfect
harmony
Glam
meets mancave in a 6,500-square-foot contemporary home nestled in
the wooded wonder of Delafield’s Kettle Moraine State Forest.
The updated domicile
came together from 2011 to 2014 in a collaboration between Lisa
Minneti, an interior designer with Peabody’s Interiors, and
longtime partners Christine and Rob. |
 Eco-Friendly
Furniture
Long
before the green movement took root in interior design, La Lune
Collection has been quietly crafting its environmentally friendly
furniture in its Riverwest workshop for more than 35 years. |
 Birds
of a feather
Home
accessories and decor influenced by our feather-laden friends. |
 Historic
beauty
After
13 years, the beauty, elegance and historic significance of living
on Oconomowoc Lake is not lost on Dean and Tammy Laing. |
 Be
bold
When it
comes to color, Bill Koehnlein of Collaborative Design in Waukesha
doesn’t like to follow trends. "I
like the unexpected," he says. His
room designs often incorporate blocks of color or ceilings painted
a bold hue in contrast to the rest of the room. |
 Custom
Comfort
Interior
designer Linda Carver of Thiensville-based McNabb & Risley
collaborated with the owners of this River Hills estate to create
an environment radiating with comfort and warmth. "They live
in each one of these rooms with their children, family and
friends," she says of the homeowners’ lifestyle. |
 Lime
Chandelier
Sarah
Boardman-Miller built her design business, Lime Chandelier, on the
premise of one simple question: "Can you do drapes?" |
 De-cluttering
your counters
A
clutter-free kitchen counter might sound like an impossible dream.
After all, the kitchen is a high-traffic area and, let’s face
it, a dumping ground. But there is a way to avoid clutter. Here
are some suggestions of what to keep and what to let go of from
Cheryl Ryan of Kitchens by Design in Elm Grove. |
 Furry
family members get their space
Not so
long ago, dogs lived in dog houses. But as we increasingly treat
our pets like one of the family, we want to make space for them
inside the house. |
 A
fresh start
A trip
to Las Vegas is not generally described as inspirational, but for
Dave Belman of Waukesha-based Belman Homes, it was just that. |
 Luxurious
leather
When it
comes to designing kitchen spaces, installing leather cabinetry
isn’t likely to top the list. Generally more enduring materials,
such as wood, metals and glass, are considered. Leather, on the
other hand, has long been viewed as extravagant or excessive. |
 Thoughtful
touches
When
your "roommates" include a husband and three boys,
having a place to call your own is a welcomed luxury. Such was the
case for a Mequon mother, homeowner and longtime client of
interior designer Lisa Anne Minetti of Peabody’s Interiors,
Brown Deer. "She refers to her kitchen as her own
apartment," says Minetti. |
 Contemporary
Casual
If you
are interested in building a contemporary style home but are
concerned about blending into a traditional neighborhood, Stephen
Betts, an interior designer with SGB Designs Ltd. and Penny
Mustard Furniture in Menomonee Falls, says you need not worry. |
 I
spy DIY
For
Jenni Radosevich, restoring a vintage rotary telephone and turning
it into a trendy succulent planter is just another day at the
office. The Wisconsin-raised designer turned DIY lifestyle blogger
is the embodiment of a thousand Pinterest do’s, and she doesn’t
appear to be slowing down anytime soon. |
 Heads
up
Upholstered
headboards first hit the design market years ago, but like any
trend, they too have evolved. It was only until recently that
manufacturers and designers began seeking inspiration from the
more traditional headboards of the past, incorporating sleigh bed
styles and wooden trim into their designs. |
 Contemporary
Concepts
It was
a slab of Statuary marble that served as Robin Swernoff’s
inspiration behind the bathroom renovation in her Bayside home.
Swernoff and her husband own Lakeside Stoneworks in Brown Deer, so
it seems only fitting that her creativity spawned from a piece of
opulent stone. |
 Timeless
tuscan
Now in
its 18th year, the annual Showhouse for a Cure is traditionally
held in a historic East Side home, but its presenting
organization, WBCS Inc., took a new approach this year, instead
selecting a newer home as its 2015 showhouse location. |
 Sunny
365
When
seeing this 1952 River Hills Colonial for the first time, designer
Anne Wangman knew it was special. "The moldings, doors and
trim were intact, so it was important that the design of the
interiors complement the millwork, not compete with it." |
 Dressing
your windows
While
they serve a practical purpose, window treatments can also make a
huge aesthetic impact. Whether you’re partial to drapes or
blinds, a stylish window covering will easily elevate the design
of any room. |
 Modern
glamour
Despite
the public’s general aversion to wallpaper, Suzan Wemlinger,
owner of Decorating Den Interiors/Suzan J. Designs in Milwaukee,
says that wallpaper is "coming back in a big way." And
what’s more? |
 A
storybook ending
Despite
tearing down the existing home on their Elm Grove lot, homeowners
Madan and Gwen Kandula wanted their new house to blend into the
established feel of the surrounding neighborhood. The couple hired
John Van Rooy of John Van Rooy Architecture, Milwaukee, to take on
the challenge. |
 Pool
paradise
Design
and build pros worked together swimmingly well to redefine outdoor
residential life for a Mequon family. |
 Seasons
of change
Being a
transplant from California, I’m not a fan of long Wisconsin
winters. I do, however, love experiencing the dramatic change of
seasons. When it comes to interior décor, spring and summer call
for a home refresh. |
 Natural
beauty
How do
you double the size of a home, use its original foundation and
salvage a crumbling wood ceiling without taking anything away from
the natural beauty of the setting? That was the challenge faced by
architect Bruce Wydeven and builder Erik Knuth of EarthRite
Construction on a large-scale renovation project of a Lake
Michigan cottage. |
 Vintage
find
When
Kim and Owen Sullivan of Wauwatosa found themselves on the brink
of an empty nest, the parents of four wanted to find a home to
emanate the next phase of their life. They mulled over a move west
to Lake Country, then east to downtown Milwaukee, but ultimately
realized they wanted to stay near and dear to their beloved Tosa
neighborhood. |
 Taking
flight
A
Rockton, Ill., couple turned to a Milwaukee architect to make
their dream of living on the Rock River a reality. The result is a
modern three-bedroom structure — a "bird" the owners
named Kingfisher that takes flight, showcasing natural beauty and
melding the river’s shimmering surface and the sloping,
sometimes rugged, terrain above. |
 2015
home trend forecast
Watching
TV and film could easily lead one to believe that the modern home
is loaded with enough high-tech, glossy amenities to make the
Jetsons envious. Yet for all the world’s technological
advancements, home designers say Milwaukee’s high-end property
owners are striving to preserve a more traditional aesthetic. |
 The
art of Oriental rugs
No
matter what its color, scale, origin or pattern, a good-quality
Oriental rug never goes out of style, and it works with just about
any decor. |
 Wooded
retreat
Originally,
the owners of a home on the Root River in Franklin debated the
idea of building a cabin in northern Wisconsin, but the setting of
their own property made them change their minds. |
 Farm
Fresh
Before
construction ever began, the owners of a new home in Mequon made
two things very clear. The style should be modern farmhouse, and
they wanted it to incorporate some of their favorite furnishings.
Achieving that look started with the design of the exterior. |
 Consider
Copper
Warm
metallics, especially copper, is a hot trend in home decor. With
its reflective sheen and rich tone, the metal instantly injects
warmth into a space. From light pendants and furnishings to
accessories, hints of copper add a touch of glamour to any room. |
 Natural
influence
For
Hubertus-based mother of two Ann Schellinger and her husband,
Brian, building a third home together meant the chance to
incorporate their family’s favorite pastime — exploring and
enjoying nature — into the home’s design. |
 Masterfully
transformed
Architects
Nick Blavat and Richard Scherer of Deep River Partners, Milwaukee,
encountered a unique experience when recently remodeling a Gothic
Victorian on Milwaukee’s East Side — one in which the
homeowner served as the project’s general contractor. |
 Building
a chef's kitchen
The
rising popularity of television cooking shows has upped the ante
in today’s residential kitchen design, with homeowners seeking
kitchen renovations fit for a professional chef. |
 Positive
flow
Placing
a powder room in the middle of the kitchen might have been de
rigueur in home design in the 1940s, but it’s squarely out of
fashion in 2015. |
 Kitchen
Trifecta
When
Dr. Madan and Gwen Kandula began conceptualizing their new home in
Elm Grove’s Indian Hills neighborhood, they knew they wanted
their kitchen to be both kid-friendly and conducive to
entertaining. |
 Walking
the line
With it's classic
symmetry, Cream City brick and black shutters, the Georgian
revival brick home along Lake Michigan in Fox Point looks as if it
has been there for decades. |
 Holiday
Soiree
Hosting
a holiday get-together doesn’t have to be elaborate and
time-consuming — you can be holiday ready for an impromptu
affair or a more formal soiree with these simple preparations. |
 Timeless
Elegance
When
Mark Hackbarth and Eric Nelson purchased their 1891 Victorian 10
years ago, it had good bones but no style, Hackbarth says. |
 Condo
ready?
Downsizing
used to be about the only reason anyone considered moving to a
condo. It was the option of choice for empty-nesters tired
of cutting the grass, raking the leaves and shoveling snow. Today
the market is no longer limited to retirees. |
 The
next chapter
As a
financial adviser who primarily consults clients who are retired
or nearing retirement age, Karen Ellenbecker routinely sees
retirees build their dream homes only to be disappointed when
suburban living falls short of their lifestyle expectations. |
 Gallery
in the sky
Step
off the elevator on the 30th floor of the Kilbourn Tower and you
might think you’ve entered an art gallery. In a way you’d be
right. But this is no ordinary art gallery. This is the home of
Peggy Ann, and what you see around you is the product of a
lifetime of collecting. |
 Secrets
from a stylist: How to decorate your fireplace mantle
Fireplaces
make natural focal points in a home. Yet, it seems to be a
decorating dilemma for many a homeowner. How much stuff is too
much? Is art a must? Should it feel balanced or more playful? |
 Reclaimed
and rebuilt
Reminders
of the 2013 fire that destroyed their 1800s farmhouse are
scattered throughout the rebuilt Burlington home of Richard and
Sharlene Pasko. |
 Relaxed
elegance
You
wouldn’t think the words "refined" and
"laid-back" could be used together in the same sentence.
Yet, they perfectly describe Timothy Corrigan. One of the most
sought-after designers in the world, he has made a career out of
bringing easy elegance to home decor. |
 Cottage
castle
While
some drive hours to an Up North getaway, one Waukesha County
family can leave it all behind simply by walking across the
driveway. |
 Going
glamping
How do
you create a home that’s big enough to entertain 50 people yet
feels warm and cozy for two? That’s the challenge architect John
Vetter faced when he was commissioned to build a Waukesha County
lake home. |
 Mod
pod
In the
whole house remodel of a Fox Point 1960s contemporary, curves are
used sparingly. "A strong emphasis on line and form — two
essentials of good contemporary design — gives this particular
style its energy," says Terri Schmidt, owner and director of
design at DreamHouse/DreamKitchens, who headed up the project. |
 Table
talk
Both
nonconforming traditionalists and modern design diehards can agree
that dining tables are still a necessary component in today’s
homes |
 Worlds
Collide
In
searching for an older character home in a walkable community,
Sharath and Nirmal Raja narrowed in on a 1920s English-inspired
white brick house on a double lot in Whitefish Bay. |
 Secrets
from a stylist
Have
you ever walked into a home and immediately felt enveloped by your
surroundings? You couldn’t put your finger on it, but you were
drawn in by the home’s effortless design. |
 Designer's
Gallery
From
family friendly spaces to spa-like retreats to swanky business
interiors, area designers showcase their work |
 Hawaii
Life
The
first time interior designer Emily Winters set foot in the cottage
she designed was to set it up prior to the client’s arrival. |
 Meet
a designer
With an
artist father, Ariel Steinke grew up surrounded by creativity. She
began sewing in eighth grade — blankets, pillows, etc. — and
after a visit senior year in high school to Waukesha County
Technical College, she was headed toward a career in interior
design. |
 Universal
Themes
Even
though it seems as if people started talking about universal
design only recently, the concept of adaptability was developed in
1997. |
 Hardware
Heroes
When
Pamela Anderson was designing her kitchen, she thought there was a
lack of appealing handles and pulls for cabinets. "I wanted
something stunning, but everything was ho-hum," the artist
says. |
 Mountain
Timbre
Who
Lives Here: David and Molly Madsen, owners of AB&K Remodeling,
and their two boys, Joe, 14, and Ryan, 13. This is the fifth house
the kitchen and bath pros have built. |
 Kitchens
that work
In
terms of kitchen design, it’s time to retire the styles of the
1990s. Homeowners are seeking an openness and functionality in the
hub of the home dictated by busy lifestyles. |
 Go
bold at home
It’s
summer! Introduce some color and some fun into your home interiors
with these big-impact pieces.
|
|
|
 The
Art of Hardscaping
There’s
more to a dazzling garden or a serene patio than a lush lawn and
fragrant flowers. Hardscape elements, from stone retaining walls
to brick fire pits, are making outdoor spaces more enjoyable and
user friendly.
|
 Sea-worthy
tour
Breathtaking
views of Lake Michigan are an impressive feature of the 2014
Wisconsin Breast Cancer Showhouse for a Cure, but the architecture
of the Classical Revival Georgian home on East Lafayette Place has
secured its standing in one of Milwaukee’s most distinguished
neighborhoods for more than 100 years.
|
 The
beauty of boathouses
Most
lakes in the area have at least a few historic "wet"
boathouses that reside on the shore. Boathouses that were
completely or partially built below the ordinary high water mark
are called wet boathouses.
|
 Summer
staycation
With a
towering woodland as his backdrop and environmental restrictions
dictating the footprint of the project, landscape designer Peter
Kudlata created a resort-worthy backyard for an Ozaukee County
couple.
|
 Gadgets
gone wild
Family
time. There’s a Norman Rockwell painting for that. A scene in
which family members gather around the table, eagerly sharing the
adventures of their day, with smiles as wide as their faces.
|
 All
in for green
In
property development, sustainability has become the industry
buzzword. Many developers are claiming to be eco-friendly, but not
all can back up their words with brick and mortar.
|
 The
Elements of design
Patricia
Algiers has been written up in the New York Times, ICON and
Contract magazines, among numerous other publications.
|
 Love
it or leave it
In the
pursuit to own a dream home, families must determine if their
current house can be remodeled or if new construction is a better
route. Both options require careful consideration.
|
 Urban
upgrade
When
Paul and Natalia Hackbarth sought decorating help for their house
on the East Side, they knew just where to find it.
|
 Still
Life: Home
With
their daughter going off to college, Lisa and Jim Gleason decided
the time was right to spruce up their Whitefish Bay home.
|
 Backyard
refuge
Rick
Swiontek loves the North Woods and frequently travels there to
relax and unwind. One day it occurred to him that instead of
relying on these trips to de-stress, he could bring the North
Woods to his five wooded acres in River Hills.
|
 On
the edge
When
architect Stephen Bruns visited the piece of land on which he was
commissioned to design Fieldstone House, one thing was clear: The
driving force behind the project would be the two glacial kettles
on the property.
|
 Team
approach
There
was never any question William Koehnlein would join the family
design business. While
other kids were no doubt idling away their after-school hours, the
young Koehnlein was learning woodcarving.
|
 Milwaukee's
forgotten architects
When
architectural historian Chris Szczesny-Adams and her husband were
buying an 1899 home on Milwaukee’s East Side, she called her
dissertation adviser to see if he knew of its architect, Elmer
Grey. "‘You mean Elmer Grey of Pasadena?’" Szczesny-Adams
recalls him saying. "From then on, I knew I had found
something that was going to be very interesting."
|
 Luxe
Living
Shopping
for a luxury property? You’ll be hard-pressed to find one in the
Milwaukee area. There’s a historically low supply of high-end
homes available.
|
 Investment
property
Years
ago, on a trip to Colorado, a house featured in a newspaper home
section caught the eye of the traveler. He carried that newspaper
home with him to Wisconsin, and when he and his wife began to
concept their family dream home, that house influenced the design.
|
 Home
Work
When it
comes to designing a home office, form and function share equal
roles. Here are three designs that promote productivity and look
good, too.
|
 Color
conscious
No
matter where you fall on the topic of color, choosing the right
color for your bedroom is more than just personal preference.
Color affects restfulness, and romance, too, say local design
experts.
|
 Industrial
chic
Mary
Ann Matter of Elm Grove combines industrial chic with antiques in
her master suite. She worked with Theresa Vaughan of Forte
Interior Design to help execute her vision. The high wingback
upholstered bed by Lee Industries is trendy but gives off an
old-fashioned feel.
|
 Presto
chango
Children’s
retailer Land of Nod’s Lottie Dots Decal set contains 48 3-inch
dot decals in silver, gold or white. Paste them in uniform rows,
rainbow shapes or randomly for just the right amount of whimsy.
|
 Winning
whites
When it
comes to home design, white is always popular among homeowners. It’s
a color that never really goes out of style, yet easily lends
itself to reinvention.
|
 Kitchen
Styling
When Stephanie
Quinn of Modern Edge Design visited the downtown Milwaukee condo of a
potential client, she saw a kitchen that, while functional, needed an
update.
|
 To
Hollywood, with Love
Who
would have guessed that Milwaukee has its finger on the pulse of what’s
hot in Hollywood?
Since May,
Russell Levin and his staff at Argosy, a distinctive home accessories
store in Brookfield, have been selecting birthday and holiday gifts
for the staff and stars of the AMC network.
|
 Design
well-lived
Only one thing
could tear Teresa Manns away from a globe-trotting design career in
New York City working for the renowned Steven Gambrel — true love.
After marrying her former high school classmate whom she met at their
20-year reunion and commuting from Wauwatosa to NYC for two-plus
years, Manns decided to make Milwaukee her home base at Peabody’s
Interiors in Brown Deer.
|
 Setting
the bar
Party
guests may be known to congregate in the kitchen but they will
also migrate toward the bar if you have it set for holiday
entertaining.
|
 Casual
Christmas
Even
before they were married, Dave and Linda McFadden scoured flea
markets, estate sales and antique shops. "I like old
things," Linda McFadden says. "I like them even more
when they are a little bit rustic."
|
 Secrets
from a stylist
I have
expensive taste, far beyond my budget. As a movie set and photo
stylist in California and now in Wisconsin, I’ve learned some
trade secrets on how to satisfy my designer tastes without
sacrificing budget or style.
|
 Style
points
An uninspired
basement in a Wauwatosa home became a high-style yet comfortable
space for work and play. The lower-level redesign includes a home
office and a large open area for dancing and game playing, along
with a movie room.
|
 Inspiring
design
Local
designers are feeling the love on Houzz.com, the online platform
for ideas about architecture, interior design, landscape design
and home improvement.
|
 Well-edited
In a
scene right out of an HGTV design show, Dr. Michael and Mary Ellen
McCormick walked into their renovated condo greeted by their
design team for the big reveal.
|
 Out
of the box
After
15 years of building for other people, Craig and Georgia Rakowski
finally built a home for themselves. "I’ve taken bits and
pieces from all the models I’ve built and put them all
together," says Craig Rakowski, owner of James Craig
Builders. "It took three years to design my house," he
says.
|
 Design
speak
I love
the feeling gray walls bring to a space. To me, gray is and will
continue to be a "hot neutral" by creating a wonderful
palate or backdrop to work from. It’s the perfect showcase for
bold fabrics, a trend I am happy to see continue.
|
 Inside
the design
Beneath
its comfortable and dreamy exterior, this outdoor getaway is tough
as nails, from the heavy duty drapery fabric to the PVC potted
faux wheat grass. "We made sure everything was designed and
manufactured to withstand the elements," says interior
designer Nicholas Konzal of Nicholas Carl Design.
|
 Newport
of the West
An 1884
Victorian home on Fowler Lake in Oconomowoc certainly lives up to
the adage of standing the test of time. It
has been home to generations of families, converted to apartments
and recently restored to a single-family home by Chris and Frank
Both.
|
 Telling
stories through design
A background in the performing arts helps
Polish-born interior designer Aga Artka of Aga Artka Interior
Design, Milwaukee, create spaces that reflect her clients’
unique stories. "Growing up I spent a lot of time on stage
acting, singing and dancing.
|
 Build
Out
If you
grew up watching the animated series "The Jetsons," then
you’re already familiar with its visionary predictions of modern
life: Piloted in 1962, the show’s creators imagined a life
chock-full of leisure, with homes flanked by technology in every
room, from flat-screen televisions to mobile devices, and remote
controls and push buttons for every household task in between. |
 Favorite
homes
Thoughtful
design, beautiful landscapes and meaningful possessions are, by
themselves, not what makes a house a home. As editors of this
magazine’s home section, we have seen hundreds of wonderfully
appointed homes through the years.
|
 Chasing
Dreams
Elizabeth Rees
is not your typical 20-something. The Whitefish Bay native has
traveled across the globe, and, after coming back to the United
States, started her own business.
|
 Vintage
Industrial Chic
Walking
into Mary Ann Matter’s Elm Grove condo is a little like walking
into a homey Iron Horse Hotel. "I absolutely love the
hotel," says Matter. "When we came here we wanted to
capture that vibe." To fulfill her dream, Matter hired
Theresa Vaughan of Forte Design, John McWilliam, owner of Scathain
Collective, and Jennifer Espenscheid of Soma Gallery. |
 Showplace
kitchens
In
approaching the whole house remodel of their Mequon home, Rob and
Amy Prellwitz wanted first to bring in more natural light,
particularly in the kitchen. Architect Rory Palubiski of Fein
Design brightened up the north-facing room with lots of glass and
some skylights. |
 Trunk
to Punk Tour
You don’t
need to be decked out in Steampunk to participate in this year’s
Historic Concordia Neighborhood’s Steamtrunk to Steampunk home
tour June 15, but they’ll waive the admission if you do. |
 Castle
Collective
From
its picturesque and historic setting on one of America’s Great
Streets, "The Castle on Newberry" is ready to welcome
visitors as the 2013 Wisconsin Breast Cancer Showhouse for a Cure
from June 1 through 16. |
 Living
Luxe
Jeff
and Lisa Pereles’ Whitefish Bay master bathroom was a cramped
and "strictly functional" space before a remodel by SJ
Janis Co., says Nathan Wachtl, senior design consultant. |
 No
boundaries
Multifaceted
is how Nicholas Konzal describes his design abilities, which
include working with organic materials (floral design), textiles
(interior design) and manmade materials (furniture design).
"Good designers can work in different mediums," says the
Wauwatosa designer. |
 Treetop
adventures
Dustin
Feider is building a business based on a simple question: Who
doesn’t love tree houses? "It immediately draws people back
to their childhoods," says Feider, owner of O2 Treehouse.
"People love to tell their tree house stories." |
 Double
decker
When
the warm weather finally arrives, Dana and Tom Schreibel don’t
waste a minute of it. From their home on Lake Keesus they have
views of Marshall Bay and two outdoor living spaces from which to
enjoy it. "We entertain quite a bit. We actually hosted a
wedding two years ago," Dana Schreibel says. |
 Extreme
Pool Party: Fox Point Edition
Fox
Point’s tree-lined streets and quiet neighborhoods now disguise
its former status as a social hub during the early 20th century
when a popular golf club attracted socialites to the area. Though
golf ended in the 1930s, reminders of the country club remain,
such as the beach house, swimming pool and tennis courts. |
 Set
in stone
Tom
Halquist didn’t want to be a slave to his garden, so when he
hired Ginkgo Leaf Studios, Cedarburg, to renovate the landscape at
his Menomonee Falls home, he made that point very clear. |
 Prairie
reinvented
"I
knew right away," recalls the owner of the 1950s Bayside
home, about the day she first saw it. The 3,000-square-foot Frank
Lloyd Wright-inspired home is at the end of a winding driveway and
tucked into a wooded landscape. After a walk-through with the
Realtor — during which she saw past the dated décor — she was
even more smitten. |
 Element
of surprise
Walk
inside the suburban Cedarburg home and prepare to be surprised.
Peabody’s Interiors interior designer Emily Winters helped a
young couple create an urban sophisticated space to showcase their
extensive art collection. "I feel so strongly that your home
should reflect you and your personality," Winters says. |
 Waterfront
revival
You
might say fate led Gwen Adair-Strangohr and her husband, Jim
Strangohr, to the doorstep of their Lake Keesus home in 2007.
After the tragic death
of their friend, the couple purchased the home where their friend
had lived. "I think she always wanted me to have this
house," Adair-Strangohr says. |
 Design
trends: Bold colors, patterns prevail
They
make our surroundings beautiful, and they do it with aplomb, ease
and wit. They take an idea and whip it into a space that
flourishes with vibrant personality and charm. That’s why we
tapped a few of the area’s interior designers to share their
choices of the latest home design trends. |
 Moderne
Man
Rick
Barrett is doing something no other Milwaukee developer has ever done.
He’s building a high-rise development in downtown Chicago. |
