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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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. |
 Rebuilding
Shorewood
The
village of Shorewood is reinventing its business district with a
series of mixed-use developments. The landlocked community that
encompasses one square mile on Milwaukee’s North Shore began buying
parcels and razing buildings along Oakland Avenue in 2005 in hopes of
attracting new retail projects and residents. |
A
sense of luxury
The
words wallpaper and opulent might not seem to go together, but
times and designs have changed. "Wallpapers are not what they
used to be. |
 Divinely
designed
There
is beautiful, and then there is divine. The modern ranch that
sprawls across more than 200 feet of waterfront in Egg Harbor is a
robust package of Old- and New-World charm. |
 Right
sizing your home
McMansions,
those 3,000-square-foot-plus monstrosities that seemed to swallow
up suburban landscapes in the early 2000s, are quickly becoming a
thing of the past. According to the National Home Builders
Association, the average size of a new home is expected to shrink
to 2,150 square feet by 2015, which is down 10 percent from 2009. |
 Down
time
Ro Sham
Beaux Malibu chandelier, The Home Market, Milwaukee Palecek decorative
screen, Peabody’s Interiors, Brown Deer. |
 Bathtastic!
Extreme
sports lovers Bonnie Hammond and her husband, Kelsey Starks,
wanted to incorporate their love of the water and water sports
into the redesign of their Mequon home’s lower level. Deep sea
diving relics, beach finds and murals help to provide a seaside
feeling. |
 Tropics-inspired,
Country-approved
After
years of living in a 100-year-old farmhouse in rural Cedarburg,
Tom and Jeri Johnson were ready to move — but not too far.
"We gave some consideration to finding a home on a southern
beach, but while my wife wanted a new home, she made it clear that
we were going to stay close to our children and
grandchildren," Tom Johnson says. |
 Curbside
finds
Cruising
through Oconomowoc on a scooter, Leanne Rische scours curbs for
tossed-out furniture. She returns in a van to scoop up the finds.
As one of a group of women behind Green Garage, which was founded
in 2008, Rische works tirelessly to curate wood furniture with
unique lines and architectural interest that are just in need of a
little TLC. |
 Shop:
Frill
After
15 years of designing stores for Harley-Davidson, including
nitty-gritty details like signage and displays, Lynn Knutson quit
that job for the ride of her life. |
 Fridge
facts
When it
comes to refrigerators, there’s an ever-expanding array of
options. From the traditional top-freezer to the stylish
French-door bottom freezer models, today’s refrigerators are
equipped with myriad amenities designed to make life easier. |
 Study
in white
Refreshingly
light and natural come to mind when you enter the kitchen of this
Silver Lake residence. The homeowner desired an organic feel for
the interior when planning the custom house built by Colby
Construction. |
 Darkness
into light
Transforming
a home from traditional to contemporary style in 10 weeks sounds
like a daunting task. "The homeowners, who love contemporary
design and also love to entertain, wanted a much sleeker and more
open space," says Molly Madsen of AB&K in Greenfield and
Mequon, the contractors who took on the job. |
 Home
goods
When
Clinton Street Antiques in Milwaukee opened its doors in 1992,
country primitive and Victorian pieces were all the rage among
collectors. But during the past 20 years, Douglas Quigley, who
co-owns the shop with Curtis Peck, has seen a monumental shift in
the market. |
 Pinpoint
your holiday persona
Are you
a dyed-in-the-wool traditionalist who decorates for the holidays
exclusively in red and green? Or perhaps you yearn to experiment
with a new style and color scheme, but aren’t sure just how to
reconcile your existing things with a new look. |
