By Shayna Mace  |  Photography by Shanna Wolf

Cathy Ostrom has seen properties all over the city as a realtor with First Weber, and has a discriminating eye. So she knew when a property went up for sale in the Middleton Beach neighborhood, she had to snap it up. Partially because she and her husband, Craig, always wanted to live on the lake, but also because they were quite familiar with the area—they had rented a home for five years on the very street where their current home is located and where they lived when their first daughter, Torey, was born 31 years ago.

“We weren’t planning to move, but as a realtor I had the opportunity to see the home and when I saw it, I told my husband, ‘You’ve got to come and see it.’ So we moved from Madison to Middleton. My husband and I grew up in Middleton and are high school sweethearts and our roots are here,” explains Ostrom. “And we wanted to get back here. It’s an amazing street—we even have a book club and great neighbors!”

However, the 1975 structure needed significant updates to the configuration of the home in order to be functional. And the 1970s bachelor pad décor was decidedly not the couple’s taste. In 2007, the Ostroms completed some minor projects upon moving, such as changing the design aesthetic, replacing the top deck, revamping the upstairs bathroom and removing a hot tub that was in a front sunroom. They decided to live with the rest of the current floor plan for seven years before they tackled a major remodel on the main level.

“I look for structural integrity, [and this home] was built well and had good bones. And that’s something I stress for my clients too. We absolutely saw the potential of the home. There were some efforts [by past owners] to make changes, but it was still a small house that didn’t function well, and I know that small homes can live better and flow better with the right floor plan,” says Ostrom.

In the old floor plan, the kitchen was located in the back of the first floor where visitors enter the home, facing the street. A bedroom and small sunroom with a hot tub took up half of the front part of the home facing the lake, and a small living room comprised the other half. Both had lake views, but the rooms were small and cut off.

“We like to entertain and it was difficult to cook and entertain in the kitchen that wasn’t lakeside, because everyone wanted to sit lakeside. And we knew at some point we wanted the kitchen to have views of the lake because we spend most of our time there,” she says.

When they decided to remodel in 2014, the Ostrom’s first stop was Dream House Dream Kitchens. After talking to owner Keven Schmidt, the couple had a plan of attack.

“We wanted to have a small house that lives big and have views of the lake from the kitchen with room to entertain. [So we] collaborated on the floor plan [with Keven]. It took three months total to completely gut the main level,” says Ostrom.

While the renovations were taking place, the Ostroms moved into an unoccupied, furnished home that Cathy had listed on the market.

The “complete gut” of the main level was no understatement: “We moved everything but the furnace,” says Ostrom. All new wiring and plumbing were installed in the home. The kitchen was indeed moved to the back of the home to face the lake. A wall was removed in between the former bedroom (now the kitchen) and living room to make one big open space. The hot tub/sitting room was turned into a dining nook. In the front of the home, a laundry room, small bedroom and full bath were added to make the floor plan flow better. “I now have a laundry room that’s not in the closet or shared with mechanicals,” jokes Ostrom.

The home now embodies a minimal, midcentury modern feel with little clutter and an unfussy look—exactly what Ostrom wanted. “Now, it’s really a small home that lives well and functions well, with better storage.”

Ostrom’s favorite room is the kitchen, so that was a major focus of the remodel. “I wanted clean lines and a big center island without a sink or stove— that was really important. I wanted that clean for people to gather around.”

The white quartz countertop is a lovely centerpiece to the kitchen that has dark Wenge cabinets, white oak floors with clear finish, sleek stainless appliances and minimalist pendant lights. The mix of materials plays off each other nicely and reinforce the midcentury modern vibe.

Other must-haves the couple wanted included a deep sink (“so I can hide dishes in it!” she says), an induction cooktop, few upper cabinets, walk-in pantry and dishwasher drawers.

Sprinkled throughout the kitchen are meaningful art pieces the Ostroms have collected throughout the years. The teapot pottery was created by local artist Rachelle Miller, who lives on Lake Monona.  The round woven piece under the cabinet is from Africa and was a gift from a friend. Next to the refrigerator hangs a black-and-white photograph of Hubbard Avenue Diner, taken by her daughter Torey.

The simple, fresh look is carried over in the adjoining dining nook, where a cool mid-century-influenced dining set lives along with a striking egg yolk oil painting, done by her husband, in college.

The home’s living room offers a laid-back California feel with a shag rug, comfortable gray couch, vintage light fixture, midcentury modern wood chair and a sleek dark wood TV console. In the corner on a stand sits a guitar that looks perfectly at home in the room—but it serves a function too, as Craig is a musician and plays in a local band.

“[The main level] is perfect for Craig and I—we usually just live down here,” says Ostrom.

The downstairs bathroom is cheerfully done, with blue tile surround, blue glass sink, white striated tile and large walk-in shower. Above the toilet hangs a modern Picasso-esque painting, which unbelievably, was created by their daughter Claire in the second grade.

Hanging in the hallway is a floating glass ribbon shelf by artist Richard Judd, purchased from  Zazen Gallery in Paoli. Art is very important to the Ostroms: “We wanted to be thoughtful about what we’re buying, and we wanted to buy art from artists we know. [For us] it’s about supporting the local arts and helping others through the arts; it’s a big thing for my husband and I.”

Ostrom says they’re waiting to fill their remaining empty walls with pieces that feel right. “We’re slow to buy pieces because we’re being methodical about it. I feel like it’s really important to support local artists. And we want to have a personal connection with the artists we like.”

Overall Ostrom says she’s thrilled with how the main-level redo went, and is excited to tackle a facelift with Dream House Dream Kitchens of the home’s second level, which houses another living room with fireplace, master bedroom and bath.

“We feel really lucky to be here—we’re blessed,” says Ostrom.

This home was featured in the Madison: Autumn 2016 issue.

For more photos of our featured Madison homes, visit the Madison Gallery page.