As a couple who splits their time between Arizona and Lake Geneva, having a Wisconsin home with an airy, summery feel was essential to homeowners Yvette and Howard Schulz. After renting in Geneva National for over a decade, the couple decided to purchase a residence there as a home base to spend more time with family in the Midwest, including their two-year-old grandson.
When the Schulzes purchased the home, heavy, dark leather furniture and décor filled the place, which was the opposite of the aesthetic they wanted to achieve.
“Our vision was light, bright and airy like a summer home,” says Yvette. “We didn’t want it to be dark and gloomy. We wanted to maintain the open airiness, and … highlight the [home’s many] windows.”
The Schulzes enlisted the help of Theresa Hansen, founder and CEO of Chicago-based Theresa Hansen Interiors. Initially, Yvette and Howard met with Hansen in person. When they returned to Arizona for the winter, they worked with Hansen virtually to complete the majority of the project, and it was finished while they were gone.
“Theresa was very easy to work with. [We were] in Arizona while she worked through the details and got it done,” says Howard. “We worked with her through phone calls, video calls and emails. She found the pieces and had them shipped, stored and installed, so the process was turnkey.”
As snowbirds, the couple wanted their Wisconsin home to have a different feel than their Arizona abode.
“The homeowners’ … winter residence in Arizona [has] deep, warm colors,” says Hansen. “They wanted to lighten it up and have a brighter home when they are in Lake Geneva during the summer months.”
The couple was thoughtful in their design choices. They were inspired by nature, which is reflected in both bedrooms’ aesthetics. The primary bedroom has a neutral base punctuated with peppy pink and orange botanical-print throw pillows and draperies, and a soothing blue bed coverlet.
The couple loves to golf, so bringing in green and blue was a natural choice, too. The guest bedroom incorporates vibrant blues and greens via a statement wall covered in wallpaper by Thibaut, coordinated with matching draperies crafted out of the same pattern.
It was important to the couple that the guest room was multi-functional. The Schulzes selected an extended-length daybed with a trundle bed to accommodate visiting family and friends. The space also has a desk to operate as a home office as well.
Together with Hansen, the couple selected custom furnishings for throughout the home.
“We started with the floor plan, and with custom furniture, we can create any size,” says Hansen. “From there, we selected the fabrics and color stories.”
The furniture’s upholstery is courtesy of Hansen’s private-label line (berhandesigns.com). Because it’s all custom, every item fits flawlessly in each room and accommodates the Schulzes’ needs. For example, the primary bedroom’s bed has a built-in bench at the end of it and a quick lift of the seat reveals storage in it.
Without any demolition or remodeling, the Schulzes achieved a completely refreshed, custom look for their new home — by incorporating a brand-new color palette and furnishings.
“We are excited to enjoy our new, beautiful home with our family and friends,” says Yvette.
By Deanna Kane | Photography by Shanna Wolf
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Theresa Hansen, founder and CEO of Theresa Hansen Interiors, used some of these products in the Schulzesʼ guest bedroom.
- Thibaut New Haven Stripe fabric in green (used for pillow bolster), thibautdesign.com
- Tiverton fabric and wallpaper in blue and green, thibautdesign.com
- Visual Comfort Dover table lamp in Gild, visualcomfortlightinglights.com
