A One-of-a-Kind Home on Geneva Lake

As a retired interior designer, a local homeowner built a career designing homes that reflected her client’s personalities and lifestyles. So when it was time to design her own home on Geneva Lake, she used the same process to create a home that aligned with her and her family’s lifestyle.

“When it came to my clients, the house had to look like them when it was complete,” explains the homeowner. “It was important for me to listen carefully to their wants and needs and understand how they live. The home needed to look like them and to feel like home. I used the same process for my own home, focusing on timeless design and avoiding trendy design and colors.”

The 9,000-square-foot lakeside home has five bedrooms, seven bathrooms and boasts an indoor pool, a green roof system, an atrium, a main pavilion and a lower level with outdoor access.

The homeowner and her husband sold their family home in Madison to move to Lake Geneva full-time, with the intent that the home would be a family home for her son and his family to enjoy for decades to come. Her son’s family lives in the Chicago area, so the homeowners moved to Lake Geneva to be in closer proximity to their son, daughter-in- law and grandchildren.

“Our son and his family come every weekend,” she says. “Our grandchildren are 12, 10 and 8, and they come all year round. We’re very adventurous; we enjoy exploring in the woods to see what we can find. We go ice skating and sledding in the winter, apple picking in the fall, and in the summer, it’s lake, lake and more lake.”

In the summer, from sunrise to sunset, the family can be found engaging in water activities and taking jaunts in the boat to Gordy’s for lunch.

When conceptualizing her home, the homeowner wanted her house to be different from the other homes on the lake. To complete the project and achieve her vision, she turned to Balsitis Contracting, Inc.

“[The homeowner] has a very creative eye,” says Joseph (Joey) Balsitis Jr., owner and chief executive officer, Balsitis Contracting, Inc. “She wanted to create something completely different than any other home on Geneva Lake, and have it be a generational home. It’s a contemporary home, whereas many houses on Geneva Lake have similar taste and design. In addition, the layout is very unique and multifunctional, and was designed as a home for entertaining.”

For the homeowner, the most important attribute of her home was the flow. “I wanted something very open and has good flow. We are right on the water, so I wanted people to come in and to see the lake,” says the homeowner. “The sight line of the water is through an atrium; once you leave the foyer, the rest of the house opens to the lake.”

Once you pass through the greenery of the atrium, you enter the home’s main pavilion. This space is home to the formal living and dining rooms and a casual dining room, among other rooms. Although the home is open concept, each room still feels distinct; separated through a series of partitions.

During her 30-year career as an interior designer, most of her projects were traditional-style homes, including the Wisconsin Executive Residence in Madison. For her own home, she wanted a modern home with clean lines — something completely different from what she’s done before. She gathered inspiration for her Lake Geneva home from the Lake Geneva Home and Garden Tour.

“The design inside is very minimal, which can actually be challenging,” explained Balsitis. “The contemporary design has very clean lines and looks very simple; however, it’s one of the more difficult home styles to build.”

During construction, Balsitis and the homeowner developed a mutual respect and appreciation for each other’s talents. “Joey explained everything in detail and how we would go through and execute it without changing the design’s integrity,” shares the homeowner.

“His methodology is perfection, and he didn’t move forward unless the details were laid out to perfection, and he knew what needed to be done and how he could achieve it.”

By Deanna Kane | Photography by Matthew Petersen, Ensure Productions

MORE ABOUT THIS HOME

9,000 SQUARE FEET | 5 BEDROOMS | 7 BATHROOMS

HUB OF ACTIVITY
The home’s central living space features lake views, shiplap details and a cathedral ceiling with skylights to allow natural light in.

COOL KITCHEN
The kitchen was designed with a focus on minimal, clean lines. The quartz used in the kitchen island was utilized throughout the rest of the home, and the smoked wood floors carry through the home for a streamlined effect.

NOD TO THE WATER
The couple installed a four-sided aquarium in the kitchen as a nod to their former Madison home. They had one there too, and wanted to incorporate it in their Lake Geneva home.

SOOTHING SPACE
With peaceful aqua walls, and views of the lake and the rose garden, the primary bedroom is a space to rest and recharge for another day on the lake.

CONTEMPORARY CHIC
Minimalist cabinetry, sleek sconces, decorative tile and quartz countertops complete the lower level bathroom.

AIRY AND BRIGHT
The stunning entryway is filled with floor to ceiling windows, sleek shiplap and direct views to the home’s atrium, which looks out to Geneva Lake.

HAVE A SEAT
The family’s lower level features a bar space where they can gather around for refreshments, to refuel in between swimming, games of billiards or long afternoons on the water.

ENTERTAINMENT PARADISE
The lower level is a place for the family to hang out, relax and engage in a friendly game of billiards or swim in the indoor pool.

SET TO SWIM
The amazing indoor pool means the family can swim comfortably year-round — even while watching the snow fall. They can also catch views of the lake while splashing around inside.

This home was featured in the Lake Geneva: Summer 2022 issue. For more photos of featured Lake Geneva homes, visit the Lake Geneva Gallery page.