By Katie Vaughn | Photography By Shanna Wolf
When a couple began searching for a house in Lake Geneva, it felt right when they discovered one while out on a boat.
After living in Fond du Lac for over 25 years, where they raised two children, Lilly and Scott Brutosky were eager to relocate to Lake Geneva, where their daughter had settled with her family. When they spotted a historic property just across Main Street from the lake, they had an inkling this could be the place for them.
“The original house was built in 1911,” says Scott. “It had the character we were looking for.”
The couple bought the home in the fall of 2020, with a plan to update and expand the living spaces while preserving and enhancing the house’s historic details. They began by working on the original 2,300 square feet, refreshing the dining and living rooms and being thoughtful with the interior wood trim work and the original exterior.
“We tried to keep everything in line with the historic look,” Lilly says.
Then in the new year, the Brutoskys turned their attention to an addition that would more than double the home’s square footage.
The addition allowed them to create an open-concept kitchen, dining and living areas, as well as a lower level. Another highlight of the addition is the screened porch with comfortable wicker furniture, which has quickly become one of Lilly’s favorite spots.
“I love the new screened porch in the front,” she says. “I love people watching and seeing what’s going on on the lake.”
The original front porch also looks out at the lake, and the Brutoskys took care in updating it, including the custom columns and railings to replace the original ones that had been destroyed when the porch was enclosed in the 1960s. Similarly, the couple removed the old vinyl siding on the original home and restored the thinner-plank cedar siding, that was beneath and matched this look on the addition.
The couple also added a pool, as a perk for both them and their grandkids to enjoy. Arvidson Pools from Crystal Lake, Illinois, helped with the challenge of adding the feature to their city lot.
Both inside and out, the Brutoskys strove to integrate elements that are original to the house and those that came from their renovations.
“We wanted it to all look like one house, even from the outside,” Lilly says. “You can’t tell which part is new and which is the addition.”
Jeff Anderson, a remodeling consultant at Elkhorn-based Stebnitz Builders, which handled the addition, says the goal of seamlessly connecting the old with the new drew him to the project.
“The house has amazing flow to it,” he says. “It’s nothing short of beautiful, how the home flows with the amazing woodwork from 100 years ago and the addition of new modern amenities.”
While renovations were underway, the Brutoskys split their time between Fond du Lac and Lake Geneva. In March 2024, they sold their old home and moved south full time, and they’ve since been embracing a new way of life. Whereas their previous house was quiet and set alongside a golf course, their new property sits squarely in the bustle of downtown Lake Geneva.
“We love being able to walk to restaurants, bars and shops,” Scott says.
“We’re more active here,” Lilly adds. “The lifestyle is completely different, but we wanted it to be completely different.”
Fortuitously, much of the couple’s furniture and antiques feel right at home in their new house. The pair describe their style as traditional and comfortable, with a mix of old and new elements, particularly pieces that they acquired while living in Europe for six years.
“The house has a character that matches a lot of what we had,” says Lilly, pointing out an antique wood cabinet from Belgium that now sits in an upstairs bedroom overlooking Geneva Lake.
“I bought it 15 years ago not knowing what I would do with it,” she says. “But I thought, one day I’ll put that in a house by a lake.”
A screened porch allows the Brutoskys to enjoy the outdoors and views of Geneva Lake, which is located across the street. 
The Brutoskys commissioned JG Custom Cabinetry from Neenah to construct cabinetry for their new kitchen and bathroom; tile and fixtures for both spaces came from the Kohler Design Center, while AMC Countertops in Fond du Lac provided the Cambria countertops. The couple chose Wisconsin- made Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances and black bar stools from Wayfair. They sourced the glass light pendants from Four Hands in Atlanta after seeing them in an Appleton store. 
A coffered ceiling and quarter-sawn oak floors from Timeless Flooring in Lake Geneva flow through the home. 
The couple matched up an antique dining table with chairs from Ethan Allen, while the living room furniture is a mix of pieces from Milwaukee’s Arhaus Furniture, Brick & Mortar Home in Lake Geneva and Ethan Allen — including the black grandfather clock. The gallery wall features black and white photographs the couple took in Europe. 
What was originally a pantry became full bathroom for the new main-floor guest bedroom, with tile and fixtures from the Kohler Design Center and a vanity designed to look like a piece of furniture by JG Custom Cabinetry. 
The home’s original kitchen is now a first-floor guest bedroom, with a door providing access to the pool. 
Kathy Hanley from @HOME in Lake Geneva helped choose the wallpaper for the formal dining room. The chairs are from Ethan Allen, the table is antique and the chandelier is original to the home. 
