By Anne Morrissy | Exterior Photography by Clint Farlinger, Interior Photography by Shanna Wolf
In 2000, when Linda and Kurt Stier bought the lakefront property on Geneva Lake where their home now stands, they knew they would face some challenges in building their dream home. First, there was the question of the house that already stood on the property, which was ultimately burned down to make way for their Italianate villa.
Putting together a home’s interior is a special dance of fashion and function. Knowing what colors to choose, fabrics to select and furnishings to incorporate takes a special eye—and Michael John Weber of Collaborative Design in Waukesha helps homeowners do just that.
By Maura Keller
Imagine living in a house where your drapes draw themselves at sunset and open at sunrise, and your home’s heating and lighting adjust automatically based on your daily activities. Or better yet, on a blustery, snowy day, imagine using an app on your mobile phone to tell your house to turn up the thermostat four degrees and turn on the driveway defroster.
By Shayna Mace | Photography by Shanna Wolf
When guests drive up to Hans and Marijo Weissgerber’s Oconomowoc Lake home, they’re greeted by a sunny yellow manor with Spanish-tiled roof, decorative archway detail and show stopping carved Phillippine mahogany door.
By Melanie Radzicki McManus | Photography by Shanna Wolf
The crowds thin as summer departs in a final puff of heat, and autumn begins muscling her way in with a frosty kiss. But don’t think the impending cooler season means there’s nothing much to see at Olbrich Botanical Gardens. In many ways, fall is the perfect time to stop in for a visit.
For James Tye, executive director of the Clean Lakes Alliance, his connection to the lakes runs deep, as he grew up swimming, waterskiing and sailing on Lake Mendota. As a lifelong Madison resident, he has seen many changes in the Yahara lakes over the years, and is excited to now have the opportunity to work on their behalf.
By Becky Peck | Photographed by Shanna Wolf
Looking out a window and not seeing water wouldn’t feel natural to Joe McCormick. The Madison-born real estate developer and builder has lived most of his life on or near Lake Mendota. And when he’s not home, you can often find McCormick and his fiancée, Jane Carroll, sailing during summers in Madison or Door County, and in the winter, the Caribbean.
By Shayna Mace | Photography by Shanna Wolf
If you’ve ever seen “Gone With the Wind,” the image of Tara, the plantation home in the film, evokes a grand, stately presence. The Midwest’s own version of Tara sits right on Oconomowoc Lake on 100 feet of lake frontage and is owned by Debi and Jim Schneider, who purchased the property in 2005.
