Good design is achieved when the needs of the space are compatible with the wants of its occupant.
REMODELING AND INTERIOR DESIGN PROJECT ON PINE LAKE IN THE TOWN OF CHENEQUA, WISCONSIN
I WAS STILL IN THE PROCESS OF COMPLETING THE CLIENTS' ENGLISH INSPIRED MANOR HOUSE ON LAKE DRIVE IN MILWAUKEE WHEN THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD PURCHASED A COTTAGE WHICH IS SHOWN IN THE ABOVE PHOTO. THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES WEST OF MILWAUKEE ON PINE LAKE IN THE TOWNSHIP OF CHENEQUA. THE HOUSE WAS DESIGNED BY THE FAMOUS MIDWESTERN ARCHITECT ALEXANDER ESCHWEILER AND WAS CONSTRUCTED IN THE EARLY 1930'S. THE KITCHEN WAS REMODELED IN THE 1950'S WITH ALL THE STATE OF THE ART ELEMENTS AT THAT TIME WHICH INCLUDED MINT GREEN ST. CHARLES METAL CABINETRY, STAINLESS STEEL COUNTERTOPS WITH AN INTEGRATED COOKTOP, AND LINOLEUM FLOORING. OF COURSE, NONE TO THOSE THINGS WERE REFLECTIVE OF AN ENGLISH STYLE COUNTRY HOUSE, SO THE KITCHEN RENOVATION WAS THE FRIST MAJOR PROJECT THAT WAS EMBARKED ON.
FROM BANK TO HAIR SALON TO INVESTMENT FIRM IN HILBERT, WISCONSIN
THIS BUILDING WAS BEING UTILIZED AS A HAIR SALON WHEN MY CLIENT PURCHASED IT AND HIS GOAL WAS TO CONVERT IT INTO A FINANCIAL INVESTMENT FIRM. DURING OUR FIRST MEETING HE TOLD ME HE HAD ONLY ONE REQUEST AND THAT WAS TO CREATE ON ENVIRONMENT THAT WAS INTIMIDATING. AND MY RESPONSE WAS, "I CAN DO INTIMIDATING" AS I'VE ALWAYS BEEN OF THE OPINION THAT IMITATION IS NOT THE HIGHEST FORM OF FLATTERY AS MUCH AS INTIMIDATION IS.
INTERIOR DESIGN PROJECT IN THE COMMUNITY OF GAMBEL QUAIL IN MOUNTAIN VIEW, ARIZONA
THIS WAS THE FOURTH PROJECT THAT I HAD COMPLETED FOR THIS CLIENT. THIS HOUSE HAD A GREAT LAYOUT AND SOME WONDERFUL DETAILS THROUGHOUT. INTERESTINGLY, THE HOUSE HAS BEEN ON THE MARKET FOR SOEM TIME WHICH WHILE UNFORTUNATE FOR THE SELLER, IT WAS ADVANTAGEOUS TO MY CLIENT WHO COULD SEE BEYOND THE CHINESE RED KITCHEN CABINETS AND THE FAUX FINISHED WALLS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE HOUSE,
INTERIOR DESIGN PROJECT IN A PRE-WAR CONDOMINIUM IN DOWNTOWN CHICAGO ON CHESTNUT STREET
THIS WAS THE SECOND PROJECT THAT I HAD COMPLETED FOR THIS CLIENT IN ADDITION TO HAVING WORKED ON TWO PROJECTS FOR HER PARENTS IN WILMETTE, ILLINOIS. THE ONLY REQUEST THAT SHE MADE WAS THAT SHE WANTED A FRENCH INSPIRED APARTMENT TO GO WITH HER MONET BLUE AND YELLOW CHINA.
TRANSFORMING A HOME THAT WAS ON THE NATIONAL REGISTRY OF HISTORICAL PLACES
MANY OF MY PROJECTS COULD EASILY FALL IN TO THE CATEGORY OF EITHER STRICTLY ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPTS OR INTERIOR DESIGN. THIS PROJECT WAS ONE OF THOSE AND IT WAS UNIQUE IN THE FACT THAT BECAUSE THE HOUSE WAS LISTED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTRY OF HISTORICAL PLACES, NOTHING ON THE EXTERIOR COULD BE CHANGED. THAT WAS A BLESSING IN THER SENSE THAT WE HAD OUR HANDS FULL JUST TRYING TO GIVE THE INTERIOR OF THE HOUSE A MORE MODERN DAY SENSIBILITY IN TERMS OF FUNCTIONALITY. THE KITCHEN WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED FOR ONLY SERVANTS AND WAS THEN UPDATED IN THE 1950'S WITH PINK ST. CHARLES METAL CABINETRY AND STAINLESS STEEL COUNTERTOPS. SO YES, SOME PEOPLE WOULD FIND THAT TO BE COOL BUT ONCE AGAIN, IT WAS NOT APPROPRIATE TO THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE HOUSE NOR WOULD IT EVEN FUNCTION WELL FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR.
RESTORING A CLASSICAL INTERIOR DESIGN APPROACH TO A TRADITIONAL COLONIAL HOME
WHEN THE OWNER OF THIS HOUSE CONTACTED ME ASKING IF I WOULD BE WILLING TO WORK ON THIS PROJECT, SHE GAVE ME FAIR WARNING. SHE STATED THAT SHE HAD BEEN WORKING WITH A LOCAL DESIGNER AND WHEN EVERYTHING WAS IN PLACE AND FINISHED, SHE KNEW AT THAT POINT THAT SHE HAD MADE A TERRIBLE MISTAKE. LOOK AT THE "BEFORE" PHOTOS AND YOU BE THE JUDGE. GOOD DESIGN IS NEVER DATED WETHER IT BE TRADITIONAL OR CONTEMPORARY. WITH THAT IN MIND, I DID THIS PROJECT APPROXIMATELY 30 YEARS AGO AND THESE PHOTOS WERE TAKEN THE LAST TIME I WAS IN THE STATES WHICH WAS IN JANUARY OF 2023.
THREE PROJECTS THAT I DESIGNED FOR ME PERSONALLY
THE FIRST PROJECT
THE RESTAURANT
WHEN I LOOK BACK ON MY LIFE I SOMETIMES HEAR MERYL STREEP IN MY HEAD SAYING THE OPENING LINE FROM ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES "OUT OF AFRICA"....."I HAD A FARM IN AFRICA AT THE FOOT OF THE NGONG HILLS". ONLY MY STORY ISN'T QUITE SO GLAMOROUS, "I HAD A RESTAURANT IN APPLETON AT THE FOOT OF THE HOLIDAY INN SELECT". .
THE SECOND PROJECT
THE ANTIQUE STORE
I ALWAYS ADMIRED THIS BUILDING WHEN I DROVE BY IT ON PROSPECT AVENUE IN MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN; SO I WAS EXCITED WHEN I WAS ABLE TO RENT PART OF IT FOR MY INTERIOR DESIGN AND ANTIQUE BUSINESS. THE STORE WAS ON TWO LEVELS WITH THE MAIN PART OF IT BEING ON THE SECOND FLOOR. THE CLASSIC INTERIOR ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS OF THE SPACE CREATED THE PERFECT BACKDROP FOR THE ENGLISH AND CHINESE ANTIQUES THAT I HAD TO OFFER CLIENTS ALONG WITH THE ACCESSORIES AND FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS.
THE THIRD PROJECT
.THE FURNITURE SHOWROOM
I OPENED A FURNITURE SHOWROOM ON ERIE STREET IN MILWAUKEE IN 2008. THE SHOWROOM SHOWCASED CHINESE ANTIQUES FROM M.J. KNOWLES IN DE PERE, ART PIECES FROM SEVERAL NORTHEASTERN WISCONSIN ARTISTS, CUSTOM KITCHEN CABINETRY FROM V AND A CABINETS IN DE PERE, CUSTOM FURNITURE FROM GREEN BAY UPHOLSTERY, RUGS FROM A MEXICAN WEAVER WHO LIVED IN DOOR COUNTY, AND FURNITURE FROM THE WOODSMITH SHOPPE IN GREEN BAY. THESE WERE ALL RESOURCES THAT I HAD BEEN WORKING WITH FOR YEARS AND I WAS HOPING TO GIVE THEM MORE EXPOSURE IN THE LARGER URBAN AREA OF MILWAUKEE.
TWO SMALL REMODELING PROJECTS
THE FIRST PROJECT
GUEST BATHROOM REMODELING PROJECT IN DE PERE, WISCONSIN
THIS WAS THE LAST PHASE OF A PROJECT THAT ENCOMPASSED REMODELING THE ENTIRE HOUSE INCLUDING ADDING A FAMILY ROOM AND A TWO AND A HALF STALL GARAGE. THE STONE THAT IS UTILIZED IN THE SHOWER AND THE VANITY COUNTERTOP IS A NATURALLY STRIPED MARBLE AND IT IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE MABLES TO USE.
THE SECOND PROJECT
GUEST ROOM REMODEL IN CUENCA
THE DIMENSIONS OF THE GUEST ROOM ARE APPROXIMATELY 12 FEET WIDE BY 14 DEEP WITH ONE WINDOW THAT COVERS THE ENTIRE EAST WALL AND THE ROOM ALSO HAS TWO DOORS. THE ROOM CONTAINED A SOFA SLEEPER, A CHAISE LOUNGE, AN OTTOMAN, A CONSOLE TABLE WITH A FLAT SCREEN TV AND VARIOUS OTHER SMALL ITEMS OF FURNTIURE. THERE WERE ALSO FOUR BOOKCASES IN THE ROOMS AND IN TERMS OF THE AESTHETICS, THE ROOM WAS OVERWHELMED WITH FURNITURE. THE SOLUTION WAS TO CONSOLIDATE ALL THE BOOKCASES ON ONE WALL AND THEN CREATE A "BRIDGE" MADE FROM THE SAME WOOD TO GIVE THE FOUR PIECES AND MORE COHESIVE "BUILT-IN" LOOK. THE BRIDGE CONSISTED OF A PIECE OF WOOD AT THE TOP AND THE UNITS AND ALSO ONE AT TABLE HEIGHT WHICH COULD BE USED AS A TYPE OF NIGHTSTAND AND ALSO AN AREA FOR A READING LIGHT.
