CHICAGO

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VOLUME 12, ISSUE 2 DISPLAY UNTIL 7/14/14

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bright futures

interior design Jessica Jubelirer, Jessica Jubelirer Design

home builder Oyvind Solvang, Hillcrest Builders

landscape architecture Judith Stark, Judith Stark & Associates Landscape Architects, LLC

bedrooms 3 bathrooms 4 square feet 3,298

w r i t t e n b y kimberly olson p h o t o g r a p h y b y werner straube

overhauling a log cabin-style weekend retreat in wisconsin results in

a vibrant, airy and open space with maximized views of lake michigan.

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It had been 13 years since a Wisconsin couple had purchased their

log-sided weekend home—a peaceful retreat on Lake Michigan

with access to a white sandy beach—when they felt the need for

a renovation. “One day, I went to open the front door, and the

handle came off,” remembers the wife. Those shiny brass handles had

never really fit with the home’s style anyway. Using them as an impetus

for change, the homeowners then realized that they didn’t really care for

the slate flooring either. As their designer Jessica Jubelirer recalls, “Once

we addressed the flooring, it made sense to talk about how the great

room was too small, and then one thing just led to another.”

So Jubelirer—along with her architectural designer Kevin Yurske

and general contractor Oyvind Solvang—worked with the owners to

completely reimagine the house. “Many log homes are quite elaborate,

with open gables and floor-to-ceiling glass to get those full views,”

Solvang says. “This dwelling didn’t really have that, and, in turn, drove

the process.” Thus, the team set out to make the dark interior bright

and airy while staying true to the home’s log cabin aesthetic.

The great room in this Wisconsin retreat designed by Jessica Jubelirer incorporates a daybed featuring fabric by Raoul Textiles and a sofa from Lee Industries upholstered in a material by Michael S. Smith. Opposite: The light-filled great room features rustic details with a fresh twist, like the decorative wall made of whitewashed-oak log end-grain cuts.

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Since family and friends often gather at the lake house, the great room

was expanded by six feet for functionality. “A wall of windows was added

to frame the view of the lake like a piece of art,” Jubelirer says. “We then

brought in Roman shades in an unlined sheer to complement the view

without taking away from it.” Other rooms were also expanded, including

the tiny dining area, which gained square footage and a higher ceiling.

Next, Jubelirer focused on refreshing the home’s orangey-brown log interior.

“I was at a horse farm and there was this beautiful weathered, whitewashed

fence,” she says. “In that moment, I knew how we would resolve the home’s

overall direction.” Adds the wife, “Jessica had the painter work up various

samples to get the logs looking like they’re sort of chipped away. There is a

grayish-brown underneath and then the white. It softens the heft of the logs

and is very appropriate for the beach.” The original cold slate floors were then

replaced with character-grade, plain-sawn white oak for a warmer beachy feel.

“They’re hand-scraped and rustic,” Jubelirer says, “so when people have sand

between their toes, the floors can take a beating and still look great.”

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Above: With an open-concept design, the kitchen is anchored by an island composed of rough-hewn beams and a zinc top. It is paired with custom barstools and an Ann Sacks backsplash. Left: A distressed pine hutch frames sheer window panels made from C&C Milano fabric at Holland & Sherry.

The dining room continues the home’s whimsical flavor with a funky chandelier designed and fabricated by Jessica Jubelirer Design from reclaimed light sockets. Stylish chairs featuring seats made of a quilted Muriel Brandolini fabric surround the custom table. A Moroccan wool rug adds a playful touch.

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The homeowners also didn’t want the furnishings to be too matchy

or overbearing. “I love the couches in the main great room because nothing

feels massive and you can see all the way through the room and out to the

lake from different seating areas,” says the wife, who worked closely with

Jubelirer to create the perfect visual flow. “This became a very personal

project for me. The doorknobs, the way the windows are raised and lowered,

the lampshades—I had input on everything. Jessica knew what to show me,

and I trusted her judgment.” For example, several rooms sport colorful rugs

that Jubelirer picked up on a trip to Morocco. “I carried them on the back of

a mule down the Atlas Mountains,” she says. “I didn’t want to part with some

of them, but they were too perfect, and they had clearly found their home.”

Far from a traditional lake house, the home now displays colorful artwork

and funky details like a custom light fixture made of salvaged sockets in the

dining room and a bold custom kitchen island fashioned from reclaimed

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The loft space provides a second gathering room and features a spacious coffee table, which belonged to the homeowners. The existing sofa and chair received new washable linen slipcovers. Vibrant throw pillows, the couple’s own artwork and a pair of rope table lamps—with custom shades made from Ottoman Empire fabric—provide pops of color.

In the entry—and throughout—hand-scraped white oak floors lend rustic beauty and can stand up to sandy feet as the family and their guests come in from the beach. A custom American folk art-style mirror doubles as a coatrack. Beneath it, an antique Moroccan rug in joyful colors brightens the scene.

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timbers. “The challenge was to mix rustic and sophisticated elements, and

that’s not easy to pull off,” says Solvang. “But I think we did it in the overall

design, as well as in many of the finishes.”

Outside, Solvang’s team built a wraparound deck with large stone stairs and

landscape architect Judith Stark added plantings that blend with the natural

surrounds. “We used meadow flowers and beach grasses,” she says. “We

then added a fire pit close to the lake and a hammock between two trees.”

Ultimately, the owners wanted to create a place where they could kick

back with bare feet and good friends—and it has become just that. The

wife gathers there with her girlfriends, the family enjoys late night fires

together, and it’s become the perfect spot for the Fourth of July. As the

wife says, “I come in and take a deep breath. There’s not a big television,

there’s no to-do list. It’s really peaceful. There’s a little sign that my sister

gave me that says it all: This is my happy place.” L

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Above: The master bedroom includes subtle wallpaper by Farrow & Ball, sheer window treatments made of Raoul Textiles fabric, a Baker bed, and rustic twig chests. Left: A Victorian-influenced washstand, Waterworks fixtures, playful Katie Ridder wallcovering and a Restoration Hardware mirror produce a hip master bath.

In the lakeside entry, an existing slatted-back chair offers the perfect perch. The back pillow features an antique tapestry, while the larger floor pillow was made from a rug fragment. The console, designed and fabricated by Jessica Jubelirer Design, holds the owners’ possessions; the antique Moroccan wool carpet adds to the intimate feel.