The cedar shakes and natural stone of the home’s exterior harmonize with the setting.
For Jeff Warren, president of Divine Custom Homes, a design-build firm based in Hudson, Wisconsin, the challenge of building a custom home is making sure owners get what they want.
What the buyers of this 2.5-acre lot in West Lakeland wanted was a five-bedroom house with a rustic—even “cabiny”—feel, spaces for enjoying the out-of-doors, plus all the conveniences of a modern executive home. They specifically wanted their house to include reclaimed wood.
The great room’s floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace has a reclaimed timber mantel adorned by iron strapping and studs.
The owners’ wishes are evident in the vaulted great room of the new 5,200-square-foot home, where beams, newel posts, and fireplace mantel are hand-hewn timber salvaged from a warehouse. Warren’s added touch is the iron strapping and studs adorning them. “It’s the details that set custom construction apart,” he says.
The black, hand-rubbed finish of the island lends contrast to the warm alder of the other cabinetry in the open kitchen.
Flooring in the great room is a wire-brushed hickory, which feels soft and grainy. In the kitchen, alder cabinets contrast with the sleek stainless steel of the Wolf range, microwave, steam oven, and Subzero refrigerator.
In the 3.5 season porch, large windows frame the stone fireplace
The dining room opens onto a 3.5-season porch with a second stone fireplace. On cool days, the space can function as a cozy family room. Porches that are integral to the living space are a signature of Divine homes. “Everybody says it’s their favorite room in the house,” Warren says.
The spacious lower level features a 12-foot bar topped by a 3-inch-thick oak slab, a 350-bottle wine cellar, and a game and media room.
The upper level includes the master bedroom and bath with a soaking tub and walk-in shower. The lower level features a bar made from a 3-inch-thick oak slab with a live edge, a naturally cooled wine cellar with a brick floor, and a bath with a river-rock floor.
The house is sided with cedar shakes and natural stone to harmonize with the lot and its impressive stands of 50-foot red pines. The owners can soak in a hot tub on a massive deck while they enjoy their private woods.
The mountain-lodge vibe is evident in the vaulted ceiling, reclaimed trusses, hand-hewn newel posts, and wrought-iron railings of the staircase.
Warren defines luxury not as a certain set of amenities but in terms of wishes being fulfilled. As a luxury builder, he says, “You’re giving someone a look and a feel and style down to the smallest details that they’re excited to have and live in.”
Luxury Home Tour
Builder:
Divine Custom Homes
Home Location:
West Lakeland
Square Footage:
5,200
Architectural Designer:
Tami Sherman
Interior Designer:
Amanda Hienecke
Sponsors:
• Southern Lights
• Sunspace
Digital Extra: Additional Photos
By Carmen Peota. Photos by Spacecrafting