(Christine Nesheim)
LUXURY LIFESTYLES: Bluff captures couple’s hearts
Becomes setting for new home
The atmosphere of this bluff-top home is a synthesis of relaxed elegance and north woods hideaway.
And that’s just what the homeowners, Rick Thrun and his wife, Laura Marx, intended for their two-level home in Sturgeon Bay, completed in spring 2008.
What came somewhat as a surprise to the couple, however, was a fondness for living on a Door County bluff. These boating and scuba diving aficionados originally intended to find property on the Green Bay shoreline.
“I wanted to dangle my toes off the pier, and Rick said, ‘But when do we really ever do that?’” Marx said with a laugh.
Then one day, Thrun was driving around and happened upon a sign proclaiming, “Build to Suit.” It led him up a road and through what appeared to be a two-acre wooded lot, then owned by A.J. Deuchert Construction, Forestville.
“It was a surprise to come through the lot and see the water. You wouldn’t have known that from the road,” Thrun said of the view.
Thrun used his cell phone to take photographs for sharing with his wife. They called and met with Adam Deuchert, the builder. “We really liked him and the lay of the land,” Thrun said.
Design and build teamwork
They worked as a team in the design and build process, which commenced in fall, 2007. Thrun, the creative director at Marx, McClellan, Thrun in Milwaukee, has experience designing interior spaces for clients, as well as doing illustrations and photography. He created a three-dimensional model for the home − a jumping off point for architecture and construction.
The home is a prairie and lodge design, similar to an architectural style popular in the Midwest during the late19th and early 20th centuries. Hallmarks of the look include horizontal lines and broad overhanging eaves; they are four feet wide on the couple’s residence.
The 3,200 square foot home has a great room overlooking Green Bay waters as well as Snake Island to the south and Chambers Island to the north.
Also on the first level is a kitchen, master bedroom/bathroom suite, powder room, laundry room and a sunroom, equipped with a gas fireplace. The lower level has a living area, two more bedrooms and a home office-exercise room and bathroom.
Custom finishes
The home’s interior exudes fine craftsmanship. Brazilian cherry floors (with hydronic in-floor heating) and wood cabinetry anchor the home. The kitchen cabinets, as well as cabinets in the great room, were handcrafted by A.J.’s Custom Cabinetry from quarter sawn oak, with a black cherry stain.
“We tried to be consistent in the use of woods, so the home would have a nice clean look,” Thrun said.
“A.J. and his wife, Cathy, run their (construction and cabinetry) businesses. And we wanted to support that. We appreciate someone who digs in and does the work,” Marx added.
The ceilings are works of art, as well. The spacious foyer has a barrel-vaulted ceiling in a select grade of hickory, while ceilings in the great room show dramatic angles. Also, the sunroom and outdoor deck have covered ceilings in aromatic cedar.
Marx raves about the kitchen. The custom cabinets by Deuchert harmonize with granite atop the countertops and large breakfast bar. A prep kitchen and Energy Star-rated stainless steel appliances make entertaining easy.
“All I asked for is a big kitchen,” said Marx.
The couple said they have comfortably hosted up to 25 people. During parties, some may spill out on the deck; its stainless railing system was fabricated by Deuchert and John Meyer.
Interior punch
Back inside, the interior design is luxurious and relaxed; elegant, yet easy. The homeowners are quick to point out that the home decorating is truly all about the natural vista.
Near the windows are light-colored furnishings in a contemporary style. Aside from the breathtaking Door County sunsets, another focal point is the dramatic fireplace. Its surround has a wavy pattern called “Dune” by the manufacturer.
Also, in the great room, a moody oil painting, named “Trust” by Leslie Wu, discovered by the couple at Edgewood Orchard Galleries, Fish Creek, depicts a distant view of two people in a boat in the middle of a lake.
“There are nice things, but it’s sparse a little bit, because we like the structure to show off. The house has good bones and lines and we tried not to hide things with a lot of pictures,” Thrun said.
The master bedroom and bathroom suite have a spa quality. White linens contrast with the dark wood furnishings. And the bathroom has marble tops on the vanity, ceramic tile flooring, a soaking tub and walk-in shower. Kohler fixtures are also a part of the home.
“We don’t like a lot of clutter,” Marx said.
And she also did not want to feel like she was walking into a basement. So, thick wool carpeting with a dramatic pattern covers the curved staircase leading down to the other level.
Here, the decorating scheme transitions to a comfortable north woods feeling.
“This level is where Rick did the lodgey kind of thing,” Marx said, pointing out furniture made from hickory and an antler chandelier.
Also, from the two bedrooms, guests have a view of Green Bay waters. The space is also outfitted with pieces that are important to the couple − an antique hutch, as well as illustrations made by Thrun from photographs he took during scuba diving adventures.
Convenient locale
Thrun and Marx also enjoy the proximity their home has to downtown Sturgeon Bay. The couple shops there and maintains friendships with people they met while residing in a Sturgeon Bay condominium before they found the bluff lot.
“We fell in love with Sturgeon Bay. It’s a real town. You can walk to different places,” Thrun said.
“We had a beautiful condo,” Marx added, turning to look at her new home’s outdoor landscaping. “But here I can play in the yard and feel the dirt.”
Donna Marie Pocius writes about home interiors and other topics. Suggest a well-decorated home to her at donnamarie@dcwis.com.
