Everything They Wanted

Judy Oliver agreed to live in the house she and her husband, Mark, had just bought as it was — temporarily. Mark didn’t see anything wrong with the house (the foundation and structure were solid), but Judy did: “It’s really ugly,” she told him. Naturally, the 6,000-square-foot brown box began an extensive remodel.

The couple originally envisioned a cedar lodge but decided to work more with the existing style of home, turning it into an English manor, leaving some of the exterior brick and adding board and batten. They gutted the house, added on, vaulted ceilings, repurposed existing rooms and updated materials.

Judy wanted archways, exposed wood beams, tongue-and-groove ceilings and shelves wherever they would fit. That setting complemented the furnishings and accessories the Olivers already owned, and Judy filled in with antiques, family heirlooms and collections of items found “here and there.” With her eye for decorating, the items merged      beautifully, almost as if they had always been part of her home — this home in particular. There’s the 1856 Austrian grand piano made out of solid walnut in the living room and salvaged shutters flanking the mirror in the powder bath. Three completely different chandeliers hang in the dining room and a year-round Christmas tree is set up in the kitchen.
“It’s kind of eclectic. I’m pleased with it,” Judy says.

Mark, a savvy businessman, was traveling in Iran while much of the design process was happening. He contributed by bringing home beautiful Persian rugs. “I kept calling him while he was gone and asking ‘What colors do you want?' and he said ‘earthy,'” Judy remembers.

That was perfect for Judy, who describes herself as a homebody. She enjoys spending most of her time in the living room or her “stitching spot” in a dedicated area in the master bedroom. While she wanted a kitchen to have a homey feel to it, with limestone counters and a ceiling tin backsplash, she doesn't use it much. “I cooked breakfast for 20 years with no conveniences,” she says. “I got burned out, so since I've lived here, I haven't cooked. I guess that's why Mark bought restaurants.”

From the kitchen down to the lower level, a sassafras tree trunk makes its debut as a handrail, fashioned with twigs and pinecones by a rustic furniture maker. A sauna rests in the open space of a tall greenhouse, where both Mark and overwintering plants can enjoy the heat. The shape of this room was mimicked a few feet away in the conservatory, where there's a casual gathering area overlooking an indoor pond filled with Koi fish. It also connects to a playroom, screened porch, guest suite, scrapbook room, wet bar, wine cellar and sewing/craft room.

While the inside contains every amenity the Olivers ever wanted, the outside is just as complete. The lakefront gently laps against the shore just a few hundred feet away. Old trees shade much of the backyard, whose landscape is meticulously manicured. A stream travels from the front of the house to the back, part of it covered magically by the canopy of a weeping willow. A pool and spa provide a spot in the sun, while a covered outdoor kitchen offers shade and sustenance. On the water, a dock houses the family's boats and watercraft.

The couple also owns a lot up the hill, separated by a park they created for the whole neighborhood to use, with another structure on it. “The Barn” is essentially a man-cave, with a projection screen TV, pool table, full bar, sleeping quarters, sports memorabilia, and to Judy's chagrin, a dancing pole. It's all in good fun, and as long as it's not in her house, she's OK with it.

The Olivers' playful relationship got them each what they wanted, but together they created the complete package of a full-time lake home they can love and enjoy for many years.