Inside a Wisconsin Lake House Where Water Views Are Front and Center

“If you walk the front door, you can look straight down at the lake,” says retired investment banker Haverstock, 77. “It’s a beautiful sight to enjoy every day.”

The couple had a long relationship with Lake Geneva and owned two condos in Fontana when their main home was near Lake Geneva, Florida. After Haberstock, 67, resigned from his post as Vice President of Metal Forging Company Scott, Forge, they moved their main residence to Naples, Florida, and are now spending the summer at their home on Lake Geneva.

After purchasing the land, the couple formed a team that included builder Scott Lowell, architect Todd Kaufman of Lowell Custom Holmes, and interior designer Katie Wozniak of interior designer Catherine Elizabeth Design.

The completed home spans approximately 6,450 square feet across three levels, with three bedrooms and offices in both the Haverstock and his wife. At the bottom is the guest bedroom suite, gym and library. The main level has great rooms with a solarium, primary bedroom and open plan living-dining-kitchen space. On the upper floors are family rooms with offices and a wet bar. Both upper floors have vast decks facing the lake.

“From the main level, you can see almost the entire lake, but it’s rare because it’s a very large lake,” says Wozniak. Folding glass Nanawall in a great room allows for indoor and outdoor life, and an electric screen allows couples to enjoy the fresh air even on buggy nights.

Beyond the view, couples have spent a lot of time working with design teams to optimize their homes for their lifestyle. Since they have no children or grandchildren to accommodate, they prioritized entertaining friends with elements such as the 10-foot-high all-glass wine storage feature in the main living area.

“The floating wine cellar is beautiful, but it’s also functional,” says Wozniak. “This acts as a natural separation between the corridor traffic pattern and the dining and bar areas.”

And the kitchen? “I hate to say that, but I’m not a cook,” admits Haverstock. It’s not her husband’s specialty either. “But it’s a great kitchen for entertainment.” Wozniak set up two separate zones. Close to the characteristics of wine is great for bartenders to serve the room, but the cooking zone is hidden and there is plenty of space for caterers to work.

Even when they retired, their home office was still a priority. Haverstock requested a desk that could accommodate four computer screens used for securities trading. “Each of our offices looks like us and reflects our personality and what we wanted,” says Haverstock. “The cabinets are custom and you can see the water while you work.”

To accommodate Huberstock’s turntables, vinyl records, and speakers, Wozniak designed built-ins on both sides of the fireplace in a great room.

He also wanted a library, so Wozniak and her lead designer, Kathleen Grin, became creative with space allocation. “When we went down the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, nice chairs, and stairs of reading lights, they found a place downstairs,” says Haverstock. “You can still see the lake, and it’s just a great use of space.” Mr. Haberstock laughs and when he’s worried about his office and library, he assigns a closet. He says he forgot to confirm.

Throughout the house, Wozniak kept the colors calm and neutral, and chose transitional pieces for the furniture. Not too traditional, not too modern. “I wanted to create a timeless atmosphere,” she says. “We used stealy blue, water blue, and navy blue, with a little gold and taupe. Combining elements of natural earth and water.” Palette also has a lake where the interior of the house motivated the entire project. It means not to fight the scenery of.

In honor of Mr. Haverstock’s long career at the forged metal maker, Mr. Wozniak was also involved in natural metals and forged elements. “Kitchen hoods are a mixture of hammered metal, bronze and steel,” says the designer. “Mixing textures brings a natural warmth to the home.”