When it comes to charm, a classic Tudor has it in spades. Which is why Dan and Irene Bozich adored the 1930s abode they purchased in River Hills, Wisconsin. There were beautiful moldings, marble fireplaces and many sets of French doors. But with all these lovely historical accents also came circuitous layouts, low ceilings and small rooms that didn’t make sense for contemporary living. With a young child, and one on the way, the couple knew it wouldn’t be conducive to raising a family. “We wanted to maintain that history,” Irene says, “but update it with a more functional floor plan and a modern style that reflects us.”
The couple turned to designer Amy Carman to do just that, starting with fixing the awkward layout that consisted of three adjoining living rooms proceeding from the front of the dwelling through to the dining room. Beyond that surplus of spaces sat the kitchen, which, for Irene—an avid foodie and cook—was the most important room of the house. But in the original floor plan, it was positioned as an afterthought and felt very closed off. “We needed to rethink how this chain of rooms worked together,” Carman says.
Her solution was to flip-flop the dining room with the third living space and transform the former dining area into a family room that opens to the kitchen. Carman brought on general contractor Dave LaBonte and senior project manager Pete Jendrzejek to take down the dividing wall between the new family room and cooking area, remove columns, add box beams and expand the kitchen window to bring in views of the backyard.
The kitchen itself was divided into several small spaces, so much so that Carman and her team lovingly dubbed it the “Hansel and Gretel” kitchen. It was imperative to transform this oddly laid-out room into a space large enough to accommodate all of Irene’s cooking tools and gadgets. “When I thought about my dream home, it was always focused on the kitchen and what that would include,” she says. Per Irene’s wish list, the new expanded space includes plenty of cabinetry, a large quartzite-topped island, a walk-in pantry and brass-and-wood shelving for displaying cookbooks and bakeware.
As one might expect from food lovers, the couple frequently entertain. So, Carman conjured a bar room out of a dated, inefficient wine room. With its yew tree-inspired wallcovering and brass cabinetry, the new jewel-box cocktail area is the perfect finishing touch upon an abode geared toward hosting. “The house is a communal space where, whether you’re having one friend over for lunch or 30 over for a Super Bowl party, it’s functional,” Dan says. “You feel like you have space to move around. From the backyard to the family room to the dining room, it just flows.”
Tapping into Irene’s preference for a comfortable but elevated design that doesn’t shy away from color—along with the existing high ceilings, ornate moldings and French doors—Carman envisaged an aesthetic akin to a European pied-à-terre. “We wanted to make it seem like this collected Parisian apartment,” she explains, “something you can stroll into that feels really casual, but every object is interesting and has a story, and it looks very fabulous, layered and interesting.” Instead of the traditional grays and blues of French interiors, Carman was a little more adventurous with color, opting for earthier tones. The dark olive kitchen cabinetry harmonizes with a terra-cotta-hued sofa in the family room and the greenery of the yard outside. Though every item is new, the varied textures—brushed metals, rustic zellige tiles, cane dining chairs—work together to foster a collected, lived-in feel. Impressive light fixtures in the dining room, primary bedroom and family room add a pop of glamour.
Carman takes great pleasure in seeing the family enjoy the renovated residence. “I want to create spaces that suit our clients,” she says. “Irene and her daughter both have the most beautiful red hair. When I see them running through their new green kitchen, I think, ‘Well, don’t you guys just look like models for this room?’ They seem perfectly at home.”
