7 min readThings get complicated when six adult children start building lives of their own. There are spouses to accommodate, grandchildren entering the picture, holiday traditions to maintain, and increasingly crowded calendars to navigate. For the Wisconsin couple at the center of this project, there was only one solution: Create a place so welcoming that everyone would keep coming back.
So, when a coveted piece of property became available on their favorite lake outside Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, they jumped at the opportunity to build their next chapter. The existing house was torn down, plans were drawn up by Wade Weismann Architecture, the pair tapped designer Emily Winters Posselt of Peabody’s Interiors, and a years-long quest ensued to build not simply a vacation home, but a family legacy. “They wanted a property they could all come back to,” Winters Posselt says of the brief, which centered on a singular residence capable of hosting everything from quiet weekends for two to sprawling summer gatherings filled with children, cousins, and houseguests.
At nearly 16,000 square feet, the finished home certainly has enough room for a crowd. There are seven bedrooms, a bunk room, 13 bathrooms, multiple gathering spaces, and enough flexibility to accommodate the family's large extended circle. For Winters Posselt, the key lay in thinking about the project less as one enormous house and more as a collection of interconnected experiences. “The whole project was so detailed and was the largest home I'd done at the time,” she says. “It required me to think of it almost as a series of smaller homes, all put into one, so that I was sure no detail was missed.”
Throughout, Winters Posselt has an uncanny knack for creating rooms that meet the moment: a grandchild curled up with a book in the playroom window seat, cousins claiming bunks after a day on the lake, a late-night conversation over bourbon in a hidden speakeasy-inspired room tucked behind paneled walls. Even the home's 13 bathrooms were carefully differentiated while remaining cohesive. “The biggest challenge was keeping that many bathrooms feeling interesting and different, like they all belonged in the same house,” Winters Posselt says.
These days, on any given summer weekend, the headcount can climb quickly. The couple’s adult children arrive, grandchildren head to the water, someone starts a pot of coffee or uncorks a bottle of wine. Before long, cousins are spilling out onto the lawn, conversations are stretching across the dining table, and the lake beyond the windows becomes the backdrop to yet another year of family gathering.
FAST FACTS
Designer: Emily Winters Posselt, Peabody’s Interiors
Architect: Wade Weismann Architecture
Builder: Mertins Custom Homes
Location: Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
The Space: A 7-bedroom, 13-bathroom home across 16,000 square feet
FOUR SEASONS ROOM
Stone walls echo the material used on the home's exterior.
Designed to be a casual gathering spot for the homeowners and their guests, this versatile porch ties in the outdoors by utilizing the same stone seen on the home’s exterior. “The large windows overlook the lake and provide a beautiful breeze on a summer day,” says Winters Posselt. “With all the hard surfaces in the room, we layered in pattern on the sofa, chairs, rug, and tablecloth to soften the feel of the space.”
BILLIARDS ROOM
A moody blue hue plays off the nearby lake.
Designed explicitly for the husband, this cozy lounge is meant to be the go-to spot for the homeowner to play pool and sip from his bourbon collection. “We color-drenched the walls to provide warmth and a more masculine feel, but stuck with a midtone blue to keep the room from feeling too heavy for a lake house,” says Winters Posselt. Nearby, built-ins showcase items and art collected on the family’s travels.
GREAT ROOM
Intricate coffered ceilings add a sense of grandeur and dimension.
A central gathering space, the great room is made more comfortable by a mirroring pair of Hickory Chair couches, each clad in fabric from Peter Dunham Textiles. “The symmetry of the furniture layout plays to the symmetry of the room’s architecture, allowing for a great space for conversation or sitting by the fire,” adds Winters Posselt.
KITCHEN
Reclaimed beams bring about a sense of age and permanency.
The kitchen was designed strategically by Winters Posselt, made suitable for both small and larger gatherings; times when it’s just the homeowners and times when 25 people are using this space. “The view out to the lake from the kitchen was a priority, so we wanted to maximize that with as many windows as possible while still having adequate storage,” the designer explains. “We eliminated any upper cabinets on the sink wall and focused on storage below and off to the sides. The window treatments bring softness and frame the view.”
Nearby, a casual family dining table acts as the go-to spot for family lunches or a larger family breakfast. “The red lamp shades on the chandelier complement the red accents on the kitchen lanterns, while the blue antique cupboard offers casual dish storage and serving for the table,” adds Winters Posselt.
BREAKFAST ROOM
Curved walls up the intimacy of this snug spot.
“This was meant to be a cozy spot for a quick bite or cup of morning coffee,” explains Winters Posselt, who wrapped the walls in reeded walnut and added wallpaper across the ceiling and into the window nook. “The perfectly stained reeded walnut is contrasted by an antique French dining table, adding patina to the room.”
BUTLER’S PANTRY
Floor-to-ceiling storage keeps essentials out of sight.
Designed to be used during the homeowner’s epic (and large) summer soirée, the butler’s pantry prioritized function and storage, with expansive runs of cabinetry that keep everything within reach. “We included a second refrigerator, oven, and speed cook, as well as a dishwasher, so the space is ready to work hard for a party,” says Winters Posselt.
POWDER ROOM
Each of the 13 bathrooms has its own personality.
Located just off the kitchen, this patriotic powder room relies on a red, white, and blue palette for high impact and charm. “We chose a playful toile wallpaper, showing city scenes of Paris, one of the family’s favorite spots to visit,” the designer adds.
BOURBON ROOM
Prohibition-era details inspired this secret space.
Tucked behind a hidden panel in the billiards room, this prohibition-style tasting closet features antique mirrors with illuminated shelves that pay homage to the homeowner’s vast bottle collection.
PRIMARY BEDROOM
The corner window seat is a favorite spot for the family dogs.
Created as a serene retreat for the homeowners, the primary bedroom features a tranquil palette and soft details, like gently arched niches. “The entire room was designed with comfort in mind,” says Winters Posselt.
PRIMARY BATHROOM
Exposed wood trusses from reclaimed wood add drama.
“This is truly one of the prettiest bathrooms I’ve worked on,” says Winters Posselt. “The white on white wainscot and wallboarding set a very serene tone for the space, while the green vanities add a beautiful splash of color and the terracotta floor tiles play to the casual elegance of this space.” A soaking tub is nestled into the bay window to take advantage of the home’s lakefront views.
BUNK ROOM
Different bed sizes cater to every generation.
“The bunk room was meant to hold the whole crew, from cousins to grandkids to families with younger children; this room has a bed for them all,” says Winters Posselt. “We outfitted the room in a combination of extra-long twin and queen beds and utilized the area under the bay window for storage with a window seat above for reading on a rainy day.”
BUNK BATHROOM
An oversized utility sink calls to mind summer camp setups.
“The bunk room was designed for days when all the cousins are visiting, so we needed a bath space that could handle lots of use,” explains Winters Posselt. To create a charming yet functional spot, she opted for an oversized utility sink, mounted below a marble ledge perfect for holding dopp kits and toothbrushes. “We even built lockers on the wall opposite the sink so that there’s ample storage for all the guests,” she adds.
UPPER LAKE ROOM
A second floor location makes the most of the waterfront views.
Located on the second floor, this indoor-outdoor space promotes connection with the home’s lakeside locale. “It’s a connector space for the second-floor bedrooms, meant to be a casual spot for the kids to gather when they’re all home to visit,” says the designer. A bar is situated on the back wall, offering a spot for beverages, while the balcony features retractable screens to keep bugs away.
PLAYROOM
The next generation gets a spot of their own.
Meant to be a play space for the young grandkids, the playroom offers a quiet place for reading books, doing a puzzle, or playing a board game. A surround of bookshelves offers accessible storage for kids’ toys, while the window seats act as the perfect spot to curl up with a good book.
About the Designer
With an eye for enhancing spaces with unexpected details, Emily Winters Posselt is passionate about creating the perfect surroundings for her clients’ day-to-day lives. She sees her job as an opportunity to collaborate with her clients to create something unique and beautiful. Emily started her design career in Arizona before moving to Wisconsin and joining the team at Peabody’s. She has since completed projects throughout the U.S., where she loves to incorporate a mix of antiques and contemporary pieces.
