This stunning contemporary house was designed by dSPACE Studio, nestled on a wooded lot above the Fox River in De Pere, Wisconsin. Quietly attracting attention while blending into its surroundings, this dwelling encompasses 6,000 square feet with, five bedrooms, and five-and-a-half bathrooms.
The homeowners are a couple with three children who desired a home that promotes family interaction and outdoor living in this sportsman’s paradise. The design direction was to create a floor plan that maximizes views with common spaces generously sized for family gatherings and entertainment.
On the street side, the elevation is composed of layered planes of cedar, porcelain, and concrete. Charcoal metal cladding quietly contrasts with the natural elements and defines the second floor volume. Regional plantings add texture and maintain privacy.
Above: The exterior facade is a porcelain tile from Stone Source. Since the dwelling is located on a river with beautiful dense greenery, the architects wanted to incorporate natural-looking elements that would blend into the landscape. This tile is inspired by the look of salvaged wood, natural stone, and industrial concrete floors, and comes in a variety of sizes. They opted for the 6″x48″ tile for a long linear look, hinting at prairie-style architecture with an overall modern composition.
Above: The wood cladding is a tight knot, architectural grade, Western Red Cedar, which is tongue and grooved with concealed fasteners, in a satin finish.
What We Love: This river house with its spectacular contemporary architecture features neutral hues and a breezy material palette. Playful details, comfortable furnishings and a relaxed atmosphere make this home feel like an escape. We are loving the fire pole descending from the foyer and the zipline for smooth getaways in the backyard. Overall, the project team did a fabulous job of creating a unique family home with a backdrop of a beautiful river.
Tell Us: What do you find most inspiring about the design of this house and why? Let us know in the Comments!
Note: Check out a couple of other amazing home tours that we have featured here on One Kindesign in the state of Wisconsin: Inviting lakeside cabin showcasing beautiful design details in Wisconsin and Amazing camp-like family retreat in Wisconsin with idyllic lakeside setting.
Above: The landscape, layers of light, blackened steel louvers, and a stone terrace provide visitors with an exciting approach.
On the river side, a glass wall system maximizes natural light and integrates interior and exterior spaces. The terrace on the second floor provides outdoor access from each bedroom. A sculptural concrete stairway leads from the main home to a lower terrace where friends gather around a minimalist fire pit. The boat house is recessed into the hill and is visible only from the shore, minimizing its impact on the landscape. It has a guest suite and ample storage for kayaks, paddle-boards, and boating equipment.
Above: The light fixture is a custom composition and design of the Sorenthia light by Studio Dunn with an oil-rubbed bronze finish.
Program requirements include a great room, library, mudroom accessible from the second floor by a fireman’s pole, lap pool with integrated hot tub, boat house with guest suite, and a zip line from the main house to the boat house.
The design is driven by the site, allowing each room to have expansive views of the landscape. The main living spaces are created by intersecting rectangular volumes flanked by a double-height entry space anchoring the house. The great room and library are separated by a two-sided fireplace and custom pivot doors fabricated from steel and smoked glass.
Above: The fireplace is a 42″ Infinite from the Marquis Collection by Kingsman. It’s a direct vent, natural gas fireplace. The fireplace surround is a porcelain tile, In-Essence Miscela Sabbia from Stone Source.
Above: The “Branching Bubble” chandelier suspended over the dining table is by Lindsey Adelman Studio. The white paint specified in this project is from Benjamin Moore- Pure White OC-64.
Above: The countertops are a white quartz slab from Ceasarstone, while the backsplash is a large format porcelain by Maximum from Transceramica in Chicago.
The interior of this contemporary river house incorporates high-end amenities and adventurous furnishings curated by Chicago-based PROjECT Interiors. White oak flooring and a steel fireplace add warmth while maintaining a modern aesthetic. The walk-out lower level has a multipurpose space and a kitchenette. Currently a family room, in the future it can evolve into an in-law suite.
Above: The flexible stump stools are from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams.
Sustainable elements include high-efficiency mechanical systems, durable finishes, an upgraded thermal envelope, LED lighting, and wiring for an electric car charging station.
Above: Decorative shells are screwed into the wall, adding a little bit of playfulness to the foyer and staircase. The flooring shown is a 5″ solid White Oak, select grade, plain sawn, with a water-based custom color matte finish.
Above: The right side of the image is a textured grey wall covering — a grasscloth from the Fog collection by Phillip Jeffries. An MDF Trustile pocket door slides out from the left side (behind the artwork on the wall) to the right. The paint is from Benjamin Moore, Pure White (OC-64) in an eggshell finish from the Aura line.
Above: The primary bathroom vanity basins are the Cube by Lacava, which measures 22″x 15 -3/8″x 6″ deep. The sconces are the Marble Flush Mount Lamp from CB2. The bathtub is the Wyndham Collection Melissa tub. The shower hinges are from CRL, the Madrid Series, in a chrome finish. The flooring is a 5’x10′ porcelain slab by Fiandre called Marmi Maximum Calacatta, with a honed finish.
Above: In the kids’ bedroom, the tree image is an applied wall covering from Eazywallz, called “Old Olive Trees”. The carpet is from Shaw Contract Group, style: Calculate 5A065, color: Calculate 65500. The decking is a tight-knot architectural grade Cedar, with a solvent-borne, oil-based semi-transparent stain.
Above: The flooring is stained and polished concrete with an anti-slip clear coat finish. Since this space is near the pool area, the finish needed to not be slippery when wet.
PHOTOGRAPHER Soluri Photography
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