Exteriors

Built in 1964, this 2,442-square-foot home comes with refreshed interiors and a lush internal courtyard.

Although the property is mostly wooded, the homeowners lease part of the land to a neighbor who grows soy beans and corn. This allows the homeowners to see firsthand rural Wisconsin life.

The remote locale allows the Chicago couple to unplug and enjoy the beauty of the great outdoors. With country life and relaxation in mind, it was important to the homeowners that the house pay homage to the area’s history and architecture, while also making use of a minimal palette.

Galvalume zinc-coated metal, a local building material, is used throughout the area on corn granaries and barn roofs.

Double-height cedar cladding enhances the verticality of the structure.

"The maritimes in Canada have a certain charm to them in the sense that people are very kind,

The sauna is heated with a woodburning stove that’s accessible from the deck outside.

A patio connects the family’s trio of My Cabins.

Double doors open to the deck.

The main body of the house is clad in cedar painted in Benjamin Moore Deep Caviar, joined with Buechel Stone Spalted Oak Sienna Flats, and natural cedar on the ends. Each finish alludes to the different eras of the house, layered together, with the painted cedar marking “the original body of the home,” says Natalie. “The stone felt like it was an important element of the earth to bring in, and the two other cedar elements at the ends are additions.”

The sauna is clad in aspen—an exception to the ubiquitous pine.

In the entry, a high interior window borrows light from the bedroom wing and a woven wood screen in the kitchen lets the owners see who’s at the front door. Kalon Studios crafted the bench from a single ash log. “It will split a bit over time,” Lachapelle says.

DeNiord designed a simple concrete bench with a honed top to run parallel to the randomly sized concrete pads that lead to the covered entry. He planted blueberry bushes behind the bench and a river birch tree behind the boulder. To conjure a wabi-sabi feel outdoors, diNiord poured concrete around a boulder. “It represents the interruption of perfect geometry,” he says.

“Metaphorically, the cabin’s exterior is like a cut log,” Lane says. “The black-stained Western red cedar is the bark, and the Douglas fir siding under cover is the exposed wood once the log has been cut.” Beyond the house and native sod gardens, a meadowscape blends into the mature pine forest at the lakefront. “We wanted a woodland garden quality,” landscape architect Soren deNiord says.

The home also includes customizable offering additions, including a heated saltwater pool, an outdoor kitchen, and an electric car charger. Set near the heart of Germantown in the Hudson Valley, the property is conveniently located just a two-hour drive from Manhattan.

Inside, tall ceilings enhance the sense of space, while expansive windows frame striking views of the rolling hills in the backyard. A black wood stove anchors the main living room.