Couple found just the right spot for ultra-modern home

Finding the perfect piece of land was the most important factor when Mark Sorensen and Kathy O’Brien Sorensen decided to build their home.

“We wanted to live in a rural area with mature trees and we wanted to build a modern house, so we didn’t want to live in a subdivision where there were restrictions on what we could do,” said Kathy.

In 2007 they found exactly what they wanted on a two-acre property in the Town of Delafield.

But location came into play again, when they were ready to build their 2,800-square-foot, two-level, modern prairie-style home.

Because they wanted to be off the road and in an area that was private, they scouted out different spots on their land for the best location. They picked an area toward the rear of the property that was on a small hill so they could have a walk-out lower level, and in an area that would let lots of light into their home.

“We have a lot of windows. I didn’t want to have to turn lights on when I came home,” said Kathy. … “Our architect (Ken Dahlin of Genesis Architecture) did a sun study.

“In winter the sun lights up the entire main level when it comes in from the south. In summer, because we have a large overhang on the south side of the house, it only comes in a foot and that keeps the house cooler,” but we still get a lot of light, she said.

Kathy is a physical therapist. Mark works for an equipment leasing company and has also refereed high school basketball games for more than 30 years.

Another plus to the area was all the trees.

“There was a large maple we would be able to keep for its shade,” said Kathy. “There were also cherry trees and pines that we could keep, and there were pines in the space where the house would be that could be moved.

“We moved 17 pine trees to areas near the house,” Kathy said. “They were about 10 feet tall, and all but two of them survived.”

Although they had found the perfect location, they weren’t able to start building until two years later, as the property was filled with brush — which the two of them cleared themselves in their spare time.

When they did start building, the main components they used in construction were galvanized metal, cedar siding, glass and exposed concrete. They also opted for a style of home that used some of the design principles of Frank Lloyd Wright.

“Our architect added clerestory windows on the north side, which he calls ‘a ribbon of windows,’ and he also designed an entrance with a lower ceiling that opens into the main living area, which has high ceilings,” said Kathy.

In addition to those elements, the home’s main level has an open-concept kitchen, dining area and living room, a master bedroom with bathroom, a half-bath and a mudroom that leads to a 2 ½-car garage.

And in a space off the living room, there is an office area in addition to a cozy nook with a sofa bed that the couple call their sun space.

“If the moon is out, it can flood the area with light,” said Kathy, adding that one of her favorite things to do is turn the lights out at night to see all the stars from that space.

On the lower level, which accesses a patio, there are two guest bedrooms, an entertainment area, an exercise room and a full bathroom.

They recently talked about their home while their cat Murphy, a rescue, relaxed in the sun on the top of his favorite chair.

Q. How would you describe your deck?

Kathy: It's 40 feet long and about 16 feet wide. We didn’t add a railing because we wanted to have a clear view of the wooded area behind the house.

We have a large table, and the top is made of old pieces of wood from our neighbor, who is a retired arborist. We also have a patio on the deck and a fire pit off the deck.

In the patio area we have a large old stump our neighbor also gave us that we use as a coffee table. It’s very heavy. We put rollers on it so we can move it around. A piece of it fell off recently, and we now use that piece as a small side table.

Q. How would you describe your kitchen?

Kathy: We have a 9-foot island. We used Absolute Black granite on it. We also used it on the countertops. We put in stainless fixtures and an industrial faucet.

We wanted an urban loft feel to the house. The island has a ton of storage because it has drawers on one side that are very deep. We didn’t add a lot of upper cabinets. The cabinets we did add were made of maple and have frosted glass.

Q. How did you furnish your dining area and living room?

Kathy: In the dining area we have a solid maple table that opens up to seat 12, and our chairs are covered in black fabric.

Our living room has a large mushroom-colored fabric sectional that faces the fireplace. Behind it we have a table with a live edge top.

We also got that piece of wood from our neighbor. We had it planed and then had it oiled. It’s 6 feet long.

Our living room also has a large custom-built cabinet for our TV and electronics and a gas fireplace. We also got a large coffee table made of wood and metal. I like steel, but I also like rusted metals. A lot of my yard art is rusted metal.

Q. What kind of flooring did you use in your home?

Kathy: On the main level we used 5-inch-wide Canadian maple. In the entryway we used slate, and Mark installed that himself.

Mark: The lower level is concrete with an acid wash and we have cork floors in the guest bedrooms.

Q. You have some large and bright pieces of artwork. Where did you get them?

Kathy: My mother, Joanne O’Brien (of Greenfield), painted the one over the fireplace. It’s an acrylic. We also have a large piece she did in the lower level.

The rest of our artwork we got at local art fairs or when we travel. I like original art. When I decorated the main level, I used the colors in the painting my mom did when I picked out my accent pieces.

Q. You have a lot of very large indoor plants. Do they grow so well because of all the sun?

Kathy: Yes. But most of them were large when I got them. I work for a tropical plant rental company (and) whenever they have public sales, and I almost always buy plants then. They help bring the outdoors in even more. They also clean the air.

Q. What are some of the colors you used when you painted your interior?

Kathy: In the master we used two shades of gray, and one of the guest bedrooms is lime green. In the entertainment area one wall was painted a color called salsa. That’s where we hung the other painting from my mom.

Q. How did you decorate the rest of the entertainment area?

Mark: We left one wall exposed concrete. In the bar area we put limestone tile on one wall and added a travertine countertop with a waterfall edge. We also have an area we call the wine bistro in the corner and a beer can pole near it. Kathy Velcro-ed my collection of old beer cans to a support pole.

Q. What kind of ceiling do you have in the lower level?

Mark: That was an experiment of mine. It’s metal flashing. We wanted something metal to go with the ductwork we left exposed. I installed it myself.

Q. Do you have window treatments in any rooms?

Kathy: Only in the bedrooms.

Q. Is that a vintage cabinet in your mud room?

Kathy: Yes. It was my dad’s old workbench. I painted it with an off-white pickled finish.

Q. Do you have any other old pieces?

Mark: We have some of my family pieces interspersed throughout the house. In one of the guest bedrooms we have a chest my grandpa made. He was a Norwegian carpenter. These pieces create a little clash in style.

Kathy: We also have some old square pieces of metal grating from the plant store I work at. I hung them on the wall in the lower level and put memorabilia on them.

Q. How long is your driveway?

Mark: 300-plus feet. For a house of this style it should be straight, but we added some curves.

Q. Was your property vacant land?

Mark: No. There was an old two-bedroom farmhouse near the road. It was in serious disrepair. We had to take it down, but we have the original door from that house.

Kathy: It’s in our entertainment room, and we use it for a coat rack.

Q. Other than moving trees, what landscaping did you do?

Kathy: We landscaped so we wouldn’t waste any rainwater. It’s all utilized on our property. We had a stairway put in that goes from the lower level to the main level that’s made of huge pieces of Lannon stone.

We also added small-scale trees. They include a Summer Glow Tamarisk, a gingko and a white pine. We also added magnolias, weigelas, hostas, cat mint, allium, astilbe, Karl Foerster grass, day lilies and kalanchoes, which is a tropical plant.

Do you, or does someone you know, have a cool, funky or exquisite living space that you’d like to see featured in At Home? Contact Fresh home and garden editor Nancy Stohs at (414) 224-2382 or email nstohs@journalsentinel.com.