The architectural magic of this northwoods masterpiece first reveals itself when you approach the front entry and encounter thoughtfully aligned windows that allow views through the house to the landscape beyond. This modern Scandinavian-inspired retreat is hidden away on a remote island in northern Wisconsin, offering the height of solitude and the immeasurable gift of living in true harmony with nature. “The owners envisioned a home that would integrate seamlessly with the island landscape,” says TEA2 Senior Project Manager Tom Van De Weghe. “When they found the property, they immediately knew they wanted to build something that would ultimately enhance the natural terrain and, in turn, their quality of life.”
Photography by Alexis Gotham and Tom Van De Weghe, TEA2 Architects
Van De Weghe and TEA2 Principal Dan Nepp began the design process by studying the island’s mostly untouched landscape and understanding its distinctive character. The biggest question at the outset was where exactly to place the house. There was a causeway connecting the island to the mainland, but otherwise only one existing structure on the property. This meant the possibilities were entirely open for bringing the once-in-a-lifetime project to life.
“We were very engaged with the clients when shaping the plan for siting the house,” recalls Van De Weghe. “There was a lot to consider, including locating the largest specimen trees that we wanted to preserve for both environmental concerns and overall privacy.” After navigating multiple iterations and establishing the overall framework, the team carefully thinned some of the old-growth forest and developed a plan that followed the landscape’s ridgeline, creating multiple points of natural connection and layered views to the north and south.
Inspired by the clients’ Finnish heritage, both the exterior and interior spaces were informed by traditional Scandinavian design, embracing materials like locally sourced dark stone, stained cedar and zinc roofing to create a cohesive and muted palette that allows the house to recede into the forest, camouflaged from the view of passing boats.
The TEA2 team looked to traditional Norse summer homes as well as historic New England homes to guide the final form. The finished design simplifies the home into three small, gabled volumes — a main living space, a primary suite and a garage with mudroom entry. This approach reduces the perceived scale of the house and recalls the incremental assembly of rural buildings clustered over time. Each gable is connected by a passageway, beginning with the extended covered entry. Stepping inside the home, the natural materials narrative continues. Elegant bluestone flooring and a stained cedar ceiling in the entry create an intimate invitation to the interior. Just to the side of the entry is a striking steel and glass staircase that connects to both the upstairs bedrooms and lower-level living space. The structure also functions as a “light well” that animates the vertical feature with direct sunlight throughout the day.
From there, guests enter an open, glass-enclosed and communal environment filled with natural light. The living room, kitchen and dining room are linked with local white oak floors and custom ceiling beams and columns. The surrounding forest floods through the floor-to-ceiling windows (produced about an hour away) that envelop the room.
“Every window intentionally offers the feeling of looking at a framed work of living art,” says Van De Weghe. “The incorporation of the glass is not seen as a material, but rather an invitation to allow the lush woods around the property to become a leading part of the total palette and encompassing experience.”
The kitchen features a walnut center island and cabinets, a sleek marble backsplash and a singular birch bark–clad exhaust hood. Just off the culinary sanctuary is an alcove with floor-to-ceiling windows that provides a live-work space and further extends the opportunity to remain ensconced in nature. The family room is a quaint alcove that serves as a haven to enjoy reading and music, and features hidden roller shades that can be drawn to protect items like the grand piano, artwork and furnishings, as well as other design finishes sourced by Kathryn Scott Design Studio.
The primary outdoor living space is on the north side of the home. It was important to have the bluestone terrace connect directly to the beach, which, owing to the shallowness of the lake and limited docking options, was better suited along the northern lakeshore.
TEA2 Architects has earned a reputation for the spirit of collaboration at the heart of every project they create. “At TEA2, we are neither modernists nor traditionalists,” proclaims Van De Weghe. “Our work is grounded in the specifics of each site and client. On this project, the goal was to craft a timeless contemporary home that respectfully blended into a vibrant, very much alive ecosystem.” And the results have, without a doubt, checked all of those boxes, resulting in a modern slice of paradise fit for the next chapters in the clients’ lives.
Project Partners
Architect: TEA2 Architects (Dan Nepp, Tom Van De Weghe)
Contractor: MBM Construction Company
Interior designer: Kathryn Scott Design Studio
Landscape architect: Damon Farber Landscape Architects
