HOMEOWNER SPOTLIGHT
Kate and Phil
The Water's Edge
Q. Where did you move from, and how did you end up in The Water's Edge?
A. My husband Phil and I moved to the Water's Edge from downtown Madison 7 years ago. We lived in a quaint 1928 Tudor Revival that we loved: original hardwood floors and wide baseboards, weeping mortar brick exterior, ornate interior doorknobs, and little nooks and crannies, we loved the sense of place these elements gave our home. However, we began to think about a move when my husband's job had him commuting the Sauk City regularly and I was expecting our second child. We wanted more time together as a family so we began considering a move closer to my husbands office. We started looking for an older or historic home in the area, but the market was sparse and we began to entertain the idea of building. It took some time to find the right site. We were getting pretty discouraged when one afternoon I decided to take a ride a little further north than we had looked in the past, which took me into the Water's Edge Nieghborhood, and that's where we stayed.
Q. How do you spend time around the area? Are you involved in the community?
A. We really enjoy the community here in Sauk Prairie. In the summer we spend a lot of time at Devil's Lake State Park, which is just 10 mins up the road from us. We also like to take the kids on walks to the nearby Dairy Forage Research Center to see what our bovine friends are up to. My husband enjoys rowing on the lake in the early morning, and maybe once we get a boat and a dock, the rest of the family will be able to spend more time on the lake too! Water's Edge is its own little development, but we don't feel far from town at all. Most evenings this summer we packed up the kids for open swim at the Grand Avenue Pool; they had so much fun. We are active members at St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Sauk City and our children are enrolled at the parish school. The community we have found there has been invaluable to our family, I can't think of anywhere else we would rather be living.
Q. Could you explain what it is about the neighborhood that you enjoy?
A. When we first started looking into a new home, we thought we might end up with Middleton or Waunakee, I think we were both a little attached to the amenities of Madison, so we were trying to stay close. We looked at a lot of nice neighborhoods, but ultimately in the Water's Edge, we found that we could get more lot, more house, and live in a lakeshore development for less than what it would cost to build closer to Madison. Maybe it was just good timing, but we jumped on the opportunity. I don't think it could have happened in any other place, at any other time. We have been very happy making a home here.
Q. Were there any surprises of building a new home?
A. I was surprised by how small the house felt when we walked the site before the walls were up! I got a little worried for a second, thinking the house was going to be way too small, but once those walls were enclosed I was able to get a better sense of just how spacious the house would be. Its amazing how peception changes once a space has boundries.
Q. Are there particular features or design elements that you are happy were incorporated into your new home?
A. My husband was adamant that he wanted a wood-burning fireplace. We love the charm and character that comes with turn of the century homes, to try to recreate that in a new home today is possible but would cost a premium. For us, a wood-burning fireplace with a beautiful brown brick surround was the perfect way to bring some of that old house charm to our new build. I am so glad we did! There is nothing like the sound of logs popping in the fire on Christmas morning. Because we waited to finish the basement, we were able to invest more into the details of the space like a beautiful built in entertainment center, a sweet window seat in the flex room, and an adorable under-the-stairs playhouse finished to look like a mini version of our own. Thank You Jim!
Q. Did you have a favorite part of the building process?
A. I loved the design aspect, my dream as a little girl was to be a designer and now I was working with one on the build of my very own home. Since building our home in The Water's edge I have launched my own small design firm. I loved working with Jaclyn to design the built-in cabinetry around the fireplace. I also really enjoyed getting into the house and experimenting with décor to make out new build feel likes a 100 year old Cape Cod cottage. And I have to mention the smell, as much as I love old homes, I really do love the smell of new construction!
Q. If you could offer advice about building, what would it be?
A. Building a home is a major investment of both time and money, but also in emotion. Maybe it's not in the budget to get everything on your list but pick a thing or two that you can do really well and do the rest in stages if you need to, you might just end up with a better result than if you had tried to do it all immediatly. Be patient with youself, with the process, try to have some fun, and don't stress when the house feels tiny without walls and a roof!
Kate and Phil,
Thank you for letting us into your beautiful home. You've done an amazing job and we are so happy to have partnered with you through the process.
~ The Staff at Heffron Homes
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