Good Houses of the Week: Waukesha County, Wisconsin (Patreon)

Howdy folks! I'm going to inoculate you against today's Wisconsin post (which is a top 10 post) with some good houses from Waukesha County, Wisconsin, which may be one of the most underrated McMansion counties in the country. Here are 5 houses meant to put a smile on your face. 

#1: Mid-Century Dream Lake House

This 70s lake house may have some decor decisions I don't agree with, but the beautiful wood beams, sweeping eaves, and excellent views make it a total dream. Link to Listing.  

#2: Colonial Done Right

This house, built in 1990, does a lot right. This is a house with a simple yet classic colonial revival design, and a few key design choices elevate it above many houses of the same style and era. First, this house eliminates a lot of the clutter that is common to colonial revival designs from the 90s, such as shutters and large porticos. The house benefits from not having shutters because the space between windows is so narrow and the windows themselves are rather small. This also helps balance between the mass and voids, and create a pleasing architectural rhythm. The entryway is equally understated - a portico or porch would overwhelm what is a rather short distance from the top of the entry to the second floor. The blue color is visually interesting, and keeping the materials consistent helps de-emphasize the large garage and cascading roof. Link to listing.  

#3: New-build Cottage

I've gotten some feedback that I should do some more new-build houses in the GHOTW. While I don't like the smallpox stone accents on this house, I think there's a lot to admire. First, the roof is very simple and proportional to the house, and I think the large garage windows give it a cutesy vibe. While the stone accents are kind of tacky, they do help integrate the color of the vinyl siding into the brick. It's easy to overdo the dormers on a house like this, and they did a good job of keeping them subtle. Link to Listing.  

#4: Craftsman-inspired Lakefront House

This is technically the back of this house - the front is very unassuming, presumably because it is actually on a backroad or alley, judging from the street view and the similar characteristics of its neighbors. This 2007 lake house does a good job of balancing what would otherwise be a top-heavy facade by keeping the windows consistent and proportionate; breaking up the gable with decorative stickwork; and adding visual weight to the bottom floor via the use of stone. Link to Listing. 

#5: Gables Done Right

This 2008 colonial is a large house that does a good job avoiding many McMansion pitfalls. It keeps its roofline in check and breaks up what would normally be a very large central gable by using more visually dense shingle siding, wisely keeping the color consistent. The porch/portico is simple and unassuming enough to not overwhelm the main facade. While I don't like the 90s vinyl shutters, I think replacing them with wider and shorter ones of a lighter color (maybe a light sage green) as well as adding some iron hardware would be an easy way to update this house to the current era. Link to Listing. 

I hope you enjoyed these good houses because you're gonna need some eyebleach for what's coming next. 

Have a great week everyone!