OnTop of the World - brownhousedesigns.com

42 | M A D I SO N M AGAZ I N E .CO M | M A RC H 2 0 0 9

Habitat | Savvy Design |

The Brownsdoubt they’ll

ever tire oflooking out the

condo’s win-dows. Practically the wholeof downtown Madison can

be seen from their four-teenth-floor vantage point.

“You forget how beautifulMadison is,” Laurel says.

“You don’t stop and takepause, but with a view andvista like this, you’re forced

to. You can’t help it.” Andothers seem to agree; even

a red-tail hawk has claimedthe porch as its favorite

lookout perch.

Stunning views and vibrant hues setthe stage for entertaining in a newdowntown home BY KATIE VAUGHN

OnTop ofthe World

FOR LAUREL AND STEVE BROWN and their year-oldHavanese, Roxy, home is a traditional English Tudor in theFitchburg countryside.

Even so, when Steve’s company, Steve Brown Apartments,began developing the Lucky apartment complex in downtownMadison, the couple saw an opportunity for a second home. “Wethought it would be fun to keep a unit,” Laurel says. >>

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARTHA BUSSE

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The Browns chose a four-bedroom apart-ment on the building’s top floor and convert-ed it into an open-plan one-bedroom unit.They envisioned staying there after nights onthe town or when they wanted to be closer totheir downtown offices. And they knew itwould be an ideal spot for entertaining.

Laurel, who owns Brownhouse, an archi-tecture and interior design firm, used thesecriteria as a springboard for a bold designscheme—one that resonated with them butwas a departure from the style of their pri-mary residence. She coined it “contempo-rary classic.”

“We thought, let’s make this much moreurban, make it feel like a penthouse,” she says.

The couple started with a base of high-end finishes: rich timborana floors fromSouth America, cherry cabinetry, granitecountertops and travertine accents. Butchartreuse pops of color in the furniture,vibrant artwork and glamorous accessoriestake the condo to a new, decidedly fun level.Laurel wanted the space to be high-impact,much more so than in their main home. “Itook more risks here,” she says. “I thought,why not?”>>

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M A RC H 2 0 0 9 | ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; . ; ; ; | 45

T h e kitch e n is o ut-fitted with blackg ranite co u nte r -to p s , s o lid c h e r r ycabinets and

stainle s s stee l app liance s f r o mS ub-Ze r o, G E and Wo l f . F o u rc r y stal lig ht p e n dants add ado s e o f s park le , as d o e s th eg u n m etal co n s o le besid e thedining room table. B etwe e n th ekitch e n and dinin g r o o m , th eB r o w n s c r eated a bar area fo rmixin g d rin ks and s etting o utfo o d at parties .

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While the décor is certainly eye-catching,nothing can compete with the incredibleviews offered by two walls of floor-to-ceilingwindows. Downtown Madison reveals itself,from Bascom Hill to Lake Mendota to theCapitol to Lake Monona. “Obviously it’s themillion-dollar view,” she says.

Together, the downtown atmosphere andcontemporary furniture make the condo feellike a true getaway for the Browns. “It’s justfabulous,” Laurel says. “It’s kind of like a minivacation.” But it’s better than a hotel becauseit has all the comforts of home—toiletries inthe bathroom, groceries in the fridge—in astyle that’s completely their own.

“It’s a glorified hotel for me,” she says.“But it’s still home.”

Katie Vaughn is associate editor of Madison Magazine.

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Chocolate-huedwalls and a pairof chairs createcoziness in a sitting area by

the two-sided fireplace.This intimate nook—a primereading spot—leads to themaster bedroom and bath-room, which are decorated in natural tones and textures.

TIMETO

CHILL

Home WorkLucky isn’t the only major projecton Laurel and Steve Brown’sminds lately. In January, Laurellaunched a new division ofBrownhouse, the architecture andinterior design firm she’s run forfive and a half years. While shepreviously worked primarily incommercial design, BrownhouseHome specializes in private resi-dences. The business caters tohomeowners seeking the wowfactor in their living spaces,whether from redecorating or a fullremodel. Laurel has hand-selectedfurniture lines and fabrics—manyof which are represented in herown condo—for her business andnotes that many are not availableelsewhere in Madison. She’s keen-ly aware of how residential proj-ects differ from commercial workand looks forward to their creativefreedom and challenges. “It’s a dif-ferent kind of feeling,” she says.“You’re trying to create a home forsomeone.” brownhousehome.com

LAURA GROENIER! !ner o! Si!!er !ea! !a!!er!

IF YOU HAVE $100:“If you want to freshen up a room but

not spend a lot of money, change thehardware on your kitchen cabinetry ordressers, or update your lampshades. For

FREEAdmission


Style Upgrades

LAUREL BROWN! !ner o! !ro!n!ou!e!e!i!n an! !ro!n!ou!e ! o!e

IF YOU HAVE $100:“Even if you have one hundred dollars,

you don’t want to waste one hundred dol-lars! I recommend buying new throw pil-lows for a sofa. You can even go to Pier 1and buy fun, bright pillows and completelychange the look of a room. Target has cutethrow pillows. That’s the most effectivechange for the money.”

IF YOU HAVE $1,000:“A beautiful bedding ensemble can com-

pletely change the look of a bedroom andyour mood. In the winter, having a beautiful,inviting bed to climb into is such a nice giftto give to yourself. So many people spendmoney on areas of the home that guests willsee. But we’re in our room every day and wespend a lot of time in it, so I recommendpeople spend money on the bed.”

IF YOU HAVE OVER $1,000:“When you’re going to spend a lot of

money on something like a sofa or a buffet,go more conservative. I don’t tend to go tootrendy on an investment item. When youspend two to three thousand dollars ormore, you want to know that you’re goingto like the piece in ten years. So go for sim-ple fabrics, clean lines and classic looks.That’s the philosophy I follow; go conserva-tive and timeless with the investment itemsand trendier on the accent items. You don’twant to get sick of it!”

!a!i!a!

Step up your interior ’s attitude with these simplechanges—no matter your budget. We survey theexperts on what they recommend their clients spendtheir hard-earned cash on. BY SHAYNA MILLER

hardware, oil-rubbed bronze is popular.Or buy one statement piece for the

room in an accessory; you could get somepillows. Paint, if you’re doing it yourself.

Hollywood glam is in style right now.That might be a white lampshade that hassilver embellishment, or a crisp satin rib-bon on the bottom in black, or a hanginglight fixture might have crystals in it.”

IF YOU HAVE $1,000:“Pick up a new area rug (an ‘off the

shelf ’ one).I’d also recommend a nice piece of art-

work for a focal point in the room, or pur-chasing nice lamps.

You could reupholster a piece in the room(a chair, not a sofa).

Change countertops in the kitchen to alaminate product that looks like granite.

Or you could do all new bedding andchange the look of the master suite withpaint and new bedding.”

IF YOU HAVE OVER $1,000:“You could buy new furniture. I’m also seeing people reinvesting in their

home. The kitchen and bath immediatelydate a home—if it looks twenty years old and[a homeowner] is looking to invest in theresale of their home, that’s where they

! Sa!!! !e!i!n !


What do many Wisconsinitesprefer as their ideal vaca-tion? While some imagine apicturesque oceanfront trop-ical location, those from thestate of around 15,000 lakesprefer escaping to their cot-tages up north. Fortunately,imagining your getaway iseven easier if you attend theannual three-day Lake andCabin Show at AlliantEnergy Center, which exhibitsthe latest interior décor, fur-niture and outdoor equip-ment to enhance your new orexisting cabin home.Numerous builders, as wellas cabin and nature experts,will be on site to give recom-mendations on how to livenup your cottage. See youlakeside!

March 27–29. Friday, 2–9p,Saturday, 10a–7p and Sunday,10a–4p. $10 adults/$4 kids/freeunder five. More info:lakehomeandcabinshow.com/wisc.

— Kimberly Ecker

COZY COTTAGE

should look. The kitchen really is the hub ofthe house, so it sets the tone of the space.

‘Green’ design is huge. We’re doing a lotwith formaldehyde-free construction andpeople are using natural stone materialsfor their countertops. There are some recy-cled countertops material that are outthere and there are also some great salvageplaces for decorative tile backsplashes.”

SHANA LAFORE!n!erior !e!i!ner a! ! u!in!!

IF YOU HAVE $100:“The easiest way to change a room is

with paint and accessories. Bring in a dif-ferent color through pillows, vases—evenplants and greenery. You don’t even have todo an overall paint job; just use an accentcolor on one wall that plays off the otherwalls. That can enhance the space.

Vary the texture in the space: faux fur isreally popular at the moment. Or accentwith metallics. These are easy change-outs,and you’re not spending a ton of money.”

IF YOU HAVE $1,000:“You have a little bit more flexibility

money-wise, but not a whole lot where fur-niture is concerned. You don’t want tochange your big pieces out but you canchange a side table, ottoman or coffee table.New light fixtures and lamps can help, andrugs are a nice way to change the room.

You can add inexpensive artwork—Rubin’s has a customizable art program. Youcan pick the patterns and the colors youwant. The pieces are really inexpensive, andanyone can stop in at any time to look.

It helps to talk to a designer. People thinkthey’re going to spend a lot more, but they’llactually spend more money trying to piece-meal things together themselves. Having anoverall vision helps. We offer free designconsulting, and that’s a nice way to start.”

IF YOU HAVE OVER $1,000:“Small objects are an easy change-out,

like the side chairs in a living room space,or the chairs around the dining room tableif you don’t want to change out the table.You can think inexpensively and refinishthe table or get a nice tablecloth, too.

If you’ve got a larger budget to workwith, change the style of the sofa, bed, orget a new dining room table.

Try out new color palettes: find somethingin the same color family in a more saturatedshade. I’m seeing a lot of purple. Purple isn’tsuch a wild color—it’s become a new neutral.And using complementary color is one of thetricks of the trade: pairing red with green,orange with blue, or yellow with blue. In theappropriate shade, it’ll add enough ‘oomph’to the space without becoming monochro-matic.

Using chocolate brown is a nice way toupdate a room. Black isn’t the contemporarycolor it used to be, and chocolate is the ‘new’black. We veer away from black; it’s a littletoo harsh. Chocolate is an easy color to workwith: it can be used with warm or cool tonesand it looks really nice. Purchasing a nicechocolate brown sofa will withstand the testof time because it’s the new neutral.”

Shayna Miller is associate and style editor of Madison Magazine.

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