A Milwaukee Riverfront Condo Transforms into an Owner’s Luxurious Club Lounge
Written by Chrysa Smith
Photography by Aliza Baran
When Kristine Cherek and Kirk Larsen got the idea to turn their new third floor condo into a combo moody lounge combined with a two-bedroom guest suite, it sounded to some, a bit unconventional. But after speaking with Kristine about their lifestyle and background, the project comes into complete focus.
Let’s step back to about four years prior, when Deep River Partners, Residential Architects, and Interior Designers, also located in Milwaukee, transformed the couple’s first condo. Located just steps across the hall, the black and white-themed contemporary dwelling became an urban oasis for Kristine and Kirk to enjoy while in town. Harbor Front, as it is called, brings together great views of the harbor, where the Milwaukee and Kinnickinnic Rivers meet, in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward.
According to Kristine, “My husband and I were both raised in Milwaukee, moved for career reasons, but always returned to spend time with family and friends.” With a primary residence in Chicago, the concept of a second summer home being on a lake, with its maintenance and the amount of time spent in Milwaukee, didn’t really make sense for them, so the decision was made.
“We’ve been the gathering center for everyone when in town, and we didn’t have the room in the first condo, so we decided to buy another across the hall.” The new condo has views of the Daniel W. Hoan Memorial Bridge, so it is now known as Harbor View Lounge. The homeowners didn’t want a duplicate. What they did want was a compliment—a space that evokes the feeling of being in the cozy, low-light lounge of an upscale hotel. A gathering place for drinks and late-night chats, with the added ability to walk a few steps, right into equally luxurious sleeping quarters complete with dedicated bathrooms and custom-designed closets.
After initial discussions and concepts were presented in December of 2023, and in a bit over a year, they got it all—and then some. Deep River’s goal was not only to take advantage of magnificent views in a very cultural section of the city, but to create an oasis for family and friends, in a ‘smart’, user-friendly condo, with all the top-of-the-line amenities, and state-of-the-art electronics. According to Nicholas Blavat, Principal and Senior Project Architect, “We had to work within the structural limitations of the building, while designing a very unique space operating much as a guest house.”
The versatility had to be there. A lounge, yes, but with the ability to convert back to a more conventional living space if the unit were to be sold some time in the future. And existing plumbing and venting locations located in the building meant that the firm had to work with several pre-existing elements, including a precast concrete floor structure and dedicated placement of fixtures.
So, Deep River Partners, honored to do a second project for Kristine and Kirk, had a little history to draw upon. No ‘get-to-know-you’ meetings, but an existing sense of the owner’s tastes, they saw the project as a great continuity in working together.
The color scheme is similar, with solid blocks of black, white, and gray, and a decidedly modern industrial twist. Nicholas said it’s architecturally consistent with many of the repurposed industrial buildings found in the Milwaukee neighborhood. The use of black metal fixtures and black cabinets are juxtaposed with white quartz running up the wall on the kitchen backsplash and island, which is the dining centerpiece. For Kristine, no dedicated dining room meant more room to entertain the way they like to. “We’re not dinner party people,” she says, “We wanted to do something different in this condo; something fun.” And so, it is. “We wanted a place where guests would feel comfortable; not like they have to be aware of being in someone else’s home.”
Some of the user-friendly features include Lutron lighting controls, which can adjust lighting levels throughout the condo at the touch of a button. Automatic Lutron shades further enhance comfort, letting in just the right amount of light—or setting the mood as desired.
For guests who might enjoy cooking as much as the owners, the home features a full Sub-Zero suite of appliances, paired with a bar area showcasing Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove wine storage and refrigeration, all complemented by a state-of-the-art sound system. “My husband loves tech,” Kristine shares—“and we wanted to take full advantage of it.”
Nicholas and Kirk had a common interest in music—particularly vinyl. So Deep River seemed to particularly enjoy providing the couple with a handmade, vinyl-playing Wrensilva console (self-described as a musical centerpiece). “I like records as did the owner,” Nicholas says. ”As a smart condo, vinyl records can be played throughout the home. And the shelved display of album artwork gives testament to an earlier time, when their covers were more than just packaging, but art themselves.”
The layout of the lounge is just that—of a gathering space where seating is arranged for conversation. Textured fabric chairs add a bit of warmth while sitting in unison with leather, brass and wood. “Natalie Erickson, our designer, created a vision which helped us figure out the space,” says Kristine. “She’s a genius. She took our ideas and made them exponentially better.” That included olive-colored chairs that Kristine said are terrific. “Having done projects for us before, they pushed us,” says Kristine. And so, the work evolved.
To soften the modern industrial look, new wooden ceiling beams were added to create symmetry in a line of existing beams, and Nicholas says, linear tension strip lighting was added as a way to ‘lift the ceiling’—making the 1633 square foot space appear even grander, while providing some moody down-lighting.
You might say there are several focal points in the lounge area. A heat-emitting fireplace was moved from corner to mid-wall, providing the ability to center it with the seating arrangement, and offering great eastward-facing views of the harbor through the revealing floor-to-ceiling walls and doors. Every detail of the interior adornments was selected by Deep River—fine linens and bedding to wall décor and items on table displays. Rift cut oak floors were chosen to provide more textural interest than most wood floors. Every ‘t’ was crossed. Every ‘I’ was dotted.
“Some people have lake houses in the country. This is a guest house in the city,” Nicholas adds. “There are so many festivals in the area, as well as dynamic arts and restaurant scenes.” Summerfest, an annual music festival is in view, and easily walkable. It’s considered the world’s largest music festival, drawing over a million visitors per year. And Kristine, Kirk and their visitors enjoy taking full advantage of it.
Deep River does things a bit differently from many other architectural & design firms. Nicholas says, “We listen. We hear how our clients live their lives, making us a curator of their lifestyle goals. We apply design concepts to fit how they live their lives; not the other way around.” And Kristine and Kirk could not be happier. To them, the beautiful custom interior, the view of the river and the bridge, and the ability to spend summers there with their friends and family make it all worthwhile.
