The Perfect Blend
A Home with a Little Bit of Everything
Some of the best relationships are compromising and complementary. And that best describes that of Ian and Tara Haseltine when it came to the purchase of their Muskego home. The couple knew they wanted to move in 2022, but the question was where? They lived in Chicago and moved to Carmel, Indiana, where Ian did his medical residency at Indiana University. Tara says, “The job market in Wisconsin was good, and I have family in the area. But I wanted a nice home in the suburbs near restaurants and shopping.” Ian, on the other hand, was thinking more about space—about five acres of space, in fact. For their family of four, they decided that a more rural property suited them well.
“I have 12 years of medical training,” Ian says, “But I’m a hobbyist. I saw the five-car garage, woodshop, and two ponds, which I knew would suit our family’s interests.” Ian & Tara live in the most rural part of the region, where development has not quite crept, allowing for plenty of privacy while being a mere 25-minute drive from Milwaukee.
Built in 1999, Tara describes the home as ‘custom traditional’. From the exterior, it is a soothing neutral tone—partially stone, partially siding. On the interior, their style is also a mix of custom and traditional elements. “I really like mid-century modern design, though the home doesn’t really lend itself to that style,” she says. A variety of family memorabilia and antiques co-exist alongside some more contemporary pieces that make the home comfortable and inviting for the young family.
The primary bedroom and attached sunroom look out onto the partially wooded property, while 4 additional bedrooms and 3.5 baths leave plenty of room for visitors. “There’s a lot of natural light,” Tara adds, making the home open and airy. The main level houses the kitchen, living room, dining room, and office, which Tara uses for her advertising job. On the lower level, there is another living room area, playroom, and guest suite.
The couple has lived in the home for one and a half years, allowing them to make changes that are more suitable to their tastes. While Tara and Ian agree that the home was well taken care of prior to their ownership, when it sat empty for about a year, they decided to tear out a lot of carpet and install wood floors.
“Ian likes to do a lot of work himself,” Tara points out. “He removed about 65% of the wallpaper, replaced every light fixture, and refaced the fireplace.” The finishes were nice but appeared dated, as the home is over 20 years old. The landscaping was overgrown, which Ian has taken on as a personal project that will take a bit of time to complete. Future changes are planned for the home’s outdoor area. A pool, additional living space, and an updated kitchen are on the agenda. With a four- and seven-year-old, Tara says daily life keeps them quite busy. In addition to bike riding and the ever-increasing extracurricular activities that come with growing children, home really is where their heart is.
Ian speaks about summers spent fishing in their larger pond, which sits at the back of the property. A smaller pond sits closer to the home and was designed to be a koi pond. While the larger pond is a shared water feature, the Haseltines seem to be the only residents utilizing it, catching Blue Gills, Small Mouth Bass and Northern Pike, and even a rare Bowfin (also known as a Dog Fish, which is not commonly found this far north). Ian says, thanks to a previous stocking of the pond, the kids are able to catch fish with ease. The property also backs up to wetlands, resulting in a natural spillover, like wild snapping turtles.
In order to take full advantage of the water, they built a small pier, where their rowboat awaits family rides. As a fun project for the kids, the family acquired Sunshine, Lulu, Quackers, and Cheese—the resident Golden Layer Ducks. The kids have been raising the ducks from young waterfowl in their bathtub. Now when they are not in their coop, they’ve adopted the small pond, like to forage around the property, and receive hugs from their daughter.
During winter, the entire crew retreats to the backyard for campfires and s’mores, where “they make snow chairs, play, dance and goof around by the fire,” Ian says. The woods are an integral part of the property for the Haseltines. Three acres of the property are woodlands and Ian is kept busy keeping up the healthy growth of large oak, walnut, and ash trees. The fallen and trimmed tree limbs come in handy, feeding their wood-burning fireplace and being used as mulch for use around the property. “At the end of our first summer in the home, I cut five trees down and burned the stumps to make room for a playground for our children,” Ian says. “It was a fun project, and we added over 4,000 pounds of rubber mulch.”
Ice skating on the pond is another family favorite winter activity once Ian checks to make sure the ice can suitably hold skaters. All around, the property is a great place for ‘playing’ and entertaining, from hot chocolate for the kids and a charcuterie board for the adults in the winter to renting a large 2.5 story water slide for both adults and children in warmer weather.
Tara repeatedly mentions the coziness of the home. Four fireplaces provide warmth, ambience, and focal points for several rooms. And their pops of bright color against a neutral palette adds another layer of warmth. But in the end, Tara says, “We’re all about bringing the outdoors in.” Not only does the family fully appreciate the outdoors from within currently, but the Haseltines also plan to spend more time outdoors as their backyard renovations progress.
Written by Chrysa Smith | Photography by Aliza Baran
