A Classic Greek Revival Home returns to its grandeur.
WRITTEN BY CHRYSA SMITH
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTT AMUNDSON
Some say you can’t go home again. But for Bill and Beverly Birck, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Bill grew up spending summers in the region. And now, he and his wife have restored their grand classic on Geneva Lake to its former glory—bringing both Bill and the home, full circle.
Beverly says, “We love historic homes. We can see through some of the current conditions and envision what it could be. We call ourselves serial rehabbers.” Like many inhabitants of the region, Bill and Beverly had lived outside the Chicago area—in Wilmette, Illinois. “I grew up spending summers in Belvidere Park,” Bill says. And once they were married, also came to Lake Geneva during the summers. And, yes, he says, “Lake Geneva has always felt like home.” So, they rented on the lake for years, until in 2016, when the Bircks found a historic home.
This time a Greek Revival that Beverly says was fine but needed some TLC. “It had been rented and been through much wear and tear throughout the years,” adds Bill. “We could still see through the bones and decided to purchase, and again, ultimately restore this historic home to its original heritage.”
Built in 1899, the home was originally a four-bedroom farmhouse. By 1921, it was converted to a Greek Revival style. This style of home includes bold columns and white exteriors reminiscent of Greek temples. They generally have tall ceilings, long windows and covered porches.
Remnants of the past remained, including an inscription on the old concrete steps of the home—the names of four daughters of a previous owner. The bones of the home were good, as was the lakeside location. So the Bircks made it their own.
They lived in the home’s current condition for eight years, so as Beverly said, they knew how they were using the home, and desired to modernize and make this seasonal home a permanent one.” Bill has a commercial construction firm in the Chicago area, and after moving to Lake Geneva, decided it might be time to establish a residential arm here. Bill says, “Historical homes should be brought back to their former glory. Reed Custom Builders doesn’t shy away from rebuilding. It’s really a passion.”
In 2024, the project began. “We took everything down to the studs,” Bill explains. “We laid an extended foundation and added a lower level for gathering to watch football games and relax.” They added a great room and master suite above it, thus adding a fifth bedroom.
Through it all, there was the main designer. That would be Carly Loobeek of Studio M Interiors in Lake Geneva. Beverly wanted someone who would really listen. Through her diligence, she came upon Carly’s website and liked the fact that all her home designs were different. “That’s how I know Carly would listen to what we wanted.” And yes, she did.
“This is our second location,” says Carly. Her studio, Studio M Interiors, is a full-service design firm with three lead designers in Lake Geneva and another location in Minneapolis. “Bill and Beverly reached out to me spring/summer of 2023. With their building background, they built it themselves. We worked together looking for sub contractors, and the project was ready in about two years.” Carly says, “I worked with Ron McCormick, a long standing architect in the area. Lots of details were paid attention to, keeping the history of the house. We wanted the addition to look like it was original; historically accurate.” Carly did all the interior elevations, from the fireplace design to the selection of colors, moldings, light fixtures, and gave a very detailed presentation.
“It was a very collaborative experience. The Bircks said they wanted a forever/legacy home to leave to their kids someday, while honoring the historic feel of the house.” Traditional, timeless design meets with a warm, approachable feel. Carly describes a cozy, livable home, with a lake house feel. A grand hall entry, elegant staircase. Subtle greens, blues and an indoor/outdoor flow that’s so important in a lake house.
Accurate history merges with modern conveniences to make this house a gem presently, and for the foreseeable future. Being located right on the lake, the couple lives out on the deck in summers, and Carly wanted the exterior to have an original feel as well. Having training in historic architecture meant, “The design of the addition matched the pillars. No synthetic materials were used that didn’t originally exist. Details include dentil molding, river rock on the stone, which is true to the era. No composite siding.”
“Some builders will make a suggestion to build new, as it is both simpler and less expensive to do, but the owners had no limitation on making it right,” she says. “While lake tours point out houses that were torn down and rebuilt, these owners wanted to make it work for them.” Bill says there are only about four or five Greek Revival Homes left on the lake.
One of the more enjoyable aspects to the home are now the French doors from the great room on the first floor. “You can open these to a 60 foot wide porch. It’s built to entertain, bringing indoor and outdoor space in unison.” They make the most of the porch and the warmer months, enjoying everything Lake Geneva has to offer before winter sets in. That means enjoying a host of summer water activities like swimming, boating, waterskiing, wake surfing and getting their Labrador (Cadence) to join in on the fun.
The Bircks have two ‘almost grown’ children in their early 20s. They too have enjoyed the lake since birth, and now, have a wonderful reason to return. Many lake homes are passed down through the generations. The Bircks intend their lovely, traditional, legacy home to be the same. As Bill came, so the children did, and hopefully one day, grandchildren will do as well.
