A Rustic Return

High-school sweethearts Bob and Phyllis Hoopman always knew they would return to Wisconsin, their homestate. Drawn to urban living, the couple spent the past 25 years living in a renovated Victorian townhouse in Boston's trendy South End, where Phyllis worked in nursing and Bob in architecture (most recently for Payette Associates). But the call of family—they have one daughter who lives in Madison, and aging parents in the area—enticed them to finally move out West.

So in 1995, the Hoopmans purchased 12 acres of wooded land adjacent to a 30-acre lot in Plymouth, Wisconsin. ("A 12-acre lot in these parts is on the small side," says Bob, only half-jokingly.) They held onto the property and remained on the East Coast while waiting for the Boston real estate climate to hit the right note for them to sell. In 2001, they unloaded their Boston interest and set up shop in Wisconsin. During their first two years there, the Hoopmans rented a small house on the shores of Lake Michigan. "We had our own beach," says Bob. "It was so beautiful." But the house itself was nothing spectacular.

That is, it was nothing compared to the home they have ultimately come to inhabit. The design for the Hoopmans' Frank Lloyd Wright and Greene & Greene-inspired home took Bob three months to formulate. Phyllis gave lots of input along the way, and as the family's only gourmet cook, her domain was the kitchen. (They spared no expense on the kitchen and worked with a local specialist to get it right.) Bob says his biggest challenge in moving forward with the project was knowing who to go to locally to source the right products and services. "I had many ties in the Boston area, but didn't know anyone in Wisconsin. Networking was important."

Once the plans for the home were complete, he put a bid out to seven or eight different contractors, "but only three wanted to deal. Many were afraid of touching such a unique project. I think they got scared off by the details. For example, the bay windows are cantilevered. That's not standard." Construction took place over a span of eight months—from April to December 2003. During that phase, Bob was onsite every day checking in and overseeing the many details of the building. The couple celebrates their one-year move-in anniversary this month.

One can't help but notice the flood of light through the handsome home's many windows. According to Bob, the orientation was very carefully thought out to best maximize available sunlight and to ward off harsh lake-effect winds. (The Hoopmans are located 20 miles from Lake Michigan, and in fact, on a clear day they are able to glimpse the body of water from their master bedroom window. "On days like today, when it's minus 4 degrees in the morning, it can be pretty dramatic with steam and cloud banks coming off the lake.") In addition, the main living level is situated on the second floor. "This was intentional," says Bob. "We wanted this to feel like a treehouse." Because the home was built into the side of a hilltop, they are most definitely in the trees. "The idea was for it to feel like we were soaring off the side of a hill," says Bob.

Moving from the heart of an urban metropolis to the natural landscape of rural Wisconsin has forced the Hoopmans to recalibrate a bit. "We love the peace and quiet, but it's a big adjustment not having access to the cultural events, such as opera, that we so enjoy." For a dose of culture, the Hoopmans now find themselves making the 2 1/2 hour-drive to Chicago. But they consider that a small sacrifice for living close to family.

In the end, Bob says the couple decided to uproot and build this soaring home in the woods because it's a "whole new experience.... It really is one of those life-enriching experiences, to be able to break away and do that. Now we have animals and trees—things we didn't brush with in Boston." Bob laughs as he tells me that at age 53, he bought his first lawnmover (and subsequent mowers since)! So, will they stay in this lovingly designed home for the rest of their lives? "I doubt it," says Bob. "But who knows?"

Construction
D&D Carpentry, Glenbeulah, WI