Making a House A HOME
Rural homes of all kinds By Karen Schieler
Each person defines a “dream home” differently. Pick up any home improvement magazine, watch a design show or follow a Pinterest feed, and you’ll see multiple designs, style and construction elements. For some Compeer Financial clients, living in rural America fits the bill. CABIN UP NORTH Casey and Becky Kurschner Turtle Lake, Wis. Becky Kurschner has always loved the classic style of older homes, so when she and her husband Casey built a house on a one-acre lake lot, they went with a Colonial, Cape Cod two-story. With two small children, having a space for them was important. The threebedroom house utilizes a vintage charm with 160-year-old pine timbers rescued from a falling-down home, Old Chicago brick and stamped porcelain tile weaved throughout. For a “wow” factor, a custom horizontal steel staircase, made by a local welder, is the focal point when visitors walk in the house. Along with subway tile and butcher block in the kitchen, the home has an old feel to a new build. The Kurschners used Compeer Financial to finance their loan, allowing them to serve as their own general contractor and saving money along the way by completing the interior work themselves.
