Bogk Second Floor

And here is the second floor plan:

This is a pretty simple layout, and we will keep it (of course!). The "Maid's Room" above will be the main guest room, as it has an en suite bathroom. The front (northwest) bedroom will most likely be an office, or computer room. It has a nice view onto the street, and will be the third guest room in case we are overwhelmed. The other west (southwest) bedroom we are currently using as a media room. (we don't have a desk or real chairs there, yet. It is sort of an amusing situation)

The small bathroom on the north side of the house will be used for guest bedroom (the one in the center north - bottom in this plan - of the house) It only has a tub and a lavatory. But it is functional. We don't want it to be TOO comfortable. People might want to move in!

Finally, the other guest bedroom is to the east of the stairs. It has nice windows, too. It will be very cozy.

Trim detail going up the main staircase

An older photo from the top of the stairs.

This is a photo of the back (east) stairs:

Hard to tell from these photos, but this staircase is narrower. Obviously this was the servant's staircase. This staircase leads to the maid's room:

There is plenty of natural light, and the details on the window are very nice.

View into the bathroom. This bathroom will be renovated.

You can see why. It is nice, but in a 1950s sort of way.

From the top of the stairs looking into the maid's room:

The second guest room:

Plenty of room for two twin beds.

Upstairs hallway:

This is the door to the attic (on the left) and the linen closet:

The other bathroom:

We're not going to do much here, maybe some new tile on the wall. And get rid of that hand shower. You can see the art glass window detail here. Nice.

This is the office/computer room (maybe) with a view west, to the street. Note the glass:

An interesting thing about this window is that it is part of the three windows in the west facade:

Obviously you can't see this is in a different room than the other two windows.

The same room, looking north:

You might have noticed all the radiators in the house. It has steam heat, and a new boiler.

Here is a look into the parlor/media room:

Through the door from the hall (above)

Note the fireplace.

Looking west:

South:

and west again:

Primary bedroom:

Master bath. You can see the shower behind me in the mirror.

This will all be redone. So I can stand up in the shower, for one reason.

Enough for now.

Bogk Pantry and Kitchen

 I think this might be a good time to upload a blueprint of the downstairs:

I've posted photos of the entrance (at the bottom of the plan), the living room, and the dining room. 

The Pantry is just what it sounds like, and looks like this:

Looking west, with a peek into the kitchen

The rest of the cabinet. These are original Frank Lloyd Wright cabinets

Looking through that closed on on the left into the dining room. Lulu likes to be in the photos.

A bit more expansive view of the dining room.

Back to the pantry. This is looking the other direction. That is green Tennessee Marble, original to the house, and the same marble we have in the kitchen. It is still available, and we will be using some new once we get started in the kitchen.

A view into the kitchen from the pantry. 

The kitchen. This will change substantially. (Not covered by any easements!). New cooktop, new ovens, new cabinets (these were installed in the '70s) We will replace the linoleum, but with another linoleum in a similar color. (No longer called Cherokee Red. I think it is called Berlin Red now)

The north wall of the kitchen. You can see the Tennessee Marble here pretty well. There are four windows, but you can only see three in this photo.

That trim that runs around the room at about 7' runs throughout the whole house.

Looking south. Those cabinets will also be replaced, and are also not original.

Bogk House, the first floor

 As you walk out of the low ceiling, compress foyer, you get released into the wide open first floor - only three rooms for about 2,000 square feet. This is what you see:

and if you look back just a little:

Then you turn around and see this:

And it opens up into this:

You start to get the feeling. The color of the rugs was originally a pink/grey mix. In the 1970s, Olgivana (FLW's widow) convinced Barbara Elsner that the world needed brighter colors. It is a statement color for sure! And I can tell you this, as shocking as it is at first, it really grows on you. Especially with all the figurative icons that are marching across the floor:

That is one of the fellows in the living room. 

There are three of them equally spaced in front of the glorious front windows. That is Lulu for scale - she is about 30 pounds worth of hard headed Shiba/Terrier mix. You will see more of her by and by.

This is looking north, the opposite of the above. Along with Lulu, and her collection of toys. You can also see all the Hendredon furniture from the 1950s. And in the left rear of the photo, the original library table that Barbara sought out and purchased from the Bogk heirs. They are all fantastic.

Here is a closer view:

and here is the view of the three windows to the front porch:

To the left of the photo is the entrance to the front porch (opposite the fireplace):

We spent a lot of time on that porch. So did Lulu:

It gave us a good chance to meet the neighbors, and the neighbor's dogs. I cannot tell you what a great place the East End of Milwaukee (Specifically The Historic Water Tower Neighborhood) is.

And opposite the porch you see the fireplace:

The dining room is three steps up from the living room:

Here is the rug detail:

I just love this place.

The Conservatory, which includes the Crane Fountain, is one of the most stunning designs in the house:

The fountain was designed at a time when water was cheap in Milwaukee. (Lake Michigan, right?) the feed was just from the house, the drain just drained into the sewer. We will add a recirculation pump. But we will get that fountain working.

This is the inside view on the south side of the house:

Turn around, and you see this:

Then back down to the living room:

and again:

and again:

Dining room looking west:

Looking west:

I think that is enough for tonight.

Next, the butler's pantry and the kitchen.