Decor has meaning for Germantown family
If you were to tour Tim and Barbara Kluth’s home, four design elements are likely to stand out.
There is a wall in their family room filled with a large collection of crosses; a colorful grouping of candles that cover a large coffee table in their living room; pillows in all shapes, sizes and colors in nearly every room; and rooms that are papered or painted either very light or very bright.
“All these things have meanings to our lives, and they all reflect who we are,” said Barbara. “There are also stories behind many of the pieces. We decorated the house this way after we bought it in 1995 and haven’t changed many things since then because we love it the way it is.”
She explained that the collection of crosses started with a single cross her husband gave her years ago and that over time she has acquired more than 50.
The candles — as well as their holders — have been purchased or received as gifts over time, too, and they are regularly lit for family gatherings or parties to create ambience.
The pillows were added throughout their Germantown home to make rooms look and feel cozy.
And the way the home is papered and painted is a reflection of Barbara’s love of light, bright rooms and the bright colors found in Latin America.
Barbara said that when they bought their home, it was just two years old and it had been painted and carpeted in all white.
“I loved the white, but we wanted to bring our own personality into the rooms,” she said.
They ended up redoing the front of the house in light tones but added color to the back.
In the dining room they used a plaster finish that includes small swirls of 24K gold on the walls. In the entryway a cream-colored wallpaper with white swirls was added. And in the living room a textured beige/cream wallpaper with images of pears was applied.
Colors at the back of the house remind them of trips to Mexico and Guatemala.
“We call the color of the kitchenette Mexican yellow,” she said. “It’s a yellow/ orange. We always say that if we can’t be in Puerto Vallarta 365 days a year, we wanted to bring a little bit of Puerto Vallarta into our home.”
The same color was used in the kitchen, but there she topped the bright color with wavy stripes of white paint.
In their large family room, she used a dramatic paprika/terra cotta color that is accented by bright white molding.
To pick the colors she wanted in these rooms, she started with a bowl.
“When it comes to selecting colors in your home, you should find one piece you love and then build your rooms around it,” she said. “I found a piece of Talavera pottery from Mexico that was hand-painted. I used the colors in that piece for the kitchenette, kitchen and family room.”
They also added all new furniture throughout their home.
Barbara said that because they moved from a small home in Whitefish Bay, their furniture didn’t fit the much larger proportions in their new home, which comprises 2,580 square feet.
For their dining room they selected a dark cream-colored wood table with a smoky glass center and matching china cabinet and buffet, and for their foyer they selected a light brown wood chest with a cream-colored marble top.
Two white and cream sofas and a red chair with a bold tropical floral print were added to their living room, but in their large family room they opted for pieces in tones of brown to complement their darker walls.
Barbara Kluth recently talked about the home she and her husband share with their two daughters. She works for Marcus Promotions as an advertising account executive. He works in building maintenance at Arandell Corp., Menomonee Falls.
Barbara Kluth was featured as a Great Host in 2017. To see her story, search “Barbara Kluth” at jsonline.com.
Question: How old are your daughters?
Answer: Lily is 19 and a sophomore at UW-Milwaukee. She is studying nursing. Bella is 17 and a sophomore at Germantown High School, so she still lives at home. They were both adopted from Guatemala.
From the day we brought them home — each at about 5 months old — you could tell they loved the bright colors in the house. Their big brown eyes were wide open when they looked around that first day. They say they still love the way the house looks and they don’t want to see it changed.
Q: Did you do all the decorating yourself ?
A: We went to Peabody Interiors and we had a designer help us coordinate the basics.
Q: How many bedrooms and bathrooms do you have?
A: Three bedrooms and 2 1⁄2 bathrooms.
Q: What colors did you use in the master?
A: The walls are a faint blue with a white ceiling. I used bold colors in the furnishings and linens. That room has a chaise lounge done in a bright blue print, fun artwork and colorful bedding. I used blues, greens and yellows. I put an inexpensive side table next to the bed and covered it with a yellow and blue fabric. I also used bright-colored patterns in the throw pillows.
The walls in the master bath are a vibrant blue wallpaper with a floral tone on tone pattern.
Q: What colors did you use in your daughters’ rooms?
A: Lily’s room has light lilac/lavender walls and a ruffled pastel pink bedspread with a white canopy. Bella’s has soft yellow walls and a white ceiling. We added a large border of white paint along the tops of the walls. She has yellow and turquoise accents.
Q: How would you describe the furnishings in your family room?
A: More neutral because of the walls. We have two large chairs. We call them chairs and a half because two people can sit on them. They are on wheels, and we can move them together in front of the fireplace. The color is called misty root beer. The sofa is butterscotch leather, and that’s our newest piece. We got that six years ago.
Q: Other than color, how would you describe your kitchen and kitchenette?
A: The kitchenette has a vaulted ceiling and a large three-part window with a rounded top. We added a window treatment that reminds of the Talavera
tiles. The kitchen has all white appliances, a white countertop, a large and deep white sink and light birch cabinets.
Q: You have a large deck off your kitchenette. Do you use it often?
A: We use it all the time, especially when we entertain. We put our patio furniture out there. We have a bright yellow umbrella. We also have a lot of Talavera flowerpots from Mexico out there. It has the same feel as the kitchen.
Q: Did you make any changes in your home other than painting and wallpapering?
A: We put new white carpeting in the dining room. Before there was white carpeting, but it had a green border. There was also a chair rail we took off, and we added double crown molding and a wallpaper border under it. Tim also added a bar and a man cave in the lower level. Other than that, it’s just been maintenance.
Q: What else attracted you to this home?
A: It’s in the Windsong subdivision and on a cul-de-sac. We really loved the name of the subdivision when we first
looked at this house. It’s windy up here because we’re on the top of a little hill. Sometime you can hear the sound of the wind. We also like our lot. It gives us a lot of privacy in the back.
Q Where do you get your candles and candle holders?
A: A lot of them are from Door County. We have a lake home there. I like unique pieces. I often go to a store called Gage Fine Imports that is in Fish Creek. In addition to the candles in the living room, I have large to small candles in nearly every room of the house and we light them regularly. I love my candles because they give a calming effect. They are a simple and elegant way to beautify your home.
Q: Do you ever change your candles?
A: At Christmas I put out candles that are green, red, silver and gold.
Do you, or does someone you know, have a cool, funky or exquisite living space that you’d like to see featured in At Home? Contact Fresh home and garden editor Nancy Stohs at (414) 224-2382 or email nstohs@journalsentinel.com.