Above the French doors leading out to Mel and Tim Johnson’s screened porch is the word “gather.” It’s a simple concept but one that characterizes the couple’s Waunakee home.
It’s the place where they start their mornings on the right foot and reunite at the end of busy work days. It’s the place where they make memories with their daughters Philly, who recently turned three, and Ella, who was born in October, and dog Louie.
Mel and Tim met as students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and lived on the west side of the city until building their new home in 2016.
“We wanted to build someplace where we’d be awhile and raise our kids,” she says.
Their goal was to create a home that felt fresh, clean and cozy while also making efficient use of space. White and gray hues create a soothing backdrop in the main living space, which flows from the living room to the dining room to the kitchen. Elements like white subway tile, a farmhouse sink, a barn door leading to the pantry and built-ins flanking the fireplace mix style and function.
“We always congregate in the kitchen,” Tim says.
The couple is diligent about eating healthily, and meal planning helps them stay on course. They frequently adhere to the Whole 30 approach, and credit the Paleo diet for shaving minutes off their marathon times in years past. Sundays are spent prepping food for the week ahead, cooking egg bakes, meats for salads and roasted sweet potatoes, among other go-tos.
Besides the kitchen, the screened-in porch is a favorite spot. “In the summer, it feels like you’re on vacation,” Mel says. And the family also gets fresh air while drawing with chalk on the driveway or relaxing by the fire pit in the backyard.
While they grew up in distinctly different environments — her on ten acres in northern Canada and he in the small Wisconsin town of Delavan — they appreciate Waunakee for its family-friendliness and amenities like neighborhood parks and a community pool.
Little bits of downtime are essential, as both Mel and Tim have demanding jobs. She’s the vice president of marketing at a clinical research solutions company and he is a senior business development manager for a life science company. The two often pick work back up after putting the girls down to bed, and each pitches in more on weeks when the other has to travel or prepare for big meetings.
“We truly are partners in what we’re doing,” Mel says. “If two people are going to work at the level we do, you have to split it up.”
“It’s an ebb and flow,” Tim adds.
And they start their days together, exercising on the lower level of their home. Mel says working out and having a cup of coffee in the quietness of the morning is an essential part of family life.
“My secret is getting up at five every day,” she says. “Being ready before the girls wake up makes me feel ready for the rest of the day.”
– Photos by Beth Skogen.