A short drive from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, takes you to Lake Country, the home of many well-known people in the Midwest. The area also has numerous lakefront residents, including a new house with a complete outdoor living area. From the upper terrace to the large swimming pool, this landscape has everything needed for a luxurious hangout. The family worked with Bret Achtenhagen’s Seasonal Services, Inc., based in Mukwonago, Wisconsin, to design and install this unique setup. Their efforts earned them a 2025 Gold Award of Excellence.
“This is such an honor for Bret Achtenhagen’s Seasonal Services and me,” says Kyle Kohlmann, senior landscape architect. “We always strive to be the best at what we do, and it’s nice to be acknowledged, especially at the national level. I’m lucky to work at a company that employs such fantastic craftsmen and project managers. Our managers are very humble, but I know they appreciate the recognition as well.”
Before the install could begin, the team had to address some unique challenges with the design. The planned hardscape would likely cause an excess of runoff, so Seasonal Services had to meet the surface code requirements to keep the design. To achieve this, they created a washed stone infiltration trench adjacent to the driveway.
“The municipality required the design to hold ½ of the water volume for the area of adjacent impervious surface,” Kohlmann says. “In our case, the trench had to be 2’ wide x 2’ deep x 87’ long, and we designed it to run along the west edge of the driveway to capture the most runoff possible from the largest area of impervious surface onsite.”
This property has sandy soil, which helped make the trench feasible.
Another obstacle was the two-foot difference in elevation from the floor of the home to the landscape. The team created a grand staircase to bridge this gap using locally sourced sawn Lannon stone.
With such a complex design, it was hard to find materials that flowed with the plan’s aesthetics while remaining functional. One example was finding materials for the pool coping, which took ample research. This was also one of many times the team worked with the other vendors to bring the design together.
The outdoor living areas are divided into five zones. While each space has different characteristics, they create harmony across the property.
“We were going for crisp, simple hardscapes that would complement the contemporary style of the house,” Kohlmann says. “Also, a simple plant palette with repetition brings unity to the overall design.”
From the moment visitors arrive, the luxurious home catches their attention. The front walkways consist of irregular flagstone and clay pavers combined with brushed concrete. In addition to the main entrance, a side path leads to a pea-gravel patio outside the mud room.
Toward the back, an upper terrace provides space for large gatherings and dining. Many of these areas use the same materials, helping reduce project costs.
“We utilized tinted concrete as the main pavement surface with a focal inlay of checkerboard concrete pavers,” Kohlmann says. “The checkerboard pattern matches the pattern of the tile in the rear room that leads out to the back terrace.”
The pool area uses those materials as well. For the pool coping, the team used a linear paver that matches other pavers in the focal inlays.
Across the property, plants were selected for their color and low maintenance. Since the pool took up much of the backyard, the main planting focus was in the front. The most common perennials are daylilies, catmint, and Stachys ‘Hummelo’, while shrubs primarily consist of panicle hydrangea, boxwood, and juniper.
This project laid the groundwork for teamwork on all levels.
“This was a fun process because the client contributed so much to the design,” Kohlmann says. “It was a true collaboration, and that’s why I think they love the space so much. It was just as much their creation as ours.”
Interested in participating in the Awards of Excellence? Be sure to enter your projects when entries open in early 2026.
