Step Inside This Gorgeous Wisconsin Bed And Breakfast That's Selling For $2.2 Million
If you've always dreamed of living in a Victorian era mansion here's your chance! The Schuster Mansion, at 3209 West Wells Street, just two miles west of downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin is on the market for $2,200,000, according to Realty Executives. The German Renaissance-style mansion is a working Bed & Breakfast in turnkey condition with eight bedrooms, seven full bathrooms, and 1 half bathroom, in over 9,300 square feet of living space. It is arranged to accommodate four suites and three individual bedrooms, and is being sold with all the furniture, silver, and linens, per Realtor.
The mansion was built in 1891 for wealthy tobacco industrialist George J. Schuster. It's constructed from red sandstone and red brick and trimmed in ornamental terra cotta, and is locally called The Red Castle. It was considered one of the most impressive residences built within the city's affluent western neighborhood, according to the Schuster Mansion website. The mansion, which is listed on historic mansion registries at the national, state, and city levels displays original features such as the steeply pitched roof, decorative stepped gable façades, stained glass windows, and a semi-circular stone arched doorway.
Enjoy Victorian gardens and outdoor seating
Step inside this gorgeous bed and breakfast and you'll be transported back to the Victorian era. Every part of the décor reflects this period from the ornately carved wood moldings around doorways and fireplaces to the highly patterned wallpaper, borders, and draperies. The current innkeepers have added numerous decorative touches on every surface including lace mantel scarves and tea services, as seen on the Schuster Mansion website. In fact, the new owners will have to decide whether to continue the current tradition of offering guests traditional low tea, also known as afternoon tea in the British tradition, and high tea.
The mansion is located in the Concordia neighborhood which, by the turn of the 20th century, had grown into a cozy and well-to-do residential neighborhood. The property is equally beautiful outside with its Victorian gardens and paver and stone patios, that include a pergola and raised patio with tables and seating. The corner lot is approximately .36 of an acre and includes a detached two-car garage and off-street parking.
High tea in the formal dining room
Victorian era décor can best be defined by its excess of ornamentation. The lavish designs represented the high status of its wealthy property owners. An undecorated room was considered to demonstrate a lack of taste, per MasterClass. The Schuster mansion follows suit with opulent furnishings, patterned wallpaper, flowers, and sentimental pictures and drawings. The new painting and dying techniques of this era resulted in bolder colors, often displayed in plaids, stripes, damasks, and florals. Shelves of trinkets and furniture contribute to a busy look that became characteristic of Victorian design, particularly in contrast to modern, minimalist styles.
This first floor of the Schuster bed and breakfast has an elegant, formal dining room, with an adjoining, glass-enclosed conservatory, per Realty Executives. Lavish chandeliers, candelabras, and wall sconces elevate every meal above casual. A large front parlor and a cozy second parlor provide room for guests to spread out. The kitchen has a stunning, painted tin ceiling, and a huge butler's pantry well-stocked with dinnerware and glassware. One of the guest suites is also located on the first floor. All of the rooms have fireplaces with decorative mantels and fireplace screens, and many have pocket doors.
Lavish décor brings this Victoria era bed and breakfast to life
There are three additional guest suites on the second floor of this gorgeous Wisconsin bed and breakfast, all of which have private bathrooms and sitting areas, and some with more than one bedroom. The third floor has three individual guest rooms, one with it's own private bathroom. The owner's apartment is also on the third floor and is the only suite of rooms decorated in a contemporary style. It consists of a large, studio-style living room/bedroom, a glass-enclosed shower, two separate vanities in the modern bathroom, and a walk-in closet. Two other rooms provide an office and work/storage space, as well as a large laundry room, as noted by Realty Executives.
The Schuster Mansion can be rented out for weddings and other events, and can comfortably accommodate 49 guests on the first floor. A complete virtual tour can be seen here. Although the wildly popular shows "Bridgerton" and "Downton Abbey" are set in the Regency period and post-Victorian, respectively, the intrigue with lavish living among the upper classes will surely continue to bring interest to Milwaukee's own Schuster mansion.