Christmas in a Door County Cottage

Produced by Carol Schalla. Written by Andria Hayday. Photographs by King Au

A cottage nestled along Green Bay in Wisconsin's Door County glows with traditional charm, providing a snug retreat all winter long.

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Ice, water and sky

Chuck and Lana Tencate's cottage-style home on Ellison Bay fulfills a dream started decades ago when Chuck's parents rented a cottage in Door County, Wisconsin (a peninsula that sits 170 miles northeast of Milwaukee). "I started coming here when I was 3 months old," says Chuck, a Chicago native. Those childhood vacations eventually led the Tencates to build a year-round residence here.

The winter holidays are especially magical, when the family's cove freezes over and the snow-frosted woods are quiet. With virtually every room oriented toward the waterfront, the Tencates' home captures a blue-and-white tableau of ice, water and sky.