Home of the Week: Walt and Irene Wisch

In this case, there are two clues at this "Home of the Week" in Pasadena.

The first is the American flag, waving proudly out front. As protocol dictates, there's a light aimed at it, enabling the stars and stripes to shine day and night.

The second clue is a brass pineapple - the symbol of welcome the world over - on the front door.

For the past 45 years, Walt and Irene Wisch have lived in this three-bedroom split level while raising a family and working - he's retired from BGE, and she's an avid antique collector and dealer.

If 45 years strikes you as a long time, consider they've been married for 53 years, an amazing feat of accomplishment and love.

What's the secret to their success?

"Do whatever ... she tells you," Mr. Wisch offered.

"A good husband," Ms. Wisch said. "I tell you, he spoils me to death. If I say I've got to get a green top to go with black slacks - I hate shopping, he loves it - by the end of the afternoon he's found it."

So there you have it, 53 years of wisdom that makes perfectly good sense, at least to this writer.

Getting back to those symbols, the pineapple on the door certainly is an extension of Ms. Wisch's welcoming persona and her enthusiasm for surrounding herself with objects she loves dearly.

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As for the flag, well that's Mr. Wisch - he's a member of that group dubbed the "Greatest Generation," for those who served in World War II.

The thing about the "Greatest Generation" is they're not usually the first to admit they're the greatest. For that matter, it seems they rarely glorify themselves at all - their modesty for their own service and sacrifice for their country has given them an innate ability to focus the conversation on others first, themselves last.

Given that, with a great deal of modesty, Mr. Wisch told his story.

"I was an armed guard (Navy gunner) on merchant ships - Russia, the Philippines, the Mediterranean," he began. "My parents died in the 1930s. I had a younger brother, and the aunts couldn't take both of us. … On my 16th birthday, I was in the service."

"(There's) one thing he left out," Ms. Wisch began. "His uncle, he said, 'You'll have to go in the Navy and send your allotments home' - when he got off the ship, he had nothing to his name but his sea bag."

All these years later, they have a lotto be proud of, including three grown children, grandchildren, and a warm, welcoming and wonderful home.

Upon entry, you're greeted to a quilt, done in circle patterns with blues and reds, hanging upon the wall.

"With this cathedral ceiling, I wanted something on that wall - I'm a quilter also," Ms. Wisch explained.

Everywhere in house, no matter where you look, one collection or another provides a feast for the eyes, with antiques everywhere.

"I collect so many things," Ms. Wisch said.

In the corner of the living room, a small and quite old stroller sits.

"That's a stroller from the 1950s," Ms. Wisch said. "When I was a little girl, I used to push the neighbor's baby in one like that. I found it in an antique shop and I couldn't resist it."

A small chair sits not far away, topped with some reading glasses, a small purse and a tiny Bible. On the floor are antique boots.

"This we call 'grandmother's chair,' " Ms. Wisch said. "I found the shoes and the purse in a thrift shop - just a little idea that came in my head one day."

Through this room and into the dining room, one sees an armoire topped with a stuffed pheasant.

"He's an avid bowhunter and a NASCAR fan," Ms. Wisch said of her husband, which explains the bird.

In the kitchen, the oak cabinetry is accompanied by a matching informal country-style dining table with benches. White walls and a tan backsplash keep the color palette soft and easily transformed.

"I decided I didn't like color on the walls anymore, because it gives me a clean slate - it's like a blank canvas," Ms. Wisch said. "It's all neutral - if I want to change any of the colors, I don't have to fight with anything."

Just beyond the kitchen, at the rear of the home, a sunroom has been added, which provides a nice space for relaxing and more room for antiques. Here we have a very unique lamp - the base is actually a power meter.

"One of his fellow employees at BG&E makes these lamps - I bought it for him when he retired," Ms. Wisch explained .

The far wall is done in white bead boarding with a blue pattern wall border and matching valences. Opposite is the original exterior wall, left as is, in cedar shake.

A collection of miniature chairs and plates is also on display in this light and airy space.

Back off the entry and up the steps, three bedrooms provide ample room for guests and the couple. One of the rooms has been transformed into a sitting room.

In the master bedroom, a bed dressed in florals has a matching valence. A stunning collection of antique beaded purses hangs upon the wall.

In the guest room, a silk dress in steel blue hangs upon a dress form, topped by a matching beret.

"My grandson was helping his friend clean out his grandmother's attic and when Taylor saw that he said, 'Grandmother would love that,' " Ms. Wisch said, smiling as she retold the story.

Next to this is a true family heirloom.

"This spinning wheel has been in my family for many years, probably the late 1800s," Ms. Wisch said.

A beautiful doll calls the sitting room home.

"The antique doll was my grandmother's," Ms. Wisch said. "I used to sit with her when I was a little girl, and watched her make that dress from a feed sack. I could never put another dress on her because of the memory."

While many of the objects in the home have wonderful stories behind them and it would be nice to tell them all, we must be moving on, and sadly so, for this was a very nice couple to spend time with.

Ms. Wisch has fondly collected a vast amount of keepsakes and found the perfect home for them.

As for Mr. Wisch, the thought occurred to me while I drove away - only about 15 miles from where Francis Scott Key penned the words, that star spangled banner does indeed wave o'er the land of the free and this home of the brave.

Donna L. Cole is a freelance writer living in the Annapolis area. If you'd like your home considered for "Home of the Week," e-mail her at writerdle@aol.com.