Older dwellings have always appealed to Brian McCarthy and Elizabeth Tierney, who appreciate classic architecture detailing, modest footprints and bespoke features. So, when an old two-story bungalow in Bucktown hit the market in 2017, they bought the place in spite of its boring builder-grade finishes. “There are elements of new construction that are just kind […]
A luxurious primary bath is on every house-hunter’s wish list. The primary bath is a retreat, and it all centers around the tub—where the true relaxation happens. These five homes offer an elevated soaking experience, by letting in light and serene landscape views. 2055 Farnsworth Lane, Northbrook, $1,349,000 The primary suite in this 4-bedroom home […]
When a couple asked Alice Benjamin, principal at Alice Benjamin Interiors, for an introductory meeting to look at their condominium, Benjamin already knew a lot about the space. Oddly enough, she had looked at it as a potential home 11 years earlier, when she and her family moved to Chicago from Canada. “It was so […]
There’s no doubt that quality landscaping is key for curb appeal, but it is often also the most important element to transforming a backyard into something really special. Spending a warm summer evening in your very own secret garden, or practicing your putt on your own private golf green are just some of the ways […]
Kathy Shafer is quick to credit her husband, architect Tom Shafer, as the visionary in their relationship, but it was she who first recognized the possibilities in a virtually untouched Highland Park house designed by the renowned modernist architect Samuel Abraham Marx and built in 1957. Ultimately, Tom agreed, and they have lived there happily […]
“This was a blank slate,” says interior designer Michael Abrams of a newly-built single-family home smack dab in the middle of Lincoln Park. He designed the interiors for a family of four; the parents were both busy doctors. The family left their furniture behind when they relocated from their previous home in Texas. Perhaps because […]
As we begin to open back up to life after the pandemic, it’s time to reimagine what entertaining in the home looks like. After a year of leaning hard on our porches and backyards, indoor gatherings feel especially exciting. Because food is such an important element of any party, it’s only natural to start with […]
Sometimes a roadblock leads to an interesting route, as was the case when a North Shore couple discovered an obstacle to building their smaller, chicer, empty-nest abode on a lush one-acre ravine-front lot in Highland Park — the existing house on the site. “This area is a historic district, so we couldn’t tear it down,” […]
Ben Lenhardt loves gardens fervently, and he’s got the résumé to prove it. Lenhardt, who lives in Winnetka and in Charleston, South Carolina, retired from a successful investment management career to focus intently on his passions: gardening and historic preservation. In Winnetka, he filled his ravine garden with Caesar’s Brother Siberian iris and Japanese butterbur. […]
Whether you’re a suburban parent with a newly empty nest or just looking to upgrade to more luxe urban living, these spacious condos and apartments in the heart of downtown Chicago are ideal footholds for living close to all that our world-class city has to offer. Parkline Chicago, starts at $1.5 million Designed by Thomas […]
