You can park it here-and bring a few dozen of your closest friends with you.
In fact, last Sunday`s open house at ON653 Prince Crossing in West Chicago could easily have handled 30 cars, thanks to the circular driveway running alongside both sides of the house and covering a wide stretch in the back. Another 10 cars could have fit into the 50-by-50-foot garage.
”It`s my dream garage,” said homeowner Ron Ekstrom.
”Everything inside is new,” said listing agent Judith Thuer of Baird & Warner in Wheaton of the huge, renovated home. ”They built a new house on the old foundation, and totally wrapped the exterior in cedar.”
Ekstrom and a large group of friends helped accomplish the job about eight years ago, changing the Cape Cod home into a sprawling two-story house with an oversized dining room and family room. Later on, the basement was converted into more living space.
Although Ekstrom jokingly tried to take credit for the tasteful styling as well, his wife, Laura, set the record straight: Ron was the nuts-and-bolts man, and she was responsible for the wallpaper and other decorating.
Sitting porch
A covered porch stretches across the front of this house, listed at $322,500. The front section of the house also includes an 18-by-15 living room, with oak paneling and a fireplace with a marble surround.
Also at the front of the house is a 20-by-15 dining room, where a built-in buffet runs the entire length of a 15-foot wall.
The dining room adjoins the modern 13-by-12 kitchen, which has ivory countertops and cabinets with a brass inlay, and the 14-by-8 breakfast area. One entire wall is matching sectional pantry space. The marble floor has a swirled pattern of grays and pinks that is picked up in the grape-toned marble-look wallpaper. The center island has a Gaggenau cooktop.
Second hearth
Connecting to the kitchen at the back of the house is the family room, which also adjoins the living room through French doors with clear leaded glass. This 20-by-20 family room has another fireplace, this one enclosed in light-colored brick.
Upstairs are four bedrooms. Three range from 11 by 13 to 14 by 16 feet, and all are attractively wallpapered, with matching window treatments.
The 18-by-15 master bedroom has a full master bath and an attached 18-by- 8 sitting room with a bay window; a window seat lets you look out over the home`s one-acre wooded lot.
In case this isn`t yet enough space for you and your friends, you could keep the football team in the finished basement. It includes a 38-by-13 carpeted and wallpapered recreation room and a separate office area.
Still not quite enough room? You might consider purchasing the two one-acre side lots that are also for sale-each priced in the $70,000s. All told, that ought to give just about anyone a bit of breathing space to match that parking space.
