If only one word were allowed to describe this River Forest home, it would have to be “versatile.”
It is equally suitable for an elegant formal dinner or a boisterous children’s party-such are the diversity and flexibility of the eight rooms. The rooms vary so enormously in size and shape that there seem to be far more.
This home’s vast family room-36 by 20 feet-is the perfect play area for children to romp, with its carpeted wide open spaces and access to the kitchen and garden. The tiny basement work room could be a haven for a reclusive handyman (or woman).
Upper options
The huge attic could be used for storage or dressed up and converted into a fourth bedroom. And this is but the tip of the iceberg.
This French Provincial house, at 1434 N. Monroe Ave., is listed at $398,500 by real estate agent Bernard Hill of Baird & Warner Inc. in River Forest. It was built in 1920.
The east-facing facade (in an attractive pale yellow/gray brick) provides a deceptive front for what would seem to be a simple square house.
Inside, the house unfolds like Pandora’s box, offering a surprising array of shapes. To the right of the front door is a half bath. To the left is a good-sized closet. Straight ahead is a welcoming hall that presents three equally attractive options: the dining and kitchen area, the living room, or the staircase that leads to the bedrooms upstairs. Pale blue and cream carpets provide an easy backdrop for the effortless elegance in this part of the house.
The 20-by-14 living room has three windows. One overlooks the front garden and the other two flank the gas fireplace. A small, adjacent study offers two alcoved bookshelves and two smaller windows.
The formal dining room, measuring 14 by 12 feet, nestles in the heart of the home. With its marbled cream wallpaper and French doors, it is a fitting end to the trilogy of initial rooms that provide a natural backdrop for formal entertaining and social events. This part of the home is ready-made for intellectual and social pursuits.
In contrast, the capacious family room that was added to the back of the house would be a more natural setting for the tumbles and falls of toddlers taking their first steps. Here, the grace/finesse of the first three rooms is replaced by the brightness and gaiety of a well-lit, comfortable space. It is surrounded on three sides by tall windows and sliding doors that give a sense of the outdoors. The expansive patio, measuring 28 by 14 feet, and the rear yard itself, measuring 50 by 50 feet, make generous play areas for the warmer months.
The kitchen and breakfast area offer the same airy feel. The 13-by-9 kitchen is separated from the family room by only a counter. It has oceans of cabinet and work space and is equally well situated for preparation of a formal dinner in the genteel dining room or for a barbeque in the back yard.
The fully finished basement offers its own versatility. The main room is a 28-by-14 recreation room. Its gas fireplace is the central feature of this cozy room-a perfect place to hibernate when the snow piles up outside. Wood paneling and a low ceiling evoke the security of a cave. There’s also an upright piano that comes with the house.
The laundry and furnace rooms double up as storage areas. The aforementioned work room, a tiny nook at 7 1/2 by 6 1/2 feet, provides the perfect tranquility to pursue detailed projects away from the hustle and bustle of family life.
Equally tranquil is the large space at the top of the house, a finished attic. This well-ventilated room, with a predominantly flat roof, offers endless possibilities for the new owners.
Master bedroom suite
On the second floor, the three bedrooms are decorated in muted shades. The bright and airy master bedroom, measuring 15 by 12 feet, has two walk-in closets and its own bathroom. This yellow master bath has a long, diamond-latticed window that opens onto the front of the house. It is mirrored by a neighboring bathroom, which serves the adjacent two bedrooms, measuring 15 by 14 feet and 13 by 12. Both of these corner bedrooms feature walk-in closets and a couple of windows. Their muted decor would allow for the most extravagant or minimalist taste.
This home’s surroundings are almost as misleading as the exterior. The wide, tree-lined street feels like it is in the country. However, it’s just two blocks from busy North Avenue. Also nearby are elementary, junior high and high schools, along with a variety of stores.
The house also offers a double garage, gas forced-air heating and central air conditioning. Taxes in 1993 were $9,059.
