When the children of two prominent Chicago families married in 1913, the bride’s father presented the couple with an estate as his wedding gift. The 19.2-acre property included a 23,000-square-foot manor house, a gatehouse, guest house, staff quarters and stables.
In 1941 the property was inherited by the wife’s sister. After her death, it remained empty for 46 years until the entire estate was purchased in 1987 and then subdivided in the early 1990s. The service building, which included the guest house, staff quarters, stables, hayloft, garage and grease pit, was offered for sale, but was considered a “white elephant.”
Its eventual buyers were a man and his father (who has since died). At the time, they had some unique requirements. In addition to providing business office space and living quarters for each man, their new location had to serve as an optimum setting for their museum quality art collection and be suitable for entertaining large groups. When the men first saw the property, it had been on the market for three years. The son, who has a keen appreciation of art and design, was immediately struck by its architectural significance.
“This was a magnificent representation of early 20th Century `robber baron’ baronial architecture,” he says, noting the estate was cited by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of the finest homes in the U.S. He was impressed by the service building’s massive Tudor/Edwardian proportion and style. Its brick walls were 18 inches thick.
The challenge of reconstructing the 10,000-square-foot building intrigued the son. Undaunted by the structure’s obvious quirks, he saw potential in what others considered problematic. Having renovated several buildings “nobody else would tackle,” this self-taught designer had the expertise required for such an undertaking.
“The main concern, aside from having to house the office,” says the son, “was to create a cohesive and properly functioning background and environment for our art collections, which include Chinese furniture, Art Nouveau silver, Chinese and Japanese textiles.”
From the outside, the house is as imposing as a fortress. The entry, though, is far more welcoming, a reflective introduction to the refinement that has taken place there.
The entry, an airy two-story space, is illuminated by a mid-19th Century Chinese lantern. On one wall hangs a 17th Century Venetian embroidered panel covered in tiny tubular glass beads that give an opalescent glow at night. On the opposite wall is a set of three late 18th to early 19th Century woven Japanese tapestries depicting fox spirits.
The living room on this level affords a neutral but strong architectural setting for the furniture and art. Walls were resurfaced with Portuguese limestone in a staggered pattern.
A rare 14th to 15th Century Imperial lacquer table stands on a pedestal beside the fireplace. A pair of Martele vases (American Art Nouveau silver) graces the mantle. Nearby stands a late 17th to early 18th Century concubine’s bed upholstered with reproduction 16th Century Chinese velvet fabric. The room’s two coffee tables were originally window screens from a mansion in China.
Along the west wall, two iron basins similar to those outside the Imperial Palace in Beijing are filled with masses of statice. Two 18th Century velvet panels depicting groups of scholars hang above a side table against the north wall. Lighting is furnished by a pair of 19th Century Chinese lanterns.
In the dining room, the table is composed of a pair of Chinese window screens set into contemporary bases.
The second floor of the south wing became the father’s private residence. A long hallway leading to the offices in the center section is now a gallery exhibiting etchings by Glenview artist Kurt Frankenstein.
Across the second floor in the north wing where the stables once stood is the son’s private suite. Here, the home’s stately elegance gives way to soaring spaces and joyful colors. A dramatic entry is filled with prized Chinese textiles.
In this suite’s living room, a color scheme of warm yellow, cool lavender, light teal, peach and lush red creates a whimsical yet coherent backdrop for the art. An early 19th Century game table is surrounded by four horseshoe armchairs. A pair of enormous compound cupboards once used as closets in a Chinese home serves as book cabinets. Behind the seating area, a rare Japanese shrine houses a 9th Century carved image with a gilt bronze crown headdress seated on a lotus plinth.
The son’s bedroom is far more serene. Carpeted walls rising at towering angles appear to be covered in patterned velvet. A soft coral carpet covers the floor. Cornflower blue beams accentuate the lofty space. A melon hue highlights the woodwork.
This is a home devoted to its owner’s love of fine art. As a collector who finds the learning process as fulfilling as the acquisition, he shares his passion as an ardent supporter of the Art Institute.
RESOURCES
Pg. 28: Entry: Staircase — Cooper Stair Co. Inc., Mundelein; limestone floors and walls — International Marble & Granite Supply Inc.; stair carpeting — Deerpath Carpet, Lake Forest; blue and white Japanese porcelain jardiniere — Imari Inc., Sausalito, Calif.; 17th Century beaded and embroidered hanging — The Lotus Collection, San Francisco; set of three tapestry woven panels — Jacqueline Simcox Ltd., London, England; Ming Dynasty stone panel — Douglas Dawson Gallery; all Chinese furniture purchased in China.
Pg. 29: Carved Confucian wood panel purchased in China.
Pg. 30: Living room: All furniture purchased in China; table base (larger photo) fabricated by Roger Bungay — Stinky Metal Works; carpet — Nemati Carpets, New York City; Martele vases — Sotheby’s; painting by Louis Neillot — Susanin’s Auctioneers & Appraisers, Merchandise Mart; all stone — International Marble & Granite Supply Inc.
Smaller photo: Buzz Macerelli collage — personal collection.
Pg. 31: All furniture, fretwork screens and carpets purchased in China; painting — personal collection; camelback sofa — Sotheby’s; sofa fabric — ABC Home, New York City; Chinese art books — Paragon Books.
All cable system lighting — Tech Lighting; all recessed and track lighting — Century Electric, Libertyville.
