A historic, six-bedroom mansion on Lake Michigan in Kenilworth sold on Wednesday for $14.5 million — the highest sale price ever for that north suburban village and the second-highest-priced residential sale price in the Chicago area this year.
Builder Paul Starrett, who constructed the Empire State Building in New York and the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., built the three-story lakefront mansion in Kenilworth in 1906. Owner Yoanna Kulas, who is the founder and owner of the design firm Caladrius Studio, bought the mansion for $4.5 million in 2020 and initiated a top-to-bottom renovation, working with architect Michael Abraham and Mick De Giulio, who oversaw the interior architect and designs.
Kulas first listed the mansion in July for $15 million in an agents-only network. Kulas then listed it publicly in mid-August, and reached a deal to sell it in early September.
The buyer’s identity is not yet identified in public records. Listing agent Jena Radnay of @properties Christie’s International Real Estate represented both Kulas and the buyers.
Kulas told Elite Street in July that the mansion is a “treasure from a bygone era,” and that she wanted to honor the mansion’s legacy by preserving its historic architecture while keeping it relevant as a high-tech, smart home. So Kulas restored the facade and updated the kitchen, which is now minimalist with discreetly concealed appliances. The mansion also has six full bathrooms, two half baths, two fireplaces, restored original moldings, oak sawn floors, custom wrought-iron railings, millwork, new mechanical systems, a new roof, new windows, a smart home system, custom LED lighting and zoned climate control.
The mansion also has a primary bedroom suite with a spa-like bathroom with an oversize tub and a custom-designed wardrobe room with custom leather accents and inserts. The lower level has a wine cellar, a theater with surround sound, a catering kitchen and a wellness area containing a sauna, a steam room, an exercise area and a massage room.
Outside on the half-acre property are a 115-foot sandy beach, a fire pit area, a glass-enclosed patio, a boathouse and multiple terraces.
“The first time I saw this property, I fell I love with the architecture and the beautiful views most of all — the unobstructed vistas and views,” Kulas told Elite Street in July. “When I started to think about it, this house has survived so many years and so many things. Clearly, it needed some love. So we opened the walls and opened the views to bring as much light as possible. The (home) was a little darker, so I opened the wall, installed the biggest possible windows. Honestly, the beauty of this home — whenever I am here, I see gorgeous views of the lake, the trees and the vintage planters. I love history and old buildings.”
Radnay, who also represented both the buyers and the sellers in the $31.25 million sale of a lakefront mansion in Winnetka in late August — which is the Chicago area’s highest-priced sale of the year and the highest-priced home resale in Chicago-area history — told Elite Street right after the deal closed on Wednesday that the lakefront is every bit in demand in Kenilworth as it has been in Winnetka.
“We had extreme interest right from the beginning because the renovations here were so superior with the finest level of craftsmanship and the highest level of materials,” Radnay said. “There was no compromising. The integrity of the rehab matched the integrity of how the house was built. It was a beyond-exceptional renovation. I’ve never seen a renovation as well done as this one. It’s way beyond any house I’ve ever sold. My clients did an over-the-top job taking a house that was built in 1906 … and brought it to a new level of glory for 2025. And the buyers really resonated with the rehab as well because it had character, it had soul and the execution was beautiful. So is the setting.”
Kenilworth’s previous highest sale price on record had been the $11.75 million sale of a Sheridan Road mansion in 2020.
Bob Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.
