5659 S Woodlawn Ave.

When the owners of this magnificent house at the corner of 57th St. and Woodlawn Avenue first saw it, they were immediately captivated by its handsome simplicity. Built in 1902 by architects Borst and Hetherington, the house has many beautiful period elements representative of Old World craftmanship, which the owners realized could be seamlessly integrated into new world aesthetics and conveniences. Working with a noted Chicago architect, the owners spent a year building an addition and carefully restoring the vintage features of the house. Their first priority was to create a new kitchen, breakfast room and family room, where the family could cook and relax together. This space, the scale of which complements the rest of the main floor, features lighted Bulthaup cabinets, 35 feet of workable counter space in Scoon Extreme limestone and soapstone, full size separate Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer, two Miele dishwashers, two warming trays, a Wolf double oven and 6 burner range, a pot filler, two appliance garages, a full size wine fridge and more than 60 drawers and cabinets. Thoughtfully designed work spaces have easy access to the ingredients, utensils, cookware and appliances appropriate to the task at hand. The entire space is surrounded by windows and doors for seamless indoor/outdoor dining and entertaining. For more formal occasions, the owners use the adjoining oval-shaped dining room, which is graced with gorgeous leaded glass windows and an original built-in buffet. To accommodate large casual gatherings, the owners excavated below the new kitchen to create a media room, one of several recreational rooms on the lower level, which also has a fully equipped gym. Set off for privacy, the master bedroom suite occupies the west wing of the second floor. It has a decorative fireplace, walk-in closet and spa-like bathroom with double steam shower, deep soaking tub, separate vanities and bidet. There is also a large office cum sitting area on this level with a wet bar and fridge and access to a balcony that overlooks the professionally landscaped grounds. At the east end of this floor, a bedroom and full bathroom with direct access to a rear staircase have served as guest quarters. The top floor has three exceptionally large bedrooms, laundry room, full bathroom and half bathroom. For a high performance house, the owners replaced the electrical and plumbing and created four smart HVAC zones with 2017 Lennox furnaces/central A/C for optimal comfort and control. Built-in speakers supply the entire first floor and outside deck with music. The coach house has three heated parking spaces above which there is a renovated two bedroom apartment that has been continuously rented out. A fourth parking space can be accessed separately. The grounds have been artfully landscaped with hardscape, irrigation systems and lighting, the final touch in creating a marvelous urban estate that melds the best of old and new. To view video and floor plans, please see "Virtual Tour" under "Additional Information".