We need to get permission to advertise another agents listing. I wanted to get my thoughts down on “paper” as soon as possible while they are still fresh. There is a house that has been completely redone, on Vassar in the Hawthorn Hills neighborhood, that is worth having, no matter what the price.
It happens to be a million dollars, but that is irrelevant to what it’s worth. It’s worth much more.
The concrete work is top of the line. It is the focal point of the curb appeal. Many people are probably more attracted to the cedar shake siding, with tight black trim, but for me the concrete gives you the feeling of crisp lines. This is a place of substance. Your walk in gives you every indication that some one spent a lot of time on detail.
Once you enter it feeling a little more normal. It takes a moment to adjust. You can see the house, but the detail is a little muted. You can see the kitchen, it is meticulously done, much better than anything you have seen, but it seems kind of plain from the doorway. You may even be standing in the kitchen before you see the yard beyond. Then the whole experience once again anchors you into the idea that this is exceptional.
While you stand there looking at the yard, with the concrete, sports court, standing fireplace with Tudor detail, the metal sculpture, you begin to sense the stair case to your left. it’s just a sense until you move that direction, and see the master bedroom. The vista from the open stair case, and bedroom could have you anywhere in Europe.
Below the high ceilings, finishes, and expanse are lit by the windows in the stairs case. You have to move to the front of the house before there is a sense you are below ground. Once you get to the garage, that has wood paneling, the good 1950s kind, you forget about it being a basement. It’s extraordinarily detailed, in every way.
Once you are back upstairs the remaining two bedrooms, and bath, even though they are spectacular, seem kind of routine. There is a folding stairs in one bedroom with a child’s play area in the attic that is expertly finished, with operable skylights.
Now for the nerd factor that is all me, the furnace is in the closet in the attic play room. This is where you know that every little detail has been thought out, and considered. There are two furnaces, one for the main floor, and one for the lower level. You can also see that they sistered in some supports, and the opening for the stairs are anchored with metal brackets.
This is a work of art. It would be another example of properties worth owning. It’s worth the price as a whole, but it is also a massive investment in minute detail.
