Lake Shore Boulevard Renovation

The home on Lake Shore Boulevard, in Evanston’s Lakeshore Historic District, stands out as a uniquely modern on a street characterized by stately, traditional houses. At least it did until an unfortunate, unpermitted renovation in the late 1970’s replaced large rectangular windows with quasi-historical, oddly arched windows.  The owners saw the potential of the home when they purchased it with the goal of returning the home’s mid-century flair. They loved the balcony overlooking Lake Michigan but the original railing was less than 2’ tall, a serious hazard for their grandchildren. Our challenge was to renovate the second floor, part of the first floor and restore the façade’s mid-century character which needed to include a modern, grandchild-friendly balcony and a new foyer. We removed a secondary interior stair which freed up space for a larger dining room and more generous laundry, and redesigned the main stair to restore the home’s modern feel. New cedar ceilings on the second floor extend out with the roof overhang to give the interior a warm feel and emphasize the connection of the second floor to the balcony.  The owner designed the landscape with the landscape company for the complete transformation of a mid-century gem.