The Lake Forest Country Home

Architect Stanley Anderson designed this elegant home in Lake Forest.

Anderson was a graduate of Lake Forest College and then went on to study architecture at the University of Illinois and the Sorbonne.  After serving in WW I he returned to Chicago and worked for six years in the office of Howard Van Doren Shaw.  After Shaw’s death Anderson opened an office with James Ticknor and they remained partners for 20 years.  Several of Shaw’s draftspersons joined their firm.  Anderson is known for designing many country houses in the Lake Forest and Lake Bluff area.

He is also responsible for Lake Forest Hospital, the old First National Bank Building (now Northern Trust), Lake Forest High School, .

This beautiful home, pictured below, in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles has been listed for sale.

Look at the gorgeous grounds and views.  

Included in the library are stunning bookcases which came from Napoleon’s country home in France.

I am sharing this post listing 50 life hacks to simplify your life.  Lots of times I read these lists and find nothing that I would find useful, but I actually did see some ideas that I might use.  How about you?

Have a great week!

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Another Beautiful Van Doren Shaw Home.

Last February I blogged about architect Howard Van Doren Shaw.  A Van Doren Shaw home on Sheridan Road in Evanston has recently been listed for sale.  This stately home features many of the characteristics common to VDS’s work including the wood paneling and touches of Arts and Crafts.

The front door is so welcoming.

I’d love to sit here and enjoy my morning coffee, wouldn’t you?

 

Last March I celebrated the varied architectural styles of New Orleans in a post you can read here.  I was reminded of that post when I ran across this story from Apartment Therapy featuring artist Miranda Lake’s shotgun style home in New Orleans.

I love her enthusiastic decorating style and her original artwork showcased throughout her home.

Her home and style make her look like she would be a lot of fun to hang out with.

More Mid-Century Homes to Admire

Last week I shared a beautiful mid-century home designed by architect William Deknatel who had studied under Frank Lloyd Wright.

I love the way the house was designed to merge the inside of the house with its surroundings through the use of floor to ceiling windows and outdoor spaces, and through the medley of materials chosen.  Inside you see not only lots of natural wood but also stone used on walls and floors.

I have run across two other homes built during that same period that also offer the homeowner that same serene experience.

The first home is designed by Frank Lloyd Wright himself and is located in Ohio.  The exterior of this home is brick and Wright continued using the brick on the interior.  Along with the brick he included beautiful wood paneled walls and a stained concrete floor.    As is typical of Wright homes there are many built-ins including shelves and desks.   Click on the link above to go to Adrienne DeRosa’s blog and lots of photos of this house.

The other home I wanted to share is in Pennsylvania and was designed by Peter Berndtson and Cornelia Brierly who studied with Wright.  This home is unusual in that the architects were inspired to utilize a radial design.  At the centre of the circle is a plunge pool.  You can get an idea of the circular design in the picture which shows the architects’ design.  Again there is a wonderful connection to the outdoors with plenty of windows letting is light and views.  The home also has the concrete floor with radiant heat below and this time the interior and exterior feature concrete block and wood.   The concrete block lends a warm grey tone to the interiors.  There also are several built-ins such as the sofa in the living room.  Click on the link above to see several pictures of this lovely home.

How would you feel about living in a home with built-in furniture?  I like the desks and shelves but am not so sure I would like to have my sofa built in like this.  What do you think?

Have a great week!

Private Beach Front Home in Winnetka has Prairie Feel.

William Deknatel, who studied under Frank Lloyd Wright, designed this mid-century home in Winnetka which was built in 1957.

I love the way the house joins the inside of the home with its’ natural surroundings through the use of glass, stone and wood.

The masses of windows allow for breathtaking views and the mahogany adds such luxury.  I think Wright’s influence is apparent but Deknatel is also successful expressing his own style.

So I ran across this article listing the 30 Best Films of the Decade and had to take a look.  Hmmmm… I realize I don’t see a LOT of movies but I was really surprised by how few I had actually even heard of.  Where have I been?

I hope you have a great week!