A Stone French Manor In Lake Forest

Before a recent trip to Chicago I had seen an estate listing in Architectural Digest for a house in Lake Forest, Illinois that I was intrigued by. It stood out to me because it was white and English in style, both of which I have an affinity for. Having never been to (or even heard of) Lake Forrest, I did a little research and discovered that Lake Forest would be full of the classic architecture that I love. So, when I got to Chicago I made it a point to visit Lake Forest, a short trip north of the city.

With some creative Googling I was able to find the house (sans address) I had seen in Architectural Digest. The house was interesting, but it looked better in print than it looked in person. All was not lost though. I discovered the house featured here while touring the general area. And what a house it is!

The house is mostly hidden from the street, but I was able to catch enough of a glimpse driving by that I knew I had to stop and check it out. I thoroughly enjoy poking around construction sites, especially those of houses with architectural interest and integrity. While the house is quite large, no detail was overlooked and nothing felt out of scale as things often do with big houses. This house is built with only the finest materials: stone, limestone, slate, copper and steel windows.

I've arranged the photos in this post in clockwise sequence so you can do the same walking tour that I did.

Getting started, you can see above that the front entrance had not been constructed yet. I'm imagining a limestone door surround must have been on the plan. Anything else wouldn't be right.

As we head to the left, the detail you immediately notice is how extensively limestone was used as an accent to the fieldstone facade. The window surrounds, the quoins, the X-motif in the railing and if you look closely, the horizontal banding. Given this blog's moniker, I'm sure it comes as no surprise how much I like all of the limestone.

The portion of the structure with the hipped roof in the middle of the photo is a 2 car garage with an entrance on the other side. The structure on the left in the distance is an additional 3 car detached garage as you'll see in the next photo.

Moving along you get a good glimpse of the detached garage. The single bay on the left of this picture is constructed as a small turret. I enjoyed the diminutive dormers and the polish they added to what is typically a utilitarian structure. No expense was being spared at this house.

I'm not sure what the structure in the middle of this picture is. It's detached from the garage and the main house. Perhaps it's an office or chapel of sorts. If you click this photo to enlarge it, you can get a good glimpse at the beautiful slate roof. You can also see the interesting scale of the structure. The roofline comes down quite low. I find the scale to be intriguing. Almost like it's a playhouse for children and scaled down more to a smaller person.

Jumping back to the slate roof, if you pay close attention, you'll notice the clean joints where the opposing sides come together. Typically there is a top cap used at the joint, but here the joints come together to form a sharp edge. I especially like that clean look and the effect it has on a roof's appearance. I have been told it's more expensive to construct that way.

Here you can see that the main house's furthest most wing mirrors the scale of the structure we just looked at. I'm tall and could probably easily hop up on the roof at it's lowest point here. Looking at the small windows that are very close to the ground, I wonder if they are purely decorative or are low to perhaps let light into a stairwell leading to a basement. I didn't really think of that when I was at the house so I didn't investigate. Plus the house was locked so I couldn't venture inside.

As we turn the corner, the rear facade begins to reveal itself. The back of the house was given as much or more attention to detail as the front. Notice that the limestone accents weren't reserved for just the front of the house as they so often are to save money.

A better view of the back of the house begins to show my personal favorite detail: the decorative limestone window surrounds. Enlarge the photo by clicking on it to see the intricate detail of the surround in the center of this picture.

Here you can see the rest of the rear facade. The 3 windows behind the scaffolding are steel, another personal favorite.

A close up picture reveals the contemporary look of the steel windows. Look carefully and you'll see the beautiful detailing of the limestone surrounding the steel windows and doors. Perfection.

As we start to make our way back around to the front of the house, you can see the interesting window surround detail was applied on the side of the house too. I don't recall what the area on the inside of the large wall was. It was still under construction obviously, but I'm thinking some sort of patio now.

I just had to show a close up of one of the limestone window surrounds. I was so mesmerized by them. I especially like that the surrounds are flush with the fieldstone facade. Nice and clean, a tailored appearance.

This photo also affords a good view of the horizontal banding. I was quite enamored with that too. I like the way it breaks up a large facade and makes things feel not so overwhelming.

I also couldn't help but include this photo of a large swath of pachysandra (another favorite) that is presumably original to the property. I'm glad the team building the house recognized the beauty of the existing landscape and preserved it instead of just clearing everything away and starting over out of convenience.

I'll conclude the walking tour with a view from the house into the backyard. As you can see, it's quite a large lot - 3 acres or more I'd guess. I can envision a beautiful pool going in with lush landscaping surrounding it. Amazing.

I'll have to schedule another trip to Chicago just so I can see how the house came out. I'm especially curious about the front door and surround. I have a penchant for limestone door surrounds and have to think that something very tasteful was selected to compliment the rest of the house.

I hope you enjoyed the tour. I've had this house in mind for a post for some time, but am just now getting time to put it together. Despite my lack of posts lately I've really had architecture and design on the brain alot. My excitement for houses never seems to wane.

UPDATE: See the 5th comment down by Anonymous for some history on the house. It turns out that this isn't a completely new build and the original house had pedigree.

** Don't forget that you can click the photos to enlarge them. Most of the photos I include in my posts are much larger in size than they are displayed in the post.

Perfect English

At first glance you might think I'm about to show you a house from somewhere in England. The architecture and landscaping as well as the selection of building materials so adeptly reflect that. Don't be fooled, however; this house is situated just outside of the city proper in Atlanta's Buckhead neighborhood. The visual deception is made possible because of the skillful collaboration between a few of Atlanta's most talented and revered in the housing industry.

I became aware of the house sometime early last year while it was under construction. I passed by it on one of my regular bicycling routes and knew something special was brewing when I saw the big red b on the white sign situated near the street. In Atlanta, the b sign of Benecki Fine Homes is synonymous with awe-inspiring architecture, luxury, and style. If you see the sign, you know the house is going to be amazing.

Fully intrigued, I faithfully rode past the house every week in anticipation, watching as the house came to fruition over the course of the next year.

As you approach the house it's immediately apparent that attention was paid to every detail. The driveway meets the street with a cobblestone section that turns to pea gravel bordered by cobblestone. Progressing forward, you enter the house's motor court inside a stone fence capped with limestone. Before entering the motor court, though, you cross under the most elaborate iron arch. It's a work of art unto itself. Enlarge the picture (and all of the others in this post) to really enjoy the detail.

The motor court itself is nothing short of spectacular - I could write an entire post about it alone. The landscaping and hardscaping are simply stunning. All of my favorites are accounted for: cobblestone, pea gravel, boxwoods, white hydrangeas, pachysandra - the list goes on. Landscape architecture by the esteemed firm: Land Plus.

Don't worry, the beauty doesn't stop with the motor court - we're just getting started! The entrance to the house is brilliant in all its detail. The limestone entry, the lanterns, the leaded glass windows, the door. Even the palette of all of the materials is in complete harmony. The slate roof has perfect grey, green tones that compliment the field stone facade of the home. The windows and garage doors are painted in a dark grey, green shade that matches to-a-T.

I particularly like the lanterns that flank the entry. The detail in the iron work is sublime. Often times these are gas-powered, but these are electrified. I revel in the fact that these are just as alluring and don't require the steady flow of gas. As much as I love the look of a gas flame at night, I can't help but think it's so wasteful resource-wise.

As you enter the house, to the left is the study. On the right is the dining room. Notice anything familiar here? The pecky cypress walls and the zodiac pendant in the study and the crystal chandelier in the dining room should be good clues. The interior of this house was clearly inspired by the interior of a home featured on Things That Inspire. It's no coincidence. The incredible talent, Melanie Turner, was responsible for both exquisite creations.

Three rooms line the back of the house. From left to right you have the master suite, a paneled living room and the great room. We'll start with the master suite. Notice the Suzanne Kasler chandelier. It's large scale complements the room nicely. The shiplap walls add enough texture to soften their white hue.

The master bath is showered (pun semi-intended) in travertine. The floors and the entire shower are lined with the beautiful stone. Notice the chevron pattern on the shower's floor - a great detail. The pewter tub from Waterworks speaks for itself.

Moving right, the next room is what I'll call a living room. The irregular-width, v-grooved paneling in the room is extraordinary. Again, the texture makes white the perfect hue. Though I love the paneling, my favorite part of the room is the fireplace. It is hands down my favorite fireplace in any house I've seen. The color of the stone and how it juxtaposes with the white walls and the silhouette of the surround are plain majestic. All of the stone used for the house is from Materials Marketing, a resource best known by architects and designers, but also open to the general public. And if that wasn't enough, the arched steel window seals the deal.

The right-most room is the great room. The round-arched steel windows are carried into this room yielding the perfect view of the backyard and it's beautiful landscaping. The ceiling is an eye-full too. The beams were limed to keep the room light and airy.

Connected to the great room is the kitchen. This kitchen is nothing short of amazing! The grand scale of the Lacanche range and the industrial chic Sub-Zero refrigerator really make a statement. The wall of windows over the sink along with the large island in the center is my preferred configuration for a kitchen. I'll take it!

The rear facade of the home really underscores the astonishing architecture of D. Stanley Dixon, one of Atlanta's most preeminent architects. Land Plus' deft selection of plants also carries over to the rear facade.

And that's the view from the steel windows. Pure perfection. The only thing missing is a rectangular pool running the length of the trees. I'm sure one will be added, though, if it hasn't been already.

Going back through my photos to create this post has reinvigorated my passion for architecture and design.  This house is just so inspiring. A true testament to the immense talent of husband and wife team Stan and Melanie (Turner) Benecki. This house has mastered the language of timeless beauty.

I can only imagine what this house is like now that its first owners have moved in and furnished it. With any luck they had the assistance of Melanie to guide them in their selections.

Ride-by Architecture

Unfortunately, due to Mother Nature's overcompensation for the drought in Atlanta, I won't be riding my bike today. But all is not lost, I have an exciting announcement related to riding.

I'm a competitive cyclist and many of the routes I use for training just happen to take me through Atlanta's most architecturally-rich neighborhoods. Awhile back I started taking my camera along on my "easy" days when I'm just out to stretch the legs and not worried about how fast or hard I'm riding. On these days I take pictures of the houses with the most inspiring architecture and landscaping. I also scout out  interesting new construction.

I've collected a wealth of pictures and am going to start sharing these photos (and any details about who the architect, etc. were) in a series named: Ride-by Architecture. Specific addresses are ommited for privacy's sake unless it's a home that's for sale where the owner might benefit from some additional exposure.

The first home is in Brookhaven and completed construction in the summer of 2008 I believe. The home was designed by Neely Design Associates, a bit of an "under the radar" Atlanta firm that doesn't get mentioned much but consistently churns out beautitful architecture.

The house immediately stood out to me because of it's beautiful steel window and slate roof. If you look closely (click the picture to enlarge it), you will notice several interesting details. First, there is the unique inlaid pattern in the slate roof between the gables. I think this is the first and only time I've seen such a detail. It really gives the house a subtle hint of character. Of course, I like the limestone accents on the stone work. And the steel window facing the street is pure perfection. A close look will reveal the added detail of diagonal lines in the solid section below the glass panes of the window. The mullions in the windows and round window in the front door are also an excellent touch.

The interesting thing about this home is that its size is deceiving from the street. The front elevation gives the impression that it's a smaller, older home. However, in person you can see that the home extends back into the lot and is large enough to accommodate all of the modern conveniences. If you look closely, behind the basketball goal you will see that the driveway dips down and goes below the left side of the house in what appears to be a port o'cochere. Behind that is the garage with presumably finished space above it.

I hope you enjoyed this first intallment of Ride-by Architecture. An expert (or anything close to one) I am not at photography. I've been trying to glean what I can from my new friend Blayne's blog. Perhaps I'll learn a thing or two and future photos will better capture the beauty of the homes I'm finding.