Jul 3, 2008
On the Market
On The Market—Hinsdale’s New-Old Stone Mansion
| Walk through and see the artful touches thoughout the house, all the way to the third floor daylit loft space. Click here for a larger version. |
 The backyard features a view of the neighborhood pond. |
 Doorways on the first floor of the houseare crowned with sculputural wood shells. |
List Price: $4.9 million
The Property: You will be forgiven if, when approaching this new house in Hinsdale, you wonder whether they hauled it over from England in pieces or already assembled. The rough-hewn stone façade, the sheltered entry vestibule with timber beams and a beadboard ceiling, and the mammoth front doors made of glass and wrought iron all suggest that this house has a history that predates its recent construction.
The builder Nick Pancotto and the architecture firm Caprio/Prisby collaborated on this 18-room manor house, deftly making it grand without crossing the line to grandiose. The house impresses both with its big ideas—the basement feels like an above-ground space because its windows look out on a big sunken garden—and its small details: the seemingly decorative corbels flanking the kitchen cooktop slide out to provide storage space for spices. Even the occasional indulgence—the marble frames around the bathroom mirrors, for instance—don’t offend; they are relatively restrained given the gaudy embarrassments they might have become.
As you will see in my video tour, the house has lots of artful touches. The moldings are particularly nice in the main living rooms, where each door is crowned with a sculptural wood shell. The winding staircase is gorgeous—and the kitchen island is almost big enough to be part of Hawaii. The layout also meshes indoor and outdoor spaces nicely: the walnut-paneled library has its own front yard, a screened three-season room adjoins the family room, and a large crenellated rooftop terrace off the master suite offers lordly views over the backyard to a neighborhood pond. There is even a sizable daylit loft space at the top of the house—where a century ago mansions like this one would have typically had a ballroom.
Price Points: Hinsdale is no stranger to $4 million–plus sales. There have been eight in town since 2005, according to Midwest Real Estate Data. This year, however, the single sale in that premium class was, at $4.2 million, the lowest priced of the eight deals. The most expensive sale, at $5.2 million, came last year.
Listing Agent: Ann Pancotto, ERA Jensen & Feinstein Realtors, 630-522-2084
Posted at 05:54 AM in On the Market | Permalink
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Comments to this blog are moderated. We review them in an effort to remove foul language, commercial messages, and irrelevancies.
Reader Comments:
Living in the Hinsdale area, you will be able to find a lot more charm and exclusivity for your money. This place is very nice, I pass it everyday, however the builder tried to do too much and succeeded at very little in my opinion. When you look at the video, you will see what I mean. The staircase is very crammed at the base, as well as at the top. All doorways are tight also and enter into grand spaces. Why make some areas like dungens and others grand and flowing? Not my style, but it could be yours. The house is built on a good sized lot, but it encompasses lot line to lot line. You cold not put a volleyball net on this property which you would expect for the asking price. Hinsdale is an excellent town and has a lot to offer. A lot of the area streets are in need of repair from being heaved from years of winter hardship. It isn't like the downtown area with brick roads that add to the character of the surrounding houses. A nice house, but doesn't pull and wows which some other area house do for the same or less of an asking price.
Since you go by the house every day,you should take the time to go in the home. The home is not crammed at all it is very grandious. The video does the home no justice, the home has very large rooms & is very spacious. As far as the properity, it is large enough for a built in pool.
Dear Anonymous Commenter,
Not only do I live near this home, but I have been in this home a few times. I can tell by your comments, you have no not been in the house. What you call "crammed" is wrong. The base of the staircase is 6 feet wide, there is nothing "narrow" about that. The doorways are arched and ample throughout the house.
There are no "dungeon-like" rooms, so unless you have actually gone into this house, you have no idea what you are talking about.
If you have driven by a few times and viewed the virtual tour, then you would know that the comments you have made are untrue.
You are obviously spiteful towards the builder for some reason. Maybe you are bitter because you will never be able to live in a home this grand. If you know anything about the Hinsdale market, you would know that the builder is one of the best in town. He is known for his remarkable details and quality.
Also, your volleyball in the backyard comment is false. The backyard is huge, large enough for a pool and extra space around for a volleyball net.
Sincerely,
Someone who actually knows the home and the Hinsdale market.