Subdivisions aren’t known for top-tier architecture. Even when the homes show more sophistication than the standard split-level, their designers usually remain anonymous. Indian Hill Estates in Wilmette is an exception. Its architects may not have been household names, but they were more than draftsmen for hire. Envisioned as an affordable yet upmarket alternative to the grand homes lining Sheridan Road, Indian Hill debuted in 1926 with a brochure proclaiming, “You can have your ideal North Shore home quickly, easily and for less.” One of those homes — at 1163 Romona Road,  built in 1938 and designed by Jerome Cerny — is for sale, at $1.795 million.

Born in Chicago in 1901, Cerny passed through the offices of Benjamin Marshall and David Adler before launching his own residential practice. The bulk of his work was on the North Shore, though he designed homes as far away as Raleigh, North Carolina. He was fond of Norman architecture and found clients happy to live in mini chateaus with a rustic air. But he wasn’t locked into that. The Romona Road property is a Tudor Revival style, with a façade spun of stone and half-timbering, large gables, and a hefty chimney that rises above the pitched tile roof.

The 3,859-square-foot three-bedroom home boasts plenty of fine living space, from a wood-paneled library to the formal dining room, with its big bay window. In the two-story family room, slate tile covers the floor and the walls are done in a custom limewash finish. Upstairs, there are two king-size en suite bedrooms, plus the primary suite with a bathroom that features a custom linen cabinet, heated floors, and Toto fixtures. The home is set amid mature trees on nearly half an acre, with a commodious sun porch from which to take it all in.