While midcentury modern designs evoke the post-WWII era, they also possess a timeless quality due to their simple, sleek aesthetics and use of natural materials. They balance functionality with adaptability, as their minimalist layouts can be easily refreshed with a new piece of art or an interesting choice of furniture. Their modest size often makes them affordable, just as long as they’re not located in the immediate Chicago area. Architect Edward Humrich was responsible for designing hundreds of custom homes throughout the North Shore area, inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian designs. One of those commissions is now being offered for sale for the first time. That’s also true of our second listing, a time capsule preserved exactly as it was when first constructed in the mid-1950s by an architecture student for his family. We also have a modernist home located on the southern border of Lombard in an unincorporated area known as Yorktown Center Cooperative, which began as a housing cooperative in 1947. The community was devised by Louis Shirky, who envisioned it as a “housing cooperative based on open membership to all persons of good will.”
2345 N McAree Rd, Waukegan, $395,000
This Edward Humrich-designed three-bedroom home, made of wood, glass, and concrete block, is on the market for the first time since it was built in 1954. The daughter of the original owners described the architect as “great about working within the homeowners’ budget,” which is evident in Humrich’s use of pine walls instead of the more expensive cedar, as well as concrete blocks. The kitchen, which was expanded, will likely need updating, but the nearly 2,000-square-foot residence has many amazing architectural details. The nearly one-acre property backs up to the Bonnie Brook Country Club and includes an in-ground heated pool.
706 N 4th St, Ashton, $240,000
Since this one-of-a-kind three-bedroom residence with carport, spanning just over 3,000 square feet, hit the market in September, it has been making the rounds on social media — including the popular Instagram account Homes with Max. Originally constructed and designed by Stan Griffith for his family in 1954, I don’t know where to start with this visually stunning home that makes great use of color. From the entryway with a curved brick wall, you enter the living room, which features an angular blue couch and a massive window that offers views of the miles of cornfields outside. I love the retro kitchen with aqua counters and a red accordion door that closes it off from the rest of the house. Then there is the primary color palette used in the bathrooms (two full and two half).
2320 North Main Street, Racine, WI, $405,000
According to the Wisconsin Historical Society, this 2,538-square-foot red brick ranch was originally built by J. Dickert in 1949 for Ralph Felgis. Located directly across the street from the Racine Zoo (you can see the zoo’s A.B. Modine Pond from the front window) and just a block from Lake Michigan, the three-bedroom, two-bathroom home has several interesting details (and a price cut of $10,000). What stood out to me were the niche in the wood-paneled wall in the living room, the knotty pine in the den, and the vintage green-tiled bathroom. Outside in the backyard, there is a brick patio, a hot tub, a fire pit, a gazebo, and a fully finished backyard office, which is perfect for remote work.
1S140 Pine Ln, Lombard, $449,000
One of the residents of Yorktown Center Cooperative in Lombard was architect Jean Wehrheim, who moved there with her family in 1950 and designed her own home as well as those of her neighbors. I am not certain that this four-bedroom, two-bathroom residence, originally built in 1957, is one of Wehrheim’s works, but she was known to be part of a design review committee in the cooperative. From the floor-to-ceiling windows to the Chicago Common brick fireplace, there is a lot to admire in terms of architectural details — including the great views of trees from nearly every window. The property was recently reduced in price by $20,000.
233 Arthur Dr, Woodstock, $294,900
I’d describe this listing as a “grandma house” with a pool — and that’s a good thing. The 1,620-square-foot, three-bedroom home has been on the market since the summer. Does it have too much charm? Just take a look at the real estate photos: three fireplaces (each with a different finish), wood paneling, wallpaper, linoleum flooring, and carpet in the kitchen (excuse me?). I mentioned the in-ground swimming pool, but it doesn’t occupy the whole backyard, as there still appears to be plenty of green space.