Cooks’ Tour

With sweeping golf course views, this extraordinary late 1990s French Provincial home delivers elevated style with a sophisticated and magical balance of light, thoughtfully curated furnishings, and elegantly mixed textures and proportions.

The 24-foot ceilings, the arched doorways, and an eye-catching wrap-around staircase make a dramatic first impression. Looking out of the soaring, statement picture windows, one is simply transported to another place, well beyond the North Shore hamlet of Glencoe. These windows bring the outdoors in, showcasing an impressive vista of green fairways and, on this day, a cerulean blue sky.

This is a destination home, intentionally designed to draw family and friends together. The homeowners treasure time with their adult children; with that in mind, they planned and executed interior and exterior features with an eye toward hosting friends, extended family, and, perhaps most importantly, grandchildren-to-be.

Renovations to the first floor and lower level were completed in 2018 and the kitchen/family room area was completed in 2019. The extensive project was designed by architect R. Scott Javore & Associates and executed by builders C & P Remodeling and the Edward A. Anderson Company.

The collaboration between Interior Designer Annika Christensen and the homeowner is a triumph. Based on a fresh aesthetic and coupled with Scandinavian-inspired nuances, the first-level entryway, living room, and kitchen features a neutral color palette and minimal adornment. Nature-inspired artwork is showcased against a mix of elegant textures, statement lighting, and natural materials.

The dreamy de Giulio-designed kitchen is both crisp and modern. Function meets beauty in what can only be described as a show-stopping pantry designed in white and camel tones. Cake plates and cookbooks adorn shelves housing perfectly stored pasta, sugar, spice, and everything nice. Marble installed from floor to ceiling on a kitchen wall delivers a dramatic backdrop to accents like nickel kickplates, limestone flooring, and a featured blonde wood beam. The lovely fireside seating area invites cozy conversation.

Throughout the home, European touches match the home’s exterior; the statement lighting choices were sourced primarily by The Urban Electric Co. and Circa Lighting. The home’s design palette shifts from neutral to vivid in the den, where brilliant blue lacquered walls and an antelope rug anchor a sophisticated room designed for reading and relaxing. The recently redesigned billiards and media room—which had been the home’s first-floor master suite—gives the home a lavish, extended entertainment flow.

The crowd favorite, the “piece de resistance” from an entertaining perspective, is the sporty lower level. An indoor sport court, designed by Sport Court Midwest, state-of-the-art Trackman golf simulator, and poker room bring year-round entertainment and fun for this family and their lucky friends.

This home is one of four spectacular residences to be featured on September 21 at the 51st Annual Cooks’ Tour, the tour de force of area home tours. Led by Co-Chairs Sarah Lyons, Kathryn Mangel, both of Winnetka, and Adrienne Weisenberger of Kenilworth, the North Shore Cooks’ Tour is a project of The Auxiliary of the Woman’s Board of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. “This tour of homes would not be possible without these talented homeowners opening their doors to us, the Rush Aux Board led by Heather Pigott and Jan Evans, and all the support from our sponsors. We thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts,” says Weisenberger.

Hundreds of guests are expected to attend the tour. New elements this year include lunch at Indian Hill Club and the Cooks’ Tour Tablea cookbook personally created by the Rush Auxiliary Board featuring favorite appetizer, beverage, salad, soup, main course, and dessert recipes.

“We are thrilled to welcome our guests to the 51st Cooks’ Tour, which pairs stunning homes, with a life-saving impact,” says Mangel. All proceeds from the event benefit The Woman’s Board Fund for Excellence in Cellular Therapy Project at Rush University Medical Center.

Lyons acknowledges the importance of not only the Cooks’ Tour, but the broader mission of the Board and the shared sense of purpose: “Here’s to strong women, may we know them, may we be them, may we raise them.” The Auxiliary provides support and guidance to the Rush Junior Board, an active group of nearly 100 high school girls on the North Shore. The Auxiliary also supports Simpson Academy for Young Women with a mission to educate and empower young mothers to prepare them for success in college, career, and life.

For more information, visit nscookstour.org.