WHAT ARE SOME FEATURES OF THESE HOMES that are nearly impossible to replicate today?
“Good architecture is about human scale, proportion, fine materials and beautiful detailing. Today’s homes that respect those principles will endure.” —SUSAN BENJAMIN
They include: crown molding and plasterwork (especially in homes by Adler and Shaw), quarter-sawn oak floors and handsome windows. The wood is of a higher quality—first growth timber. The glasswork is also amazing. I’ve seen openings with beautiful beveled glass—in one house Stueben glass staircase balusters. Sometimes bathrooms have jewel colored Vitrolite bathroom walls. These features make a home more valuable and special to preserve.
219 SHERIDAN RD, KENILWORTH, IL JENA RADNAY
HOW DOES THE NORTH SHORE ARCHITECTURE compare to other cities? The Boston area has some great houses. So does New Canaan, Connecticut. L.A. has stunning modern homes designed by legendary architects including Richard Neutra and Rudolf Schindler. But Chicago is unique. The Midwest lends itself to more understated design, and I think many North Shore homes are more tasteful and elegant. Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies van der Rohe were particularly influential. Today there are some very talented young architects practicing here. DO YOU EVER LOOK AT NEW HOMES on the North Shore and think, “that one will be talked about in 100 years?” Yes, I do. Good architecture is about human scale, proportion, fine materials and beautiful detailing. Today’s homes that respect those principles will endure. People will look at them decades from now and say, ‘That’s good architecture.’ After all, everything was new once. Susan Benjamin is the founder of Benjamin Historic Certifications, a firm that assists homeowners, architects, and developers with historic preservation strategies, landmark nominations, and financial incentives. She is co-author of the award-winning Modern in the Middle: Chicago Houses 1929–75 and, with architect Stuart Cohen, North Shore Chicago: Houses of the Lakefront Suburbs, 1890-1940. Learn more at benjaminhistoric.com.
62 // ASPIRE ON THE SHORE
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