When 1400 Forest Avenue in River Forest was built in 1939, the village was dotted with Victorian and Prairie-style homes that showcased popular trends from earlier in the town’s history. On the northern side of town, which was developed later, Tudor and Lannon Stone homes were becoming popular.
The unknown architect who designed 1400 Forest for his own residence built his home in the Colonial Williamsburg style, a version of the Colonial Revival style that was sweeping across the country.
Characterized by gabled, hipped or gambrel roofs, broken pediments, symmetrical facades, double-hung windows and shutters, and fanlights and sidelights, the style was popular in suburban areas from the 1930s to the 1950s.
1400 Forest Avenue, which has been home to only three families, retains many of its original design features.
Veronica Tabet grew up in the home, one of six children of Patricia and Caesar Tabet. After the passing of her parents, she and her five siblings are selling the home.
While the home evokes a bygone era of design, Tabet remarks that its character remains appealing.
“The builder was the original owner, so he did everything top-flight,” she said, pointing out that details from the brick driveway to decorative features throughout the home are in excellent shape.
The brick home’s entry is topped by a broken pediment with decorative designs in the woodwork. The original, extra-wide front door is flanked by two circular windows. A third circular window is centered above the front entrance in the molding framing the attic space of the home.
Dentil molding on the exterior is echoed in the entry hall, formal dining room and living room. Tabet said the dentil work is one of the many signs of true craftsmanship in the house.
“It’s a beautiful feature. On the interior, it’s all plaster. You don’t really see this anymore,” she said.
On one side of the entry hall is the formal dining room, which boasts original decorative murals in the molding on the walls. Tabet said that underneath the rug, there is a buzzer that the original owners could use to summon a maid when they were entertaining.
Tabet’s parents bought the house in 1964 or 1965 after the arrival of their fifth child made their old house on Bonnie Brae a bit too small.
Her family didn’t have a maid for serving dinner, but with six children, they did have a live-in nanny, who enjoyed the use of a downstairs bedroom and bathroom off of the kitchen.
It’s unusual to find a kitchen with original cabinets in local homes, but the kitchen at 1400 Forest includes details such as the original scalloped kitchen cabinetry and a built-in banquette for seating.
Compass realtor Andy Gagliardo, who is listing the house for $1.39 million for the Tabet siblings, said that he typically tells clients to live in a new home for a year before planning a remodel.
While the kitchen is pristine and updated with newer appliances, he said that the kitchen area along with what was once the nanny suite are where new owners will be able to put their own stamp on the house.
On the other side of the formal entry is the home’s library. Tabet said this is the room where her family kept all of their books in the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. It was also the room with the children’s phone line, which meant it was always in use with six children.
Gagliardo said that when potential buyers see this room, which has access to a powder room and to the home’s garage, their first thought is to convert it to a mudroom.
Directly across from the entry hall lies the formal living room with a fireplace and a large bay window overlooking the backyard and pool.
Tabet said that the pool was the only major change her parents made to the home.
Adjacent to the living room is a family room with a built-in bar. Blueprints the Tabet family retained suggest this room was converted from a porch in 1951 by the second owners.
The basement offers another glimpse into the past. The main staircase and family room on this lower level boast original murals of bucolic European scenery.
In a basement office, the second owners of the home, the Kropp family, added more murals. These include a depiction of the family-owned manufacturing plant, complete with a sign marked with the letter K. In the corner, the artist signed his name R.C. Stoddard, from Oak Park, Illinois, and dated the work May 1956.
The basement family room includes a wood-beamed ceiling, a fireplace and another full bar. Both the bar shutters and the door to the room are decorated with cutouts featuring children and food items.
Tabet said the room was a favorite hangout space when she was growing up in River Forest.
“We had a lot of fun down here,” she said.
The second floor of the home includes a primary suite that looks over the backyard, with an original en suite bathroom and several closets.
There are three other bedrooms on the second floor, including two large bedrooms on either end of the home that feature built-in storage. Tabet and her sister Monica shared a room with twin beds topped with a scalloped canopy. She recalled nights spent flashing lights at the neighboring home where four teenaged boys lived.
After 60 years of Tabets living in the home, the time has come to pass it on to another family. Veronica Tabet said she hopes that another family will fill it with memories much as her family did.
