When Leah Bates and her husband Allen moved to the Chicago area for a job transfer, they had their sights set on bringing their family to a historic home in River Forest.
“There just wasn’t one on the market at the time that worked,” she said.
However, the Bates now have another job transfer, so the extensive work over two years that they did to create their dream home will now benefit some other family. The remodeled home, expected to be completed in 2026, is listed for $2,250,000.
The home they purchased on Thatcher Avenue in January 2024 was originally supposed to be the canvas for a remodel to suit their family.
A big draw for the Bates family was the view out the front windows to Thatcher Woods. “With the snow in the winter, the leaves in the fall, and the green in the spring, we just couldn’t think of a better view,” Bates said.
As they dug into the planning process for the remodel, they realized there was a lot more wrong with the house than was right. Once they discovered foundation issues, the couple decided to keep the beautiful lot and build a new house.
Their realtor, Mallory Slesser of Baird & Warner, introduced them to designer Chelsey Jackel, who leads the design team at Chicago-based Xced Design Build.
Jackel came up with a plan to create a new Victorian home that would fit right into the historic streetscape, while also offering the Bates family everything they wanted in terms of modern conveniences and comfort.
Leah Bates said the house was going to be the family’s dream home: a place where their kids could walk to school, and the entire family could enjoy living in River Forest.
First, they had to grapple with the permitting process, which Bates said took a bit longer than expected.
“While it’s amazing that they’re pretty strict, it took a long time. The board only meets once a month, so every time they suggested a change, it was back to the drawing board.”
Working with Jackel, they came up with a plan that utilized the footprint of the previous house while moving above and below grade for more space.
The previous basement topped out around six-feet, two inches. The new basement tops out at nine feet, allowing for a full bedroom, bathroom and rec room. The second floor is now home to a primary suite with dual walk-in closets and two bedrooms with en suite bathrooms for the kids.
Leah Bates worked with Jackel to choose historic features that would create an old world feel in the home. Walls will be decorated with wainscoting and historic wallpaper patterns. Old stained-glass windows will be added to the house, and the pair found light fixtures salvaged from historic Chicago buildings to use in the home.
“We wanted that feeling of old, special and history even though it’s a brand-new home,” Bates said.
In the kitchen, floor-to-ceiling glass-fronted cabinets with gold hardware keep the historic feeling, as do the built-in appliances with cabinet fronts. Even the range was chosen to look historic. As Bates recalled, “We tried to put every detail we could into it to make it look historic.”
Jackel noted that kitchen details, such as doors hidden in the paneling and a custom, 13-foot island, will add to the utility of the space.
One of the benefits of building from the ground-up is getting all of the new practical items for a home: a new roof, plumbing, electric and HVAC system are far more efficient and comfortable than their older counterparts.
Jackel said that building new meant adding the requisite fire sprinkler system and sump pump and drain tiles systems in the basement.
The garage was also customized with dentil molding and deep eaves to fit in with the historic appearance of the home. The large yard fits a turnaround space for cars that doubles as a basketball court.
When they’d planned almost every last detail and gotten deep into the construction process, the Bates family got surprising news: another job transfer was taking them from the Chicago area before they even got the chance to enjoy the fruit of their labors.
Leah Bates says, “We bought it as our family home, and put in our blood, sweat and tears. I picked out everything. So much love went into it.”
While she is sad that she’ll never get to live in the home, she says she feels a little better knowing another family will love it. The Bates have continued to work with Jackel to build the home they envisioned their family would enjoy for years.
“It’s unique. It’s not a house a builder bought to make money on,” Leah Bates adds.
Once the family knew they had to move, they brought Slesser back in to help Jackel sell the finished project. The house is listed on the private listing network for $2,250,000,
Slesser said: “Chelsey and I went to design school together. Leah and Allen bought this lot with me. We’re all a team. We’re a very tight group.”
After almost two years of design, permitting and build out, the house is close to the finish line. Slesser and Jackel note that is a great opportunity for someone looking for move-in ready home with modern features and historic details but who doesn’t want to have wait years to complete a remodel project of their own.
Finish work is on-going at the house, and Jackel and Slesser believe it will wrap up in early 2026.
Jackel, whose previous work has included homes on the North Shore and commercial projects for the likes of Ferrari and the University Club, said she has enjoyed getting to dip her toe into the vintage style of River Forest.
“This is really a brand new, vintage home,” she said.
