​TWO FIREPLACES, GREAT ROOM ARE HIGHLIGHTS OF RIVER FOREST COLONIAL

551 N. Jackson Ave.

River Forest, IL

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By Liz Jaros

Wednesday Journal Inc. 

Preview House Writer

Gracious and formal enough for a grand scale wedding with hundreds of guests, yet equally well suited to Saturday night Monopoly games by the fireplace, this week’s preview house has been in the same family for 58 years. Take a walk through 551 N. Jackson Ave. in River Forest and you’ll understand why.

Visitors to this center entrance colonial are greeted by spacious, sunny rooms and timeless interior style as they step through an arched front doorway into a sunken entry foyer. Two high windows offer natural light from the north and south, while a deep closet sweeps coats and boots out of sight.

Take two steps up into the formal entry foyer, where the home’s open, flowing traffic pattern can first be appreciated. Movement from room to room is natural and easy, and French door closure between most of them provides flexibility for entertaining. Richly stained oak floors gleam throughout (under carpet in the living room) and crown molding traces the ceilings.

To the left, a 14-by-13 foot dining room boasts wainscoted walls, a formal chandelier and extra tall, west-facing French windows with custom storms and screens. Swinging door access to the kitchen and glass-paned, accordion door separation from the foyer give this room the sophistication of a bygone era.

A 21-by-14 foot living room occupies the southwest corner of the home. Central to the layout in here is a massive, wood-burning fireplace with a display mantle and a brick hearth. Opposing built-in bookshelves flank this cozy focal point.

The living room flows nicely into a southern exposed sun room (13-by-10 feet) with three walls of windows offering peaceful views of exterior trees and shrubs. A patio door opens eastward into a breezy screen room with a red tile floor and a tongue-in-groove ceiling. This room opens out onto a 30-by-18 foot deck that sprawls across the back of the home.

Step down into a lush backyard (at 75-by-183 feet, the lot size is exceptional) or reenter the home through one of three sets of sliding doors in a 23-by-18 foot great room. An amendment to the home’s original blue print, this family gathering space is a house hunter’s dream. Four skylights, a wet bar with ice maker, recessed can illumination and a wood-burning fireplace with an extended brick hearth make this a wonderful addition to the home. East-facing windows invite the outside in and make this a room you’ll never want to leave.

Directly north of here is a 14-by-9 foot office that opens out into a resort-style cedar walled hot tub room. Patio doors can be opened to connect with outdoors or closed to keep the winter chill out.

From the family room, access the kitchen from a wide, central hallway or via a sharply updated, walkthrough, full bathroom. The sunny, 14-by-13 foot work or prep space boasts wide plank maple flooring, plentiful white cabinets and countertops, a movable center island with butcher block top and a massive storage pantry. A breakfast counter with stool seating and a second wash sink is set beneath a huge, north-facing window.

Take steps down from the kitchen to a good-sized basement with a play room and endless storage space, or take a formal staircase up from the foyer to the second level. Three bedrooms (14-by-13, 14-by-14 and 14-by-11 feet) come with huge closets, ceiling fans, carpeting and two full bathrooms off the hall. A 21-by-14 foot master bedroom boasts three major closets (one is really a dressing room) and window exposure in the east, south and west walls. Adjacent is a spectacular master bathroom with Jacuzzi tub and oversized glass shower stall, a greenhouse window, an electric opener skylight, a separate water closet with bidet and a king sized linen closet.

This home is located in a prime location near stores, schools, churches and transportation. Heat and AC are zoned. Roof and exterior stucco are three years old. Asking price is $899,000. Contact Rich Gloor at Gloor Realty, 524-1100 for more information.