Tuesday, April 19, 2016

a very Pleasant Home

Ahhh, and here we arrive at my favorite of all.  The mysteriously deserted 1897 Pleasant Home, designed by George Maher.  Perhaps I'm just partial to the gratuitous use of light bulbs after hearing the story of Westinghouse supplying them for the 1893 Chicago World's fair (all 200,000 were shipped out from just below our house for weeks prior to the Fair).  A house this theatrical should not feel quite so comfortable, and yet, it does...  Incidentally, it was the only house free to tour, and yet, still empty.  You'll notice that upstairs is not fully restored and being used at display space.  IF I remember correctly, the historical society hopes to move out to another location if funds permit, and finish the restoration.


















 



 
yes, the docent let me roll back the rugs.  Three cheers for awesome people!


the original carriage house, long demolished








 















Luke, the adventure dog...

12 comments:

  1. Wow, they did go to great lengths to use a lot of light bulbs. Some of those rooms look like a theater marquee! Very cool!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I loved it! I can't begin to imagine what it would be like to come home to that every day. Or maybe they only turned them on to dazzle their guests?

      Delete
  2. Other than the ridiculous overuse of lightbulbs, that is an amazing house. OMG, the floors!! And the woodwork, and the tile. Thanks for sharing the picture of the unrestored areas. I like to see those too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The tile and woodwork were remarkable. Not to mention the custom light fixtures. And a very modern master suite, with a closet to die for...

      Delete
    2. The original bulbs would have been sorta dim, and with an orange-ish glow. I imagine the effect would have been stunning.

      Delete
    3. My pictures may not capture it well, but these lightbulbs were well chosen. The spaces were still quite dark, but the orange glow of the bulbs reflecting off the shellacked woodwork was beyond sexy.

      Delete
  3. WHOA!! That is one gorgeous house! Those tile floors...swoon....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Seriously! Why don't I have an artist laying tile for me?

      Delete
  4. I'm having some trouble posting...so if I repeat myself that's why- Just wanted to say thanks for sharing these interesting photos and I "pinned" some of those kitchen and bathroom photos! Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have been to Chicago many times but somehow missed this AMAZING house!

    Thanks so much for the tour!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're not the only one. I was flabbergasted that the home was empty, while other much less interesting places were packed. I guess that's just marketing for you....

      Delete

I am human and I need to be loved...