Renovated Chic Parisian Abode: A 3-Bedroom at 1240 N. Dearborn in the Gold Coast
This 3-bedroom in 1240 N. Dearborn in the Gold Coast came on the market in March 2021.
Built in 1890, this vintage building has 5 units.
The listing says this unit has been “thoughtfully renovated” and has been inspired by “chic Parisian abodes.”
The living room, dining room and kitchen have an open concept.
It has modern, herringbone oak hardwood flooring, custom millwork, including some crown molding, high ceilings and original Tiffany stained glass windows.
The living room has a modern built-in media center.
The unit has a chef’s kitchen, with modern custom white cabinets, an island and high end appliances like Sub-Zero.
Two bedrooms are in the back of the unit and overlook a private bluestone terrace.
The primary bedroom has an en suite with a dual vanity.
There’s a storage room.
The listing also says that a 600 square foot unit below this one is available for $150,000. Is this the third bedroom and bath? There is no floor plan for this space with the listing.
It has central air, washer/dryer in the unit but there’s no parking.
Located in the heart of the Gold Coast, this property is near shops, restaurants and grocery stores.
Originally listed in March 2021 for $1.095 million, it has been reduced to $1 million.
Will this renovation appeal to vintage fans and those who also want “new”?
Vincent Anzalone and Sylvia Jablonska at Dream Town have the listing. See the pictures and floor plan here.
Unit #1: 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, 1800 square feet
- Sold in May 1981 for $171,500 (per Redfin)
- Sold in June 1983 for $182,000 (per Redfin)
- Sold in June 1991 for $258,000
- Sold in October 1995 for $288,000
- Sold in July 1997 for $313,000
- Sold in July 2006 for $615,000
- Sold in June 2011 for $660,000
- Sold in May 2019 for $718,000
- Listed in March 2021 for $1.095 million
- Reduced
- Currently listed at $1 million
- Assessments of $267 a month (includes exterior maintenance, lawn care, scavenger, snow removal)
- Taxes of $9739
- You can also buy a 600 square foot unit under this one for $150,000
- Fireplace
- Bedroom #1: 16×11
- Bedroom #2: 16×11
- Living room: 23×13
- Dining room: 11×9
- Kitchen: 13×10
- Laundry: 6×12
- Family room: 14×13
- Bedroom #3: 20×20 (lower level- other space available for $150k?)
Terrible
Patio access thru Br
Kitchen looks like a morgue
Living area has limited natural light and is about 12’ wide
This is shitty homes for $1MM week
The ultra modern updates in this home are a travesty.
I’m guessing that combining that lower level space with this one isn’t particularly straightforward — otherwise the developer would have done it to turn a 2/2 into a 3/3 and maximize profit.
“I’m guessing that combining that lower level space with this one isn’t particularly straightforward”
G-unit here: https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/1240-N-Dearborn-St-60610/unit-G/home/14112196
If I’m spending $1m on this, I’d buy G, too, even if not planning to combine. Which might be more a comment on $1m for this than anything else.
Isn’t the unit more “London” than “Paris”? Particularly the contempo kitchen plopped in there.
Wonder what that middle stairway is like. seems a bit oversized.
“Isn’t the unit more “London” than “Paris”? Particularly the contempo kitchen plopped in there.”
Europeans, in general, love their modern kitchens. Fairly common to see them in old, historic buildings throughout Europe
“Europeans, in general, love their modern kitchens.”
Wasn’t clear–meant the particular style of this kitchen. The yawn factor.
And the rest of the place.
what is the large room between the kitchen and master? if that is the laundry, it is shown too large in the plan based on the photo of the washer/dryer…
“ what is the large room between the kitchen and master”
Think it’s the main stairwell
“ If I’m spending $1m on this, I’d buy G, too, even if not planning to combine. Which might be more a comment on $1m for this than anything else.”
If you’re going to combine, you’re going to lose sf in the main living area (assuming that it’s directly below)
Would work as a home office/nanny space w/o a direct link
^Can’t be the main stairwell. 1) there is a door from the kitchen swinging into it (that would be against code) 2} it is depicted as an interior room completely walled off from the common stair which runs south of this unit as depicted in the last photo of the set…
“Can’t be the main stairwell”
There’s a ‘doghouse’ on the roof right over the space, and you can see the stairwell in pix 12 and 15 of Unit 2:
https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/1240-N-Dearborn-St-60610/unit-2/home/14111983
I wouldn’t call it the “main” stairwell, but I don’t think that was what you were objecting to.
“Europeans, in general, love their modern kitchens. Fairly common to see them in old, historic buildings throughout Europe”
Agreed marco. Pretty common to see this kind of modern aesthetic even in an old Paris walk-up.
“The ultra modern updates in this home are a travesty.”
I love it.
You DO often see this mix side-by-side in Paris, actually. Lol.
“There’s a ‘doghouse’ on the roof right over the space, and you can see the stairwell in pix 12 and 15 of Unit 2:
https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/1240-N-Dearborn-St-60610/unit-2/home/14111983
I wouldn’t call it the “main” stairwell, but I don’t think that was what you were objecting to.”
Yes, clearly it is not the main stairwell as can be seen in the video of #2. The ‘main’ or common stairwell can be glimpsed going straight up two floors to the 3rd level along the south party wall… no one would locate a stair in this space at this level in the unit.
The ‘dog house’ on the roof is most likely just a stair from the 3rd level allowing roof access which has no relationship whatsoever to the space in question in #1.
Any stairwell in #2 is not going down to this unit. Remember folks, I am an architect.
So, it is pretty much impossible that this is a stair in this location at this level. And, will someone point out to me where the laundry room is located? Clearly, the plan is not drawn accurately enough to reflect the proportions of the space depicted in the pic of the washer/dryer…
“ I love it.
You DO often see this mix side-by-side in Paris, actually. Lol.”
This isn’t Paris, it’s Chicago where historic architecture is more rare.
You may be one of only a few to love it, as, despite the unique features and low assessments, this property has been sitting for quite sometime.
“will someone point out to me where the laundry room is located?”
Do the walkthrough. You can “go into” the laundry room, and see how they spray painted the pipes to the water heater.
The laundry is *exactly* where the floorplan shows it to be.
It is NOT where the exterior door from the kitchen goes.
“Any stairwell in #2 is not going down to this unit.”
that stairwell is outside of #2–where does it go if not down to the ground??
If you find a birdseye view of the building, and look at the south side, it appears that the rear of it was built later, and that what looks like a doghouse, it more like an awning, just a couple feet above the roof–there is an open space between the southern walls.
“If you’re going to combine, you’re going to lose sf in the main living area (assuming that it’s directly below)”
Windows in G indicate it is in the front. Could maybe go through laundry under the front stairs (Pic 19)? Depends in part on what current interior access to lower level is like–are there already stairs under the main stairs? Seems possible given the hallway space (where pic 19 is taken from), right?
But yeah, nanny/office/guest/etc. It looks pretty awful, but I’d want control of the space for only ~10% more.
Million bucks for a boring 2BR? Don’t think I’d pay a mill even if you threw in the unit below for free.
“This isn’t Paris”
so then homeowners shouldn’t take inspiration from somewhere else? Happens all the, especially from places like Paris
They can take inspiration from wherever they want as long as they are willing to take the hit at closing! Been on the market since March, in my humble semiedumacated opinion, the market has spoken about this design.
“ so then homeowners shouldn’t take inspiration from somewhere else? Happens all the, especially from places like Paris”
Doesn’t seem to be working out so well for them. The property listing is stale AF.
“This isn’t Paris, it’s Chicago where historic architecture is more rare.”
Historic architecture is “more rare”?
No, it’s not. Thousands of “historic” structures in Chicago. The Parisians just have better taste.
“ Historic architecture is “more rare”?”
Is this even a question lol? Yes, when you compare a 200 year old city (Chicago) to a 2,000 year old city (Paris), clearly the 10x older city is going to have significantly more history and a higher volume of historical structures.
Chicago has thousands of historic structures. It’s not “rare.” Size or age of the two cities is irrelevant. Your comment indicated that there aren’t hundreds of 1880s-90s buildings. There are.
Just drive the Parkway system and you’ll see them everywhere.
Yet Parisians aren’t tied to living in the past because the “modern” kitchen is extremely common, including putting in IKEA kitchens.
So when the listing says it’s Parisian chic, it’s correct.
Like I said, Parisians apparently have more style but anyone who has looked at Chicago real estate over the years wouldn’t have any troubles agreeing with that.
Lol.
Looks nice to me. Do you guys have to shit on every property? Is it because you guys are too poor to afford anything listed here?
“They can take inspiration from wherever they want as long as they are willing to take the hit at closing! Been on the market since March, in my humble semiedumacated opinion, the market has spoken about this design.”
it’s the risk you take not going cookie cutter. people here complain all the time about standard cookie cutter renovations. then when someone does something different they complain.
“Doesn’t seem to be working out so well for them. The property listing is stale AF.”
a lot of factors come into play on why it’s not selling. 1M+ for a first floor condo is probably the main reason.
“it’s the risk you take not going cookie cutter. people here complain all the time about standard cookie cutter renovations. then when someone does something different they complain.”
Agree, I also respect the people that have specialized a condo to their liking if they’ve lived in it a long time or plan(ned) on it. However when people renovate to sell, that’s where abstract design choices become questionable.
I like this place with exception of the open shelving in the kitchen… too much of it and I don’t like it anyway… give me more cabinets please!
And the unit itself looking at the floorplan seems a bit smaller than advertised
Other than that I find it to be tastefully and interestingly rehabbed. Will take a very specific buyer or a much lower price point though
sonies – agree with your assessment.
the front, narrow room is a deterrent especially for the price.
also, isn’t this place a 2/2. what a sham for advertising it as a 3/3 but you have to buy the lower level for 150k, then renovate it.
“it’s the risk you take not going cookie cutter. people here complain all the time about standard cookie cutter renovations”
Arent the finishes pretty “cookie cutter”?
White waterfall island
Color scheme – White/Grey with a dark wood accent
White marble bath
Herringbone flooring is non standard
“then when someone does something different they complain.”
When its well executed its generally not panned. This IMO is poorly executed
and also the circular mirror centered over the two vessel sinks is dumb
should have had a wider mirror or a single centered sink
would be nice to see the basement pics
“would be nice to see the basement pics”
I doubt that they spent any money on it (beyond, perhaps, taking stuff out), as they paid $185k in Jan-20:
https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/1240-N-Dearborn-St-60610/unit-G/home/14112196
under contract on 1/10