Traditional Exterior Hides Contemporary Interior: 4337 N. Paulina in Ravenswood

This 4-bedroom single family home at 4337 N. Paulina in Ravenswood looks rather traditional from the street.

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But once you step inside, the home is light and airy with ample skylights. 

The listing says it has a renovated kitchen with granite and stainless steel and an oversized 33×165 lot.

It also just had a reduction and is now listed $6,000 under the 2005 purchase price.

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Timothy Sheahan at Conlon Real Estate has the listing. See more pictures and the virtual tour here.

4337 N. Paulina: 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, 2.5 car garage, no square footage listed

  • Sold in April 1988 for $56,500
  • Sold in March 2000 for $700,000
  • Sold in August 2005 for $955,000
  • Originally listed in May 2008 for $1.099 million
  • Listing cancelled in October 2008
  • Re-listed in June 2009 for $999,900
  • Reduced
  • Currently listed at $949,000
  • Taxes of $11,471
  • Central Air
  • Bedroom #1: 17×21
  • Bedroom #2: 16×14
  • Bedroom #3: 11×12
  • Bedroom #4: 10×11

31 Responses to “Traditional Exterior Hides Contemporary Interior: 4337 N. Paulina in Ravenswood”

  1. Wow, that is one unbelievably fugly exterior.

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  2. What were they going for with the front facade? Frank Lloyd Wright meets the White House? Seriously what were they thinking?

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  3. WTF is that?

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  4. Why ruin such a beautiful house?!

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  5. oh my what happened to that front of the house? no seriously what happened to it?

    I love the back yard, and the brick pavers instead of the “chicago style concrete walk way”. but that should be expected for 1 mil. not a fan of the kitchen but the rest of the house is sweet.

    anyone feel the taxes are too high for this chicago hood?

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  6. Million bucks for a fugly house in Ravenswood? Next!

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  7. “anyone feel the taxes are too high for this chicago hood?”

    Lot of SF + larger lot. Total assessment is going down with the current re-assessment. Est Mkt Value is now $865,470.

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  8. Papu says, $700K…. and IMO the Ravenswood and Lincoln Square area are way underated.

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  9. shortwithhighceilings on August 3rd, 2009 at 11:13 am

    Love that back yard. Still, is it just me, or are the split sinks in the master bath just … weird?

    Agree about that WHACKED exterior. How would “we” go about changing it?

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  10. Most ridiculous-looking house in the city… and that’s saying some.

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  11. It’s also directly across the street from an Elem school, which many people find to be a negative (sort of neutral to slightly neg myself).

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  12. “Still, is it just me, or are the split sinks in the master bath just … weird?”

    Definitely a little strange, I had to go back and look because I simply glaced over it.

    Maybe for a couple who need some “space” away from each other during their morning routine?

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  13. I really don’t think this qualifies as ugly as much as mish-mosh. There been some ugly places on this site.

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  14. I agree with $700K, location won’t support higher.

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  15. Nice location but its tough to put a price on an abomination like that. IF I had the money only way I would buy it is if it were sufficiently cheaper than surrounding homes to allow for a total rework of the front facade. And given that looks quite expensive, probably wouldn’t go near.

    Tough to see who this would appeal to as I don’t think its any sort of traditional definition wrt architecture.

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  16. This site sure has some tough critics- I think the house is different and cool- priced 200K too high though

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  17. I agree with Steve, I think this is a very impressive place just seeing it featured here on CC.
    It will find a buyer who appreciates such a renovation/remodel…perhaps a designer or an architect. Agree also that it should be priced a bit lower to command a sale.
    I can’t believe it started at $56,5 in ’88 and is now commanding a $949,5 price. Crazy….has the hood improved to that point?

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  18. “I can’t believe it started at $56,5 in ‘88 and is now commanding a $949,5 price. Crazy….has the hood improved to that point?”

    WL–

    Based on the listing, it was a vacant lot/teardown in 88. Listing sez it was built in 1995. Esp. if it were a teardown, I could see $56,5–add demo, etc. costs, ~$75k for a buildable lot here in 88 seems about right.

    I think it looks nice except for the Texas-sized front.

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  19. I used to live behind this place and while I agree it is different, the picture of the front does not do it justice. It really is a nice place and not as ugly in person as some have commented.

    As for the asking price, it is a bit high…

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  20. “It will find a buyer who appreciates such a renovation/remodel…perhaps a designer or an architect.” Find a designer or architect who won’t roll their eyes.

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  21. “Find a designer or architect who won’t roll their eyes.”

    They do do drug testing at designing and architecture firms, right?

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  22. Bob:
    Find a designer or architect who won’t roll their eyes, drugged or not.

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  23. Thanks for the clarification Anon(tfo)! I did not look into it other than a fast glance at pics.

    Midwestern sensibility is overwhelming to the point of being unable to see uniqueness in a nicely built, thinking out of the box project…. something other than a cookie cutter.

    You are not in NYC dorothy, you are not in NYC

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  24. There is unique, and then there is just unbelievable horrible design. The dental ornamentation along the top of the overhang, the circular plantation columns, the massive face on the right side with the tiny window – just absolutely horrid.

    I originally thought this travesty was a reinterpretation of an existing building, but to hear that it was built in 1995 like this, from the ground up, ON PURPOSE. I can’t help but laugh…

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  25. “it was built in 1995 like this, from the ground up”

    Well, that’s if you rely on the listing. It *could* have been a total gut job at that time, which a realtor could (reasonably, imo) then identify as “built” in 1995, esp. if it really was a down-to-the-stud reno.

    At least I hope that’s the explanation. Otherwise, the Texas-sized portico is simply weird in this location and on this width of house.

    Also, altho I’m sure you know b, dentil, not dental, tho they are homonyms. Always need to remind myself.

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  26. Actually, I didn’t know it was dentil, thanks. I always assumed the etymology of the word was related to the similarity in appearance with teeth.

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  27. This place raised my curiousity enough to do a drive by this morning on the way to one of our work sites.
    I have both seen and built new facades on rehabs in the past that were viewed as controversial, beautiful, daring or just plain fugly. But when I have done so, I made sure the homes were located in areas that gave themselves over to some ‘experimentation’ and mixing of styles. When rehabs of this nature are grouped together I think they are more readily accepted and appreciated than if they were built in neighborhoods such as this.
    The second problem the sellers will be facing is that there is just not enough land surrounding the house to warrant the price. For places like this to be fulled utilized and appreciated, there has to be a large yard with well manicured landscaping. It appears that absolutely no time has been spent in this area.
    While I do appreciate the thought that went into this place, I just do not see it selling. I hope the owners are able to live here long enough to be able to get something out of all the work and $$$ that went into it.

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  28. Hey, WL, looks like the “critics” nailed this one. The portico kills it, right?

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  29. its more like the neighbors weren’t stupid and put too much money into a facade renovation; plus the house is in chicago (lot) and not in FL.

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  30. This home’s price has been reduced to $899,000!
    Amazing price.

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