261 East Onwentsia Road, Lake Forest, IL

About 261 East Onwentsia Road

Nestled in the heart of East Lake Forest, this exquisite estate seamlessly blends elegant architecture with natural splendor, set on nearly three gated acres. Crafted in collaboration with the esteemed architect Darcy Bonner in 2010, it epitomizes a harmonious fusion of style, functionality, and serene Santa Barbara-inspired living. The property is enveloped by pollinating gardens, native flora, and a fruit orchard, offering abundant privacy. The home's design features clean lines, soaring ceilings, and expansive windows that bathe each room in natural light while providing breathtaking views. The grand foyer opens into a spacious living room, centered around a bronze-clad fireplace and a chic bar, with multiple French doors leading to a stone terrace. The dining room is equally captivating, boasting a glass fireplace, a platinum leaf ceiling, and hardwood floors with a distinctive nickel inlay. The first-floor primary suite serves as a true retreat, complete with a cozy fireplace, a sunroom, and a luxurious bath featuring ebony vanities, a large steam shower, and a waterfall jetted tub. French doors reveal a private, fully enclosed patio. The custom-designed dressing room includes English hickory built-ins and unique accents, while a discrete staircase ascends to a secluded meditation or yoga room on the third floor, and a second expansive dressing room below. A charming sitting room with vaulted ceilings, a fireplace, and elegant built-ins includes a hidden door to a leather-clad library adorned with a striking fireplace and art niches. For culinary enthusiasts, the kitchen is a dream, showcasing stunning cerused white oak cabinets with polished nickel details and a substantial center island topped with Carrera marble. An adjacent sunlit breakfast room and a butler's pantry with a dumbwaiter elevator enhance convenience. The spacious family room features high barreled ceilings, a limestone-surround fireplace, and connects to the sunroom, which opens to the pool, spa, and outdoor kitchen. The upper level houses six generous family bedrooms, each with private baths featuring skylights, walk-in closets, and wide plank quarter-sawn hardwood floors. The lower level is entertainment-ready, with a large recreational room, a movie room, a service kitchen, a climate-controlled wine and tasting room, a private bedroom suite, a fully equipped gym, and locker rooms with full baths for easy pool access. Externally, the estate boasts a stucco facade, a beautiful Ludowici tile roof, copper gutters, and Jerusalem limestone terraces. Outdoor amenities include a large pool, infinity-edge spa w/ waterfall, a spacious stone kitchen, and a 4-car garage with radiant heat. Additional features are a motor court, a granite cobblestone driveway with snowmelt in the porte-cochere, a whole-house generator, and more. With eight fireplaces, an elevator, and an abundance of luxurious details including exotic woods, Venetian marbled walls, and unique light fixtures from Paris, this estate offers unparalleled comfort, privacy, and style in Lake Forest.

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