Every time Lisa Hathaway has one of her historic homes open, she brings a batch of her world famous chili to the showing. (The “world famous” conceit is not hers, per se; rather it’s a universal truth, as eternal as gravity). The managers and staff at the @properties in Lake Forest, where Lisa works, told me as much. The homeowners of her current listing at 435 King Muir Road in Lake Forest believe it to be world class. And Jon Whitney Welker, president of Jerome Cerny Architects, Inc. with a bowl of the bean-and-green-chili variety arranged in front of him was blown away by the taste.
Jon was also pleasantly surprised during his tour of 435 King Muir Road to learn that the homeowners over the years (including the current ones) had decided to keep many of the original features.
“I’ve always been interested in how homes have aged and weathered,” says Jon. “And when I say weathered—even weathered many homeowners.”
That’s because some homeowners will change things dramatically; some will do it subtly while remaining sensitive to the architect’s original intent and design; and a third type of homeowner will blend the two, hopefully, in perfect harmony.
The original Jerome Robert Cerny home at 435 King Muir Road is a testament to that last type of person.
Cerny, an architect noted for his elegant French-inspired homes, was a Chicago native who studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Armour Institute, and Yale University. Beginning in the 1930s, Cerny began designing homes that were traditionally inspired yet highly original in style and detailing; a product, in part, of the farmhouses he sketched during his travels to the Normandy region of France.
Cerny’s idiosyncratic designs peaked in popularity in the 1950’s. (The home at 435 King Muir Road was built in 1953). He was a pioneer of opening spaces in a home: a trend that was growing in vogue which, unsurprisingly, lead to the serial publishing of Cerny’s designs in Town and County and House and Garden magazines.
In his heyday, 48 of the 50 states in the US had at least one of his designs. But nowhere in the country can one find more Cerny-inspired homes than Lake Forest.
To Jon’s trained eye, the history is in the details. The renovated and restored home at 435 King Muir Road originally designed for the Edward Ledder Jr. Family has, after a full second floor expansion and huge coach house styled garage addition finished in 2006, stayed true to original aspects, including the bay windows. Cerny himself designed the “splayed bays,” famous for their beaded trim, Bendix modeling, and individual panes of glass. White plantation doors are also Cerny-designed; “the size, the thickness, the angle and the cut is classic Cerny,” notes Jon. And he designed, among other things, the front door with a key hanging from the lock.
“[Cerny] always presented people with the key to their home,” he adds.
With the expansion, the home now has five bedrooms, five full and three half baths, and is just over 6,300 square feet. The kitchen, a modern take on the unique 1950’s design, is generously large—almost opening into the family room—save for a colossal Viking, fully-integrated refrigerator whose presence doesn’t sacrifice a separate kitchen but also allows an airiness to permeate the space.
Outside, one can see the Cerny-designed, two-car garage with its classic “California lift” feature sits underneath the expansion: a loft above the garage.
Sternberg Lighting lanterns, a Cerny staple, add a wrought-iron elegance to the outdoor details. (Bit of history: Cerny designed these same lanterns for Sternberg Lighting back in the late 40’s/early 50’s, which instantly became a permanent part of their catalog. To this day, they can still be purchased—“A great colonial design, withstanding the test of time,” notes Jon.)
Other things, such as a dado with its egg and dart design, run the length of the home. Intricate cabinetry is found in the ranch’s original living room. And a beautiful modern bathroom with a traditional Cerny bay window looks out on the one acre of green.
“All [these] things add up to an overall look and feel. A lot of times people walk into a room and go ‘wow—I really like this!’ They don’t necessarily know the different things that are impacting their opinion,” says Jon. “They just know they like it.”
Like Lisa’s chili, or the iconic designs of Cerny, (which are now overseen by Jon and his talented team of designers at Jerome Cerny Architects, Inc. at their office in Lake Forest) the pleasure is derived from something that isn’t quickly ascertained.
That’s because it’s all in the details.
– Simon Murray
