The for-sale housing stock in Northbrook, Illinois, shows a town with primarily classic suburban homes, with the exception of two neighboring properties that once had an aesthetic only describable as straight out of the late 1980s.
Both were built in 1989, and original details speak for themselves: mirrors galore, chrome accents, lacquered cherry red finishes, and plenty of postmodern shapes inspired by Italy’s Memphis Group collective.
The home at 2000 Pfingsten Road, asking $1.79 million, is a time capsule, maintaining most of these eccentric choices. Next door, 2110 Pfingsten Road, asking $2.99 million, recently underwent a complete gut renovation.
Records did not reveal who built or designed the two homes, which were originally owned separately by a cardiologist and an optometrist.
When the current owners of 2110 Pfingsten purchased the 8,269-square-foot home in 2019 for $641,250, it had sat unoccupied after a foreclosure, said listing agent Mohammed Iftikhar of Guidance Realty.
Listing photos at the time showed displaced drywall and an overgrown, algae-filled swimming pool, along with the very 80s finishes.
“It had water damage, mold, structural issues, roof was leaking, it was in pretty bad shape,” said Iftikhar in an interview. “The cabinets were ripped out, the floors had holes in them.”
The owners saw the potential and brought the home into the 21st century by reworking the floor plan. They removed a large pillar in the center of the house and used the space for a two-story open living room and an adjacent dining area.
They also added windows to the home’s east-facing curved wall and moved the fireplace from in between these windows to a standard wall, removing a break in the view. The walls extend 24 feet high.
The stairs were also repositioned, swapping a winding metal staircase for a modern floating one. Walls were removed on the main level, opening the kitchen. The project took two and a half years to complete, essentially replacing everything except the foundation, said Iftikhar, who also acted as the general contractor on the project. The owners selected all interior finishes.
The home has six bedrooms and eight bathrooms, along with a finished basement with a second kitchen, built-in seating, and access to the outdoor pool. A three-car garage includes electric vehicle charging.
“It’s a contemporary modern, ultra luxurious home. There are none, to my knowledge, of this caliber, size, square footage, lot size, anything that compares in the neighborhood,” said Iftikhar.
An estimated monthly payment for 2110 Pfingsten is $18,696 with a 20% down payment and 6.67% interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, according to Homes.com. Northbrook is located about 25 miles north of Chicago.
The priciest home in Northbrook currently is the former home of Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon, a five-bedroom, 10-bathroom home listed for $5.99 million.
This listing at 2110 Pfingsten is the town’s fourth most expensive listing, beat by two new-construction homes: a 9,652-square-foot six-bedroom, seven-bathroom home for $3.34 million, and a five-bedroom, eight-bathroom home with 7,600 square feet for $3.3 million.