SHOWHOUSE SHOWSTOPPER

THERE ARE SOME HOUSES that are special, and there are others that are spectacular. The 2023 Lake Forest Showhouse & Gardens promises to be the latter.

“We were looking for our next house as we were still giving tours at the last one,” says Sondra Douglass, co-chair of this signature fundraising event for the Lake Forest Chapter of the Infant Welfare Society, along with Kathy Allen and Jennifer Durburg. “When we were presented this house, I knew we had a potential winner.”

Douglass’ wishes weren’t in vain.

The home at the center of this year’s event was designed by renowned architect Walter Frazier in 1969. Famous for his stylish and livable classic residences along the North Shore, Frazier’s designs are noted for their refined elegance and fresh design perspectives. Twenty-one of his homes can be found throughout Lake Forest and Lake Bluff.

This year’s Showhouse—owned by one family until 2022—is set on nine acres of beautifully landscaped property, including a five-acre conservation area.

The 16-room red brick, structure features two low, flat-roofed, one-story links leading to two temple-like wings on the east and west. The first-floor primary bedroom wing has a flexible arrangement of five rooms, and there are six additional bedrooms and 4.3 baths. All south-facing main rooms open to a blue-stone patio and gracious lawn.

As if the main house wasn’t enough, there is a charming three-bedroom, two-bath caretaker’s cottage; an additional outbuilding with garages, workroom, kennels, and two-finished rooms with a half bath, kitchenette, and fireplace; and a separate three-car garage.

“Having more spaces to design allows us the opportunity to feature the work of more designers,” Douglass says.

The Lake Forest Chapter of the Infant Welfare Society raises money for the Infant Welfare Society (IWS) of Chicago. Founded in 1911 with a mission to provide fresh milk in response to high infant mortality rates, IWS now provides an array of medical services to Chicago’s underserved men, women, and children through its Logan Square clinic.

Key to this fundraiser is the generosity of the designers and the vendors who support their room designs. At any Showhouse project, interior designers and landscape architects pitch the co-chairs on the rooms and outdoor spaces they would like to redo. It’s an opportunity to reimagine a space, while showcasing a designer’s ability create without the traditional limitations.

“Putting together a cohesive Showhouse is like solving a massive, gorgeous, three-dimensional puzzle,” says Lake Forest chapter president Chrissy Davis, who is tasked with reviewing the long list of designers and landscapers who apply to participate in the Showhouse— and then assigning more than 30 of them to individual spaces. “We ask each designer to give us at least four options of spaces they would like to decorate, and we do our best to give them one of their choices. It’s always interesting to see which rooms are most in demand.”

This year, one of the most coveted spaces to design within the house was the two-story entry way and staircase. This spot was assigned to Winnetka’s Sarah Vaile.

“This is our fourth Lake Forest Showhouse and our second consecutive partnership with de Gournay,” says Vaile, owner of Sarah Vaile Design, of the famed wallpaper manufacturer. “For this Showhouse, we have collaboratively designed a custom colorway of de Gournay’s Jazz wall covering, a collage inspired by the work by famed French artist Henri Matisse. It’s full of energy and color. The organic shapes are cut from heavily textured linen cloth and are then hand embroidered onto a matte painted silk base. Since the foyer space is very large and spans two stories, it will require many, many yards of this precious fabric to cover the walls.

“And, the Rug Company has generously donated an ivory runner with black motifs for the foyer’s striking floating staircase,” she adds. “The runner is geometric and abstract and plays beautifully with the wall covering.”

Now that she is among the “veteran” designers at the Showhouse, Vaile remembers where she was sitting the first time she made the cut to be interviewed for this project.

“Being a part of the Lake Forest Showhouse is so special to me,” she explains. “Not only is it one of the most reputable Showhouses in the country, but it’s a truly unique experience for a tremendously important cause.”

Vaile is in good company with a number of noteworthy designers and landscapers, including this year’s honorary chairs—Ashley Whittaker and Timothy Whealon.

Whittaker is an Elle Décor A-List interior decorator who has run her design business in New York City since 2006. Described as the “neo-traditionalist,” she reveals her fresh and modern perspective on traditional design and architecture in all of her work, which is characterized by colorful, pattern-filled rooms. Her first book, The Well-Loved House: Creating Homes with Color, Comfort and Drama, was published in September 2021 by Rizzoli.

Whealon is a Sotheby’s trained Elle Décor A-List interior decorator. His work is rooted in classicism, with a modern twist and an emphasis on fine and decorative arts. His designs are enhanced by both his extensive knowledge of the international art and antiques market and by his team of skilled artists and craftsmen who create many of the custom furniture pieces found in his signature interiors. The first monograph of his work, In Pursuit of Beauty: The Interiors of Timothy Whealon, was published by Rizzoli in 2015.

Whittaker and Whealon have been friends since early in their careers. They share a love of antiques and an artful mix of the high and the low. Together they have embarked on many shopping excursions filled with an abundance of laughter and fun. They look forward to discussing their friendship, anecdotes from their travels, and their shared passion for design at the keynote lecture for The Lake Forest Showhouse & Gardens on Monday, May 8.

“The special events that will be part of this year’s Showhouse are exceeding all of our expectations,” Allen says as the Showhouse events coordinator, noting that SPACE 519’s The Lunchroom will be offering salads, boxed lunches, baked goods, specialty coffee, and tea over Mother’s Day weekend and closing weekend. “After not being able to host any events during our COVID Showhouse year, it’s so wonderful to be planning gatherings again.”

At the top of the list of not-to-be-missed events at this year’s Showhouse, the Preview Party will take place the evening of Friday, May 5.

“The Preview Party has always been a special, excitement- generating part of what we create for the Showhouse experience—but this year promises to be our absolute best,” Allen says. John des Rosiers, owner of the jdR Family of Companies—including Inovasi and the Other Door, is underwriting all the food and drink for the party, providing it from his various area restaurants and staffing it with his team. He will also debut his new tequila, Cambio.

“Our community is important to me,” des Rosiers explains. “Inovasi is turning 14 years old this year if you can believe it. I’ve always been a part of the Preview Party and am thrilled to contribute in a bigger way this year. It will also be the first time a lot of people will be sampling our tequila. It’s perfect timing that the Preview Party falls on Cinco de Mayo.”

In addition to offering specially crafted cocktails using Cambio, des Rosiers will offer tastings of a selection of wines available through his Lake Bluff shop, jdR wine & beer. The wines will be available to order at the Preview Party, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Infant Welfare Society.

“We have a lot of energy and excitement surrounding our partnership with of the Showhouse this year,” des Rosiers adds. “We’re thrilled this event is back.”

To purchase your tickets to the Showhouse or to any of its special events, including the Preview Party, visit lakeforestshowhouse.com.