'Modern Day Masterpiece' Listed By Lake Forest Interior Designer

LAKE FOREST, IL — The fully renovated home of a local interior designed was listed Monday for nearly $3.8 million, more than twice its sale price from less than two years ago.

Located on Crab Tree Lane east of Sheridan Road, the two-story brick and cedar home was built in 1962, designed by Jerome Cerny in a traditional style, according to its listing.

With five bedrooms and 5,700 square feet of living space on a 1.85-acre lot, the original exterior has been kept intact, while the floor plan was completely redesigned. The home's interior now features "cashmere wallpaper, striking light fixtures and amazing sight lines," the listing said, describing the home as a "modern day masterpiece."

Those renovations were led by the home's current owner, Lake Forest interior designer Megan Winters. She and her husband, Patrick, purchased the house in 2017 for $1.5 million, according to property records.

Winters, the former CEO of a printing company she founded with her father, was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor in 2002. She survived after undergoing 10 months of an experimental chemotherapy treatment, moving to Lake Forest to be nearer to family before selling off the family business and founding Megan Winters Design in 2009, according to past reports.

Speaking last year to Luxe magazine, Winters recalled visiting the house after accepting an offer on her previous home and being immediately smitten with its design and the chance to redesign a property that originally functioned as a stable.

"That intrigued me," Winters told the magazine. "I had not done any historic renovations for myself and it was a challenge, but it held such great potential for me as a designer to go to the next level."

Susan Rolander was the architect of record and Voytek Sobolewski was general contractor for the remodel, according to the magazine. They stripped the interior down to studs, keeping only a door, window and a staircase before re-imagining the layout.

The total cost of the renovations has not been disclosed, but they have received accolades: nearly two years before the Winters' purchase of the property was recorded in county records, images of the home's interior had already been featured in Elle Décor magazine.

According to its listing, the exterior offers "complete privacy," combined with beautiful views; the bedrooms are "impeccably detailed with a flair for artistic integrity;" and a kitchen with a large island and leather details opens into a family room in a "feast for the senses." The home has three fireplaces, both gas and wood-burning, and an attached garage with room for four cars.

Listing agent Annie Royster Lenzke laid out some of the extensive exterior updates to the original Jerome Cerny design: a completely rebuilt cupola, state-of-the-art new drainage system and a new exterior fascia, window trim, limestone sills and lintels.

Winters could not be reached for comment. Christine Phillips of Viola! PR and Design, Winters' publicist, said she had not been informed the house had been listed before hanging up on a reporter with an expletive.

Last year, the Lake County assessor's office increased its estimation of the home's market value to nearly $2 million, and its property tax bill totaled about $26,500.

• Address: 545 Crab Tree Ln, Lake Forest, Illinois
• List Price: $3,799,000
• Built: 1962
• Lot Size: 1.85
• Square Feet: 5,682
• Bedrooms: 5
• Bathrooms: 5 full, 1 half
• Last Sold: $1.5 million in February 2017

Listing information originally appeared on realtor.com. For more information and photos, click here.