Sometimes the third time is, in fact, the charm.
The house on the double lot at 8333 N. Illinois St. is now in its third life and each iteration has represented an upgrade.
A ranch house built in the late 1950s originally stood on the property. About four decades later, it burned to the ground and the owners rebuilt.
They designed a home that fit their needs. That meant dedicating the south wing to the owner’s psychiatry practice complete with a separate entrance and driveway. The house also had a distinctly 1990s look.
After the psychiatrist died in late 2015, his widow did not want to stay. Litz and Eaton Development Company bought the property in a private sale.
“It’s very hard to find ranches ever for sale in this area,” said John Eaton, who is living temporarily in the renovated house with his family. “We saw the potential.”
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But it still required months of work to change the layout and create a look updated for the 21st century, along with touches that lend to a luxury lifestyle. Outside, the home went from a dark tan stucco to a soft white.
The remodel included merging the two sides of the house, without leaving either wing feeling isolated. Many walls were taken down to create larger rooms. One bedroom in the 1990s house, for instance, was only 12 feet wide.
“It was a very big house that didn’t function well,” said Margie Litz, the Realtor.
The kitchen has undergone a dramatic change. Once in the front of the house — in a space that is now an office — the cooking space is now in the rear of the house and is actually two rooms: a chef’s kitchen for catering and an open kitchen that's part of the great room.
A butler’s pantry provides additional food and drink prep space.
Back towards the rear, that great room features a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows that open onto the patio above the swimming pool, a private-label design that Litz and Eaton sell.
"It makes it so you can entertain out there and in here at the same time,” Eaton said. “This is a very entertaining house.”
Now, the fireplace is one of the focal points of the light-filled, airy room. Previously, it was set off in a small niche by itself.
A builder’s know-how shows throughout the remodel. Stairs down to the basement and up to the second-floor loft have been opened up, to shed the tunnel feel they once had.
In the basement, Eaton rearranged some doors to ensure that one of the walls was long enough to house a wide-screen television. The basement technically has one bedroom but there’s also a workout room that could transform into a sixth bedroom.
Throughout the house, Eaton has used his experience renovating homes to anticipate the next owner's needs.
For instance, the laundry room, which is airy and bright, has two washers and two dryers. Eaton has enjoyed the double laundries in the past two homes in which he has lived. The extra washer and dryer proved so useful, he’s now trying to incorporate them into all the homes that Eaton builds.
Call IndyStar staff reporter Shari Rudavsky at (317) 444-6354. Follow her on Twitter and on Facebook.
Take a look inside the home at 8333 N. Illinois. Provided by Home Aesthetic
ABOUT THE HOME
Location: 8333 N. Illinois Street.
Details: 5 bedrooms, 6 baths, kitchen with separate chef's kitchen, double washer and dryer, three-car attached garage, 7848 square foot on acre lot with pool.
Open House: Sunday 2 to 4 p.m.
Asking price: $1,550,000.
Listing: 21528816.
Contact: Margie Litz, Litz Real Estate, (317) 797-2745, margielitz@comcast.net.
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