The house carries more than a century of layered design history, beginning with Henry Ives Cobb, who built the limestone mansion for a Chicago real estate and zinc mining tycoon. Cobb’s architecture—complete with English walled gardens, a reflection pond, and a limestone-domed gazebo—set the stage for generations of family, and the city’s own history, to unfold across its 3.5 acres.

In 1935, the original owner’s philanthropist daughter enlisted architect David Adler and his sister, the beloved Chicago designer Frances Elkins, to renovate the interiors and add the gated pool and pool house.

For the designers behind this year's show house, the 15,000-square-foot, 30-room home proved the ultimate playground for their imaginations. Every room was a chance to re-envision contemporary grandeur while honoring Elkins and Adler’s legacy. Though the house was nearly entirely renovated, precious discoveries—like original millwork and wallpaper—became guiding details in the restoration, keeping the spirit of the original home alive for us all to enjoy.

Highland Park-based interior designer Courtney Petit—the child of an antiques dealer and herself an art historian educated in Florence—began her career with a lifelong passion for preserving the beauty of historic homes for a new era. The Showhouse brought her back to those early impressions—all the way back: she grew up just down the street. Those childhood days spent in a glamorous 1970s pool scene—women in vintage swimwear, smoking cigarettes and soaking up the summer sun—shaped her vision for the Ladies Lounge.

Maggie Getz brings us a modern-day dining room for people who want to entertain the new-fashioned way—more dining lounge than 20-person formal sit-down. The Chicago designer leaned into a moody, less fussy palette and her love of textiles, layering robust florals and lots and lots of texture with cozy, eclectic antique pieces. All attention points back to Frances Elkins’ original fireplace, a focal point of the room. Her space captures exactly what this year’s Showhouse is all about: honoring the home’s storied past while making space for how we live now.