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A former electric substation with retained Art Deco facades in downtown Chicago was repurposed and turned into a contemporary mansion. This beautifully preserved and updated mansion is now on the market priced at $9.99 million.
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The repurposed electric substation is measured at 15,000 square feet with wide open interior spaces, beautiful views and an abundance of natural lighting. It has gorgeous four stories, six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, light wells, terraces, atria, a large front lawn, swimming pool and patio.
Additionally, it has an elevator, a rooftop greenhouse, two kitchens, a fitness space, large wine cellar tasting room and a four-car garage all with a retained grace of the original Art Deco design of the original building.
The listing agent of this repurposed Chicago electric substation is Emily Sachs Wong of @properties in Chicago.
This front view of the house also has a pool and lawn of grass traversed in the middle by a concrete walkway leading to the glass main doors on the far side. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
This is the wrap-around balcony complemented by the gorgeous glass walls of the house exterior and the planters on the sides with colorful shrubs. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
This is a great room that houses the living room on the distance and a music area that has a grand piano on the corner paired with a few comfortable chairs on an open area topped with a crystal chandelier. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
The living room has a large beige area rug that covers most of the hardwood flooring to pair with the beige walls and beige sofa with a nice background afforded by the tall glass walls and doors leading to the back. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
The large beige sofa of the living room is paired with a couple of deep blue velvet arm chairs and a wooden coffee table under large white ceiling. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
This living room has a direct access to the backyard through tall glass doors that also bring in an abundance of natural lighting to brighten the earthy beige tones of the living room. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
The living area is paired with a modern fireplace embedded into a beige wall with a long and narrow ledge for additional seats or for decors. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
Across from the fireplace is a decorative glass-top coffee table on a white area rug that contrasts the dark hardwood flooring and the dark tone of the sofa. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
This is a simple yet relaxing second level living room withe an L-shaped sectional sofa paired with a small dark wooden coffee table and a couple of arm chairs brightened by the surrounding glass walls. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
The kitchen of the house has a large white kitchen island contrasted by the dark hardwood flooring and black countertop to match those of the cooking area across from it. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
The large white kitchen island with a dark countertop is topped with a charming lighting that hangs from the wide white ceiling with recessed lights to pair the lighting of the tops of the cabinets. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
This part of the kitchen has another sink area paired with dark wooden cabinetry with dark handles to complement the beige walls brightened by the glass walls. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
This is the faucet area of the kitchen with dark cabinetry lining the walls to match the dark frames of the row of glass windows that bring in natural lighting to balance the dark hardwood flooring. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
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This formal dining room is dominated by the grogeous pair of crystal chandeliers that stands out against the black wall. These hang over a large wooden dining table surrounded by gray cushioned chairs. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
This bedroom has enough space for a couple of wooden four poster beds that match the dark hardwood flooring and the earthy beige wall adorned with various framed artworks above the wooden bedside table in between the two beds. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
This is the primary bedroom with a large bed that has a cushioned headboard to stand out against the beige wall and matching ceiling brightened by the glass wall and door leading to the small balcony. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
The lovely and spacious walk-in closet has large wooden structures lining the walls with racks, cabinets and drawers surrounding a small cushioned ottoman on a round area rug. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
Beside the glass-enclosed shower area is the freestanding white porcelain bathtub topped with a bright ceiling bearing a flush-mount lighting in the middle. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
Across from the shower area is this large two-sink vanity with a modern floating cabinetry paired with a large wide wall-mounted mirror with lamps on it. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
This bathroom has beautiful earthy marble floor and walls that are complemented by the glass walls of the shower area as well as the frosted glass window for privacy. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
This other bathroom has a dark brown floating modern vanity to match the dark brown walls of the shower area and the housing of the bathtub contrasted by the bathtub and the toilet beside it. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
This wide hall has a big open space that can be used for any occasion to admit a large number of guests. The warm lights complement the beige walls contrasted by the dark steel frame of the staircase. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
This is the second floor landing with a nice view of the stair case bordered with glass to complement the metal frame of the stairs and wooden steps that match the hardwood flooring. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
This is the beautiful playroom of the house with a wide and open hardwood flooring with enough space for play, a couple of sofas for sitting and even a table and chair set. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
The gorgeous deep blue walls of this home office makes the fireplace stand out across from the charming dark wooden desk on a patterned area rug. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
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This is the charming wine celar with walls dominated by the dark wooden structures for wine storage paired with a hardwood flooring and a tall beige ceiling. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
The simple yet gorgeous library of the house has a couple of large wooden bookshelves embedded into the walls flanking the comfortable blue velvet sofa and the two brown cushioned chairs. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
At the back of the house just outside the glass doors is an outdoor dining area with long dark dining tables paired with wooden benches on a concrete flooring. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
Across from the outdoor dining area is this comfortable sitting area with a couple of lawn chairs with foot stools facing the pool area. Images courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
In the early days of architecture when labor and materials were relatively inexpensive, even city utility buildings were dressed in the latest style. Today, new utility installations are bid out and the lowest bid accepted with no regard for the aesthetics of the installation but instead based on price and function alone. As the population increased so did the need for larger, more functional utilities, which needs rapidly outgrew the buildings in which they were formerly housed.
The electrical substations today, made up of huge open coils, transformers, pipes and wiring on fenced-in concrete pads create a public eyesore in comparison to the lovely Art Deco era when they were encased inside building walls that were carefully decorated in the architectural style of the day, making them a welcome addition to their respective neighborhoods.
No longer a simple operation, there are three types of these open air facilities; one to increase voltage, one to decrease voltage and the third to distribute the correct amount of voltage to the places where needed.
With the changing needs incurred by population growth, the original architect-designed utility buildings were left empty. Realizing the architectural value by developers, the cities began selling these now unwanted buildings to contractors, business owners and potential homeowners for repurposing. Such is the case with this former electric substation in downtown Chicago whose residential buyer retained the fine Art Deco facades and turned the building into a contemporary mansion.
Now one of the city’s most expensive and glamorous homes, the 15,000-square-foot building is cutting-edge contemporary with its original Art Deco facade incorporated into the design. With wide open interior spaces, beautiful views and lots of sunlight, the six-bedroom, seven-bath home has light wells, terraces, atria, a large front lawn, swimming pool and patio. At over four stories, it has an elevator, a rooftop greenhouse, two kitchens, a fitness space, large wine cellar tasting room and a four-car garage.
Chicago’s Prairie style Art Deco former electric company substation turned elegant urban contemporary is priced at $9.99 million – reduced from $13.9 million. The listing agent is Emily Sachs Wong of @properties in Chicago.
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Jon Dykstra
Jon practiced law before launching his online publishing career, bringing analytical rigor to everything he builds. Home Stratosphere combines that precision with a lifelong obsession with residential design — architecture, interiors, landscape, and furniture.
His current focus is AI-driven design analysis, using artificial intelligence to study patterns in color, layout, and material choice across thousands of homes. His Personality Type Home Design Guide applies personality frameworks to interior aesthetics, helping readers design spaces that reflect how they actually think and live.
His favorite piece on the site is the 25 Most Popular Designs, is a daily-updated ranking of the top designs over the last 30 days, driven entirely by visitor activity. The feedback is invaluable for understanding what resonates most with readers. LinkedIn
