Lead guitarist Zach Filkins of the pop rock group OneRepublic is asking $3.75 million for his Chicagoland house.
The residence in La Grange, Illinois, some thirty minutes outside of the city, was purchased by Filkins and his spouse, Lindsay, for $445,000 in 2009, according to property records. The couple has since changed a lot of the house with a few finished renovations.
Listing agent Annie Harrington of @properties Christie’s International Real Estate stated that the house was originally built in 1912 and has a Foursquare design, which is typical of the La Grange historic district. Annie Harrington listed the property on Friday.
Following modest do-it-yourself upgrades upon moving in and a “first phase” of renovations starting in 2013, the house was completely demolished in 2016 and 2017, with the exception of a few exterior walls, for a comprehensive reconstruction that included an expansion.
“We essentially tripled the square footage and fully encapsulated the original structure,” Filkins wrote in an email. “My primary philosophy for this home was to find the balance between comfort for our family and guests and classic detail and design reminiscent of old English and Mediterranean architecture and interiors.”
Now, the home’s three floors offer 5,398 square feet of living space, and the basement, of which about 90% was dug out during the renovation to expand it, adds another 2,820 square feet, Harrington said. An attached heated and cooled three-car garage—a rare luxury in the historic neighborhood—plus the connected mudroom/entryway bring the total square footage to about 9,000.
The main level’s open concept layout includes a kitchen with a huge island, a pizza oven, a wet bar, and a wine fridge in addition to a family room, living room, and dining area with numerous fireplaces.
There are six and a half baths and five bedrooms. The main suite on the second level features a huge bathroom with wood vanities, a marble double shower, and a soaking tub, as well as two walk-in closets.
In addition to a music studio that doubles as a library, the roomy basement features a home theater/game room, a wine cellar, an exercise area, and a bonus room.
Though they designed the home to live there forever, a new venture is now forcing his family to leave the Chicago area, Filkins said.
“Since Lindsay and I have been married, it has been a dream of ours to own and operate a vineyard and winery, and last year we were honored to have been offered the opportunity to take over and rebrand an existing winery in Coloma, Michigan,” he said. “We quickly discovered that we could not successfully operate this property [Filkins Vineyards] from Illinois, so although it breaks our hearts, we must say goodbye to this home.”