Rising like a stage set along Illinois Highway 59 in Naperville in the center of high-growth suburbia is a small development of Victorian-style townhouses.
The eye-catching project reflects the aesthetic taste and passion of developer Joseph Hudetz, who first saw such homes around secluded private gardens in London several decades ago when he and his wife Pat were college students.
President of System 27 Corp., Hudetz has developed commercial properties over the years, but this is the first of his projects that has a residential component.
Working with partner Andrew Glassford, Hudetz has planned 40 attached homes built in an oval around a formal 320-by-150-foot English garden with a large central reflecting pool next door to Tamarack Golf Club.
Another 16 townhouses are planned to face the 18th green and clubhouse of the golf course. A two-story, 40,000-square-foot commercial complex in the same painted-lady style and with a tea shop will face Illinois 59.
Those of us who think of Naperville as a modern new-growth city may find the choice of Victorian unusual, although Hudetz says it is a style reminiscent of some of the homes in the suburb’s downtown.
This project is nearer the edge of Naperville than its heart, however. More unusual may be the concept of an enclosed oval of townhouses with a private central courtyard.
Still a work in progress, the multi-colored facades of the first homes are visible to passersby. The colorful front doors and small porches now on view will be hidden in the future as the townhouse oval is completed around the elaborate private garden.
In addition to the reflecting pool, which Hudetz expects to be used as an ice skating rink in the winter, the central English garden will have a koi pond, a maze garden, a play-and-game area and statuary.
Hudetz, an avid gardener, planned this space with the help of Nancy Carroll, past president of the Naperville Garden Club.
There are five floor plans, named for queens, ranging from the Mary Stuart with 2,203 square feet to the Victoria with 2,940 square feet.
There are three three-story floor plans and two two-story. Both of the models–the 2,359-square-foot Lady Jane, and the 2,792-square-foot Anne–are three-story units.
All the units are adaptable for residents with limited mobility. Hallways and bathrooms are built with wall supports, should grab bars become desirable. There are step-free thresholds to both the front porch and deck for those using walkers and wheelchairs. Framing for an elevator is included in every unit.
The Anne model illustrates how the home would look should the buyers decide to make it accessible. The vertical townhouse was built with Hudetz’s 24-year-old daughter, who uses a wheelchair, in mind.
It has an elevator–a $27,000 upgrade–in the space where others might have selected a pantry, wine cellar or sauna. And the luxurious kitchen has a center island open under the counter and open under the kitchen sink to accommodate a wheelchair.
A raised dishwasher to make loading and unloading easier is an idea that might appeal to a wide range of potential buyers.
These changes are done so beautifully and blend so seamlessly into the decor that it is likely the only buyers who will notice the special features are those who need them.
Courtyard provides focus
In general, the homes have garages, family rooms, patios and decks at the back of the townhouses on the outside perimeter of the oval. Dining rooms and master bedrooms face the inner courtyard. Basements are standard.
The front door of the Anne plan opens into a front foyer and stairway to the upper levels. The ground floor has a center hallway from the front door to the garage at the rear of the unit.
Across the hall from the stairs is a 14-by-10-foot study. Behind it, a generous powder room. A 4-by-5 1/2-foot storage area which can be used for an elevator shaft is across the hall.
On the second floor, the dining room faces the central courtyard. Behind the dining room is the kitchen, about 16 by 13 feet, with a butler pantry to the dining room.
An open counter separates the kitchen from the 18-by-13-foot family room at the back of the unit. To the right of the family room is the breakfast area, about 14 by 9 1/2 feet, which has doors to a 5-by-10-foot deck.
Like the one below it, the second floor has a central hall. Across the hall from the kitchen is the space which can be a good-sized pantry. A powder room is along the hall.
The third floor is the bedroom level. The master bedroom suite at the front of the units includes the bedroom, 13 by 13 feet, with a 6 1/2-by-11-foot sitting room in a bay overlooking the English garden.
The master bath is big–15 1/2 by 13 feet–as is the walk-in closet. Opposite the top of the stairs is the closet for the washer and dryer and a bedroom at the back, which is 15 by 15 1/2 feet and has a large walk-in closet and a private bath.
The builder has lavished a lot of thought and enthusiasm on the English theme. The sales office’s recorded message is a voice with a British accent.
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Oswego painter Lyn Santa has used special techniques for interior walls that mimic period wallpaper and other “aged” looks. The planning for the English garden is formal and elaborate.
When it comes to outside details, this development is for those who appreciate “more is more” rather than the modern “less is more” maxim.
More than two dozen colors have been used on the facades, according to the builder. I don’t doubt it, but I can’t help but wonder what the homeowners’ meeting will be like when it comes time to repaint.
These are not inexpensive homes, but they come with a number of nice touches. From the solid core doors to true divided light windows, not those snap-ins. Units also have battery back-up sump pumps and leak sensors on refrigerators.
The builder has resurrected the dumbwaiter in the three-story units as a conveyance device to lift groceries and other purchases from the garage to the second floor.
There is a large underground cistern below the reflecting pond that collects rainwater from the copper gutters and downspouts to provide irrigation for the gardens.
Some outdoor porches on the homes are more for effect than real use, however. And in the drive to making the units low maintenance, modern materials have been substituted on the exterior for the wood used in the authentic “painted ladies.”
In some cases, those work well, in other cases they do not. The buyers who will be happiest here, I suspect, will be those who share the builder’s elaborate English vision.
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English Rows
Address: 4159 Royal Mews Circle, Naperville
Developer: System 27 Corp.
Phone: 630-904-3700
Web: www.englishrows.com
Description: Two- and three-bedroom townhouses with two and three floors in 56-home development. Two-bedroom with one bath and two powder rooms to three bedrooms with two baths, two powder rooms. Units are 2,203 to 2,940 square feet and have basements and attached two-car garages. Base prices are $419,000 to $589,000. Monthly assessment $350. Prices as of June 17.
Amenities: Nine-foot ceilings, hardwood floors in study/parlor, ceramic tile foyer, kitchen, powder room, laundry and bath. Fieldstone kitchen cabinets, granite countertops. GE stainless steel appliances, Kohler kitchen sinks and bath fixtures. Two-stop dumbwaiter in three-floor units.
Neighborhood: Near stores and golf course, YMCA. A short drive to shopping centers, downtown Naperville.
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