Lake Forest Showhouse & Gardens returns for first time since 2020

A Georgian-style red brick Lake Forest home designed in 1969 by architect William Frazier, plus two cottages and surrounding gardens, have undergone a transformation by 40 leading landscape and interior designers for the Lake Forest Showhouse & Gardens.

Open for touring through June 4, the Showhouse is a fundraiser for the Lake Forest Chapter of the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago. Typically held biennially, the last Showhouse was staged in 2020, when its opening was delayed by the pandemic. This is the 19th Showhouse produced by the chapter. To date, more than $5 million has been raised for the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago. For more information on the designers featured, visit www.lakeforestshowhouse.com/designers.

"One of the delights of a Showhouse is the level of equal attention paid to all spaces," said Nicole Balch, an interior designer and blogger from Oak Park. One may expect to be wowed by a living room or kitchen, she said, "but a show house may have you walking away still thinking about a particularly beautiful hallway."

Balch points to the Lake Forest Showhouse mudroom, by Katy Evans Design, as an example.

"What may have otherwise been a strictly utilitarian space was made beautiful with William Morris wallpaper and a deep green coat of paint on the cabinetry, as well as functional pegs and storage. A sweet scalloped bench provides a place to sit."

Scallops emerged as a motif among Showhouse designers, who do not coordinate with each other in their design. Other trends Balch noted include the use of Lucite curtain rods, brackets and pedestals to showcase decorative objects, decorative tape trimming out curtains and upholstery and contrasting soft or sleek textures with something a bit rougher. "The choice made by many in the Showhouse was white plaster finishes," Balch noted.

For more information or for tickets to tour the home and gardens, visit www.lakeforestshowhouse.com. Tickets must be purchased in advance and are timed. The hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, through June 4.

• Nicole Balch, an interior designer who blogs at makingitlovely.com and is on Instagram at @makingitlovely, lives in Oak Park, where she is renovating her Victorian home. She can be reached at nicole@makingitlovely.com.