What does $15 million buy in Naperville? House listing breaks DuPage County record
A $15 million manor in Naperville is on the market, making it the highest-priced house ever listed for sale in DuPage County.
The 15,453-square-foot house rests on slightly more than an acre of land in the 200 block of West Van Buren Avenue, near the western edge of downtown Naperville.
The seller, Jane Kern Brooks, is listed as the owner of Beau Savon LLC in Naperville, the maker of handmade soaps. Brooks declined to comment on the sale of her home.
Jane Brooks built the house two years ago with her husband, the late Donald A. Brooks, owner of The McCrone Group in Westmont, a laboratory and supplier of microscopes and other scientific instruments. Donald Brooks was 79 when he died unexpectedly on Feb. 21, according to his obituary.
Donald and Jane Brooks employed a team of architects, builders and craftsmen, according to the real estate listing. Cook Architectural Design Studio in Chicago served as the architect. Hickman Design Associates in Chicago planned the interior design. Muellner Construction in Batavia was the builder.
The house has five bedrooms, 7½ baths, a gym, wine cellar, sunroom, screened porch and an in-ground saltwater pool buffeted by a fire pit and an outdoor grilling area, according to the real estate listing.
The house was designed to evoke images of a stone manor set amid a large corner lot, according to the listing. Design features include limestone and white oak floors, white oak beams and a slate and galvanized steel roof, according to the listing.
"The residence embodies a casual, comfortable style," the listing reads. "The interplay between rustic, vintage and architecturally refined elements ... infuse the home with a sense of hospitality."
Crain's Chicago Business first reported the sale of the home, noting that a $7.7 million house sold in Hinsdale previously held the record as the highest-priced home sale in DuPage County. In Naperville, only two houses have been publicly listed for sale for more than $4 million since 2008, Crain's reported.
The newly listed Naperville home is being marketed by agent Lauren Walz of Coldwell Banker in Hinsdale, who did not respond to interview requests.