HouseWalk will be, clockwise from top left,
La Banque Hotel in Homewood, 1950s ranch in
Flossmoor Park, a home on Vanderwalker Lane
in Homewood and a home in the Flossmoor
Estates neighborhood. (Provided photos)
Three distinctive homes and La Banque Hotel will be on display during the 2016 HouseWalk, presented for the 61st year by Flossmoor Service League.
The HouseWalk will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, May 18. A luncheon at La Voute Bistro, located in the hotel, will feature a buffet and dessert bar.
A French Market at La Banque will include selections from local boutiques, baked goods and fresh flowers.
Tickets are $25 for the HouseWalk and $25 for the luncheon. Further information is available at www.flossmoorserviceleague.org. All proceeds from the event support south suburban charities.
La Banque, in downtown Homewood, is new to this year’s HouseWalk. Ticket-holders will be able to tour the entire hotel, including a guest suite, workout room, lobby and meeting room.
This year’s houses reflect a variety of styles and demonstrate how classic designs can be updated for contemporary use.
The first home is a two-story 1950s ranch in Flossmoor Park. Gigi Gummerson is displaying the home as a tribute to her late husband Scott’s architectural artistry. Renovations at the house over the past 26 years demonstrate how to blend the past and present in a unique, modern way. The home includes a “mother-in-law” suite and a number of custom features such as offices and a playroom/family gathering space with vault-ed ceiling and wraparound windows. A collection of mid-century furniture, industrial metal and artwork celebrates creativity throughout the home.
The second home is located on Vanderwalker Lane in Homewood. It was built in 1919 and sits on a secluded flagpole lot. The original owner was a designer and author of a number of books on design and decorating. The second owner was a student of famed architect Mies van der Rohe. The current owners have stayed true to the original design of the home. The grounds were restored with indigenous plants and pathways for walking and sitting.
The third home is in the Flossmoor Estates neighborhood. The home was originally designed and built in 1939; since then only three families have lived in the house. Kimberly Payne and Don Popravak purchased the home in 2007. They have remodeled the interior extensively, as well as the landscaping, gardens and patio. Their property includes a koi pond and greenhouse.
Tickets for the HouseWalk and luncheon can be purchased on the website and at the following locations beginning in early May: Art4Soul, 18135 Harwood Ave., Homewood; Angelo’s Fresh Market, 1044 Sterling Ave., Flossmoor; and UpsaDaisy Boutique, 18100 Martin Ave., Homewood.
Flossmoor Service League, established in 1955, is a volunteer organization with a mission to assist others in need, particularly in helping to provide basic human services through not-for-profit organizations in the south suburban area. The organization is dedicated to community improvement through fundraising and distribution of financial resources and services to local charitable agencies.
Note: This story first appeared in the April print edition of the Chronicle.