Check Out Gold Coast Home In Oprah’s Old Neighborhood: How Much House

ILLINOIS — Most of us don’t live the same lifestyle as the prospective new owners of the three houses featured this week in How Much House. Call it “house envy” or something else, it’s fun to be a bit of a voyeur and peek inside the kinds of homes celebrities choose.

For many Americans, a “dream house” is a fairly modest single-family home with a good-sized back yard and maybe a swimming pool and other amenities that give it a vacation or spa-like feel.

A typical three-bedroom house can range in price from the high $100,000s to about $900,000, depending on the local real estate market. Last year, the median U.S. home price sale in 2023 was $417,700, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

These houses cost millions of dollars. Are they worth the price? Take a look inside and gauge for yourself. We start this week in Illinois and also take a look inside luxury homes in New Hampshire and New York.

Illinois | $3,249,000

861 N. LaSalle St., Chicago
Listed by: Matt Laricy | Americorp
Square feet: 7,480
Acreage: 0.08 acre
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 7 (5 full)
Year built: 1888

It’s not unusual to see celebrities and others in the rich and famous crowd in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood, one of the country’s most affluent enclaves. Its streets are defined by historic mansions, designer boutiques, celebrated restaurants and trendy nightclubs. Some of its famous residents have included Oprah Winfrey, “Wedding Crashers” and “Dodgeball” actor Vince Vaughn and rapper Chance.

This Gold Coast home seamlessly blends original classic features — two grand staircases, stained-glass windows and multiple fireplaces — with ultra-modern design to create an open space that’s ideal for entertaining.

It even has a coach house!

Featured in CS Magazine, Chicago’s top luxury lifestyle publication, the home was completely renovated in 2008 by architects Marc and Patti Trudeau.

Floor-to-ceiling windows bathe the east facade in sunlight. The gracious formal living room has high ceilings, large windows and built-ins. The stylish dining room with built-ins and a buffet leads to a grand modern kitchen with custom wood and glass cabinetry, a massive island with room for seating, high-end stainless steel appliances and an unimaginable amount of storage space.

The lower level, which has heated floors throughout, also has a prep kitchen, a bedroom, laundry room, wine cellar and even a pet bath.

All the bedrooms are ensuite. The primary suite has a fireplace, a private balcony, an enormous walk-in closet and a spa-like bath with heated floors, a Japanese soaking tub and steam shower.

The top-floor office has custom built-ins and accordion doors that open to a large, stylish deck with breathtaking skyline views.

The property comes with a 2.5-car detached garage. Peek inside for more photos.

New Hampshire | $4,850,000

4 Newbury Road, Windham
Listed by: Phil Harasek | MC440 LLC, DBA Keller Williams Gateway Realty
Square feet: 12,766
Acreage: 3.20 acres
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 9 (6 full)
Year built: 2007

The Ironwood Gate Community is one of the most exclusive in Newbury, a town in southern New Hampshire whose development is closely linked to Lake Sunapee and Mount Sunapee. Celebrity sightings aren’t uncommon in this part of New Hampshire. You might see any number of A-listers here.

This particular estate with generous, well-manicured grounds overlooks Mitchell Pond and the Windham Rail Trail. The sprawling mansion has a pool house, infinity pool, hot tub and tennis court.

The bridal staircase off the foyer makes a bold statement, setting the tone for the entire home. On the first floor are an oversized living room with an aquarium, a guest suite, a gorgeous chef’s kitchen with a butler’s pantry, a dining room, a sun room, a custom library, and an attached four-car garage.

The luxurious primary suite is on the second level. The walk-in closet with custom built-ins and an oversized island and a see-through fireplace. The ensuite bath has dual shower heads and a gorgeous tub.

Three more generously sized ensuite bedrooms, each with a walk-in closet, are found on the second floor.

Additional features are a home gym and a recreation room with bar area, an impressive home theater, a wine cellar, a second kitchen, a family room and a bonus room, all on the finished lower level. It opens to an additional two-car garage. Peek inside for more photos.

New York | $4,680,000

128 E. 38th St., New York
Listed by: Ke (Kay) Yan | Real Mart Realty
Square feet: 2,400
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 3 (all full)
Year built: 1869

This four-story luxury townhouse in the fashionable Murray Hill Historic District is one of five similar Second Empire-style brownstones on E. 38th Street and was originally built in 1868. Former residents of the Murray Hill district are as famous as landmarks like the Chrysler and Empire State buildings, and include the likes of Katharine Hepburn, Cole Porter, Tennessee Williams, J.P. Morgan and others.

The town home has been completely gutted and rehabbed with high-end finishes in a two-year project to meet the modern tastes of today’s buyers. Some highlights include automatic light-diffusing sheers and shadings on the windows, three working marble fireplaces and smart home technology.

Nothing gets the short shrift in the reimagination of the space. A special highlight is the primary suite, which occupies the fourth floor and has 17 windows, seven of them skylights, that let in natural light. The ensuite bath has a Porcelanosa deep soaking tub, a glass-enclosed shower and a custom vanity. Spiral stairs lead to a private rooftop deck, which offers incredible skyline views.

The home opens to a gracious foyer that leads to an open dining room and chef’s kitchen with custom cabinetry, a white marble backs-plash, an onyx countertop and high-end stainless steel appliances.

The second-level parlor floor has double exposures, nearly 11-foot ceilings and a step-out balcony overlooking a private courtyard. It has spacious living, entertaining and lounging areas, a wet bar, and a sleek marble wood fireplace.

The third floor is currently used as an office and dressing area, and has a wall of floor-to-ceiling custom built-in wardrobes. With a full bathroom in the rear corner, it can easily be converted into a bedroom, or it can be combined with the fourth-floor primary suite to form a grand primary duplex.

The cellar is finished, too. It has a full bathroom, two bay windows and a separate staircase to the street level. Laundry facilities are found there. There’s even a secret room — a large, 100-square-foot storage room separate from the main house that’s tucked under the sidewalk. Peek inside for more photos.

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