Lakefront mansion in Winnetka listed for $18M

A seven-bedroom, 15,784-square-foot mansion on Lake Michigan in Winnetka was listed Friday for $18 million.

Built in 2005 by Orren Pickell Builders and Sexton Homes, the 20-room mansion was listed in an agents-only private listing network. It comes on the heels of the $35 million listing on Aug. 10 of retired investment banker Muneer Satter’s seven-bedroom, 13,894-square-foot mansion on Lake Michigan. That $35 million asking price is a record asking price for Winnetka, although it pales in comparison to the $77.7 million that the Tribune found that billionaire Justin Ishbia has spent to assemble and build his mansion a little farther south on Lake Michigan, but still in Winnetka.

Friday’s $18 million listing is a 15,784-square-foot lakefront mansion, whose longtime owners have been Morris and Pearl Silverman. The Silvermans paid $578,000 for the land in 2003, and set about building the mansion.

The mansion has six full bathrooms, two half bathrooms, five fireplaces, two interior staircases along with stairs and an electric tram leading to the beach, a Ralph Lauren-inspired library, a Marc Chagall-inspired circular mosaic ceiling and Tiffany-designed glass doors and windows. Other features include three stone terraces, two decks, a full outdoor kitchen, a pool, a hot tub and a sitting area with a fire pit that overlooks more than 100 feet of sandy beach.

“Some homes don’t have a stairway down, and (this one has) a stairway and a tram,” listing agent Sharon Friedman of @properties, who is co listing the mansion with Courtney Cook, told Elite Street. “And there are lake views from almost everywhere.”

The mansion also has a primary bedroom suite with a sitting room and a private deck, Juliet balconies overlooking the foyer, and a lower level with a full kitchen, a state-of-the-art theater room with 11 leather reclining chairs, a golf simulator room and a steam room and spa.

“(The Silvermans) worked on the house for nearly two years, and built it totally custom — it’s magnificently designed, with a lot of European craftsmanship. There are special marble mantels and beautiful millwork done by artisans from Europe,” Friedman said. “It’s very tasteful, and not overly ornate. It’s a very large house and yet it is very warm and inviting. It’s a nice combination.”

The mansion sits on a 1.3-acre parcel.

Friedman said the Silvermans are selling because they are “ready for something a little smaller.”

The mansion had a $198,403 property tax bill in the 2023 tax year.

Winnetka’s next-highest-priced mansion is a five-bedroom, 12,692-square-foot mansion on a 0.75-acre lakefront lot that is farther south on Sheridan Road. It’s available for $10.699 million.

Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.

A seven-bedroom, 15,784-square-foot mansion on Lake Michigan in Winnetka was listed Friday for $18 million. (Petr Poliak/VHT Studios)

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