Located outside the city in La Grange, Zach Filkins fully renovated and expanded the home in 2016
BY CASEY FARMER | ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 26, 2024 | MANSION GLOBAL
Zach Filkins has owned the home since 2009.COMPOSITE: GETTY IMAGES; VHT STUDIOS
Zach Filkins, lead guitarist for the pop rock band OneRepublic, is selling his Chicago-area home for $3.75 million.
Filkins and his wife, Lindsay, bought the La Grange, Illinois, home—about a half-hour outside the city—in 2009 for $445,000, property records show. Since then, the couple has completed a few renovations to transform much of the home.
Built-in 1912, the house originally had a Foursquare design, common to the historic district of La Grange, said listing agent Annie Harrington of @properties Christie’s International Real Estate, who brought the home to market on Friday.
Zach Filkins pictured in his home for “The Red Nose Day Special” on NBC.
NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
After some DIY improvements upon moving in and a “first phase” of renovations beginning in 2013, the home was taken down to the studs—save for a small portion of the exterior walls—for a full renovation, including an addition, from 2016 to 2017.
“We essentially tripled the square footage and fully encapsulated the original structure,” Filkins wrote in an email. “My primary philosophy for this home was to find the balance between comfort for our family and guests and classic detail and design reminiscent of old English and Mediterranean architecture and interiors.”
Now, the home’s three floors offer 5,398 square feet of living space, and the basement, of which about 90% was dug out during the renovation to expand it, adds another 2,820 square feet, Harrington said. An attached heated and cooled three-car garage—a rare luxury in the historic neighborhood—plus the connected mudroom/entryway brings the total square footage to about 9,000.
The nearly 3,000-square-foot basement has several rooms, including a home theater/game room. VHT Studios
“There are big homes in La Grange—this exceeds expectations as far as size,” Harrington said.
For the interior design, the couple drew inspiration from their favorite restaurants and hotels they’ve visited while touring with OneRepublic—known for its hits “Counting Stars” and “I Lived”—such as the Corinthia in London and the Bowery Hotel in New York, Filkins said.
“I have always been drawn to the maximalism of Ralph Lauren and old English architecture,” he said. “Although these styles involve a lot of detail and layering, one still feels fully comfortable and at home.”
The open-plan main level has a family room, a living room, and a dining area—with multiple fireplaces—as well as a kitchen with a large island, a pizza oven, a wet bar, and a wine fridge.
There are five bedrooms and six and a half bathrooms. The second-floor primary suite has two walk-in closets and a large bathroom with walnut vanities, a marble double shower, and a soaking tub.
The spacious basement has an exercise room, a wine cellar, a home theater/game room, a bonus room, and, of course, a music studio, which also serves as a library.
Though they designed the home to live there forever, a new venture is now forcing his family to leave the Chicago area, Filkins said.
“Since Lindsay and I have been married, it has been a dream of ours to own and operate a vineyard and winery, and last year we were honored to have been offered the opportunity to take over and rebrand an existing winery in Coloma, Michigan,” he said. “We quickly discovered that we could not successfully operate this property [Filkins Vineyards] from Illinois, so although it breaks our hearts, we must say goodbye to this home.”
