In a display of bravado and talent, 47 interior and landscape designers have transformed a historical 15,000-square-foot home in Lake Forest, Illinois, for the Lake Forest Showhouse and Gardens 2025, which opens for tours April 26 through May 25. Renowned architect Henry Ives Cobb masterfully blended classic architectural design with serene English-style gardens when he designed the 30-bedroom manse once known as Pembroke Lodge. Originally built in 1895, the residence sits on more than three acres and includes a formal garden, a tranquil reflecting pond, and a graceful limestone-domed gazebo. Finely finished Wisconsin limestone cloaks the exterior, which is adorned with classical details such as dentil cornices and balusters.It’s not the first transformation the house has undergone—in 1935, prolific Chicago architect David Adler augmented the home’s already storied pedigree when he renovated the interiors for the original owner’s daughter. Additionally, he designed a pool house and gated pool. Adler’s efforts were joined by Frances Elkins, his sister and a visionary designer herself who worked on many homes in the area throughout her career. The property remained in the hands of the same family until the ’60s. Then, a series of renovations in the ’70s and ’80s stripped the home of its traditional aesthetic, although the exterior remained mostly unchanged since its original design.The front porch of the 2025 Lake Forest Showhouse & Gardens by Cynthia McCullough Interiors Photo: Heather Talbert“The challenge for show house designers was to restore the home’s traditional detailing while making it a warm, inviting, and functional space for a young family,” says Susan Rolander, principal of Rolander Architects and one of six co-chairs of the 2025 Lake Forest Showhouse and Gardens. Challenge accepted: The participating pros took about 75% of the home down to the studs, updated its mechanical systems, added an elevator, and installed a smart home system in addition to replacing hardwood floors, wainscot paneling, crown moldings, baseboards, and casings. In some spaces, they discovered original millwork and wallpaper beneath layers, using the finds as cues for their restoration work. “It was like an archaeological excavation,” Rolander said. Throughout the numerous rooms on the first and second floors—including eight bedrooms with en suite bathrooms—and the outdoor spaces, the designers, mostly from the Chicago area, created the next evolution of the home while considering its history and holding some reverence for Adler and Elkins.“I felt like I was shaping a special piece of Chicago’s history,” said Celeste Robbins of AD PRO Directory firm Robbins Architecture, who renovated an upstairs bedroom into a sophisticated little girl’s room. From pink natural stone and sculptural tree lights to the hand-crafted Murano glass flower pendants and plaster vines on the fireplace, Robbins’s space exemplifies one of the most prominent design trends seen throughout the home: bringing in nature. Rebel House Design, another AD PRO Directory firm, deliberately referenced the organic by embellishing walls with an elegant botanical plaster installation, as well as working with a local artisan to create a bespoke cocktail table made of local limestone. “I paid homage to Elkins with our redesign of the reception room,” said Marli Jones, the creative director of Rebel House Design. “Her decidedly modern takes on classic interiors became our driving direction. Our ode to Elkins came in the form of the biophilic plaster wall design rendered with a local twist: Instead of acanthus and palm leaves, we referenced local wildflowers.”Joey Leicht Design decorated the salon. Ryan McDonaldNearby, the first floor hallway and stairwell, designed by Lauren Collander Interiors, evoke the joy of walking through a Parisian garden. A couture wall covering hand-embroidered with fern fronds envelops the spaces. Other designers took a more literal approach to the natural thematics. In the long and narrow gallery, Michael Del Piero and AD PRO Directory member Randy Heller installed a natural wisteria tree, which branches dramatically towards the ceiling. A two-sided, velvet-upholstered sofa adds further decorative intrigue, as do the sculptures and art.Join NowAD PRO members enjoy exclusive benefits. Get a year of unlimited access for $25 $20 per month.ArrowOther trends spotted within the home? Fearless visions of color and pattern. Take the salon at the front of the house, with its beautiful hand-painted and silk-embroidered wallpaper by Fromental and magenta lacquered doors. Or the garden room, which exudes a sunny disposition with bright blue treillaged walls and dining chair cushions upholstered in yellow. Ceilings, too, were treated. The Mahjong room’s fifth wall is coated in pink courtesy of White Couch Design, and a striped Schumacher wallpaper covers the ceiling of Cynthia McCullough Interiors’ foyer. Outdoors, the poolhouse cabana by Meghan Jay Design, employs soft yellows and blush tones in its light, playful atmosphere. Under the direction of Mandarine Home, the poolhouse pavilion became a vibrant entertaining room where floral motif grasscloth wallpaper complements furnishings and accessories that pop in purple and blue hues.Neutrals have their moment at the Lake Forest Showhouse and Gardens too. With its wash of warm whites and natural materials, the primary suite by Diana Wagenbach of Studio W Interiors is an oasis of calm. “Given the stately exterior, it made me lean into the Belgian interior design movement of quality materials and neutral tones,” says the AD PRO Directory member. Throughout the home, special details permeated every room, from a cove ceiling to a modern wall reveal and leather-lined shelves to handcrafted tile.“The designers this year blew us all away with their dedication to craftsmanship, artistry, and extraordinary attention to detail,” says Wendy Franzen, president of the Lake Forest Chapter of the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago. The charitable organization, which provides healthcare services to underserved communities in Chicago, is the beneficiary of this year’s show house.Step inside the Lake Forest Showhouse and Gardens 2025The salon by Joey Leicht Design Photo: Ryan McDonaldThe office by Birkman Interiors Photo: Ryan McDonaldThe reception room by Rebel House Photo: Ryan McDonaldThe dining room by Maggie Getz Studio Photo: Aimee MazzengaThe first floor hall and stairwell by Lauren Collander Interiors Photo: Ryan McDonaldThe ritting room by Unpatterned Photo: Dustin HalleckThe library by Kipling House Photo: Aimee MazzengaThe foyer by Cynthia McCullough Interiors Photo: Heather TalbertThe gallery by Michael Del Piero Good Design, Randy Heller Pure & Simple Interiors Photo: Aimee MazzengaThe main kitchen by Ablaze Design Group Photo: Ryan McDonaldThe scullery by DeCleene Creative Photo: Nathan KirkmanPantry hallway by Sarah Jacquelyn Interiors Photo: Dustin HalleckThe pantry by Sarah Jacquelyn Interiors Photo: Dustin HalleckThe mudroom by JenMarie Interiors Photo: Ryan McDonaldThe double powder room by Katy Evans Photo: Heather TalbertThe 2nd Floor Landing by Sarah Dippold Photo: Ryan McDonaldThe rotunda by Kaylane Kane Photo: Heather TalbertThe little girl’s bedroom/playroom by Theresa Hansen Interiors Photo: Katrina WittkampEn suite bathroom by Theresa Hansen Interiors Photo: Katrina WittkampThe Mahjong room by White Couch Photo: Heather TalbertThe English resting room by AD PRO Directory firm North Shore Nest Photo: Aimee MazzengaGentleman’s retreat by Anthony Michael Interiors Photo: Matt DriskellThe guest bedroom and bath by Aarti Shah Interiors Photo: Aimee MazzengaThe ladies office by AD PRO Directory member Emily Sturgess Photo: Heather TalbertThe cabana by Meghan Jay Photo: Heather TalbertThe kitchenette by Mason & Brass Photo: Sarah CrowleyThe reading nook back stairwell by R. Titus Designs Photo: Dustin HalleckThe vintage printed lady’s lounge by Courtney Petit Design Photo: Aimee MazzengaAnother girl’s bedroom by AD PRO Directory firm Robbins Architecture Photo: Aimee MazzengaThe ladies office bath by AD PRO Directory member Emily Sturgess Photo: Heather TalbertThe dressing room by Forward Fruit Photo: Heather TalbertThe laundry room by Suzanne Sykes Interiors Photo: Aimee Mazzenga