John and Joan Cardone purchased their mid 20th Century era home in 2016 and moved in after extensive renovation in 2017. This area is known as the country club area of La Grange. 

The original builder, Joseph Bazzoni, was an engineer who designed and built the original house in 1954. Mrs. Bazzoni was a homemaker who raised her 5 children here and lived in the home until well into her 90’s. The Bazzoni family was the only prior owner of the home in 1954 and at the time owned the majority of the property from 55th to 53rd and to the east to Stone Ave. Some of the original property was donated to St Cletus Church that was built around the same time. 

The house was on the market for 18 months before the Cardone bought it, allowing them plenty of time for thoughtful planning. The kitchen, originally at the back of the house, had already been moved to the front in the late 1950’s. The Cardone’s selected new kitchen cabinets that are walnut and a kitchen designer to complete the new updated kitchen. A mudroom was added off the kitchen with conveniences and a laundry area that were not part of the original home.

Changing the entryway was one of the most special aspects of the renovation. The original entrance and front door faced North off the side of the building and was not visible from the street. The Cardones thought it didn’t give the feel of a welcoming home so the entrance was relocated to face West on Brainard Ave.  The additional stone needed to finish the front entrance was sourced from Indiana and was found by their persistent contractor. It came in long slabs that needed to be hand chiseled on-site. The stone workers did an amazing job and completed it in only 48 hours.

Initially, all the rooms were partitioned. The Cardones chose to open up the walls which made utilizing the space more efficient. Opening up the back wall and letting the light spill through the home has made a huge impact. During the 2017 renovation 15 feet of additional living space was also added to the front of the house. 

Highlighting this new living room area is authentic mid 20th century furniture by designer Adrian Pearsall. The sofa and chair still have their original upholstery.

The entire basement was unfinished and has now become a basement suite. John Cardone and their contractor did a lot of exploring, evaluating many things that were original to the home and found they were able preserve the original radiant heat in floors and ceiling, a real bonus in the cooler weather!

The yard has been entirely re-landscaped. As you exit, walk around the North side of the house to enjoy the Cardone Urban Farm. They live their farming and gardening passion right here at home.