Case Study: Lake Forest Showhouse: Thorndale Manor

It happens once every two years…

A grand historic property is chosen in the Lake Forest, Illinois area to be the site of Showhouse & Gardens created by the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago.

The Infant Welfare Society of Chicago has 16 auxiliary chapters whose primary functions are to raise funds and provide volunteer services to support the clinic. The Lake Forest Chapter has hosted Showhouse & Gardens since 1985 and has since become one of the largest fund raising events associated with the Chicago clinic.

In 2011, the Thorndale Manor was chosen as the Lake Forest Showhouse & Gardens featured property and as the site of the Infant Welfare society of Chicago’s Centennial “Celebrate the Children” event. The house was open to the public throughout a three-week period. Featuring 43 interior and landscape designers, the Manor and Coach house attracted as many as 10,000 guests and raised more than $2.5 million to support the Infant Welfare Society Clinic.

The Manor house still retains all of its original architectural details and features 25 rooms, 6 bedrooms, and 5.5 baths. Leggy Bird Designs had the privilege of designing the master bathroom and chose WarmlyYours radiant floor heating to add the finishing touch of radiant warmth to the bathroom suite.

With handmade clay tiles and crafted nickel fixtures accompanied by soft lighting and gentle arches, the bath suite is the model of sophisticated luxury from a past era enhanced by modern architecture and technology. WarmlyYours and Skandinavian Stone & Tile Design worked closely together to bring luxurious warmth and spa comfort to the bath suite by installing TempZone™ floor heating system under the Skandinavian Stone & Tile Design flooring.

TempZone™ Radiant Floor Heating was chosen specifically for this master bathroom design to bring soothing radiant heat to the beautiful but cold tile floor. With the bath suite created for the ultimate in luxury, comfort, and sophistication, WarmlyYours Radiant Heating was the natural choice to complete that vision.