Like many young parents in the city, when Tim and Carrie Hanke had their first child a few years ago, the couple decided it was time to look for a single family home. Their search led them to a unique spot on Southport Avenue in Lake View, just far away enough from the bustling Southport Corridor and Wrigley Field.

Initially out of the couple’s price range, the home, designed by Terri Johnson of Johnson Architecture, took a price reduction to $1.675 million in March of 2016; the Hankes bought it for $1.665 million that May. Complete with an outdoor patio and multiple decks, the home's backyard was at the top of Tim’s mind.

“I had immediately imagined in my head having an outdoor bar, half a pergola, a kitchen, kegerator, and a TV,” Hanke says. “We incorporated the metal stairway and the decks on the first floor and top floor and matched the look for the outdoor kitchen.”

The 5,100-square-foot home's living room opens up to the backyard, creating a seamless connection between the spaces that allows the family to host company both outside and in. The family contracted Chicago Roof Deck and Garden to design and build out the backyard patio and kitchen.

The airy theme continues inside, where 17 skylights illuminate the house almost entirely with natural light. A sun-drenched grand stairwell helps to open up the home, and even carries natural light down from the third level to the first. The stairwell is clad with pine slats, contributing to the earthy feeling of the house.

Out front, the home's exterior blends a number of materials and color themes for a facade that's a patchwork of styles, from the classic Chicago two-flat to the contemporary smart home. The house is also loaded with tech, including a smart thermostat and a state-of-the-art AV system with speakers located throughout the home’s interior and exterior.

Hanke says that after a couple of years in the home, the family is moving on to the North Shore suburbs. While the 'burbs will offer the couple more outdoor space (and proximity to family in Wisconsin), Hanke says he’ll miss his dream patio and back decks — not to mention a dramatic view of the North Side.

The six-bedroom, four and a half bathroom home listed this week for $1.8 million.