Following the DeCaros, the house passed through three owners before it was purchased by Mark and Sallie Smylie in 2001.
 The Smylies hired Von Dreele-Freerksen Construction for restoration and remodeling work of the interior and exterior.
On the interior, the modern kitchen and main floor bath were remodeled to match the style of the other ground floor rooms.
 In the basement level, the floors were lowered to increase ceiling height and stone foundation walls from the 1884 house were re-exposed.
Outside, previous owners had installed a wood band below the first floor to match the ledge on the second floor, had capped some of the exterior planters, and had again replaced the cedar roof with asphalt shingles.
All of these historically inaccurate modifications were reversed.
 Additionally, trim and stucco were sampled to reveal the original exterior colors.
The determined paint scheme consisted of off-white stucco and wood trim in dark "creosote" brown.

On January 7, 2002, the Hills-DeCaro House was declared a landmark by the Village of Oak Park.
 The residence had already been listed as a contributing property to the Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic District.

In early 2009, the Smylies embarked on their most significant exterior project.
 Records at Taliesin showed plans for a long pergola and pavilion which would have spanned between the Nathan G. Moore House conservatory and the northwest corner of the Hills-DeCaro House backyard.
 Further research yielded a period photograph which proved the structure's existence.
 Subsequent digging uncovered the limestone foundation for the pavilion.
 The Smylies and Von Dreel-Freerksen set about recreating the pavilion and the first section of the pergola (the portion which falls within the property lines of the Hills DeCaro House).
 Roman bricks for the new construction were matched to remnants found near the buried foundations.
 As part of the project, a large modern garage built in 1978 was replaced by a smaller, more historically sympathetic garage.
Following the DeCaros, the house passed through three owners before it was purchased by Mark and Sallie Smylie in 2001.  The Smylies hired Von Dreele-Freerksen Construction for restoration and remodeling work of the interior and exterior. On the interior, the modern kitchen and main floor bath were remodeled to match the style of the other ground floor rooms.  In the basement level, the floors were lowered to increase ceiling height and stone foundation walls from the 1884 house were re-exposed. Outside, previous owners had installed a wood band below the first floor to match the ledge on the second floor, had capped some of the exterior planters, and had again replaced the cedar roof with asphalt shingles. All of these historically inaccurate modifications were reversed.  Additionally, trim and stucco were sampled to reveal the original exterior colors. The determined paint scheme consisted of off-white stucco and wood trim in dark "creosote" brown.
On January 7, 2002, the Hills-DeCaro House was declared a landmark by the Village of Oak Park.  The residence had already been listed as a contributing property to the Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic District.
In early 2009, the Smylies embarked on their most significant exterior project.  Records at Taliesin showed plans for a long pergola and pavilion which would have spanned between the Nathan G. Moore House conservatory and the northwest corner of the Hills-DeCaro House backyard.  Further research yielded a period photograph which proved the structure's existence.  Subsequent digging uncovered the limestone foundation for the pavilion.  The Smylies and Von Dreel-Freerksen set about recreating the pavilion and the first section of the pergola (the portion which falls within the property lines of the Hills DeCaro House).  Roman bricks for the new construction were matched to remnants found near the buried foundations.  As part of the project, a large modern garage built in 1978 was replaced by a smaller, more historically sympathetic garage.
Edward R. Hills House