Here is how to plan a kitchen remodel: pick the layout first, order the slowest materials early, then lock the build schedule before demolition begins. Our kitchen remodeling team at Orren Pickell Building Group has guided North Shore families through this sequence for decades. This guide covers the order of work, the choices that matter…
DetailsWhat to do with a large backyard comes down to one thing: dividing the space into zones built around how your family actually spends time outside, from a dining patio to a play area to a finished structure with real square footage. Anyone on an oversized North Shore or Harbor Country lot already knows an…
DetailsMultigenerational home designs give two or more generations their own private space under one roof, with shared rooms for meals and time together. The best plans separate bedrooms, baths, and often a second kitchen, then link them through a few well-placed common areas. Our custom home design and build team shapes each plan around how…
DetailsA luxury home is generally one priced in the top ten percent of homes for its local market, though the number on the listing only tells part of the story. Location, materials, craftsmanship, and the thinking behind every design choice carry just as much weight. If you’re asking what is considered a luxury home before…
DetailsBy Lisa Pickell, President, Orren Pickell Building Group The questions to ask a home builder before you sign fall into four groups: proof of licensing and insurance, exactly what the quote covers, who manages the schedule, and what the warranty protects after you move in. Get every answer in writing, then call past clients to…
DetailsA custom builder designs and builds one home at a time to your specifications, on land you already own or select. A production builder puts up many houses from a fixed set of plans inside a subdivision it controls. That single structural difference decides who draws your plans, how long the build runs, and how…
DetailsWondering how to design a luxury bathroom that truly feels like a spa? It comes down to sequence. Settle the layout first, then materials, then light, then fixtures. Rooms that feel restorative were planned that way from the first sketch. The ten principles below follow the order our team uses on every bathroom remodeling project,…
DetailsThe custom home building process moves through four phases: concept, preliminary planning, construction, and ongoing maintenance. Most homes on Chicago’s North Shore take 18 to 36 months from first meeting to move-in day. Knowing what happens in each phase, and which choices lock in when, is what keeps a build calm instead of chaotic. We…
DetailsWhat makes a vacation home luxury-grade comes down to five things done right: siting, structure, materials, amenities that actually function, and service that never slips. Square footage and a marble backsplash will not get you there. After nearly 50 years of custom home design and construction across Chicago, the North Shore, and Harbor Country, Michigan,…
DetailsWhen you build a luxury home, you’re shaping every square foot around how you actually want to live, not choosing from a builder’s pre-set inventory. Getting it right starts with the right custom home design and build team from day one. This guide walks through defining your vision, planning your finances, and avoiding the mistakes…
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