Lake Forest Shingle Style Home
Set amid more than an acre of green space in Lake Forest, this stunning custom home achieves a level of warmth and intimacy one might be surprised to find in a 4,500 s.f. property.
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Orren Pickell Building Group is the #1 Western Springs general contractor and we’re not afraid to say that it’s a reputation we think we’ve earned. Not only have our custom home designs and builds been honored with numerous industry awards, but our home additions and remodeling projects have also received industry kudos. And even better, our clients love our work, recommending us to their friends and family and often returning to us for maintenance and remodeling services.
Over the past forty-plus years, the Orren Pickell Building Group has become known as the preferred custom home builder and general contractor in the Western Springs area. Why? Because people recognize that our commitment to providing quality workmanship permeates every part of our process, from design through construction. It’s our thoughtfulness and attention to detail that makes working with us different — we ensure that every aspect of your home building, renovation, or addition project meets up to our exacting standards.
We know that our business is judged by the company we keep. That’s why we’re highly selective with the industry trade partners with whom we work. The plumbers, electricians, HVAC installers, landscapers, and other professionals who will work on your home project have a proven track record of providing high-quality, detail-oriented service. As your Western Springs general contractor, the Orren Pickell Building Group holds all of our service partners to our same high standards, ensuring that every aspect of your home meets or exceeds your expectations.
Building a new custom home or renovating and beautifying your existing Western Springs home can be a stressful experience — and choosing the wrong general contractor can turn a hassle into a complete nightmare. Trust the proven expertise of the Orren Pickell Building Group. With over four decades of experience designing, building, renovating, and maintaining homes — and helping guide homeowners through the process — we know what it takes to keep things running smoothly.
Have questions about our general contracting services? We’re here to help. Get in touch with us today to set up a time to connect about your home building or renovation needs.
Other Projects We’ve Recently Completed
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Kenilworth Attic Renovation
As her daughters outgrew their toys, Kat knew she wanted to upgrade her Kenilworth home’s third floor to give them a space of their own. Working with a designer to update two bedrooms and turn a third playroom into a teen-friendly hangout, she was introduced to the Pickell team.
Winnetka Illinois Master Suite
In spite of its amazing lakefront location, this Winnetka home had been on the market for some time. Most people found the layout too quirky, but Jenny and Craig saw possibilities—they knew they had the vision to make the home their own.
Northfield Home Built for Entertaining
Gracious Spaces for Friends and Family Stately yet warm, expansive yet welcoming, this 7,000 s.f. home on a large corner lot is designed for hospitality. Guests can stay in a full suite on the main floor or choose one of three on the second level, well away from the owners’ own suite, complete with private…
New Custom Home Construction in Glenview Illinois
Long-distance design leads to one-of-a-kind Glenview home While living as expats in Hong Kong, this couple purchased an older home in Glenview. They planned to rent it out, then tear it down and build custom when they were ready to return to the US. After searching online and reading reviews, the family chose Orren Pickell…
Chicago Kitchen Goes from Good to Great
Homeowners Upgrade the Kitchen Island, Add Built-in Banquette Plus add a Fabulous Wine Wall in the Basement This northside home, built in 2017, had everything most families want. But after living in it for a while, the owners realized it just wasn’t functional for their lifestyle. Issues with water in the basement provided the push…
Luxury Chicago Rooftop Design/Build with Outdoor Kitchen
City Rooftop Shines, Thanks to What You Can’t See The first thing guests notice about this stunning roof deck, designed and built by the Orren Pickell Building Group, is the dramatic view of the Chicago skyline. What they can’t see, however, is the tremendous engineering and logistics effort required to make it possible. In order…
First Floor Remodel in Lake Forest
Crafting a Sunny, Open First Floor without Moving Walls It all began with the grout in their 30-year-old ceramic tile countertops. “We went from replacing the grout to renovating two-thirds of our first floor,” recalls Ann. The Lake Forest home Ann and Mike purchased in 1991 has worked beautifully for them, but it hadn’t been…
Exterior Remodel in Riverwoods
Great Lines Call for a New Look In spite of its pleasing, contemporary design, this home was looking tired. Shiplap siding, installed at an angle to match the roof lines on the outside walls, made the house feel out of date. What’s more, the siding was causing ongoing maintenance issues, especially where the wood was…
What Our Customers Are Saying
Just wanted to let you guys know that the cabinets have started going in and OMG we love them!! Krista, I believe you said at some point that the old cabinets would be no comparison to our new ones and honestly that is an understatement! I mean the kitchen is still partly undone . .…
Thank you for sending Terry over on short notice. Your company’s responsiveness and customer centric attitude is why you will always be at the top of our list for construction, renovation and house maintenance matters.
I wanted to share my final product, which is amazing. I really don’t think the video does it justice. I know y’all typically work on a lot of big projects, but I was thrilled with the planning, selections, advise and execution! Well done and again thank you!
My name is Linda Larson. My husband, John and I have lived in one of the homes you built in Lake Barrington in 1994. We purchased it from David Galimore in 1997 and have lived here happily raising our family of five children. We put the house on the market two weeks ago and want…
Orren Pickell Building Group has repeatedly proven to me how more then 20 years ago, we made the best decision to build a house with them. Since then we purchased another house and used their company to remodel it. We have used The Orren Pickell Maintenance Program for over 20 years, and we will continue…
We hired the Orren Pickell Building Group to both design and build our home, starting in 2013 and completing in 2015. Susan Hamilton was our initial contact and continued as our primary contact person through the whole process. She was delightful–both professionally and personally. Orren was also significantly and surprisingly involved throughout and our lead…