A whole house remodel reworks every room, every system, and every surface at once, so you get the house you actually want without giving up the street you love. Orren Pickell Building Group has been designing, building, and remodeling luxury homes across Chicagoland since 1976. Our whole house remodeling services cover design, architecture, construction, and finish carpentry under one roof, alongside the smaller projects in our custom home remodeling practice.
This is not a kitchen refresh with new paint down the hall. A full remodel touches structure, mechanicals, and finishes together, which is what makes the result feel designed rather than patched.
H3 Heading: Working on an Older House
A large share of North Shore homes predate 1940. Updating one without stripping out its character takes restraint, and the National Park Service publishes guidance on modernizing historic buildings that matches our approach: keep what makes the house distinctive, replace what no longer performs.
Does any of this sound familiar? You’re not alone. Many homeowners love the location of their house and the memories they’ve created there but realize that the home itself is no longer suiting their needs or working for their lifestyle.
One Team From First Sketch to Punch List
Very few firms here keep architects, designers, builders, and cabinetmakers on one payroll. Nothing gets handed off, so nothing gets lost.
Open Book Pricing
You see every line item before work starts and as it changes. No hidden markups, no surprise numbers halfway through framing.
Awards That Reflect the Work
The firm holds more than 350 design and innovation awards, including nine Crystal Key Awards, the highest honor given by the Home Builders Association of Greater Chicago.
Homeowners who have lived through a full remodel with us tend to mention two things: detail work and schedule.
Mallahan, whose Tudor was gutted inside and out, wrote that we kept the house in character with its original style and that their attention to detail was top-notch and completed the job on time.
Ann and Steve Levinson, who hired us twice, said all employees were pleasant and professional and fulfilled all promises to perfection.
Vic and Cynthia pointed to responsiveness, noting we stay at the top of their list for renovation and maintenance work.
Our client testimonials speak for themselves.
A whole house remodeling project is a time- and labor-intensive project, so it’s important that you’re working with a partner you trust. After all, your home is one of the most intimate extensions of yourself and your family, and the design/build firm you choose will be working closely with you, getting to know you and your tastes, working in your home and being there for you should questions arise.
| Phase | What Happens |
| Consultation | We walk your home, hear your goals, talk timeline. No obligation. |
| Design | In-house architects and designers develop the plan with you in the room. |
| Open Book Estimate | A line-item breakdown you can read and question. |
| Construction | One project manager, one point of contact, every trade managed internally. |
| Carpentry and Finishes | Built-ins, trim, and cabinetry installed by our own craftspeople. |
| Walkthrough | Our punch list team clears every detail before we hand over keys. |
The firm you pick decides how the next year of your life goes, not just how the house looks at the end. Nearly fifty years in, we run every project the same way: one team, open pricing, leadership that answers the phone.
Start with a conversation about your house. Book a consultation or call 847-572-5200, and stop by our custom home builder Wilmette office when you want to see cabinetry samples in person.
Most run from several months to just over a year, depending on scope and permitting. You get a realistic schedule during design, not after demolition.
Sometimes. Phased projects let some families stay put. Full gut work usually does not. We settle this early so you can plan.
We do. Our team handles permitting and approvals in every municipality we build in, and we know how each village reviews plans.
Yes. We have done extensive work on architecturally significant houses across the North Shore, preserving original character while replacing the systems behind the walls.
Since roughly 1976, nearly fifty years, family owned the whole way. Orren Pickell founded the firm and his daughter Lisa Pickell is President.
Chicago and the North Shore, plus Southern Wisconsin and Harbor Country Michigan.
A dedicated project manager, backed by our in-house design and construction teams and the punch list crew.