Highland Park

Kelly Thayer Design

Highland Park Kitchen & Bath Designer

As a Highland Park kitchen & bath designer, I get to work in one of the most architecturally varied communities on the North Shore. This is a city of wooded ravines and lakefront bluffs, summer evenings at Ravinia, and a housing stock that runs from early Prairie School landmarks to glass-walled mid-century homes tucked into the trees. No two houses here ask for the same kitchen. After 25 years of North Shore design work, I’ve learned to start by not only listening to the home owner but listening to the house itself, then shape a kitchen or bath that feels like it grew out of the architecture rather than being dropped into it.

This Highland Park kitchen sits in a home along one of the city’s signature ravines. A custom white hood anchors a full wall of glossy black handmade-style subway tile, balanced by warm reclaimed-wood floating shelves and white cabinetry with brushed brass hardware. The result is crisp and contemporary, yet warm enough to sit comfortably beneath the home’s vaulted wood-plank ceiling.
Highland Park ravine home kitchen with custom white hood, black subway tile, and reclaimed wood floating shelves by Kelly Thayer Design

Kitchen Remodels in Highland Park

Many Highland Park kitchens are long, narrow galleys from the mid-century era, or rooms squeezed into a corner of a house that was designed around its views rather than its cooking. The work I’m asked for most is making those spaces function beautifully without fighting the architecture: reworking a galley so two people can cook at once, borrowing space from an underused breakfast nook, or pulling the kitchen toward the windows so the ravine becomes part of the room. Before anything is built, you’ll see it all in floor plans and 3D renderings, with every material chosen and every cabinet specified down to the fraction of an inch.

Once the design is finished, I stay involved. I can connect you with trades I trust, or sit down with the builder you’ve already chosen and go through the bid line by line, so the plan on paper is the kitchen you actually get.

Bathroom Remodels in Highland Park

Highland Park bathrooms tend to fall into two camps: compact mid-century baths with dated tile and very little storage, and larger primary suites in older homes that never quite made the most of their square footage. For the first, I focus on clever storage, floating vanities, and lighting that makes a small room feel open. For the second, I look for the spa that’s hiding in the floor plan, with a walk-in shower, a statement tub, and a vanity built for two. Either way, I also design for the long term, with details like zero-threshold showers and discreet grab bars that let homeowners stay in the homes and neighborhoods they love.

What Highland Park Homeowners Are Saying

“I just completed a complete remodel of my master bathroom with Kelly… In describing my experience, as well as the finished product, I can only use superlatives! The efficiency and professionalism of Kelly was beyond all expectations… Highly recommend!”

Debby D.

Highland Park, Google Review

Read more reviews from Highland Park clients and other North Shore homeowners.

“Exceptional! Kelly remodeled my kitchen and a bathroom. I hired her again to remodel my second bathroom. I finally found someone who wanted my job & was willing to listen respectfully to my needs, wants, and budget. Kelly was always available by text, phone, email, & site visits. She provided excellent after care when both jobs were finished. I highly recommend Kelly Thayer Design.“

Dee G.

Highland Park, Google Review

Why Work With A Local Highland Park Kitchen & Bath Designer?

Highland Park homes come with their own quirks, and they vary street by street. A ravine-side mid-century may have post-and-beam framing, low-slope roofs, and walls of glass that limit where upper cabinets, ductwork, and a range hood can go. An older traditional home near downtown may have plaster walls, aging plumbing, and structure that reveals itself only once demolition begins. I’ve spent 25 years working in North Shore homes, including ten years owning a high-end kitchen and bath firm, so I know which questions to ask before the budget is set. That foresight is what keeps a project on schedule and lets the finished room look as though it has always belonged in the house.

Start Your Highland Park Kitchen or Bathroom Design Project

Most projects start with a 60-minute in-home consultation where we walk your space and talk through what’s working and what isn’t.

Schedule a design consultation and let’s see what’s possible.

Email me at

info@kellythayerdesign.com

Call me at

847-975-4683

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