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Highland Park has four distinct architectural eras — and each demands a different cabinet language. Generic showroom cabinets fight the architecture. Ours respect it.
Lakefront estates, English country interpretations, and stately center-hall colonials with original built-ins. Cabinet language: inset frames, raised-panel doors, glass-front uppers, butler’s pantries with leaded glass, beadboard backsplashes, and warm woods like cherry, walnut, or painted maple in muted heritage tones. Match the original trim profiles where possible — modern flat-panel reads wrong in these homes.
Highland Park is one of the country’s richest stocks of MCM architecture — Frank Lloyd Wright apprentices, A. James Speyer (architect of the “Ferris Bueller house”), Ed Dart, and Robert Rasmussen all designed homes here. Cabinet language: walnut grain or rift-cut white oak, slab doors with integrated finger pulls, full-height built-ins, clerestory-aligned cabinet runs, and warm matte finishes. The original cabinets in these homes are often walnut — the worst thing you can do is replace them with painted Shaker.
The largest housing inventory in Highland Park — mostly 1965-1978 colonials, split-levels, and ranches in subdivisions west of Green Bay Road. Cabinet language: transitional Shaker is the safe and right answer here, often paired with quartz waterfall islands, mixed metals, and warm whites or sage greens. These homes need an upgrade, not a museum-piece restoration. Open the floor plan, replace the dated 1990s honey-oak cabinets, and add a 9-10 ft island.
Newer construction in the west and northwest sections of Highland Park. Cabinet language: fully custom modern, slab-front European-inspired (made domestically, not imported), waterfall islands, hidden appliance panels, mixed materials (wood + matte black + brushed brass), and integrated lighting. These homes need cabinets that look as architectural as the house itself.
13+ years building custom cabinetry for Chicago’s North Shore — including 1920s estates, MCM ranches, post-war colonials, and contemporary builds.
From kitchens to wine cellars, butler’s pantries to walk-in closets — all manufactured in Illinois for your Highland Park home.
Most PopularCustom-sized cabinetry for Highland Park kitchens. Period-appropriate inset cabinetry for pre-war homes, walnut slab for MCM ranches, transitional Shaker for post-war colonials. See Highland Park kitchen remodeling.
Double-sink primary suite vanities, floating contemporary, and period-appropriate bathroom cabinetry. Common in spa-inspired North Shore primary baths.
High ROIBetter than California Closets — built to your primary suite’s exact dimensions. Custom islands, LED lighting, jewelry drawers, shoe walls, valet rods.
Custom built-in desks, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and millwork libraries — the kind of work originally designed by Highland Park architects like Ed Dart in the original homes.
A North Shore must-have. Butler’s pantries for prep and storage, wet bars with wine refrigeration and glass storage, coffee bars for everyday entertaining.
Family Room EssentialWall-to-wall built-in media centers, fireplace surrounds, and the North Shore essential: a proper mudroom with cubbies, lockers, and bench storage for boots and gear.
Drag the slider to see the transformation. Real Highland Park and North Shore homes.
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| Project | Highland Park Average | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen Cabinets | $45K - $120K | 6-10 weeks |
| Primary Suite Vanity | $8K - $15K | 3-4 weeks |
| Walk-In Closet System | $8K - $25K+ | 2-3 weeks |
| Home Office / Library | $6K - $25K | 2-4 weeks |
| Butler’s Pantry / Wet Bar | $8K - $30K | 2-4 weeks |
| Mudroom & Entertainment | $6K - $28K | 2-4 weeks |
| Whole Home Cabinetry | $75K - $225K | 10-16 weeks |
“Our 1962 ranch near Ravinia is by an A. James Speyer-influenced architect, and we’d been quoted painted Shaker by three different shops. Assembly Squad was the only contractor who suggested walnut slab cabinetry to honor the architecture. The result is breathtaking — the kitchen finally matches the rest of the house. IL-made, delivered in 6 weeks. Could not be more pleased.”
“We compared Assembly Squad against Planet Cabinets and a downtown European import showroom. Same quality, 22% less, and three weeks faster delivery. They built our entire downstairs — kitchen, butler’s pantry, mudroom, primary closet — in one coordinated phase. Viktor handled the City of Highland Park permits seamlessly. Already planning the basement.”
“Pre-war 1928 lakefront colonial. We needed cabinets that respected the original architecture — inset frames, period hardware, butler’s pantry with leaded glass. Most modern cabinet shops can’t do this work. Assembly Squad nailed every period detail. The kitchen looks like it’s always been there. Worth every dollar.”
Free design consultation at our Lincoln Park studio — just 35 minutes from Highland Park. See your cabinets in 3D before we build. No pressure, no obligation.
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