--- title: "ABLAZE Design Group — Design-Build Firms | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/design-build-firms/ablaze-design-group-pfvwus-pf~252453772 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~252453772.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "ABLAZE Design Group" category: ["Design-Build Firms"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/63539eec0346af3c_6817-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "259 Waukegan Ave, Highwood, Illinois 60040, United States" latitude: 42.2035 longitude: -87.8141 phone: "(847) 579-1600" website: https://ablazedesigngroup.com/ rating: 4.9 review_count: 53 best_of_houzz_awards: 9 followers: 125 last_updated: 2026-08-24 --- # ABLAZE Design Group Original Houzz profile: [ABLAZE Design Group](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/design-build-firms/ablaze-design-group-pfvwus-pf~252453772) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Design-Build Firms - **Location:** Highwood, IL - **Serves:** Chicago, Waukegan, Evanston, Schaumburg, Arlington Heights, Palatine, Skokie, Des Plaines, Mount Prospect, Oak Park, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Wheeling, Northbrook, Mundelein, North Chicago, Highland Park, Wilmette, Vernon Hills, Morton Grove, Libertyville, Lake Forest, Deerfield, Prospect Heights, Winnetka, Glencoe, Long Grove, Lincolnshire, Lake Bluff, Northfield, Highwood, Green Oaks, Riverwoods, Kenilworth, Knollwood, Bannockburn, Indian Creek, Mettawa, Golf, Fort Sheridan, Glenview Nas, Great Lakes, Techny - **Houzz rating:** 4.9 out of 5 (53 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 9 awards (2015–2024), for Service. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Star Houzzer - Houzz Influencer - Recommended on Houzz - 10,000 Ideabook Saves - Best of Houzz winner - Locally owned - High-end ABLAZE Design Group is an award-winning, full-service design-build firm serving Chicago’s North Shore and surrounding communities. For more than 20 years, we have helped homeowners transform kitchens, bathrooms, and entire homes into beautiful, highly functional spaces designed around the way they actually live. Our approach begins differently. Before we talk about finishes, cabinetry, or construction, we want to understand you: how your family lives, what is working in your home, what isn’t, and how your needs may change over time. Our philosophy is simple: Form Follows Function First. By thoughtfully considering family, flow, and function, we create homes that are not only beautiful, but easier and more enjoyable to live in. Led by CEO and Creative Director George Markoutsas, our multidisciplinary team brings design, space planning, custom cabinetry, material selection, project management, and construction together under one roof. This integrated approach gives our clients one trusted team from the first conversation through the final details of construction. We also believe great design should support how you feel and live. Wellness, lighting, ergonomics, universal design, technology, organization, and long-term livability are considered alongside aesthetics, allowing us to create homes that work beautifully today while anticipating what may come next. Our work has earned recognition at the national and regional level, including NARI National Remodeler of the Year, as well as honors from NKBA, ASID, and other leading design organizations. While we're proud of those achievements, the measure that matters most to us is creating a home our clients genuinely love living in. Beyond major renovations, ABLAZE offers painting and home improvement services to help clients refresh and maintain the homes they already love. Our Highwood design center and showroom provides a collaborative place to explore cabinetry, surfaces, tile, flooring, hardware, and other carefully selected materials with our team. Whether you're reimagining one important room or transforming an entire home, our goal remains the same: To create a home that truly works for you. Form Follows Function First. ### Services Provided - Home Remodeling - Custom Homes - New Home Construction - Kitchen Remodeling - Home Additions - Bathroom Remodeling - Kitchen Design - Home Extensions - Bathroom Design - Architectural Design - Building Design - Deck Building - Basement Remodeling - Architectural Drawings - House Plans - Flooring Installation - 3D Rendering - Project Management - Floor Plans - Garage Building - Universal Design - Basement Design - Custom Home Bars - Green Building - Laundry Room Design - Attic Conversion - Lighting Design - Deck Design - Home Gym Design & Construction - Historic Building Conservation - Mudroom Design - Home Theater Design - Wood Floor Installation - Demolition - Laminate Flooring Installation - Floor Leveling - Backsplash Installation - Bathtub Installation - Bathtub Refinishing - Cabinet Installation - Countertop Installation - Custom Bathroom Vanities - Custom Cabinets - Custom Countertops - Custom Kitchen Cabinets - Custom Pantries - Custom Walk-in Closets - Door Installation - General Contracting - Interior Design - Painting - Shower Door Installation - Shower Installation - Tile Installation - Vinyl Flooring Installation - Window Installation ### Areas Served - Chicago - Waukegan - Evanston - Schaumburg - Arlington Heights - Palatine - Skokie - Des Plaines - Mount Prospect - Oak Park - Glenview - Buffalo Grove - Wheeling - Northbrook - Mundelein - North Chicago - Highland Park - Wilmette - Vernon Hills - Morton Grove - Libertyville - Lake Forest - Deerfield - Prospect Heights - Winnetka - Glencoe - Long Grove - Lincolnshire - Lake Bluff - Northfield - Highwood - Green Oaks - Riverwoods - Kenilworth - Knollwood - Bannockburn - Indian Creek - Mettawa - Golf - Fort Sheridan - Glenview Nas - Great Lakes - Techny ### Typical Job Cost $5,000 - 10 million $5,000 - $10,000,000 ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | ABLAZE Design Group | | Address | 259 Waukegan Ave, Highwood, Illinois 60040, United States | | Phone | (847) 579-1600 | | Website | https://ablazedesigngroup.com/ | | Followers on Houzz | 125 | **Social profiles:** - Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-ABL-Group/242793479225857 - X (Twitter) — https://twitter.com/TheABLGroup - LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/company/342587?trk=tyah&trkInfo=tas%3AThe%20ABL%20Group%2Cidx%3A1-1-1 - Blog — http://www.theablgroup.com ## Offers $500 Off Your Next Project - Call Today! _Restrictions apply, mention Houzz!_ ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [ABLAZE Design Group](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/design-build-firms/ablaze-design-group-pfvwus-pf~252453772) - **Website:** https://ablazedesigngroup.com/ - **Phone:** (847) 579-1600 ## Credentials **Certifications & Awards** - Angies List Super Service Awards 2008 - 2017, A+ Rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Best of Houzz 2015-2021, Hunter Douglas Authorized Dealer - **Best of Houzz:** 9 awards (2015–2024), for Service. **Affiliations** - [American Society of Interior Designers](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/schools-and-organizations/american-society-of-interior-designers-pfvwus-pf~1510192642) - [AIA Chicago](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/schools-and-organizations/aia-chicago-pfvwus-pf~437317530) - [ASID Illinois](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/schools-and-organizations/asid-illinois-pfvwus-pf~1201172768) - [Better Business Bureau](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/schools-and-organizations/better-business-bureau-pfvwus-pf~1830530549) ## Reviews **Overall rating: 4.9 out of 5 — 53 reviews** *Aspect averages:* - Work Quality: 47.0 - Communication: 45.0 - Value: 44.0 ### Reviews **★★★★★ — bellybuttons, July 2023** > I was very happy with the work and design provided by ABLAZE during our kitchen and bathroom refresh. The few kinks were from starting the project during COVID and were the suppliers' issues. The design group and workers are friendly, honest and really try to please. I would definitely recommend ABL to friends. **★★★★★ — James Eckblad, April 2023** > ABL has done a boatload of superior work for us — and we stopped getting bids from others some years ago, as we only want their crew handling our projects, period. They are amazingly proficient at everything they do, and are unsurpassed in expertise and customer care. We feel “saved” and “at peace” when they tackle our projects. **★★★★★ — HU-97025294, March 2023** > Over the past several years, we’ve had The ABL Group renovate a bathroom, paint and install flooring in much of our house, and replace countertops and backsplash tiles in our kitchen. Each time they’ve been dependable and easy to work with, and have stood behind their quality work. **★★★★★ — Mike, March 2023** > ABL did a great job. Everything was just as we wanted and on time. We will have them work with us again this coming year. Could not be happier. **★★★★★ — pohare1970, March 2023** > We engaged ABL to wallpaper and paint a powder room. It was a tricky wallpaper to get exactly right and we noticed some slight issues afterwards that we identified to ABL. They were extremely quick to respond to what, for them, must have been a very small project, and we were delighted with the final result. We were impressed enough to ask them to repaint the outside of our house a year or two later which was a much bigger project. Not only were they the most competitive quote (by quite a bit - and we got 5/6 other quotes) but they carried out the job extremely efficiently and to a level of detail which I wasn't expecting. We'll be using them for future projects for sure. **★★★★★ — Liane F., March 2023** > I have enjoyed working with ABL. I've mainly been happy with their work right away, but when things needed tweaking they sent out someone to handle the concern in a reasonable amount of time. > The work they have done thus far has made my home look beautiful, I look forward to having them remodel my kitchen sooner rather than later. **★★★★★ — Michael W, Feb. 2023** > ABL did a wonderful job on our kitchen remodel. Their professionalism, attention to detail, and timeliness were all greatly appreciated. Highly recommend ABL… **★★★★★ — Joan Zahnle, Feb. 2023** > The ABL Group completely remodeled our kitchen. > George came out and looked around the existing kitchen. Looked in every nook and cranny! He came up with a plan that required no changes! > Lauren assists us in picking out the cabinetry etc. > The project was complete earlier than expected and within budget. > The entire team was great and so responsive. > We highly recommend ABL. **★★★★★ — Kim Hoyer, Feb. 2023** > They created the kitchen of my dreams. Easy to work with and even when we started to add things it was just fine. We got a wonderful design which is not only perfectly beautiful but also very functional. The provide awesome workmanship and stand behind everything. We had the wrong handles installed and they quickly fixed the mistake. I recommend them to anyone in the area. **★★ — HU-926028365, June 2022** > Spent a significant amount of money with ABL and the work and communication was not treated with care. Culminating with a complete master bathroom renovation, every piece of work that ABL completed needed to be redone or fixed and our master closet was forgotten about and now an empty space. On top of that, communication was absent not only to us but within ABL themselves, most likely due to the changes in management and ownership. Would not recommend ABL. **Comment from ABLAZE Design Group:** > Hi - We are so sorry to hear and read this review - We have polled our entire staff and no one here is clear on what project this is? Certainly there have been some bumps in the road for us as a company but also as an industry. As of late, our company has made some great advances in our systems which has allowed us to adapt to the ever changing industry and has resulted in a much improved customer experience - We would very much like to talk with you directly about your experience and understand if there are any outstanding issues and potential ways we could make up for the problems you experienced. If you wouldn't mind calling our office 847.579.1600, emailing jessica@theablgroup.com or identifying what project this is through messaging it would be most appreciated. **★★★★★ — HU-219750776, Dec. 2021** > Looking for a professional painter look no further. Howard and his team of Jose, Juan and David repainted our kitchen to perfection. From start to finish no issues. Set up - painting and clean up was perfect. Have future projects that we will reach out to ABL for assistance. > Thanks Again, > Jon Victor > Wheeling, IL. **Comment from ABLAZE Design Group:** > Thank you Jon for your kind words - it means the world to us to read reviews like this and cannot thank you enough for sharing it. Happy New Year to you!!! **★★★★★ — HU-342359855, June 2021** > ABL did a 5-star job for us. Howard arrived to provide a quote for refinishing our door and we learned then, that they also handled other types of work. We were able to have four different areas of interior repair addressed, plus the front door. They scheduled soon after providing the estimate, and completed all the work in the time frame promised. The crew was wonderful; the work tidy and impeccable; restoration quality. The CEO visited personally and made himself available to us for follow up if needed. ABL will definitely be our go to company for any future needs. We are planning to visit their showroom to replace a bathroom vanity. ## Selected projects - [2023 Lake Forest Showhouse](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/2023-lake-forest-showhouse-pj-vj~7200678) - Location: Lake Forest, IL - Photos: 5 - [2023 Lake Forest Showhouse Primary Bath](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/2023-lake-forest-showhouse-primary-bath-pj-vj~7200695) - Location: Lake Forest, IL - Photos: 3 - [Contemporary Classic](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/contemporary-classic-pj-vj~7080926) - Location: Lake Forest, IL - Photos: 16 - Description: Beautiful white inset kitchen with flat panel doors and natural wood accents. - [Sheridan Road Sophisticate](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/sheridan-road-sophisticate-pj-vj~6746249) - Location: Highland Park, IL - Photos: 9 - [Pullman Estate Kitchen Renovation](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/pullman-estate-kitchen-renovation-pj-vj~6308378) - Location: Lake Forest, IL - Photos: 10 - Description: Visitors to this year’s Lake Forest Showhouse & Gardens are experiencing a unique “back to the future” design moment in the historic Pullman estate’s reimagined. kitchen and breakfast room. Under the direction of The ABL Group, the space has been transformed into the ultimate combination of timeless form and high-tech function. “We’ve always been proponents of the philosophy that form follows function,” says George Markoutsas, vice president of The ABL Group. “Nowhere is this more essential than… - [Teen Retreat](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/teen-retreat-pj-vj~1231609) - Location: Lake Forest, IL - Photos: 4 - [Ravine Renovation](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/ravine-renovation-pj-vj~6646388) - Location: Highland Park, IL - Photos: 19 - [Kitchen Remodel - Timeless Beauty](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/kitchen-remodel-timeless-beauty-pj-vj~3935993) - Location: Northbrook, IL - Photos: 9 - [Chefs Kitchen - Remodel](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/chefs-kitchen-remodel-pj-vj~1230529) - Location: Lake Forest, IL - Photos: 9 - [Classic Elegance in a Historic Winnetka Home](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/classic-elegance-in-a-historic-winnetka-home-pj-vj~2926897) - Location: Winnetka, IL - Photos: 16 - [Downtown Chicago Condo Renovation](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/downtown-chicago-condo-renovation-pj-vj~5475071) - Location: Chicago, IL - Photos: 10 - [Old World Meets Modern Day](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/old-world-meets-modern-day-pj-vj~2592808) - Location: Highland Park, IL - Photos: 11 - [Master Bathroom Splendor](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/master-bathroom-splendor-pj-vj~5919946) - Location: Chicago, IL - Photos: 13 - [Inset Cabinetry](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/inset-cabinetry-pj-vj~2121196) - Location: Highland Park, IL - Photos: 8 - [Luxury Master Bathroom](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/luxury-master-bathroom-pj-vj~3129416) - Location: Lake Forest, IL - Photos: 4 - [Custom Home Office & Wet Bar](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/custom-home-office-and-wet-bar-pj-vj~3129439) - Location: Lake Forest, IL - Photos: 6 - [Cozy, Yet Sophisticated, Master Suite](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/cozy-yet-sophisticated-master-suite-pj-vj~1230631) - Location: Lake Forest, IL - Photos: 11 - [Jack & Jill Splendor](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/jack-and-jill-splendor-pj-vj~3129449) - Location: Lake Forest, IL - Photos: 3 - [Master Suite Overhaul](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/master-suite-overhaul-pj-vj~3377078) - Location: Highland Park, IL - Photos: 19 - [Sleek Hall Bathroom](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/sleek-hall-bathroom-pj-vj~2092780) - Location: Chicago, IL - Photos: 3 [See all 53 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/design-build-firms/ablaze-design-group-pfvwus-pf~252453772) ## Community Q&A **Q: Love the countertops and the wall treatment** *(in Photo Questions)* Might you share the source/type of countertop, as well as the wall treatment? (white mosaic tile?) Thanks very much! A: Hi - The Countertops are Cambria Colton The Wall Tile is Atistic Tile Xanadu Falls Thassos Let us know if you have any other questions ABLAZE Design Group **Q: beautiful bed frame** *(in Photo Questions)* Can you indicate where it was purchased from? A: Hi Carla - We did not purchase the bed frame, so I'm afraid we do not have details on that. We will reach out to client and see if they have info and if they do will get back to you. **Q: Island color, surface and floors -- LOVE IT!** *(in Photo Questions)* Very fun but timeless kitchen -- would love the island color, surface and tile! A: Hi Christine - Thank you. The island color is SW Inkwell, Countertops are Cambria Colton and the tile is marble. **Q: i am interested in the toilet** *(in Photo Questions)* Who makes the toilet? A: Kohler Toilet **Q: what is the name and manufacture of the paint color of the kitchen can** *(in Photo Questions)* What is the name and supplier of the paint for the cabinets. Thank you! A: Sherwin Williams Sleepy Hollow **Q: Love the color of the cabinets. What color is it?** *(in Photo Questions)* Would like to know the color by name of the light blue cabinets. What company makes the cabinets? A: Hello - Thank you for your question. The color of the Blue is SLEEPY HOLLOW and the color of the ISLAND is INKWELL. The cabinetry is by Dovetails Cabinetry which is a division of The ABL Group. Please let us know if you have any other questions. --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-08-24.*