Meet DeAndre Thomas: DeAndre is one of our Project Managers here at Owen Homes. He has been with the team since 2016. As your Project Manager, he will be your primary contact during construction as he manages and supervises the day- to-day operations on-site. He schedules subcontractors and vendors, coordinates material deliveries, inspects work for quality of craftsmanship and handles any challenges that arise during construction. You’ll meet DeAndre on-site for several walk-throughs and hear from him frequently to verify details and design elements as we translate the scope/vision into construction reality.

Meet Martin Roper: Martin is one of our Project Managers here at Owen Homes. He has been with the team since 2014, starting as a Framing Carpenter, Crew Leader and then stepping into Project Manager in 2017. As your Project Manager, he will be your primary contact during construction as he manages and supervises the day- to-day operations on-site. He schedules subcontractors and vendors, coordinates material deliveries, inspects work for quality of craftsmanship and handles any challenges that arise during construction. You’ll meet Martin on-site for several walk-throughs and hear from him frequently to verify details and design elements as we translate the scope/vision into construction reality.

Darkly polished, wide-planked Ipe (Brazilian walnut) floors and Benji Reyes hand-sculpted wooden furniture set the tone, and make the off-white sofa from DWR and the Chunky Cable Hand-Woven Rug by nuLOOM, pop. The handcrafted burl table by Benji Reyes sites atop a mirrored platform. Photos by Mariko Reed. Design by VIF Studio.

Darkly polished, wide-planked Ipe (Brazilian walnut) floors and Benji Reyes hand-sculpted wooden furniture set the tone, and make the off-white sofa from DWR and the Chunky Cable Hand-Woven Rug by nuLOOM, pop. The handcrafted burl table by Benji Reyes sites atop a mirrored platform. Photos by Mariko Reed. Design by VIF Studio.

Darkly polished, wide-planked Ipe (Brazilian walnut) floors and Benji Reyes hand-sculpted wooden furniture set the tone, and make the off-white sofa from DWR and the Chunky Cable Hand-Woven Rug by nuLOOM, pop. The handcrafted burl table by Benji Reyes sites atop a mirrored platform. Photos by Mariko Reed. Design by VIF Studio.

This custom made three dimensional feature wall made entirely with European oak in our shop has recessed LED lights, a matching credenza and is 12'x17'. The client—a highly successful luxury builder himself—had exceptionally high expectations. The team developed detailed CAD drawings and life-like renderings, ensuring every aspect of the design was clearly visualized. Over the course of three design meetings, the team refined the concept based on the client’s feedback until he was fully satisfied. During fabrication, the team replicated the approved design with precision, ensuring every detail was meticulously looked after. The team built the wall in sections, ensuring they could be transported efficiently and seamlessly assembled on-site. Before staining, the team fully assembled the wall to verify perfect alignment and eliminate any margin for error. When the final structure was put together on-site, the result was so seamless that it appeared to be carved from a single solid piece of wood.

This custom made three dimensional feature wall made entirely with European oak in our shop has recessed LED lights, a matching credenza and is 12'x17'. The client—a highly successful luxury builder himself—had exceptionally high expectations. The team developed detailed CAD drawings and life-like renderings, ensuring every aspect of the design was clearly visualized. Over the course of three design meetings, the team refined the concept based on the client’s feedback until he was fully satisfied. During fabrication, the team replicated the approved design with precision, ensuring every detail was meticulously looked after. The team built the wall in sections, ensuring they could be transported efficiently and seamlessly assembled on-site. Before staining, the team fully assembled the wall to verify perfect alignment and eliminate any margin for error. When the final structure was put together on-site, the result was so seamless that it appeared to be carved from a single solid piece of wood.

This custom made three dimensional feature wall made entirely with European oak in our shop has recessed LED lights, a matching credenza and is 12'x17'. The client—a highly successful luxury builder himself—had exceptionally high expectations. The team developed detailed CAD drawings and life-like renderings, ensuring every aspect of the design was clearly visualized. Over the course of three design meetings, the team refined the concept based on the client’s feedback until he was fully satisfied. During fabrication, the team replicated the approved design with precision, ensuring every detail was meticulously looked after. The team built the wall in sections, ensuring they could be transported efficiently and seamlessly assembled on-site. Before staining, the team fully assembled the wall to verify perfect alignment and eliminate any margin for error. When the final structure was put together on-site, the result was so seamless that it appeared to be carved from a single solid piece of wood.

This custom made three dimensional feature wall made entirely with European oak in our shop has recessed LED lights, a matching credenza and is 12'x17'. The client—a highly successful luxury builder himself—had exceptionally high expectations. The team developed detailed CAD drawings and life-like renderings, ensuring every aspect of the design was clearly visualized. Over the course of three design meetings, the team refined the concept based on the client’s feedback until he was fully satisfied. During fabrication, the team replicated the approved design with precision, ensuring every detail was meticulously looked after. The team built the wall in sections, ensuring they could be transported efficiently and seamlessly assembled on-site. Before staining, the team fully assembled the wall to verify perfect alignment and eliminate any margin for error. When the final structure was put together on-site, the result was so seamless that it appeared to be carved from a single solid piece of wood.

This custom made three dimensional feature wall made entirely with European oak in our shop has recessed LED lights, a matching credenza and is 12'x17'. The client—a highly successful luxury builder himself—had exceptionally high expectations. The team developed detailed CAD drawings and life-like renderings, ensuring every aspect of the design was clearly visualized. Over the course of three design meetings, the team refined the concept based on the client’s feedback until he was fully satisfied. During fabrication, the team replicated the approved design with precision, ensuring every detail was meticulously looked after. The team built the wall in sections, ensuring they could be transported efficiently and seamlessly assembled on-site. Before staining, the team fully assembled the wall to verify perfect alignment and eliminate any margin for error. When the final structure was put together on-site, the result was so seamless that it appeared to be carved from a single solid piece of wood.

THE LIBRARY: Years before this home was built, the Owners had collected several pallets of 70 year-old adobe utilized by the famed Tucson Architect 'Josias Joseler' to build 'St. Phillips in the Hills' Church. A Road expansion required partial demolition of the original courtyard wall of this desert masterpiece, which the astute church members salvaged for some special us. This Libray fireplace was veneered with the 70 year old adobe. A metal plate on the wall (upper left) holds the original Catalina Foothills lot sign and number (153). The Architectural Designer/Builder visited the site at night-fall to verify and document the protected view corridor of city lights seen at night time. A window located opposite the desk location (not seen in this photo) allows the homeowners the city light view.

This project won in the 2013 Builders Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh Housing Excellence Award for Best Urban Renewal Renovation Project. The glass bowl was made in the glass studio owned by the owner which is adjacent to the residence. The mirror is a repurposed window. The door is repurposed from a boarding house. George Mendel

Bob Schatz
Example of a mountain style staircase design in Burlington

Langhorne Carpet Company proudly announces its latest collaboration with Vermont Custom Rug Company’s David Hunt on an elegant reproduction of the early 19th century worsted wool carpet for the dining room of historic Hyde Hall. A National Historic Landmark and New York State Historic Site in Springfield, NY, eight miles north of Cooperstown, Hyde Hall is considered “one of the finest examples of the neoclassical country houses in the United States.” The agricultural estate was the project and prize of wealthy British-born landowner George Clarke (1768-1835). Clarke owned 120,000 acres in New York’s Leatherstocking Region and designed Hyde Hall on the bank of Otsego Lake with Albany architect Philip Hooker. The mansion, the estate’s centerpiece, was constructed from 1817 to 1835. Today, Hyde Hall resides within Glimmerglass State Park. Recent years have brought Hyde Hall a meticulous, history-driven, artisan-fueled restoration to recreate Clarke’s precise original vision. David Hunt chose Langhorne Carpet Company to recreate the Brussels looped pile carpet for the property’s dining room. Made from the finest worsted wool, a yarn used today almost exclusively in apparel, Brussels carpets were a 19th-century status symbol among America’s wealthiest citizens, including presidents and major landowners. According to Clarke’s scrupulously kept ledgers, in 1831 he purchased “122 linear yards of Brussels body carpet, along with 24 yards of Brussels border carpet from the showroom of Lowe & Connah in New York City for the sum of $308.00. A hefty amount for the period,” said Hunt. The carpet—which, Hunt said, may well be one of the first examples Wilton carpet woven in the United States—remained in the dining room through the end of the 19th century. As for the two tuffets? They not only survive—they also remain covered in the original textile. This existence of these original tuffets for nearly two centuries, said Hunt, is both incredibly rare and fortuitous. “Having a documented portion of the original carpet, intact 186 years after manufacture, is, for the textile historian, a gold mine of information. Although the border portion of the design remains most visible, having the ability to document and verify the yarn quality, sett (pattern) of the weave and most importantly the original colors is huge.” Hunt “dissected” the tuffets to reveal the yarn that, like in all Wilton weaves, is buried beneath the textile’s back, unexposed to sunlight, air, or cleaning agents. When he did, he found the carpet’s original colors and pattern. From there, he and Langhorne used a black-and-white photograph of the original carpet to create a botanical pattern for the field that would, he said, “honor the style of the border.” He then turned over the work to Langhorne, to create the patterns, match the dye colors, and weave the carpets on narrow looms much like the ones used 200 years ago. Langhorne, he added, is the only mill in the United States—and one of very few in the entire world—capable of doing such a job. “Langhorne has this wonderful capability to do all sorts of different things. I don’t think a lot of people understand that option is out there, and it’s a lot easier than you think to do it,” he said. What’s more, “They’re real people, working people—the folks on the loom, the weavers, the folks in the office: Except for the clothing, they’re the same type of people you would have found in a mill 200 years ago. It takes special people to do this, and that’s Langhorne.”

Latch hardware in upper cabinets.
Inspiration for a mid-sized craftsman u-shaped medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen remodel in San Francisco with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, green backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and a peninsula

Elevate Your Chicago High-Rise: Expert Painting and Drywall Repair Looking for a professional painter near me in downtown Chicago? From the sleek glass towers of the Loop and Lakeshore East to the historic loft conversions in the West Loop, our team delivers premium craftsmanship tailored to the heart of the city. This recent project in a luxury downtown condo highlights our expertise in blending modern aesthetics with the structural demands of urban living. We specialize in high-end finishes, utilizing premium Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams coatings specifically selected for Chicago’s unique interior environments. Whether it's refreshing a contemporary penthouse or performing seamless drywall repair in a River North flat, we ensure a flawless finish every time. OUR PROCESS: PRECISION IN THE HEART OF CHICAGO 1. Expert Drywall Repair & Prep Living in downtown Chicago means dealing with building vibrations and settling. Our thorough surface inspection often reveals hairline cracks or settling gaps. As a leading Chicago painting contractor, we perform expert drywall repair, patching, and sanding to ensure a perfectly smooth "Level 5" finish before a drop of paint even touches the wall. 2. Specialized Priming High-rise walls often feature various textures or previous high-gloss finishes. We apply specialized, low-VOC primers to ensure maximum adhesion and color vibrance while keeping your indoor air quality clean—a must for city dwellers. 3. Professional Paint Application Using a combination of precision brushwork and specialized rollers, we apply multiple coats to achieve rich, even depth. Our techniques are designed to highlight the architectural lines of modern Chicago floor plans. 4. Meticulous Final Review The "Windy City" standard means no mess left behind. Our team performs a rigorous final inspection and deep cleanup, ensuring your downtown home is move-in ready the moment we finish. WHY CHICAGO DOWNTOWN HOMES REQUIRE SPECIALISTS Urban painting presents specific challenges that suburban contractors might miss: Building Regulations: We navigate strict HOA rules, freight elevator bookings, and insurance requirements (COIs) common in Loop high-rises. Climate Control: Managing humidity and temperature fluctuations in glass-walled units to ensure proper paint curing. Drywall Integrity: Addressing cracks caused by the natural swaying and settling of Chicago’s tallest buildings. Pro Tip: When hiring a Chicago painter, always verify they carry the high-limit liability insurance required by downtown property management companies. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Q: Why choose a painter near me for downtown Chicago? A: Local contractors are familiar with the logistical hurdles of the Loop and Gold Coast, including parking, building access, and specific structural challenges of high-rise units. Q: Can you handle drywall repair and painting in one project? A: Yes! As a full-service painting contractor, we handle everything from water damage repair and settling cracks to the final decorative coat, providing a seamless experience. Q: Are your paints safe for small condo spaces? A: Absolutely. We prioritize low-VOC and Zero-VOC premium paints that are odorless and safe for high-density living environments. Q: How do I get an estimate for my downtown unit? A: We offer flexible scheduling for on-site consultations throughout the West Loop, Streeterville, and the South Loop. Ready to transform your urban space? See more of our work and request a free estimate at windypainters.com. Windy City Painters | Chicago’s Premier Painting & Drywall Specialists

Whon Photography
Large urban underground carpeted staircase photo in Indianapolis with gray walls and no fireplace

Detail of rustic arbor Photo: Kathleen Shaeffer

Example of an urban staircase design in Salt Lake City