Custom cabinets for Glencoe's Prairie, modern and new homes

Glencoe's houses, and what each kind asks of new cabinets

Glencoe's historical society calls its Frank Lloyd Wright work the third-largest collection of Wright buildings in the world. It includes the Ravine Bluffs development of 1915, with six Prairie School houses and a bridge over the ravine, and the Glasner and Brigham houses. In 1952 George Fred and William Keck began Forest Crest, 22 solar-oriented modernist houses beside Turnbull Woods. Strawberry Hill, Skokie Ridge and Skokie Heights have split-levels. More than 1,200 acres of forest preserve wrap the village's north and west edges, and in recent years older houses here have been coming down for new ones.

Each of those houses wants something different:

• Prairie School houses, like those in Ravine Bluffs. If yours is one, tell us which built-in woodwork stays; white oak and flat or simple frame-and-panel doors suit the style.
• Mid-century modern houses like Forest Crest look right with flat slab doors and no visible frame. Our European-style frameless specialty, in solid colors or a wood-look veneer, is at home here.
• Split-levels in Strawberry Hill, Skokie Ridge and Skokie Heights. Tell us which walls can change; that decides whether an island or a peninsula fits.
• New houses on teardown lots come through builders and architects with drawings; we build to them.

Permits in Glencoe

Glencoe's own Development Services department issues permits inside the village. We found no list on the village's site of what needs a permit and what does not; its forms for interior alterations include the building permit application, which the village says to "Use this for interior remodels and other general construction projects." (Village of Glencoe applications and forms, as read 2026-10-28.) Development Services, at (847) 461-1118, answers for each project. We confirm with the village whether your job needs a permit, and we pull it ourselves when one is required.

Work we have done in Glencoe

• A white oak stair, rebuilt in full, with a horizontal metal railing that we installed.
• Two kitchens.
• A white painted fireplace mantel with fluted pilasters.
• A taupe vanity with gold hardware.

Nearby: a cream raised-panel kitchen in Winnetka.

Remodel or rebuild: planning a Glencoe kitchen

• What kind of house it is. A Prairie School house, a mid-century modern house, a split-level and a new house on a teardown lot each need a different kitchen. We start the drawings from the house you have.
• Keep or rebuild. Older houses in Glencoe are being torn down and rebuilt. If you keep the house, the cabinets should respect it; if you rebuild, the kitchen comes from your architect's drawings and we build to them.
• Built-in woodwork. If your house has built-in wood that matters to the design, decide what stays, and choose the new wood and finish to sit with it.
• The permit. Glencoe's Development Services department issues permits for the village. Check the rule for your project early; we pull the permit ourselves when it is needed.

Stairs, mantels and vanities: beyond the kitchen in Glencoe

Our Glencoe work covers two kitchens, a white oak stair we rebuilt in full, a white painted fireplace mantel with fluted pilasters and a taupe bathroom vanity. Beyond those, we build:

• Stairs: new treads and railings or a full rebuild, with metal railings installed where the design calls for them.
• Mantels and fireplace surrounds, painted or stained.
• Vanities, floating or on the floor, in any finish.
• Libraries, bookcases and media walls.
• Closets and mudrooms.

How a Glencoe job runs, from visit to install

1. The visit. It starts with a visit. We measure, we listen, and we give you a straight number. If it works for you, we design it with you, and only then do we build. Glencoe is a little under an hour from Spring Grove; the visit and consultation are free.
2. Drawings. Through our design package, or from your architect's or builder's drawings, priced as given.
3. The build. Roughly 6 to 8 weeks from signed drawings for an average kitchen; built-ins and closets usually 4 to 6.
4. Installation, usually 1 to 3 days for a full kitchen. On a new build, tell us the builder's schedule early.
5. After. A written 1-year workmanship warranty from the install date.

From Ravine Bluffs to Skokie Ridge, and nearby towns

Glencoe's neighborhoods include the Prairie houses of Ravine Bluffs, the mid-century houses of Forest Crest by Turnbull Woods, the split-levels of Strawberry Hill, Skokie Ridge and Skokie Heights, and new houses on older lots. We serve all of Glencoe. Nearby, see our pages for Winnetka, Kenilworth and Lake Forest, or all the towns we serve.

Glencoe questions

Do you build frameless cabinets for mid-century houses?

Yes, it is our specialty: European-style frameless with flat doors, in solid colors or a wood-look veneer.

Do you work on new construction?

Yes. We build to the architect's or builder's drawings, fabrication only or installed.

Can you rebuild a staircase?

Yes, from new treads, railings and balusters up to a full structural rebuild, like the Glencoe stair above. See finish carpentry.

Do you build fireplace mantels?

Yes. In Glencoe we built a white painted mantel with fluted pilasters. See architectural millwork.

Can you work with a metal railing made by another shop?

Yes. On the Glencoe stair we rebuilt the stair in white oak and installed a horizontal metal railing made by another shop.

Do you build for split-level houses?

Yes. Tell us which walls can change and where the stairs land. Drawers and a tall pantry add storage where wall space is short.

Can you match the wood in a Prairie house?

We build in white oak, walnut and the other species available here. Finish samples are at the shop, by appointment, so you can choose a stain to sit with the woodwork you keep.