Highland Park Kitchen Remodel with Quartz Countertops, White Shaker Cabinets & Desk Area Upgrade
Before
This Highland Park kitchen had great bones, but like many homes built in the 90s and early 2000s, it was starting to feel closed-in and dated. The built-in desk nook — once trendy — no longer served the family’s lifestyle. The cabinets were a melamine, non-wood finish with plastic handles. The homeowner came to Lotus wanting a clean, modern kitchen that still felt classic and warm, with thoughtful storage solutions and upgraded finishes… without the custom price tag.
This Highland Park kitchen was functional, but the original melamine cabinets were showing their age. The non-wood finish lacked texture and warmth — and the overall layout was ready for a fresh start. Sometimes, it's not about tearing down walls... it's about upgrading the foundation
The sink area felt dark and disconnected, with limited lighting and dated materials that didn’t reflect the homeowner’s style. A single bowl, off-center placement, and old laminate counters made it feel more like a utility zone than a central gathering space. Not anymore!
The refrigerator wall lacked cohesion and polish — like a collection of boxes instead of a thoughtfully designed kitchen. No trim, no built-ins, no definition. That all changed when we brought in custom touches using our Lotus in-house cabinet line. Wait ‘til you see the after 👏🏽
🔨 During
🔎 Why This Remodel Happened
This project actually began with a broken appliance — the original drop-in cooktop and vent stopped working, and the model had since been discontinued. Rather than trying to “Frankenstein” a solution, the homeowners were faced with a choice:
Replace the broken parts and keep the outdated layout, or finally update the kitchen the right way.
That’s where Lotus came in. We showed them how our in-house Rose Hill Cabinet Line could deliver a completely fresh, custom-feeling kitchen — without having to rip up their floors or blow the budget. It allowed them to replace the dated laminate counters with beautiful quartz, upgrade storage, and get a full transformation instead of just putting a band-aid on a broken space.
"It wasn’t just about replacing the stove — it was finally time to stop patching things and make this kitchen work for the long haul."
Cabinets going in! This is where the magic starts to happen. We used our in-house Lotus line to create a fresh, clean look with stacked crown molding that takes these white shaker cabinets all the way to the ceiling. Budget-friendly never looked so custom 🔨✨
Goodbye 90s desk nook, hello functional storage zone! Instead of leaving a cutout for a chair, we installed full base cabinets and taller uppers with crown — creating the perfect spot for a hidden charging station, printer, or even a coffee corner ☕️📱
✨ After
The result is a bright, airy, functional kitchen that feels high-end without being overdone. Clean lines, upgraded materials, and intentional cabinet features made all the difference.
Bright, clean, and timeless. This Highland Park kitchen got a full refresh with our in-house white shaker cabinets, Calacatta Izaro quartz countertops, and stacked crown molding that draws the eye all the way up. A perfect example of luxury without the custom price tag ✨
We deepened the peninsula island to create more prep space, more seating, and more style — then tied it all together with oil-rubbed bronze pendant lighting for that extra warmth and glow. It's simple, functional, and just the right kind of statement 💡
The original cooktop and vent stopped working — and instead of replacing it with a discontinued model, we designed a smarter solution. This setup features a modern drop-in range paired with a Thermador downdraft vent, giving clean lines and top performance without losing space or style 🔥
🛠️ Design Details & Product Selections
🧰 Cabinetry
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Style: White Shaker
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Upgrades Included:
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Trash pull-outs
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Two lazy Susans
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Glass-front upper cabinets
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Base cabinet pull-outs
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Full overlay doors, soft-close, all wood
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Double-stacked crown molding
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🧼 Sink
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✅ Available through Lotus Showroom
✨ Countertops
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Material: MSI Q Quartz
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Color: Calacatta Izaro
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✅ Offered through Lotus for a high-end marble look with low maintenance
💡 Lighting
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Model: Innovations Lighting Bell 1-Light Mini Pendant – Oil-Rubbed Bronze
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✅ Available through Lotus Showrom
🔥 Ventilation
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Model: Thermador UCVM36XS 36" Downdraft
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✅ Professional-grade appliance paired with 36" gas cooktop
🎨 Paint
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Color: Sherwin-Williams Greek Villa (SW 7551) — a soft, warm white that complements the cabinetry without yellow undertones
📍 Location Spotlight: Highland Park, IL
As a design-build team rooted in the North Shore, we love projects like this one — where we can preserve the best parts of a layout while using modern finishes and design to breathe new life into the space.
If you're located in Highland Park, Deerfield, Glencoe, or anywhere along Chicago's North Shore and considering a kitchen renovation, we’d love to show you how Lotus can deliver a luxury look for less — with heart, intention, and craftsmanship.
💬 What the Homeowner Wanted
“We didn’t want to move walls or completely gut everything — we just wanted our kitchen to feel clean, functional, and more in line with how we actually live. Lotus gave us exactly what we envisioned and more.”
🪷 Ready for Your Own Lotus Transformation?
Visit our Grayslake showroom or book a consultation online to start designing your dream kitchen — without the designer markup or custom cabinet lead times.