Habitar Design

I had such a wonderful experience working with Habitar in updating my kitchen. Everyone I worked with was professional and committed to the project. The finished product is exactly as I was hoping for. I was looking for help in giving my kitchen a refresh by painting the cabinets and replacing the fixtures and backsplash. I wanted to work with a design firm that could incorporate modern elements into my dated kitchen without having to replace countertops or cabinets. I reached out to several interior design firms in Chicago but most turned me down because my project was not large enough for them. However Habitar, despite the project being smaller than most they accept, was willing to do the work! Mitch, the owner, explained that he was sure I will have bigger projects in the future and that once I work with them on this small project, I will be sure to come back for the bigger ones. MacKenzie, the designer, took the time to listen to what I was hoping to do and she had a bunch of ideas without overwhelming me with options. Patrycja, the project coordinator, worked with me to get the project to meet my budget and was consistently responsive throughout the work. Sarah and her team were meticulous with the tile on the backsplash as well as with the fixtures and cabinetry (and so sweet with my curious cat who wanted to supervise all the action). The painting team was skillful and were prompt with the touch-ups that are inevitable during the first few weeks after a project. At the end of the project, the team made it clear that all their work is under warranty for one year and that I should reach out with any concerns at all. The Habitar team made the whole design and construction process as easy as it could be. I’m really happy with how the kitchen turned out and with the communication along the way. Mitch is correct that I will be reaching out to Habitar again for future projects.

I am very picky and quite the perfectionist. That said, Habitar Design not only met -- but far exceeded my expectationsand surpassed every marker. My apartment is a show stopper. Neighbors, family and friends are in complete awe, and I could not be happier. Primarily Habitar designed my kitchen and primary bathroom -- but designed shelving in my den and bedroom, as well as chose baseboards (which hid the unsightly cable cords) and paint throughout. I worked with MacKenzie, and she was sensational. Not only did she know her stuff, but was an absolute pleasure to work with, and just a lovely person. And Mitch was always available -- at all hours -- hands on. I have recommended Habitar to others, and each one has been impressed. Five stars is simply inadequate to express my appreciation.

So glad chose to work with Habitar Design. The team captured exactly the look I was going for in my space. My restaurant was looking rather bland and they infused the design with color and character, giving it a new sense of appeal. Working with their design team with straightforward, prices are fair and the communication was on point. I'm so glad I chose to work with Habitar to liven up my space. Would highly recommend!

I hired Habitar to redesign a kitchen in a lovely vintage building overlooking Lincoln Park. I was very impressed with the creativity and design knowledge of the Habitar team. And, most importantly, I am impressed with the quality of the construction, the attention to detail and the team's (especially Mitch's) rapid response to any of my subsequent concerns after the project was completed. Working in a vintage building is not an easy task. Habitar did a fantastic job with my project, respecting the building and working closely with the building system engineers to make sure my build was done correctly. Habitar stands behind its work.

I recently used Habitar Design for my bathroom renovation and was impressed by their professionalism and attention to detail. The team really listened to my vision and came up with a design that exceeded my expectations - they even added some really thoughtful touches that I never would have thought of on my own. Plus, the designer came to my house to review materials in person, which was super convenient. The cost was reasonable and I feel like I got a lot of value for my money. It wasn't the quickest service, but that wasn't my main concern. I wanted to get the right design, not the fastest design, and I'm so glad I did. Highly recommend Habitar Design!

We have worked with Habitar Design and their sister company, Stratagem Construction, in multiple projects for our home over the past few years, including major remodeling of our kitchen, guest bathroom and master bathroom/walk-in closet. We have gone back to them project after project because they have always been easy to work with and receptive to take input from us during design and construction, and we were very satisfied with the professional quality of the work that they delivered. Furthermore, and most important to us, they stand 100% behind their work and have quickly taken care of issues even after the warranty expired.

An update on the kitchen design by MacKenzie Cain from Habitar Design: Her design was perfect and we proceeded to the work with the sister company, Stratagem Construction. The finished kitchen is fabulous. Habitar Design plus Stratagem Construction is way to go. We are working with them again on a bathroom.

We worked with Habitar Design to create our beautiful media wall from design to construction. Our designer was MacKenzie and she took our input and came back with several options to discuss. We landed on a great design after scaling back a bit to meet our budget. The construction process was excellent- super professional, clean crew and very communicative along the way. We are thrilled with the end product and get compliments all the time.

Habitar Design is an Exceptional, Outstanding, Extraordinary Design Firm! High Praise from an Excessively Particular Couple so this Says A lot….. I was given the opportunity to work with Habitar Design specifically working closely with Mitch Newman and designer Hannah Tindall. My boyfriend and I had just moved into a stunning downtown condo where we were excited to make it our own in terms of design, constructing modern built ins in the family room/living room, adding custom cabinets to our existing kitchen, new hardwood floors, updating two bathrooms and desired a new design layout. And let me say in all honesty, we are excessively demanding with details and obsessive with mundane details….and yet Habitar Design still exceeded our expectations! With many downtown condos, our space was small, but Mitch Newman and his design team allowed us to capture the feeling of “home” and express our taste in our new place. We were immediately drawn to Mitch Newman’s attention to detail, level of professionalism, brilliant visionary work, and his craftsmanship is truly an artist’s work. His background as a physician demonstrates a level of commitment and knowledge, and all his life experiences really allow him to be magnificent in his craft. I cannot stress enough, the level of quality in his craftsmanship---gorgeous, it was beyond beautiful and better than I had imagined! Our friends & family had no idea we had customized and designed our own built-ins with Mitch, they truly thought we had ordered them from one of the high end Italian stores in Chicago. He was a true visionary from his design of the plans, execution of the construction, selection of materials, even down to the choice of a cabinet or drawer fixture. We also loved working with Hannah Tindall as our designer. She was able to keep us organized with our design ideas and encourage our own creativity but allow us to showcase our design aesthetic in a tasteful, functional, and cohesive manner. Hannah Tindall worked tirelessly to make sure our experience was delightful and inspiring. I would highly recommend Mitch Newman, Hannah Tindall, and Habitar Design, and will definitely use them again in the near future. Unfortunately, my relationship with the boyfriend did end after 6 years, but the most difficult part was walking away from my beautiful home. I didn’t want to leave my gorgeous home where Habitar Design inspired and captured my perfect aesthetic combination of personalized palette colors, room balance, modern comfort, and my love for the space. Thank you for the amazing experience and look forward to seeing you soon for a new project!

Let me start this review by saying Stanley is the best contractor we've ever had the pleasure of working with. We redesigned our bathroom and had a great experience from the moment we started working on designs with MacKenzie to the last walk-through with Stanley. MacKenzie is very open to ideas, creative in problem-solving and gave us great options along the way. Stanley, the project manager, and his co-worker, Sinuhe, were an excellent team. When one of the fixtures we ordered came in with a defective part, Stanley ended up McGyver-ing a solution so we could have water while we waited for the new part to arrive - above and beyond! The team was always on time, kept us informed throughout every step of the project, and left our place tidy and organized at the end of every day. We would have like to have seen Mitch on the job once or twice, as he was the person we originally contracted with, but we wouldn't hesitate to use Habitar / Stratagem again based on the professionalism, expertise and great-to-work-with-ness of Stanley, MacKenzie and the rest of the on-site and in-office team.

To remodel the kitchen in a Streeterville high rise, we interviewed three companies in Chicago. We chose Habitar Design after meeting MacKenzie Cain. Our impression was confirmed in a conversation with a former client who raved about her and her company. MacKenzie’s final design is an elegant and functional solution to a boring and constrained layout. Working through the design iterations was super easy with her. And her company would reach out periodically to check if there were any glitches. Of which there were none! We have not moved to the construction stage yet. But we are delighted with MacKenzie’s design.

We had a great experience working with Habitar/Stratagem to design and remodel the kitchen in our hundred-year-old house. During the design process, we worked closely with Hannah to come up with a plan that would fit our lifestyle and use our space more efficiently. She did a great job of listening to us and then suggesting options and ideas. After we settled on a final design, we started to work with the contracting side to bring it to life. That was a painless process — the Stratagem crew did a great job and stayed close to the schedule and budget ... even in our old house with crooked walls and wonky floors! Their work was meticulous and clean and they did a good job of keeping us informed throughout. We highly recommend Habitar/Stratagem ... lots of people have kitchen remodeling horror stories, but Habitar/Stratagem makes it an easy experience!