Routen Design Associates

If you want a beautiful kitchen or bath remodel using top quality materials, contact Larry at Routen. Larry helped us make some design adjustments to our kitchen (November 2018) and a more major remodel to our master bathroom (January 2020). We.re thrilled with the beautiful results which provided us with a much more useful kitchen and bathroom. Larry is easy to work with completes projects on time (something we have not experienced with other professionals we’ve engaged).

We love our kitchen! Larry made renovating our 1990's kitchen so much easier by making choices and suggestions to narrow down the endless possibilities. He's been there, done that, so you can trust the finished product will be what you want. Larry takes care of all the details and his crew was great to work with. Dan (the builder) is a wizard! We plan to use him in the future for our outdated bathrooms. Thank you Larry, Dan, and everyone that contributed.

We hired Larry to see what he could do with a very outdated master bath. The result was outstanding! We were totally amazed at the new and ageless design and outcome. Larry paid attention to very single detail. We would recommend highly him for any renovation design job.

Larry helped me with a complete kitchen and laundry room renovation! He truly knows how to think of all the "little things" you might want or need. It can be such an overwhelming process to decide how to layout every detail, and with Larry Routen the whole process is simplified. He's professional, sets realistic timeline expectations, and does a great job of maximizing the use of space for any project.

Larry Routen did a wonderful job helping us to design and implement our two-bathroom project. The project involved entirely new footprints for the two bathrooms, and Larry's expertise in spatial design and aging-in-place was super helpful. He also came up with the perfect product for our mid-century aesthetic in the master bath -- a cabinet wall by Robern and Brookhaven, including Larry's own idea for recessed touch-LED lighting around the mirrors. Larry was easy to work with, and he delivered the drawings and renderings on time and at a very fair price. Highly recommended.

Larry Routen is the best in the business. There is no one in Bloomington that comes close to matching his work. My wife and I have worked with Larry on several projects, some of which have been extensive in there scope of work. Larry pays attention to the details and takes pride in being able to make your vision come to life. Rest assure that when he's done, things will fit and they will function as they are supposed to.

"Amazing!", my husband's first words when we viewed our newly remodeled kitchen by Lifestyle Kitchen & Baths. Larry Routen's creative design seemed to have magically enlarged the entire area. His guidance in selecting products was invaluable. Mr.Routen is truly an outstanding professional. We met with him both in our home and in his studio. He really listened to our ideas and Incorporated them in the final plan. He guided us, but did not dictate, in the selection of cabinets, countertops and appliances. We always felt free to contact him with questions or concerns. He did what we agreed on at the price we could afford. He was on site during the installation of the cabinets and demanded the perfection he is known for among his workmen. Our new kitchen is not only beautiful but also a design that really works. Details Larry included: the small appliance garage, plenty of outlets, savory spice rack next to the stovetop, coffee corner and the wonderful butler's pantry all make it a joyful place for cooking. We were referred to Mr. Routen by friends and would not hesitate to recommend him to anyone looking for a five-star designer.

Larry helped us with the design of a master bathroom, mantels for the master bedroom and living room and design of new kitchen cabinets. His attention to detail is second-to-none and he will not accept anything if it does not meet his high standards of craftsmanship and installation. It is rare to find these days a person who has such a passion for their work and carefully designs products based upon the needs of the consumer. The master bathroom is a "masterpiece" -- carefully designed and crafted under Larry's skilled design skills. I wanted to create an area that would be a "wow" -- and that was accomplished with the beautifully crafted cabinets. In the kitchen, Larry designed many wonderful features into the cabinets that I have loved using. I would highly recommend Larry Routen to anyone interested in designing new areas or doing a redesign of existing areas.

Larry Routen (Lifestyle Kitchens and Baths, Routen Design Associates) has designed and installed elegant and superbly functional kitchens and bathrooms for us on three occasions over a period of more than 35 years, and always to our complete satisfaction! This record speaks for itself. His work, along with that of his associates, is of the highest quality, reasonably priced, attentive to detail, completed in a timely manner, totally reliable, and backed up by a friendly and easy concern for our efficiency and comfort. When we downsized to our present location, we encountered a neglected and seriously damaged condominium. What Routen delivered was a "kitchen to die for," along with two beautiful bathrooms, Anyone planning this type of remodeling would do well to take their business to him. We cannot imagine anyone providing better service! Lewis and Unni Rowell

Larry Routen, Lifestyle Kitchen and Baths, was a genuine pleasure to work with during the custom design and remodeling of our master bathroom and kitchen. We were impressed with Larry's professionalism and attention to detail from the very first meeting in his showroom. It was not long before the professional working relationship grew into a friendship. Larry was on site daily ensuring no details in workmanship were overlooked. We are extremely pleased with the finished work and now have the kitchen and master bathroom of our dreams. Simply put, Larry did all we requested and went beyond our imagination!Larry did a fantastic job incorporating our ideas and desires into each design, ensuring the most functional use of each space. Everything has a place in the new master bathroom, adding organization to quality. He designed a jewelry cabinet that was special made and integrated with the counter tops and vanity, making this a meaningful and truly one-of-a-kind custom bathroom. The lighting in the master bathroom is exceptional, illuminating everyday tasks with ease. He completely transformed the kitchen, adding functionality and changing the floor plan layout to make use of the entire space. We now have more useable storage and counter space. The island with butcher block counter top is the kitchen’s most prominent feature. Larry designed a matching butcher block table for the kitchen. The lighting in the kitchen is perfect, with adjustable lighting for all areas: overhead, counter space, over table and island.

After saving for over 2 years to do a major kitchen remodel project on our 24 year old home, we didn’t know where to start. So we contacted 3 remodeling contractors in the Bloomington area to get bids. But when we met with them, each had different ideas on how to design and do the job. It was very confusing and impossible to compare bids. The solution was to hire Larry Routen to do the kitchen design work. That way we would have an expert doing the design work and would have totally detailed plans to give to each contractor. Larry made several trips to our house to get dimensions and look over the kitchen. He checked space requirements, HVAC, discussed appliances, etc. He contacted Clark’s in Greenwood where we bought all our appliances to get dimensions of each so it could be incorporated into our plan. He then worked with us in selecting kitchen cabinets. We had looked several places but just weren’t sure what we wanted and couldn’t really find something we liked. We found a Brookhaven style and color we really liked and ordered these and the hardware through Larry. We got a competitive price and Larry kept on top of the order and made sure they were in on time. He then met the cabinet delivery guys when they were delivered and checked off each cabinet from our order to insure everything was there. He worked with our contractor throughout the entire job answering questions, making recommendations and changes as the need arose. As is usually the case, there were a few things that were not quite right with the cabinets. A set of hinges were not the correct ones; Larry reordered new ones and had them changed out at no cost. There was also a slight imperfection on the front of one of the cabinet doors. This he also had replaced at no charge. Larry was available to us for advice from the beginning of the project to the end and this was invaluable. Larry is a professional and a perfectionist and his final plan was well thought out; he considered work areas, traffic patterns, spacing between island and outside countertops, appliance locations…he even talked to Kathy about her cooking style to find out what she wanted & where and designed the kitchen and the cabinet functions around her needs. The project grew from a total kitchen makeover to include remodeling of most of our downstairs. Again, Larry helped in designing an audio/TV equipment cabinet that was built in next to our fireplace. The entire job took 5 months instead of 3 to complete and Larry was available the entire time if we had questions or concerns…all part of his service when he did our kitchen plan. The results are beautiful! We love our new kitchen and downstairs and if we had it to do all over again, we would not change a thing. If you are considering a kitchen or bath remodel, save yourself headaches, time and money and have Larry do the design first. I would not call him to fix a problem with your golf swing, but he should be your first call for a major kitchen or bath remodeling job. Sincerely, Jeff and Kathy

We have worked with Larry Routen on two major projects 10 years apart. In 2004, when we wanted to remodel our kitchen, we learned of Larry from a neighbor that had used Larry to design their new kitchen. So, we contacted Larry and began the process. We had a detailed, 2-page list of what we liked and wanted in a new kitchen. Larry was able to meet all the items on our wish list and give us a kitchen that we still love 10 years later. Late last year, we decided to build an addition with a new master bathroom and exercise room. So, we called up Larry and he was more than happy to work with us once again. We told Larry what we wanted and he again worked his design magic to make it happen. We now have a beautiful addition with a master bathroom that is beautiful and functional. Larry hit a home run once again for us. Larry Routen is a true professional and a designer that truly listens to the client and produces a design that meets or exceeds your expectations. Larry worked side by side with our contractor and helped bring it all together. I would highly recommend Larry to anyone wanting to remodel a kitchen, bath, closet, etc.