Lichten Architects

Working with Lichten Craig was a total dream! We moved from New York with hardly any furniture and had the pleasure of decorating our condo with Lindy from Lichten Craig. Lindy and the rest of the team are so nice, hardworking and the most creative. I can't believe I get to live here with all this amazing furniture!

We retained Lichten Craig after a glowing recommendation by friends. We did a full gut renovation of a pre-war apartment. Working with Lichten Craig was a great experience, and we could not be happier with the outcome. Kevin and his team worked with us to create space and design elements that best served our family's taste and sensibility. The experience of the firm shone through as they guided us through this process, making it an enjoyable experience from start to finish. They have a great attention to detail, an impeccable sense of style, and are very professional. We highly recommend them.

We retained Joan Craig of Lichten Craig for architectural design, contract management and interiors for a gut rehab of our residence in a vintage Lake Shore Drive co-op in Chicago. We knew Joan was a good fit when, before we even hired her and unlike others, she asked us what our vision was for the apartment. We gave her some thoughts and she incorporated them into her own clear ideas how to transform the apartment from the 1960s to exactly what we wanted for a functional, comfortable, design-forward living and entertaining space. Joan's team gave us three floor plan options; we ended up mixing and matching elements of each. The kitchen design is truly unique and creative. And we created a multi-functional dining room/library while preserving the classic vintage architectural layout of the key entertaining space in the apartment. Joan helped us select a contractor who could do the custom work we needed within our budget and on schedule, and she was excellent in handling the day-to-day pressures that arise between and among building mgmt., contractor, inspectors and the like. From an interiors perspective, Joan and her team very successfully created the look we wanted within a budget we required. With her guidance, we spent liberally on high quality rugs, window treatments, key surfaces and fixtures, and we found savings in other areas. Her paint and wall covering team did a masterful job. Her AV guy created a custom system that provides everything we wanted but nothing we didn't need. Attention to detail was fantastic in everything. And when it was all said and done, Joan and her team treated us to a surprise champagne unveiling of the finished place. We get tremendous compliments on our apartment and it's a compliment to Joan and her team at Lichten Craig. Highly recommend.

Working with Lichten Craig Architecture + Interiors was wonderful. They are true professionals and outstanding at what they do. Lichten Craig was able to help me to find my personal style by asking very good questions and listening closely not only to my answers but to conversations about my life and they created a comfortable, sophisticated, elegant, beautiful home for me in Chicago. They think of everything...so I don't have to and if I mention something to them, they make it happen. It was the easiest (for me) designing project I have ever been involved with and I could not be happier with the end results. They will see it through until the last picture is hung. They are very detailed orientated.

As a retailer by trade, I am highly attuned to customer service, and I can honestly testify that the entire team at Lichten Craig first comes to mind as best in class in client service level. Just as important are their skills in architecture and design, but it is critical to stress that they approach everything through the lens of what the client wants, rather than their own vision. With that said, they gently guided me to avoid mistakes when I had specific visions with which they did not agree--and in retrospect, they were right every time! They also delivered a vision in flow (my project was a 2 apartment combination) and in palette that I love and never would have envisioned without them. In addition to their professionalism in service and competence, they always took the high road in any financial issue we encountered, so they are classy people as well! I had direct access to Joan and Kevin, the firm's principals, while working very closely as well with the team assigned to my project. They also guided me to choose an excellent contractor with whom they had a successful relationship (ZMK Group) from previous projects. Further, as with every major renovation, there are "punch list" type issues that have come up from time to time, and the combination of Lichten Craig and ZMK has been consistently responsive and indispensable. A gut renovation like mine in NYC--which also included starting from scratch in furniture and accessories--took close to 2 years from start to finish. . .so it also helped that everyone on my team was fun to work with! I actually miss my daily contact with them.

Kevin Lichten began by asking us just the right questions about what we wanted to achieve with the renovation of our apartment. Then he and his wonderful team responded with many practical and highly creative options to achieve our goals. They guided us through the building process from choosing a contractor to all necessary city and building approvals. Everyone was responsive to our needs at all times and a real pleasure to work with. We recommend them highly and without reservation.

Wonderful attention to client needs. Listened carefully to our needs and preferences and came to us with a proposal that fit our vision perfectly - and our budget! stayed within budget and executed beautifully. Also served as an ideal partner and go between with our general contractor - who was not always easy to work with.

They undertook a project to touch up various areas of my apartment, in particular replacing almost all doorknobs and making sure all doors closed properly.

I Highly recommend this firm, Flawless aesthetic, high standard and attention to details. All very important quality when looking for a Designer

We hired Gemma Parker-McKeon to work with us on updating our family room and kitchen. She was outstanding. Gemma and her team are absolutely professional and focused on details. They were wonderful at working within our budget and creating and outcome that exceeded my expectations. Gemma took my many inspiration photos and created into a room that looks like it belongs in our home. She is very creative and also has strong opinions which helped me make good decisions. We were very focused on sticking to our budget, and Gemma was clear from the start about what the budget would permit. There we no surprises, and we are thrilled with the outcome. Gemma also has excellent resources in Chicago and the ability to make almost anything happen. We would (and will) work with her and her team at Lichten Craig again and I would recommend her without hesitation to anyone.

My husband and I have worked with Gemma Parker-McKeon at Lichten Craig over the last eight years. In 2007, we downsized from a large suburban home to a two bedroom condo in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. Since the initial design and decoration of the condo in 2007-2008, we have re-painted and added some new furniture to the layout. As the condo has evolved, so has our relationship with Gemma. She has become a friend and someone we know we can rely on in all circumstances. She is a skilled liaison between tradesmen and client, smoothing the way through the logistics of every job. Gemma is adept at making sure that each person involved has a clear understanding of the steps to completion and the timetable required, so that things proceed smoothly and according to plan. She makes herself readily available to answer questions or address anything unexpected which comes up. Gemma is very detail oriented and nothing goes by her unnoticed. This has given me a high level of confidence that things will turn out well, even when I am not available onsite as work proceeds. Gemma excels in design, implementation and working relationships. Her projects come to fruition with everyone involved feeling satisfied that the best possible effect has been achieved.

I hired Lichten Craig to renovate my two-bedroom condo. John Haigh and Joan Craig were wonderful to work with. I was working on the project from out of town, and changed my mind about the aesthetic many times, but they were extremely collaborative, creative, accommodating and (most importantly) tasteful throughout. It was great to have a team that was as passionate about my home as I was, and who made sure everything stayed on time and on budget. Lichten Craig made the entire process as stress free as possible, and the end result was beautiful. Thank you!