Why High-End Renovations in Chicago (and beyond) Cost More Than You Think and Where It Actually Goes

When people think about the cost of renovating, especially in high-end homes across Chicago, Elmhurst, Hinsdale, and the North Shore, they almost always think about one thing: construction.

The tile, the cabinetry, the flooring, the plumbing, the lighting. All of the tangible, fixed elements that quite literally build the house.

But what most people don’t realize is that a truly finished home is never just about construction. It happens in two phases, and both matter equally.

The first is everything structural and foundational. This is where decisions are made about flooring, and even something as specific as the direction the wood is laid. It’s cabinetry, millwork, tile, stone, plumbing fixtures, lighting placement, paint colors, wall treatments, ceiling details, and even the size and structure of your windows. Are there grids? Are there mullions? How wide should they be? How do they relate to the elevation of the home?

Each of these decisions may feel small on their own, but together they create the framework of the space. And in high-end renovations, there are hundreds, sometimes thousands of these decisions being made across a single home.

But that’s only half of it.

The second phase is what people tend to underestimate, or skip entirely. This is where the home actually comes to life. Furnishings, rugs, window treatments, upholstery, case goods, lighting layers, artwork, accessories, and styling. It’s everything that turns a house into a home that feels complete.

When you see a home in a magazine, or even on Instagram, you’re not just looking at a well-built space. You’re looking at something that has been fully curated. Every piece is intentional. Every layer is working together. Even the books on the coffee table were chosen for a reason.

And that level of cohesion doesn’t happen by accident.

I was recently working with a client in Elmhurst who had invested in a beautiful kitchen renovation with us. The space turned out exactly as we had envisioned. It felt elevated, thoughtful, and aligned with how they wanted to live in their home. But the living room just off the kitchen still had furniture from a completely different chapter of their life. Pieces from their twenties, from a different home, that no longer made sense in the context of what we had just created.

They knew it didn’t feel right, so we put together a proposal to furnish the space in a way that would connect everything. They ultimately decided not to move forward, which of course is their decision.

But since then, the questions have started to come in. Thoughts on rugs from big box stores. Sofas they’re considering ordering. Questions about sizing, scale, and whether something will work.

And the truth is, those are exactly the decisions you hire a designer to make.

Without a full plan, what tends to happen is that things are just slightly off. A sofa is a little too large or not quite deep enough. A rug doesn’t anchor the room the way it should. The scale between pieces feels disconnected. The materials don’t relate to one another. Nothing is necessarily wrong on its own, but together, it doesn’t feel right.

And more often than not, it ends up being more expensive in the long run.

Because pieces get replaced. Or they’re lived with, but never fully loved.

Another important part of this conversation is where things are actually sourced from. As designers, we work with trade-only vendors, which are not available to the general public. These pieces are made differently. The quality is higher, the materials are more durable, and the level of customization allows us to tailor each piece specifically to the space it’s going into. We also have long-standing relationships with the people behind these products, which means we’re not just selecting something, we’re standing behind it.

This is how we create homes that last. Not just visually, but functionally, for years.

Because the reality is, furniture isn’t an investment in the way people often think it is. It doesn’t appreciate in value, and it doesn’t resell for what you paid for it. It’s an investment in your daily life. In how your home feels, how it functions, and how long it holds up.

When those decisions are made well, you feel it every single day. And when they’re not, you feel that too.

The same idea applies to new construction homes. We see this often across Chicago and the North Shore, where a home is built without a designer involved early on. Decisions default to builder-grade. Safe, simple, and efficient, but not necessarily thoughtful.

And then a few years later, the conversations start. Wishing something had been done differently. Realizing that the home doesn’t quite reflect how they want to live.

Those are expensive realizations.

At the end of the day, a high-end home is never accidental. It’s layered, intentional, and considered from the very beginning through the final styling detail.

Yes, hiring a designer is an added cost. But more importantly, it protects the much larger investment you’re already making.

Because this isn’t just about how your home looks. It’s about how it lives, how it feels, and whether it still feels right years from now.