Our involvement with Habitar Design and Stratagem Construction was long and complex, but in the end, both organizations did a terrific job that exceeded our expectations. The project involved effectively gutting, redesigning and remodeling a 2500 square foot condominium space. The condition of the original space made it virtually impossible to salvage much of the original features. When we realized the full scope of the project, we had to concede we needed a designer to help draw up a complete plan, and get us through the myriad large and small design choices, while still maintaining some consistency in approach, theme and style. After about a month of research, I had a short list of possible design and contractor choices. We choose Habitar Design/Stratagem Construction due to a combination of several critical factors: (1) Habitar/Stratagem offered an unusual "end-to-end" solution. With Habitar and Stratagem effectively under the management of a single guiding force (Mitch Newman), the two organizations worked collaboratively and cohesively. (2) Mitch Newman and his designers and master craftsmen all had uniformly stellar reviews in a wide variety of forums, from a wide variety of satisfied customers, spanning all kinds of projects, both large and small. (3) When we had our first visit with Mitch to talk about the project, we were impressed with his quick understanding of what we were trying to accomplish and his obvious experience and expertise. In the design phase our designer was Hannah Tindall. She worked closely with us to produce a complete set of drawings and architectural plans with sufficient detail to enable Stratagem (or another contractor if we so choose) to bid on the construction phase. She was pivotal in helping us make all the seemingly infinite decisions necessary to flesh out all the details -- selecting colors, materials, trims, features and fixtures; sourcing of all of the materials, fixtures, and appliances; putting together a complete lighting plan; a beautiful kitchen; reconfiguring the master bath and walk in closet; sizing and designing unusual customized built-in shelving for a pantry and customized indirect lighting soffits; and designing a magazine-worthy wet bar with customized shelves and features. We soon discovered that our 'wish-list' design far exceeded our budget. Mitch was patient and helpful in going line-by-line through the construction proposal, pointing out places we could save money without sacrificing design integrity, and what we could change while still preserving our overall vision. We then went over every detail of the plan with Mitch's terrific project manager, Brandon Wellborn. As with all other phases of the work, demolition was swift, professional, efficient and done with consideration for the neighbors. Brandon's team was quick to alert me to issues, offered innovative and creative solutions and overcame every hiccup with ease. As all this was in a high rise condo, the complex collection of condo and city rules and specifications that applied to our project was imposing. However, I was totally unaware of the details as Brandon handled all inspections, compliance matters, and reviews perfectly. I was repeatedly impressed by the precision with which Brandon meticulously scheduled the demo, plumbing, electrical and carpentry crews for maximum efficiency and minimal confusion. The electrical and carpentry craftsmen in particular were masters of their trade - routinely producing elegant results no matter how challenging the plan. Every Habitar/Stratagem person, from Mitch down to the cleanup crew personified professionalism. The initial construction quote was a 40+ page tome - an extremely detailed account of every aspect of the plan, and every associated cost. When we needed to make changes to fit our budget, it was a simple matter to identify very specific line items to change and know exactly the dollar impact the change would have on the total. More importantly, this was the basis for the final bill - there were no mysterious additions, vague notations, or ambiguous charges - just a detailed account of every piece of work, from massive demolition to an outlet count. Mitch was candid in our very first meeting...he said, "We are not the cheapest, you can find people who will do work for less. But with us you get quality and attention to detail you won't find anywhere else. I will personally make sure you are 100% satisfied." He said it well and we agree. Habitar/Stratagem is not cheap, but expert quality work done with pride is never cheap. Habitar/Stratagem can make the difference between happy success and frustrating, expensive failure. read more

When my wife and I enlisted the help of Mitch to spruce up our barren open-floorplan, we knew it make a huge impact on the space and would alleviate all the stresses that I tend to bring on myself as a DIY-er. What we didn't count on is how much better the space functions! Mitch tapped Hannah to head up our project. Hannah perfectly executed our very vague direction - modern, yet welcoming, comfortable and kid-friendly. After a few iterations of measurements and computer mock-ups that we emailed about, we settled on a design and started with some much needed furniture (we'd been holding out since college). The design gave us a TON of very clean looking storage (built-in pantry, entertainment center, storage window bench and coat hooks/cubbies) and seating area (breakfast corner bench, window bench, sectional with chaise, and entertainment center) while still managing to stay within our budget. Their design was VERY well thought out without being superfluous. We moved outlets, junction boxes, removed ceiling cans and put integrated lighting into the entertainment area and under-cabinet lighting in the kitchen. Air ducts and entertainment wiring were accounted for and they even unmounted and remounted my TV. I could nit-pick the tile guys that did the backsplash and tile around the fireplace, but in general the contractors were outstandingly meticulous, considerate, and professional. Hannah's taste matched and augmented ours, and she even helped pick out blinds and little decorative things to compliment the design. We will definitely be using Mitch and Hannah again if we decide to sink more into our money-pit... I mean... house. Joking aside, we have more-than made up for the cost of the modifications with the increase in our home's value. Thanks guys! read more

I have hired both Habitar Design and Stratagem Construction for several projects over the past six years (both companies are owned by the same person - Habitar is the design arm and Stratagem Construction implements renovation projects, etc.). My experience has been uniformly positive. Both Habitar and Stratagem feature professional workers committed to customer satisfaction. If there are any glitches - which occur with any business but are rare in this case - the companies stand behind their work and remedy any issues promptly. Most recently, in August 2018 I worked with an excellent Habitar designer I've worked with before - Hannah - to replace defective mirrors in both bathrooms of the South Loop condo to which my wife and I recently moved. The project was completed promptly and well. I also worked with Hannah in choosing roller shades for the condo windows. In the past, I also worked with Habitar and Stratagem to install windows to enclose a three-quarter wall in a condo bedroom. In addition, Hannah has worked with us to help design a number of condo living spaces, including guiding us in selection of furniture, and ensuring that we maximize use of space effectively. I strongly recommend both Habitar and Stratagem for both design and construction/renovation projects. read more

We worked with Habitar and Stratagem for the renovation of our fireplace and had a great experience from start to finish. These guys are really focused on customer service and will go above and beyond to make sure their clients are happy with the results. Our design process started with Hannah and she was professional, responsive and produced top quality design choices. We then moved on to working with Mitch and Rob and their construction team. Rob was absolutely great to work with - he was incredibly attentive, professional and addressed all of our questions or concerns in a timely manner. We had an issue with the tile in the middle of our project and Rob and Mitch did everything in their power to keep the project on track and up to our quality standards. The construction team kept a clean and professional working area in our home and dealt with our building association's rules without any issues. Our door staff even commented on how great the guys were. Additionally, the quote that was given to us at the beginning was what we paid at the end - there were no additions and no surprises. I highly recommend Habitar and Stratagem for any renovation needs. We will use them again on our future projects. read more

We've hired Stratagem and Habitar for two big renovation jobs in our old two flat greystone over the past two years. They did an excellent job both times, both in the design phase with Habitar and the construction phase with Stratagem. They did a complete gut rehab of our large master bathroom, and after that job was such an astounding success, we hired them to rehab our 1st floor bathroom, our 1st floor kitchen, install overhead lighting throughout the house, revamp our foyer and install new hardwood flooring throughout our entire 2nd floor, along with a host of other rehab projects thrown in. All big jobs, and stressful for us, but Habitar and Stratagem handled everything with ease and the utmost professionalism. Hannah is excellent on the design side of things, Nick is the best project manager you could hope for (excellent communication, follow up, and logistical management), and all of the contractors do top notch work, are very professional, are respectful of the job site, and are just all-around nice guys. We fully recommend Habitar and Stratagem with no hesitation. They are the best. read more

Strategem Construction and Habitar Design were most professional, creative and practical in their delivery and execution of our re-concepted dining room. As a young family living in a 1920's East Lakeview condominium, we did not have a need for such a large and formal dining room. What we required was more storage, additional refrigerator space, and a comfortable, family-friendly dining space. As such, we approached Mitch Newman of Strategem Construction and Kapan Shipman of Habitar Design for consulting. Kapan delivered a beautiful design, fulfilling all of our requirements and fashioning a design to compliment the condo's significant architectural style. Mitch's team executed Kapan's plans with flawless, seamless craftsmanship. The Strategem team worked on a timely schedule and within their proposed deadlines. We would highly recommend Strategem & Habitar to anyone looking to update their home and look forward to working with them both again. read more

We had a delightful experience with Hannah and Habitar Design for our kitchen remodel. We met with her at the house and then in their office. She was able to listen to our suggestions and then implement them in her design. She presented us with choices that reflected our tastes and helped us coordinate it all in to a cohesive design that we and all of our friends agree is beautiful. During the process she was able too make changes to the design as we made additional requests without any difficulty. Stratagem Construction is their sister company. Zane was wonderful in completing our project. He kept us up to date and has remarkable attention to detail. He also was extremely accommodating with our requests for additional changes. All of the people working on the project were very professional and neat and had the same attention to detail. Will definitely be contacting Habitar/Stratagem with future projects. Tom R. Chicago read more

Strategem/Habitar did a great job. They were expensive but worth it. The design process was hands-on and responsive and very mindful of our cost concerns. Kapan's plans were very precise and detailed and gave us a excellent, accurate sense of what the finished product would look like. Her design accommodated the limitations of the space perfectly. She was also gracious and patient in welcoming our input. The construction craftsmanship was exceptionally high. Their service was very responsive. (When there was an unexpected small leak that developed they quickly came late at night to fix the problem.) All the staffers and contractors were friendly and a pleasure to have in our home. Our only objection was that, even though we're pleased to write this review, the management was a little too aggressive in pushing us to do it. In the end, the most important thing is that we now have a beautiful bathroom to enjoy for years to come. read more

We used both Habitar Design and Stratagem Construction for two projects over the past year and would use again for future projects. Our first project was to design an office/ living space for our first floor den. MacKenzie was our designer and did a great job of presenting several options. In the end, we chose to build a customer office area. Our project manager Zane and his crew were very professional, timely and ensured we were satisfied with the final result. Because we were happy with our first project we decided to do a "face lift "of the kitchen (painting cabinet, new counters and lighting). The team worked around our schedule and completed the work while we were out of town, coming home to a new kitchen was great! read more

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. read more

I worked with MacKenzie Cain, a designer at Habitar, for a project remodeling my townhouse in Lincoln Park. I initially got a quote from Habitar to do both the design and construction work, but after shopping around, I decided to use another contractor for the construction work but worked with MacKenzie for the design work. I was very satisfied with MacKenzie. She has a good eye and was responsive and collaborative in her approach. She is also a pleasant person to work with. MacKenzie also did a good job of working with the contractors I chose. I would definitely work with her again in the future. read more

We worked with MacKenzie on a home office/den remodel. She was great to work with and provided several options for some of our more complex elements we were trying to achieve. In the end the designs were fantastic and has really transformed our room. She walked us through all elements from colors to pulls etc with her recommendations to guide us along. We really enjoyed the process and love the the end results of our new den. Will continue to work with them on a few minor additions in the den and future projects. read more

Habitar completely renovated a bathroom for us. They gutted the old room and rebuilt to a shiny, new and functional bathroom. It was a good experience. Good design help, good communication and great workmanship at a fair price. Any "hidden conditions" were described fully and options and costs to overcome the obstacle were presented in a clear concise manner so that we could make an informed decision. They left the work site clean every day and final fit and finish is excellent. Very good experience. read more

For good reason, my husband and I are repeat clients of Habitar and Stratagem. We first used them for a kitchen remodel in 2015 and were very impressed with their professionalism and the result. This year, when we decided to take on a much larger project, a gut rehab converting a two flat to a single-family home, we knew who to call. Karl, who designed and planned every inch of the home, was absolutely amazing to work with. We are so pleased with the home. It is truly everything we hoped for. read more

Absolutely fantastic experience. I was doing some work on my living room and these guys knocked it out of the park. They responded to my request for a quote promptly and professionally. I spoke with a designer and on their second try they were able to transfer exactly what was in my head to a piece of paper. Flawless execution all around. Can't say enough good things about them. read more

I contacted Mitch regarding a possible bathroom project. While what I needed done didn't quite fit the scope of his work, he graciously chatted on the phone for 15 minutes, reviewed pictures of my shower problem and offered his advice. It was much appreciated! Would work with him in the future if the opportunity presents itself. read more

This was a completely renovated small but complex bathroom. We liked the design work and had an excellent outcome. The team showed attention to detail and professionalism throughout. Our vintage building offered several challenges and all were met. Costs were fully explained and reasonable. Cleanup was also good read more

Our designer at Habitar was so professional and knowledgable. We did a lot of research so knew what we wanted, but our designer did a wonderful job with all the details. Habitar helped with our Kitchen Design several years ago and our guest bathroom recently. They are the best. read more