LIVABLE LUXURY

From elite designer brands to practical solutions for busy families, Kashian Bros Lake Forest showroom offers everything you need to love your home for life.

When Kashian Bros acquired Deerpath Carpet in 2018, owners Jean Stein and her husband Doug had a vision for how the Lake Forest store could be reinvented as part of their thriving North Shore empire.

“Prior to us taking over, about 90 percent of his business was working with professional designers,” explains Jean, who now runs Kashian Bros’ Lake Forest location while Doug focuses on the flagship Wilmette showroom. “We  still love working  with designers but we  have built  up our non-designer client base as well, specifically with  all the young families moving up from the city.”

The result is a store with an in-town, luxury boutique vibe—the perfect extension of a rug and flooring business that was started in Wilmette 115 years ago. In addition to carpets, tiles, and luxury vinyl floor coverings, the Lake Forest showroom has a wide selection of cabinet and countertop samples.

As Jean explains, she and Doug moved to Lake Forest in 2011 and raised their four children there, giving her firsthand insight on the city’s distinctive design aesthetic. She encourages clients to walk in with their ideas, even if they’re not fully formulated. Often, they walk out with a game plan and perhaps even some samples to try at home.

“If you can show me a picture, our team can do a good job of pointing you in the right direction,” she explains. “It’s great if you know what you want but sometimes people come in and they’re overwhelmed. We can help narrow things down by asking the right questions.”

By knowing how the product will be used and where, it becomes a process of elimination. If there will be kids or pets, that’s another consideration that can help narrow down choices. “The goal is to get it to a point where it doesn’t feel so overwhelming to them,” she says.

North Shore homeowners have relied on Kashian Bros for more than a century. The addition of the Lake Forest showroom only enhances the dream Doug had when he took over the business in 2004—to expand an existing flooring and carpet store into a full-service home design center.

When it comes to trends, Jean says “there are trends from the mills and trends for what people actually want to do.” While pastels are having a moment, what most of her customers are looking for is something that’s going to look nice and that’s going to last.

“We have reasonable items that would be good for family basements and bedrooms but we also carry a lot of high-end luxury products,” she says, adding that one of their specialties is a crossover list that allows customers to get premium brands at lower prices. “STARK is a luxury brand of carpet made by Prestige, which we carry. If you source these items through our store, you pay a little less because of the name and it saves you a trip to the Merchandise Mart!”

Jean says one of her favorite things about running the Lake Forest showroom is helping clients turn their interior design dreams into reality. “The people coming in are really nice to work with,” she says. “And they’re usually doing something really fun for their house!”

Kashian Bros’ Lake Forest showroom is at 838 N. Western Avenue (847-295-3737). You can also visit its flagship location at 1107 Greenleaf Avenue in Wilmette (847-251-1200). For more information, visit kashianbros.com.