By Jennifer Martin

or David Karlson, CKD, custom design work can be summed up in the words of the great architect Mies Van der Rohe: “Stop talking – build.” From an early age, Karlson saw this philosophy lived every day. His father, an immigrant from Sweden, launched Karlson Kitchens in 1965 after arriving in the United States with little money, few American friends and almost no knowledge of the English language. But like Van der Rohe, he went to work and built his business from scratch into a thriving company.
His example made an impression on his young son. “From the time I was in middle school, I knew I wanted to join my father’s business,” Karlson said. “I started taking technical electives like design, drafting and woodworking. When I started looking for colleges, I tried to track down a program that would help me take the company to higher levels.”
Karlson honed in on the University of Wisconsin in Madison, one of few schools nationwide that offered a combined degree in architecture, business and engineering. It prepared him perfectly when the time came to start running his father’s company in 1991. “I enjoy the varying facets of this business; it’s not a desk job,” he said. “You do a lot of marketing, a lot of design work, managing employees, sales, administrative work—it really keeps me challenged creatively and mentally. I look forward to my work every day.”

Best of Products & Services
His enthusiasm and expertise shine through in the premium products and services Karlson Kitchens offers. Catering mostly to North Shore home owners, Karlson carries highly esteemed cabinetry names like Wood-Mode, Brookhaven, Crystal and Studio Becker while offering full-service design and installation. Actually, the company’s name belies its many capabilities: Karlson also will design any living space including kitchens, bathrooms, home offices, laundry rooms, wardrobe systems or hutches with the same top-tier service and materials.
“Our forte is to do a complete project – not only the design and cabinetry, but also performing the work, soup to nuts,” Karlson said. “We’ll remove the old room and install a new one even if it means knocking out walls and combining two or three rooms into a totally custom redesign. It’s an approach that tailors our service to the client’s vision, and it also creates a high level of convenience and time savings for the client, as well.”
Karlson works directly with consumers and also works efficiently and actively with architects, designers and custom home builders throughout the region. His projects are usually high-end, high-budget designs that are innovative, unique and interesting. In one case, Karlson designed a master bathroom for a jeweler that involved inlaying lapis lazuli—a blue gemstone—into a marble floor. “The effect was really stunning,” Karlson said.

Elements of Surprise
The company is most famed for its kitchen designs that incorporate surprising and delightful elements such as graceful steel sculpture, warm track lighting and multi-tiered art display cabinets. “Some people want chef’s kitchens with everything visible – pots and pans, knives and utensils, spices, glassware, whatever they need to grab,” Karlson said. “Others want everything hidden behind a more sleek and opaque façade. And some want a more mixed look. We provide exactly the type of aesthetic the client is seeking.”
Recently, Karlson moved into the area of high-end wardrobe design systems with German and Italian elements such as built-in pant presses, pull-out wardrobe mirrors, hidden safes, corner carousels, solid mahogany framing, and suede, tiered jewelry drawers. “We’re engaged with a couple of manufacturers in creating ingenious and beautiful storage systems for the master bedroom,” Karlson said. “Basically, we’re taking our high-end approach to kitchens and angling it toward closet systems. It’s a relatively new thing, but there’s a growing market for it and we intend to be at the vanguard of the movement.”
The new project is just another reflection of Karlson’s creative service to his discriminating clients. “The market has changed since my father launched the business in the 1960s – consumers are much more aware of all of their options,” he said. “But their time is very limited. They need someone to take charge of their home renovations from start to finish and provide the high-quality design, materials and installation they’re expecting. It’s my privilege to make sure Karlson Kitchens delivers that level of service consistently.”

Karlson Kitchens
David Karlson, CKD (Certified Kitchen Designer)
1815 Central Street
Evanston, IL 60201
Phone: (847) 491-1300
Fax: (847) 491-0100
Email: info@karlsonkitchens.com
www.karlsonkitchens.com