O'Brien Harris LLC

Great pantry design starts with understanding how a family actually lives. From tailored storage solutions to thoughtful organizational details, every element of this lake house pantry was designed to make everyday routines feel a little easier, and a lot more beautiful.

Scroll through to see the three pantry details we love most, then tell us in the comments: what’s your number one pantry must-have?

See more from this project: https://obrienharris.com/portfolio/album/three-bridges

When summer entertaining season rolls around, we’re reaching for dishes that feel a little more elevated than the usual party dip lineup. This whipped feta with balsamic roasted strawberries, from Delish, is equal parts effortless and impressive. It's creamy, savory, sweet, and made for slow summer gatherings.

📷: Andrew Bui, Food Styling: Brooke Caison

It’s the small details that make custom cabinetry feel truly custom. In this kitchen, featured on the cover of KBDN, brass corner plates add just enough contrast and character against the warm walnut, turning a functional surface into something memorable.

At O’Brien Harris, it's the thoughtful detailing that gives a space depth, personality, and lasting appeal.

Interior Design: Jasmin Reese Interiors
📷: Michael Alan Kaskel

Recognized for its balance of function and craftsmanship, this Winnetka renovation was recently featured in KBB Magazine.

In collaboration with , the kitchen centers around a rounded-corner island,a technically complex detail that defines the space. Antique reeded mirrored glass softens the cabinetry, while integrated storage and thoughtful planning support the needs of a young family.

Upstairs, custom solutions continue with a primary bath designed for ease and clarity, and children’s spaces that prioritize both independence and personality.

📷: Sarah Crowley

Skip the crowded brunch reservation and make this instead.

Buttery puff pastry, creamy goat cheese, and fresh asparagus layered into something that looks impressive, but comes together in under an hour thanks to store-bought pastry. Perfect for a slow spring morning, an easy weekend brunch, or the kind of meal that feels a little special without requiring much effort.



📷: Ryan Liebe for The New York Times

Integrated storage, designed to feel effortless.

This built-in wine column is fully concealed within custom cabinetry, maintaining the kitchen’s clean, architectural lines while keeping everything within reach. Interior lighting and wood slat shelving bring warmth and visibility—proof that highly functional elements don’t have to interrupt the overall design.

See more: https://obrienharris.com/portfolio/album/coastal-minimalism

Interior Designer: NavyBlack
Architect: Moment Design
Builder: J. Jordan Homes South
📷: Ryan Hailey

Excited to celebrate some wonderful news: Lakeview Light, designed by Ann Stockard, has been named a Midwest Regional Winner in the Sub-Zero Wolf Kitchen Design Contest. This tailored, multi-functional kitchen reflects O’Brien Harris’s signature approach: timeless design, refined detail, and thoughtful living. O’Brien Harris was proud to collaborate with the talented team from James Thomas for the interior design.

Designed by for a young family with three daughters, this breakfast nook brings function into focus.

Custom built in banquette, crafted by O’Brien Harris from rift and quarter-sawn white oak in a Cerused Steel finish, integrates storage seamlessly below. Durable, intentional, and built to support the rhythm of daily life.

Follow our page for more design inspiration, shaped by how you live.

📷: Toni Soluri (slide 1 & 2) and Michael Alan Kaskel (slide 3)

Two O'Brien Harris cabinetry projects were recently featured in a House Beautiful online feature "109 Stunning Designer Kitchens That'll Inspire Your Next Home Project." It's such an honor to be featured among so many inspiring kitchen designs. Read the article here: www.housebeautiful.com/room-decorating/kitchens/g623/beautiful-designer-kitchens/

If you're ready to turn that inspiration into your next design project visit the contact page on our website to start the conversation.

Did you know the O’Brien Harris workshop is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan—also known as Beer City USA?

With dozens of craft breweries across the city, beer culture is part of everyday life here. So when we think about recipes for the kitchen, incorporating a great local lager feels especially fitting. These Blue Crab Beignets use amber lager in the batter to create a light, crisp coating around a rich filling of crab, mascarpone, shallot, and chives. Served hot and shared casually, they’re the kind of bite that disappears quickly when friends gather in the kitchen.

📷: Greg DuPree for Food & Wine Magazine

Designer Brynn Olson initially brought us in for the kitchen, but this project became so much more.

In the great room, full paneling, built-in bookcases, and reworked arches add depth, warmth, and a sense of architectural continuity.

With the bespoke millwork O'Brien Harris is known for throughout, the home is now truly a reflection of how the clients live.

To see more of our work, visit one of our showrooms.

Custom Cabinetry + Kitchen Design: O’Brien Harris
Interior Design: Brynn Olson Design Group
Builder: David Post, EIS Group
📷: Werner Straube

This hardworking space blends efficiency with warmth, featuring shiplap walls, creamy Virginia farmhouse-inspired finishes, and concealed laundry to keep everything feeling calm and uncluttered. Because even the most functional rooms deserve thoughtful design.

Make an appointment to start designing your dream home.

Thoughtful pantry design isn’t about adding more space, it’s about using it better.

Recently featured in Forbes , this Hinsdale project explores how verticality can transform the way a kitchen functions. With 10-foot ceilings, we had to be strategic. By incorporating a library ladder system, the team turned what is often wasted space into purposeful storage, creating room for seasonal pieces above while keeping everyday essentials within easy reach.

The result is an intention space that supports the rhythm of daily life.

Read the full feature here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/rdaniel-foster/2026/03/13/kitchen-pantry-cabinets-what-top-designers-get-right/
📷: Ryan McDonald

7,500 and growing

We’re so grateful to be part of a community that values thoughtful design, craftsmanship, and spaces that truly work for the way we live. Thank you for following along, supporting our work, and appreciating the details with us.

The best is yet to come.

When interior designer Sasha Adler Design reimagined her 19th-century Lincoln Park townhouse, the goal was to preserve the home’s historic character while tailoring every space for modern family life.

At the center of it all is the kitchen and adjoining butler’s pantry, lined in custom O'Brien Harris cabinetry. The millwork frames a commercial-grade range and island by L'atelier Paris, while limestone floors from Exquisite Surfaces , subway tile from Heritage Tile vintage bronze lanterns from the Paris Flea Market, and Adler’s woven rope counter stools layer warmth and texture into the space.

Featured in Architectural Digest.