Professional Services

Closet Capital

How thoughtful storage turns everyday organization into lasting home value Article by Cat Rolfes | Photography by Provided On Chicago’s North Shore, value is rarely defined by flash alone. It is defined by intention. The homes that endure are those where beauty and function work in tandem, where spaces feel tailored, efficient and quietly refined. In that context, one of the smartest home investments is also one of the most understated: a well-designed closet. Today’s closets are no longer...

Home + Design

Portable Paradise

How a North Shore family turned prefab cabins into backyard escapes and boutique getaways Article by Amelia Levin Remember the she sheds, backyard offices, and man caves everyone wanted during the pandemic? Anisha Mehta Seltenright took that demand seriously. In 2022, she launched PrefabPads with her husband, Peter Seltenright, and father, Hemang Mehta—turning a shared passion into a thriving business selling high-quality, ready-to-use homes, offices, pool houses and backyard spaces. The...

Arts + Culture

Betsy Fore Built on Purpose

Indie and local books that are bound to inspire. Article by Cat Rolfes Entrepreneurship has always rewarded vision, grit and a tolerance for risk. In “Built on Purpose,” released late last year, founder and investor Betsy Fore argues that what most founders overlook is far less visible and far more consequential. The real work, she insists, begins inward. Fore has built and exited multiple companies, including Tiny Organics, which reached more than $13 million in revenue within its first two...

Arts + Culture

What We Carry

Brendan Hunt on family, loss and making it better Article by Cat Rolfes The last time I saw Brendan Hunt, we were doing what you do in Amsterdam when the night refuses to end. Riding bikes. No destination. Just a loose caravan of old friends pedaling through quiet streets after too much dancing and not enough sleep, celebrating Boom Chicago’s 30th anniversary with past and present cast members who all somehow still feel like family. It was nearly three decades after that theater first shaped...

Health + Wellness

Emotional ROI: Why Regulation Changes Everything

When emotional health becomes an investment rather than a reaction, the returns show up everywhere in daily life. Article by Lynn Zakeri, LCSW Most people don’t think of emotional health as an investment. They think of it as something you consider when things fall apart, when anxiety rises or when relationships feel overwhelming. But in practice, emotional work pays off far more than crisis management ever will. At Lynn Zakeri LCSW Clinical Services, PLLC, I see this every day. Emotional...

Arts + Culture

Investing in the Stage

Building the Center’s next act Article by Cat Rolfes For nearly 30 years, the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts has stood as both a cultural beacon and an economic engine in Skokie. From touring musicians and nationally known speakers to school matinees and community dance recitals, the Center’s two theatres have long reflected the village itself: diverse, dynamic and deeply invested in the arts. This spring marks a meaningful transition. Northlight Theatre, the Center’s resident...

Arts + Culture

A Love Letter, Goodnight

Lit & Local: Indie and local books that are bound to inspire. Article by Cat Rolfes For children's author Taylor Tomlinson, expanding her “Goodnight” series to Chicago’s North Shore wasn't just a strategic move. It was personal. Raised in Green Oaks, Tomlinson says the newest book felt like "a joyful walk down memory lane," shaped by childhood recollections of places that anchor family life today. The result reads like a love letter to the North Shore, blending nostalgia with the rhythms of...

Home + Design

The New Quiet Luxury Home

How wellness, ease and invisible technology are reshaping modern living Article by Cat Rolfes Wellness Begins at Home: Designing Spaces That Support How You Live Luxury once announced itself loudly. Ornate moldings, layered finishes and recognizable brands signaled success before a word was spoken. Today, luxury has softened. It is less about what is seen and more about what is felt. Calm instead of clutter. Ease instead of excess. Homes designed to support daily life rather than compete...

Home + Design

A Church, Reimagined

Pam and Matt MacPherson transformed a midcentury Glenview church into a family home that honors its past. Article by Cat Rolfes | Photography by Amee McCaughan On a quiet stretch of Glenview Road, the fireplace glows where rows of pews once faced forward in unison. Leather chairs and a curved sectional gather close to the stone surround, softening the scale of a room originally designed for congregation rather than conversation. For Pam and Matt MacPherson, this intimate seating area is the...

Home + Design

North Shore Fixers & Finishers

Four North Shore experts shaping what’s behind the walls and what brings a home together. Article by Cat Rolfes Some home professionals solve problems you never see; others shape the details you live with every day. The most successful homes depend on both. This month’s Fixers & Finishers brings together four trusted North Shore experts spanning construction, design and critical home systems. Together, they represent the craftsmanship, coordination and care required to create homes that are...