Highwood, IL, November 14, 2019 — Lake County Barnwood (LCB), a family-owned business in Lake Villa that gives old Midwest barns a new life, was recently chosen by marketing agency Street Level Studio (SLS) to create several one-of-a-kind furniture pieces and wall installations for its custom-built new workspace in Highwood.
“We’d worked with Lake County Barnwood as a client, updating their website. So, it was only natural to turn to them when we were looking to add texture and visual interest to our new location,” says Tanya Fretheim, SLS owner and president. “Placing their handcrafted touches throughout the industrial space helped us create an environment that really reflects our eclectic culture and reputation for creativity.”
One of the things that attracted Fretheim to LCB was the family’s distinct approach to preserving not just construction materials from torn-down barns but also each structure’s history and character. As an integral part of the process, LCB records the story of each structure and shares it with customers so they know where their wood is coming from and why it deserves a second life.
Co-owner Paul Quinn and the Lake County Barnwood team carefully take apart barns in disrepair that are no longer structurally sound. Quinn’s daughter Shannon and her husband Frank Kersey then sell the reclaimed wood in their shop or use it to handcraft cabinets, tables, shelving, seasonal décor, and other custom pieces designed to showcase each board’s age, patina, and past life.
For the new Street Level Studio offices at 214 Green Bay Road, LCB created several custom pieces. These include a rustic planter display wall of mixed barn boards and shiplap harvested from Illinois farms in Burlington and Monroe County and an old yellow cottage in Wadsworth. Weathered painted planks from a Hainesville barn became a chevron patterned kitchen bar front, while salvage from a farm in Cobb, Wisconsin farm was transformed into a one-of-a-kind cabinet for the conference room.
“Lake County Barnwood’s contributions to our new office space provide a feeling of warmth and so does supporting a local small business. I like to think of it as another way to connect with the Midwest and its history.”
For more information about Street Level Studio’s range of services, visit www.streetlevelstudio.com.
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ABOUT STREET LEVEL STUDIO
Street Level Studio (SLS) is an award-winning, full-service marketing agency in the Chicago area. We’ve been building momentum and driving results for both global brands and growing businesses for more than 35 years through street-smart branding, design, websites, video, digital marketing, content development, multichannel communications, and environmental branding solutions. A trusted and valued creative partner, the SLS team knows how to reach audiences right where they are, deliver the right messages, and trigger the right response with high-impact design and compelling content. A 100% woman-owned business, SLS prides itself on delivering big agency results with small firm access and collaboration.
MEDIA CONTACT
Lexie Markarian, Director of Sales
Street Level Studio
lexie@streetlevelstudio.com
