Drakewell Kitchens & Closets celebrates the opening of its new showroom

 Thursday, November 6, 2025

Chicago’s celebrated design landscape just received a notable boost with the grand opening of the new Drakewell Kitchens & Closets showroom and design studio. Located at the prestigious 954 W. Washington Blvd. in the heart of the bustling Fulton Market District, the space officially debuted with an open house, welcoming a capacity crowd from the city’s elite architecture, interior design, and building community.

The launch marks a pivotal moment for the firm, founded by award-winning interior designer Joy Williams, who also serves as its Owner and Principal Designer. By establishing a physical presence in one of Chicago’s most dynamic and architecturally significant neighborhoods, Drakewell is positioning itself as a key resource for the high-end, custom-tailored residential market.

Williams expressed profound appreciation for the community support: “What an unforgettable week of celebration. We’re deeply grateful for the community of designers, architects, builders, and design friends who continue to inspire and champion our vision.” This sentiment reflects the core mission of the new location: to be a place of collaboration and inspiration for industry professionals.

The Fulton Market District

The selection of the Fulton Market District is highly strategic. Once a center for meatpacking and industry, the neighborhood has transformed into a major hub for technology, corporate headquarters (including Google and McDonald’s), high-end dining, and luxury commercial real estate. Crucially for the custom home industry, it has also solidified its status as a destination for contemporary design and architectural innovation.

Placing the showroom here allows Drakewell to engage directly with the architects and builders managing the city’s most significant renovation and new-build projects. The studio is not merely a retail space; it is envisioned as a “working gallery,” featuring meticulously curated vignettes designed to showcase the blending of artistry, function, and cutting-edge material technology.

The new studio’s layout reflects current trends in luxury home design, emphasizing a seamless flow between different living spaces. Key installations showcase the firm’s diverse product partnerships and its dedication to both American-made quality and sophisticated European engineering.

Highlights of the showroom include:

• Showplace Cabinetry: Featuring American-made, semi-custom cabinetry known for its broad range of styles, finishes, and flexible design options, catering to the enduring popularity of transitional and classic looks in Chicagoland homes.
• Knöde crafted by nobilia: The inclusion of this line speaks directly to the increasing demand for high-tech, sleek, and highly functional kitchen systems. Knöde utilizes German engineering from nobilia—Europe’s largest kitchen manufacturer—to offer clean lines, modern finishes, and smart storage solutions that define contemporary luxury.
• Specialized Home Features: The studio thoughtfully incorporates premium, next-generation home elements such as the Nex Media Wall and Planika Fires luxury fireplaces, signaling a focus on whole-home integration rather than isolated room design.

The most compelling differentiator of the new location is its dual function: it serves as both the showroom for Drakewell Kitchens & Closets and the new headquarters for Williams’ celebrated interior design firm, Joy Design Studios.

This co-location facilitates a comprehensive, “one-stop, custom-tailored solution for the whole home,” a concept that is gaining significant traction in the luxury segment. For high-net-worth clients and busy design professionals, having access to an award-winning interior designer who simultaneously controls the sourcing and fabrication of custom-fit architectural elements—kitchens, closets, offices, and mudrooms—streamlines the project lifecycle dramatically.

This vertical integration addresses a major pain point in high-end remodeling: the coordination challenges between the interior designer, the cabinet supplier, and the installer. By managing both the design vision and the execution of the key built-in elements, Williams’ team can ensure a higher level of precision, material consistency, and project efficiency from concept to completion.

Trends in custom design

The showroom’s offerings align perfectly with prevailing 2025 design trends:

1. Engineered Organization: The display of a custom Drakewell closet system emphasizes the growing realization that closets and utility rooms are no longer secondary spaces but essential, highly organized areas that maximize home value and function.
2. Material Warmth: A shift away from stark minimalism is evident, with an emphasis on rich materials, textured surfaces, and warm neutral colors. The blending of Showplace’s cabinetry with the European finishes of Knöde allows for the creation of spaces that are both sleekly modern and deeply inviting.
3. Integrated Living: The inclusion of luxury media walls and fireplaces highlights the ongoing trend of open-concept living, where the kitchen and living areas flow together. The cabinetry becomes a unifying element across all rooms.

Williams concluded her statement by emphasizing the studio’s future role as a community gathering point: “The team looks forward to utilizing the space for future designer events and welcoming clients to experience the new collections.” This commitment to hosting industry functions positions Drakewell not just as a supplier, but as a thought leader and collaborator in Chicago’s vibrant design ecosystem.

The opening solidifies Fulton Market’s reputation as the destination for premium home and design solutions, offering the Chicagoland design community a powerful new tool for crafting personalized, high-performance luxury spaces.

Read more news on: kitchen solution

For more updates, visit woodandpanel.com

Tags: Chicagoland Home Remodeling, Custom Kitchen Design Chicago, Fulton Market Design Studio, German Engineered Kitchens, Joy Williams Interior Designer, Luxury Closets Showroom, Whole Home Custom Cabinetry