Leading;the
Way;in;Luxury
Residential
Development
Melrose Partners’ Tim LeVaughn
and Andrew Hershoff have used
collaboration to find success for
this design/build firm
Driving around Lincoln Park on streets like Burling, Orchard, Kenmore, and Dayton, it’s hard to ignore the exceptional homes with detailed and ornate façades. The exteriors of these homes attract clients from all over who are
anxious to see if the insides are just as pleasing to the eye.
Many of these homes were created by Melrose Partners,
a design/build firm known for their inheritance quality
projects. While many developers are leaving the business,
Melrose Partners remains active and consistently exceeding client expectations.
Having recently celebrated their 10-year anniversary, Melrose Partners founders Tim LeVaughn and Andrew Hershoff believe that collaboration and attention to
detail are the keys to their success.
In addition to working with each other to create beautiful and recognizable projects, LeVaughn and
Hershoff also enjoy bringing in other professionals from
different disciplines to enhance their unique style. “Our
projects and our company are the expression of a shared
vision and belief of loving what you do, and doing the
very best that you can,” says LeVaughn. “We find it to be
contagious with our craftspeople and our clients.”
In terms of bringing in the expertise of others,
the founders of Melrose Partners like to create a win/
win situation for everyone. “We are always challenging
our craftsman to ‘raise the bar’ in terms of the quality
of their work, but also in allowing them to feel integral
to the creative process,” says LeVaughn. “Be it a particular stone carver, or cabinet maker, or landscape designer,
we always solicit their ideas on how to impart their work
with the soul of the craftsman. This, in our minds, is part
of what differentiates our body work from the average design/builder.”
Named for the street where the two created their
first project together, Melrose Partners is comprised of two
men who come from completely different backgrounds.
LeVaughn is an architect with a history of luxury housing
design/build in Chicago and other markets, while Hershoff
is an entrepreneur who began renovating and development
of condominium projects when he was barely in his 20s.
Hershoff sought out LeVaughn to collaborate on a project,
and the two have been working together ever since.
Famous throughout Chicagoland for their timeless
classic details, it is the company’s millwork and façades
that stand out from the rest. “Our façades are the embodiment and expression of the larger obsession we have with
quality, design, and attention to detail,” says LeVaughn.
“As to where the ideas come from, they certainly draw
inspiration from the finest examples of classic urban residential architectural design in Paris, New York, and London. However, their projects are all unique in that they
are ultimately designed for their particular site and surroundings, and are not meant to be reproductions of any
particular ‘style’ or ‘period’.”
Another collaboration that has taken the compa-ny;a;great;distance,;is;a;working;relationship;with;Realtor
Jenny Ames. “Melrose Partners and Jenny Ames go back a
long way,” says LeVaughn. Ames has represented Melrose
Partners on numerous projects as a sales agent, and has
brought clients to them as well. “We approached Jenny to
list our projects for the same reason we seek out the finest
craftsman: professionalism,” explains LeVaughn.
Not content to just create interesting and appealing buildings, Melrose Partners views outdoor spaces as
“natural and integral extensions” of the company’s designs. “We love to allow the use of outdoor spaces to reflect the seasonal nature,” says LeVaughn. “An area bursting with color and shade in summer can be equally as
beautiful in the winter with a spare pallet of beautiful
materials and architectural details.”
As for upcoming projects, LeVaughn and Hershoff
can’t pick just one that is the most exciting. Currently,
they are working on projects in North Carolina, Florida,
and in Northern Ontario. “That’s the thing with Andrew
and me,” says LeVaughn, “We don’t sit still very well. We
have a couple of very interesting projects on the horizon
that will take our vision and our brand in new and exciting directions.” L & P
