Wendy Bellas
With a BS in Psychology from Ohio Wesleyan University and an interior design degree from her hometown of Denver, the much-traveled Wendy anchors the always busy Kedzie location.  With an easy manner, she prides herself in her ability to satisfy a diverse clientele’s demands.  “Balancing the budget while meeting their design needs keeps the job challenging,” Wendy says.  “I love seeing the smile at the end of the job.”
 

Christine Moritz

Graduating from Michigan State University with a BA in Interior Design, Christine spent the first 5 years of her career becoming a Senior Designer for one of the premier Interior Design Firms in the country. Weary of the travel demands, however, she settled in Chicago and joined Lee in 2002. While the hectic pace and the demanding schedule have not receded, her love of design has settled into the controlled environment of our Lincoln Park showroom.
From the City to our North Shore showroom of Highland Park where she began, Christine’s many, satisfied clients dot the landscape. With her attention to the finer details of truly custom design, she maximizes every aspect of her background, blending both the functional with the aesthetically pleasing to create a palette of incredible designs. Her ability to design and manage
multiple projects, some of which have been published in “House Beautiful”, “Designer Kitchen and Bath”, and others, makes Christine one of the truly talented designers at Lee Lumber/
LL’s Spaces and Views.

Josie Pickett

Following her graduation from Olivet Nazarene with a BA in Housing and Environmental Design, Josie’s career has woven

its way through the home interior worlds of Lippmann’s and Marshall Field’s Design Studio. After four years of working with clients, creating personalized living environments, Josie joined

Lee and its unique team devoted exclusively to multi-unit projects.

In her current role, Josie’s communication and design skills,

her attention to detail, her project management abilities are incorporated in the many multi-unit projects Lee handles.

As an integral part of the team, she has contributed to the successful completion of such projects as The Montgomery and The Regatta of Millenium Park.

Additionally, when some of the unit buyers exercise their right to “redesign to taste”, Josie becomes the designer of record, working with the client to achieve that same personalized living environment her previous experience dictated. Her attention to the detailing required is exceptional; her composed manner and her command of the product make her a perfect choice to assist the client.

Sharon Reap

An eleven-year veteran of the kitchen and bath industry, Sharon is a graduate of Florida’s Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale and a CKD.
With stops at two small design houses and at Christopher Peacock in the Merchandise Mart, Sharon’s career has been focused on the world of high-end, cabinetry design. After five years at Peacock and life as an independent Designer, Sharon brought her talent, her energy, and her design skills to Lee, where her following has soared.

Whether working with the individual Homeowner or with the huge
builder-base of Lee, Sharon has displayed her enormous ability to design and manage the project, while satisfying the client in every way. No matter the project scope, Sharon believes, “There is no greater reward than improving the quality of a client’s lifestyle with a design that both teases and pleases the senses, while satisfying the practical needs of the client. I truly love what I do.”

While Sharon’s base of operation is at the Kedzie Ave. store, she moves throughout our system as client meetings dictate.

Reneida Lester

Graduating from the International Academy of Merchandising and Design with a degree in Interior Design, Reneida chased her dreams, as most do, starting at the bottom. Behind the scenes as
a draftsperson and a space planner, she grew to understand the
elements of design and the importance of style. Mixed with her love of the arts, she arrived at Lee Lumber.

Starting in 2000, Reneida resumed her role in support, now
focusing on the world of residential cabinetry. Hard work and a clear understanding of the complexity of kitchen design, her opportunity to design came in 2002. She has emerged as
a solid designer who skillfully moves the dreams and
desires of the Homeowner onto paper. As Reneida says, “Everyone has  a vision of how they would like the space to look;
my passion is to make that dream come alive.” Her ability to blend
‘form and function’ has created her following of literally dozens and dozens of satisfied homeowners, architects, and contractors.

Today, this talented and creative designer anchors our Pershing Road location. Visit Reneida and watch your hopes and dreams come alive.

Craig Tassone

From the canyons of New York City’s world of design, Craig Tassone has emerged as Lee’s Senior Design Engineer since 2001.
A graduate of New York’s prestigous Fashion Institute of Technology, his AAS degree in Interior Design and his seven years as a front line kitchen designer have equipped Craig with a clear understanding of how great ideas, creative style and the reality of function can merge into a spectacular design.

Now, in his 20th year of project management, Craig gives our
Lincoln Park staff in particular, and our entire kitchen staff in general, the power and the support to master the most complex of designs. His experience, blended with his ability to articulate the
subtleties of any design, give the entire Lee program of residential and multi-unit involvement a foundation on which any client can
confidently rely.

Carl Hagemann

“Customer service is at the heart of any successful business”
and at Spaces and Views, Lincoln Park, that means Carl. Honing his people skills from years of service in the military to a rewarding career in the hospitality industry, Carl knows and understands his role in servicing the client. His friendly demeanor is generally the first to greet the client; Carl’s product knowledge and his understanding of style help the client begin the search to flatter that special room. In his support role, Carl works with the design staff in everything from pricing the project to handling the logistics of delivery. Like so many at Lee, Carl knows that no project is concluded until the client is truly satisfied

Catherine Karabas

A true “people person”, Catherine blends her outgoing

personality and her design talents in introducing clients to the world of Wood-Mode and to the many services of Lee’s Spaces and Views. Both her construction and decorating backgrounds are

strong contributors in getting clients off on the right path toward that special room of cabinetry; her ability to understand and communicate the specific needs of HP’s large contractor base

creates a smooth and accurate business process. Since joining our Highland Park staff in 2005, Catherine has complemented our

designers and assisted our clients with her unique and natural approach to choosing styles and finishes.

Samantha Tobias

When a career in Physical Therapy lost its luster, Samantha transferred from the University of Cincinnati to chase a renewed dream in Interior Design at Harrington College. With a BA in hand, Sam spent two years in residential design before joining
the Lee staff handling multi-unit projects.
With a solid background in Auto-Cad, Excel and related programs, Sam’s focus is project management. From breaking down multiple kitchen designs and pricing those designs to onsite visits to measure each and every unit in a project, Sam blends with her fellow staff members to define the details that make a cabinet
project successful. “I love what I do. To visit site, riding the lift
to a floor I helped define, is so satisfying. Just to view this beautiful city from 50 stories up in a wire cage is breathtaking!”

Elisa Taccogna

With an eye toward a designer’s future, Elisa brought her hopes, her work ethic, and her Interior Design Degree from IIA to Lee in 2006. In her current role of design support, Elisa has honed her cad skills, while developing a critical understanding of the product line and of the ability to engineer the product’s use. At the same time, her ready smile and her enthusiasm for the job greet new clients,

as Elisa introduces them to the many thematic displays at our Oakbrook Terrace showroom. In working with Elisa,

plans for that new kitchen will be off to a fast and pleasant beginning, as she acquaints the client with the many and varied possibilities available and preps that first meeting with the Designer.