Oak Park & River Forest House Walk to Feature 10 Exquisitely Designed Kitchens

Parenthesis Family Center will be hosting its 27th Annual Kitchen Walk on Saturday April 28th from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.  Over 800 participants are expected to tour 10 newly remodeled Oak Park and River Forest kitchens, selected by a committee of architects and design professionals for smart, innovative, and purposeful design.  

Among this year’s not-to-be-missed features is the Oak Park kitchen of Lisa and Ray Lewis, whose 100-year-old, Henry Holsman-designed Craftsman home features historic woodwork that required the careful attention of a skilled boat-builder.  Other highlights include an artful kitchen inspired by Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night and the River Forest home of Mary Rose and Charlie Smith, who eliminated their traditional living room in favor of an expansive gourmet chef’s kitchen and elegant dining hall. 

Former Parenthesis Board member Julia Harmon-Bell is chairing this year’s event. “Each of these kitchens really succeeds in meeting the challenges of the modern household, while incorporating the historic details that we all love about Oak Park and River Forest,” said Harmon-Bell. 

The Walk will feature two special stops.  Chef Denise Norton, of Flavour Cooking School in Forest Park, will be showcasing her talents in a “working kitchen,” where guests can observe Norton at work and sample the savory results.  Oak Park’s Marion Street Cheese Market is providing a cheese monger to offer samples of specialty cheeses in another featured kitchen.  For those wishing to grab a bite afterward, several local restaurants, including Marion Street Cheese Market and Cucina Paradiso, have pledged to donate 10% of the evening’s proceeds to the work that Parenthesis does to support families. 

Tickets can be purchased in advance via the Kitchen Walk website (http://www.parenthesis-info.org) and at select local retailers for $40; or for $45 the day of the walk. 

Parenthesis Family Center, a community-based, non-profit organization, has been serving families with young children since 1980. Staffed by professionals in the fields of social work and child development, Parenthesis Family Center provides a wide range of parenting education, counseling, respite, and case management services focused on building strong families in Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park and surrounding communities. The Kitchen Walk is Parenthesis’ biggest annual fundraiser, raising over $50,000 for its programming.