J. Jordan Homes Opens Office in Renovated Hinsdale House

Julie Laux may be the owner of a successful home building company now, but it wasn't her first career.

Laux, whose J. Jordan Homes recently opened an office in Hinsdale, is a CPA who attended the Kellogg School of Management. She has worked for Ernst & Young, was the CFO of Farley's Candy Company, and also worked in private investing.

In 1997, Laux moved from Chicago to Hinsdale and built her first house with the help of Nathan Curcio as her job superintendant. She bought her family's current home on County Line Road about seven years ago, and again worked with Curcio on the project.

"After I did the house, I thought, 'I could do this [as a career],'" Laux said.

She sold two projects off of her first home, and clients soon came to her by way of word-of-mouth recommendations.

Laux's projects eventually grew into J. Jordan Homes, and until November she ran her business out of her home. Last spring, Laux bought a 19th century Hinsdale home-turned-commercial space at 122 S. Grant St. and, along with her team, completely rehabbed it from the ground up. Now, every room in the building displays design elements that can inspire future customers, from lighting fixtures and countertops to sofas and artwork. 

"We knew we needed an office, but the house is also a showpiece," Laux said. "It shows our work and gives suppliers a place to meet with other customers. It's a time saver because I don't have to sit in on all meetings but I can come in and out."

It's also convenient for Laux's family, as her four school-age children can walk to the office and spend time there while Laux is working. 

Laux's background in business and accounting might not seem like a career that would naturally segue into home building, but she sees her good financial sense as an asset to the process.

"I have a working knowledge of construction, but I'm also good with money," she said. "I can stay within budget and I know how to do a financial statement. [Clients] start with a wish list, and I make the wish list and the budget come together. You can pay what you wanted to pay and we make sure it gets done on time."

Laux's staff of seven, plus a number of pre-screened subcontractors, bring plenty of experience to the table, as well. Curcio has been in the building business for 25 years.

"You get both sides," Laux said. 

Laux has enjoyed keeping in touch with past clients, and often works with them on later projects or home updates. In addition to building or redoing entire houses, "we also do little projects," Laux said. "We can handle anything with [your] house."

She also encourages clients to ask her for help in finding reliable people to perform other duties in the home.

"If you need a plumber, we will know one who is guaranteed licensed and insured," she said.

Laux understands what it's like to put a lot of time and money into a home, and often accompanies clients to houses they are considering rehabbing or rebuilding to help them envision what can be done.

Patty Cimino, who is currently working with Laux on Cimino's home, has been satisfied with the experience.

"It's been a very easy process," Cimino said. "Julie has a great design sense, and I have a confident feeling about it. She is very timely and very budget-conscious." 

Now that Laux's office is open, she hopes that past and future customers will come take a look at her team's work.

"It's open," she said. "People can just come in and check it out and see for themselves."

Laux calls her office building her favorite space that she's designed, because it reflects the hard work and design ideas of the whole team at J. Jordan Homes. She hopes to continue doing projects in the area, and looks forward to expanding.

"We're set up to grow," she said. "We've just hired lots of people."

Laux's main goal, however, is to continue enjoying her job.

"We like fun projects," she said. "It's exciting; at the end of the process, there's something to show for it."