It was a decade ago in 2015 when Christine Zeifert, OD, and her husband drove around the town of Highland Park, Illinois, in search of an office space. They started cold calling real estate agents who represented properties that were close to home and their daughter’s school until they found the perfect fit.
“It took about a year of prepping and talking to banks and consultants before we started construction,” Dr. Zeifert recalls. “It was a lot of work, but it was worth it.”
FINDING A HOME DOWNTOWN
The big building is in a central, downtown location with businesses along the bottom floor and residential units above. The 1,300 square foot space had previously been an ice cream shop and needed some renovation. Dr. Zeifert shared her vision with the team at Karina K Studio, who pulled it all together into a final design.
“I like an open feel with clean lines; I don’t like clutter or dust,” she says. The space is bright and airy, thanks to the large windows at the front of the office. A local woodworker made her cabinets and shelving with a minimalist, natural look.
Zeifert Eye Care opened in 2016. Dr. Zeifert is thankful for guidance from her husband, who works in finance, as well as the team at iCare Advisors, which offered valuable advice along the way. She worked alongside her one employee at the time, who served as front desk staff and optician. Then she added a full-time optician in year two and additional support staff when she had her second child. Another part-time doctor was added then.
The office developed a trusted reputation in the community, as people walking by turned into patients and others followed Dr. Zeifert from her previous office. As her family grew (Dr. Zeifert now has four children), she also started sponsoring local sports teams and local charities to support kids, such as Changing Lives Through Lenses, where she provides free eye exams at the beginning of each school year and Essilor provides a pair of eyeglasses.
EXPANSION NEEDED AFTER 5 YEARS
By 2021, the practice had grown enough to justify an expansion, and the space next door had become vacant. Dr. Zeifert devised a 10-week renovation plan, but in the aftermath of the COVID-19 delays, the project ended up taking nearly a year. She couldn’t compromise on certain things like the rug, for example, since she was matching her existing flooring. The expansion was completed in the summer of 2022.
The completed new office is now 1,900 square feet with an additional exam room, larger pretesting area and expanded front desk and optical with the expansion. There’s a wider selection of frames available now, which patients appreciate, she says. She also invested more dry eye treatment instrumentation to expand these specialty services.
With the added space, the team grew again with another full-time doctor and employee and additional support staff. Today, Dr. Zeifert and Madeline McCue, OD, work fulltime and Hillary Schweihs, OD, and Albert Licup, OD, FAAO, provided part-time support.
The practice continues to build upon its foundation as an excellent place to take the whole family for its eyecare needs. Dr. Zeifert also provides myopia management for the large pediatric population of her patient base and looks forward to serving her patients and their families for years to come.
| Get the Look |
| Walls: Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore; and Pigeon Gray by Benjamin Moore |
Connect with Dr. Zeifert and Zeifert Eye Care online:
Instagram: @zeiferteyecare
Facebook: Zeifert Eye Care
See other design stories from WO here.
Would you like to share your remodel/relocation/new practice or office refresh story with WO readers? Email us here.
