Small kitchen in an older Berwyn home
Kitchens in older houses were built for a different way of cooking. Folding in a pantry or nook, or opening toward the dining room, is often the key move in our plan.
Serving Berwyn & nearby Oak Park, Chicago
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Berwyn, IL
Measured layouts, 3D views and an appliance plan for your Berwyn kitchen, drawn before anything is ordered.
- Kitchen remodels across Berwyn ZIP 60402
- One project manager from drawings to final walk-through
- Permits and inspections handled for you
Layout problems we solve in Berwyn kitchens
We plan kitchens for Berwyn homeowners who want the room to work better, not just look newer. You get measured drawings, an appliance plan, a cabinet layout and 3D views, and because we also build kitchens, the plan is one we know can be built.
Aisles that are too tight or too wide
Aisles that are too narrow make you squeeze past an open oven; too wide and you walk an extra step every turn. We set the clearance to your household, not to a stock plan.
A layout that no longer fits how you live
If the room has a desk nobody uses and no place for the kids to sit, the plan is out of date. We rethink it around your actual routine.
Corners and dead storage
If you own more containers than you can find, the storage plan is wrong. We assign each zone its drawers, pull-outs and pantry space before choosing doors.
No room for an island
Not every kitchen should have an island. When the clearances don't work, we look at a peninsula, a rolling cart or a narrower island that still leaves room to walk.
Lighting and outlets planned as an afterthought
Outlets that land behind the coffee maker and a single switch for the whole room come from skipping the electrical plan. Ours shows every light, switch and outlet.
No landing space next to appliances
A fridge jammed against a wall or a range at the very end of a run leaves you juggling dishes. Our layouts keep a stretch of counter beside every major appliance.
Doorways and traffic through the kitchen
Too many doors make a kitchen hard to lay out. Sometimes moving or closing one opening frees a full wall of cabinets.
What's included
- Needs and habits interviewA conversation about your routine, your storage and your wish list, written down as the brief.
- Layout optionsSeveral floor-plan options with the trade-offs of each, so you choose the direction.
- Appliance planWe fix the appliance list early and check each opening, circuit and duct run.
- Cabinet and storage layoutEvery cabinet, drawer, pull-out and pantry section drawn and assigned to a job.
- 3D viewsRenderings from the angles you will see most, with your cabinet colors and counters.
- Material selectionsSamples of cabinets, counters and tile reviewed together in your own light.
- Written, itemized estimateThe finished plan comes with a detailed written estimate you can adjust by line.
Materials and options
Furniture-style and inset detailsDetails borrowed from period furniture that make a new kitchen feel at home in a prewar house.
Shaker and slab cabinet stylesShaker doors suit most homes; slab doors give a cleaner, modern look.
L-shaped layout with an islandTwo perpendicular runs plus an island, which works well when the room is open on one side.
U-shaped layoutCabinets on three sides, a good choice for a closed kitchen where one cook does most of the work.
Galley layoutTwo parallel runs, efficient for one cook and very common in older homes and condos.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning before and after — Berwyn homes
Before
In progress
AfterA Berwyn brick bungalow from the 1920s: before and after
This one is a brick bungalow from the 1920s near South Oak Park area. Before: 1980s honey-oak raised-panel cabinets installed over the old plaster, dark brown speckled laminate and an almond range and refrigerator. The main complaint was a kitchen closed off from the rest of the house. The result: a new layout with an island, cabinets in light greige uppers and muted blue lowers, creamy quartzite-look quartz counters and two glass pendants and recessed lights. Work included appliance plan, material selections, plus written, itemized estimate.
Before
AfterKitchen Design & Layout Planning in a 1970s split-level, Oak Brook
This one is a 1970s split-level in Oak Brook. The kitchen as it was: white painted cabinets with yellowed paint and dated scalloped trim, white laminate with brown flecks and an almond range and refrigerator. The reason for the call: no place to sit and too little storage. The result: a new layout with an island, cabinets in terracotta, dark soapstone-look quartz counters and recessed lights and under-cabinet LED strips. Work included needs and habits interview, cabinet and storage layout, plus material selections.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Oak Brook →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a 1960s ranch in Elmhurst
The site: a 1960s ranch in Elmhurst. The kitchen as it was: dark walnut-stained flush-panel cabinets with brass pulls, speckled laminate and a built-in wall oven and a cooktop in harvest gold. The main complaint was a wall oven and cooktop that split the room awkwardly. The result: a new layout with an island, cabinets in two-tone, white quartz counters and black cage pendants and slim recessed lights. The job covered layout options, appliance plan, plus 3D views.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Elmhurst →
Before
AfterA Berwyn 1920s bungalow: before and after
Soft sage-green inset-style cabinets with unlacquered brass hardware, honed white marble-look quartz counters, a white handmade-look square tile backsplash, restored oak strip floor and schoolhouse pendant lights.
Kitchen Remodeling in Berwyn →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a brick bungalow from the 1920s in Berwyn
What changed: built-to-fit cabinetry to the ceiling in sage green with satin brass pulls and black honed granite counters.
Custom Kitchen Cabinets in Berwyn →From first visit to final walk-through
- Measure and listenWe visit, measure the room and go through how you use the kitchen and what isn't working.
- Layout optionsWe present a few floor plans and talk through what each one gains and gives up.
- 3D views and selectionsRenderings, samples and revisions until the room looks right to you.
- Final drawings and estimateConstruction and permit drawings plus a written, itemized estimate for the build.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning questions from Berwyn homeowners
Do you build the kitchen you design?
We do. Design and construction under one roof means the drawings are checked by the people who will build them.
Do I need a designer if I already know what I want?
Knowing your style is half of it. The other half is clearances, appliance specs and storage, and that is what our plan nails down.
How much does kitchen design cost?
It depends on the size of the kitchen and how much changes: a same-layout refresh needs less design time than moving walls and plumbing. We give a written, itemized estimate after the visit.
How long does the design take?
A simple refresh can be planned quickly; a full re-layout with permit drawings takes longer. We give you a timeline at the first meeting.
Can you design around my existing plumbing?
Usually. We mark the drain, supply and gas positions and see how far a good layout can go without moving them.
Berwyn building permit for kitchen design: where do I apply?
Permits go through Building Department, City of Berwyn, phone 708-788-2660. When your scope needs one, we prepare the application and schedule the inspections.
Which Berwyn homes do you most often see for kitchen design?
In Berwyn we see Chicago-style brick bungalows, Duplexes and three-unit buildings and Larger homes on south side. Each comes with its own walls, wiring and plumbing, and we plan the job around them.
Berwyn contractor registration: do kitchen contractors need it?
Contractors must be licensed and bonded with Berwyn; $10,000 surety bond and liability insurance naming the City per license (per licensing form. We take care of that before work starts.
Do I need a permit for kitchen design in Berwyn?
It depends on the scope. Berwyn's rule in short: City permit list includes any kitchen and bathroom remodeling, all electrical work, and plumbing/sewer work (faucet or toilet replacement excluded). We handle the permit when one is needed with Building Department, City of Berwyn.
Do you work in my part of Berwyn?
Yes. Our crews work across Berwyn, including South Berwyn, South Oak Park area, Depot District, LaVergne — ZIP 60402 — and nearby Oak Park, Chicago, Oak Brook.
Working in Berwyn
- Most Berwyn homes are prewar. We work around plaster walls, radiators and out-of-square rooms every week.
- Most Berwyn homes are single-family. We protect floors and driveways and leave the site clean every day.
- Live in the Central Berwyn Bungalow Historic District? Interior kitchen work is usually not reviewed. We check before anything touches the exterior.
South BerwynSouth Oak Park areaDepot DistrictLaVergneOgden Avenue
ZIP 60402
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning nearby
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Other kitchen services in Berwyn
Kitchen RemodelingFull kitchen remodels, from layout to last cabinet pull.
Custom Kitchen CabinetsBuilt-to-fit cabinetry up to the ceiling.
Kitchen Island & Peninsula InstallationNew islands and peninsulas with seating and storage.
Accessible Kitchen RemodelingKitchens that work for every age and ability.
Kitchen Cabinet PaintingFactory-smooth painted cabinets without replacing them.