Closed-off kitchen in an older home
Many Berwyn homes have a kitchen walled off from the dining room. We check whether the wall is load-bearing, bring in an engineer for the beam and open the space up.
Serving Berwyn & nearby Oak Park, Chicago
Kitchen Remodeling in Berwyn, IL
Get your kitchen remodel priced by a contractor who works in Berwyn — and know what to expect before the estimate visit.
- Local crews working in Berwyn ZIP 60402
- Design, permits and every trade on one schedule
- A written, itemized estimate before any work
Kitchen problems we solve in Berwyn
We remodel Berwyn kitchens from the studs out or keep the layout and replace everything in it — whichever solves your problem. One crew coordinates design, demolition, plumbing, electrical, cabinets and counters, so you have one schedule and one point of contact.
Old wiring and too few outlets
Extension cords and a breaker that trips with two appliances mean the wiring is behind. New dedicated circuits and GFCI outlets fix it.
Uneven floors and plaster walls
Out-of-level floors and walls that aren't square are normal in older homes. We shim and scribe cabinets so doors line up and counters sit flat.
Kitchen cut off from the family room
If you can't see the family room or the backyard from the sink, we look at opening a wall or moving the sink to a window or an island.
Dated look
Oak cabinets, tile counters and a dropped light box make a kitchen look its age. New surfaces and lighting bring it up to date.
Two people can't cook at once
A tight work triangle means bumping hips at the sink. We re-plan the zones — prep, cooking, cleanup — so two people can work without crossing paths.
Not enough storage
Counters covered with things that have nowhere else to go? Taller uppers, a pantry wall, deep drawers and corner pull-outs give everything a place.
No counter space
Groceries end up on the stove and there is nowhere to roll out dough. We add working surface by extending a cabinet run, adding a peninsula or reclaiming a blind corner.
What's included
- Design and layoutWe measure, draw the layout and walk you through 3D views and material samples before work starts.
- CountertopsQuartz, granite, quartzite or butcher block, templated after the cabinets are set.
- Backsplash and tileTile backsplash with straight grout lines, finished edges and outlets brought out to the tile surface.
- FlooringLuxury vinyl plank, porcelain tile or hardwood, tied into the rooms around the kitchen.
- Drywall and paintPatching, new drywall where walls open, and finished paint so the room is ready to use.
- Permits and inspectionsWe pull the permit when the work needs one and meet the inspector at each stage.
- Range hood ventingA hood ducted to the outside, sized for your range, with a proper exterior cap.
Materials and options
Inset cabinetsFurniture-style inset doors that match the millwork of a prewar house.
Hardwood flooringRuns continuously from kitchen to living areas; can be sanded and refinished later.
Shaker cabinetsThe most requested door style: a flat center panel with a simple frame. Works painted or in wood.
Quartz countersEngineered stone that never needs sealing and resists stains — the everyday workhorse.
Flat-panel (slab) cabinetsSeamless doors in wood veneer or matte laminate for a modern, minimal look.
What the work looks like in Berwyn homes
Before
In progress
AfterA Berwyn brick bungalow from the 1920s: before and after
A brick bungalow from the 1920s near Depot District, a typical kitchen for Berwyn. What we started with: 1960s birch cabinets painted cream over the years, chipped door edges, old brass hardware, worn beige laminate with a metal edge strip, cracked sheet linoleum and a single glass ceiling fixture. The main complaint was worn-out cabinets and a kitchen that no longer worked. The result: 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. The job covered design and layout, flooring, plus drywall and paint.
Before
AfterAn Oak Brook 1970s tract home: before and after
A 1970s tract home in Oak Brook, a typical kitchen for Oak Brook. What we started with: dark stained oak cabinets with wide face frames and a scalloped wood valance over the sink, harvest-gold laminate, brick-pattern sheet vinyl and a large fluorescent light box. What bothered the owners most: a dated kitchen with worn surfaces everywhere. After: cabinets in white uppers and dusty blue lowers with satin brass pulls, white quartz with soft gray veining counters, a white 2x8 tile in a vertical stack backsplash, hickory luxury vinyl plank flooring and a flush drum fixture and under-cabinet lights. Work included flooring, permits and inspections, plus range hood venting.
Kitchen Remodeling in Oak Brook →
Before
AfterKitchen Remodeling in a postwar bi-level, Elmhurst
A postwar bi-level in Elmhurst, a typical kitchen for Elmhurst. What we started with: dark walnut-stained flush-panel cabinets with brass pulls, speckled laminate, brick-pattern sheet vinyl and a fluorescent box light. The main complaint was tired laminate, old flooring and poor light. After: cabinets in light butter yellow with satin brass pulls, creamy quartzite-look quartz counters, a green zellige-look tile backsplash, warm oak luxury vinyl plank flooring and a flush drum fixture and under-cabinet lights. The job covered countertops, backsplash and tile, plus permits and inspections.
Kitchen Remodeling in Elmhurst →
Before
AfterKitchen Design & Layout Planning in a prewar brick bungalow, Berwyn
What changed: 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.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Berwyn →
Before
AfterBerwyn kitchen, prewar brick bungalow: kitchen cabinet installation & replacement
What changed: new cabinets in powder blue with polished nickel pulls, installed level and ready for black honed granite counters.
Kitchen Cabinet Installation & Replacement in Berwyn →How your kitchen remodel goes
- In-home consultationWe measure the room, look at the walls, wiring and plumbing and listen to what isn't working.
- Design and written estimateA drawn plan, a materials list and a written, itemized quote.
- Ordering and permitsCabinets are ordered — lead times are often several weeks — and we file the permit.
- ConstructionTear-out, rough-ins, inspections, cabinet install, counter templating, tile and fixtures.
- Final walk-throughPunch-list fixes, final cleaning and a walk-through before we call the job done.
Kitchen Remodeling questions from Berwyn homeowners
What if you find problems behind the walls?
Older homes can hide old wiring, galvanized pipes or past water damage. We explain what we find, show you, and price the fix before doing it.
My home was built before 1978. Is lead paint an issue?
We follow lead-safe work practices — plastic containment, no dry sanding and HEPA cleanup — on homes built before 1978.
How long will a remodeled kitchen last?
Well-built cabinets and stone counters last decades; finishes like paint and flooring may need refreshing sooner.
Can I keep my appliances?
Yes. Give us the model numbers and we plan the cabinets around them, or around the upgrades you plan to make.
Can you remove a wall to open the kitchen?
Yes, after we confirm what the wall carries. Load-bearing walls need a beam sized by an engineer and a permit — we handle both.
What is the Berwyn building department phone number?
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.
Does a Berwyn historic district affect kitchen remodel?
Berwyn has locally reviewed areas, including Central Berwyn Bungalow Historic District. Exterior changes there can need review; interior-only work usually does not. We check before anything changes on the outside.
Which Berwyn homes do you most often see for kitchen remodel?
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.
Can Berwyn bulk pickup take my old appliance or cabinets?
Hauler SBC Waste Solutions; free scheduled bulk/appliance special collection, one large item per household weekly. If you'd rather not deal with it, we haul old units and debris away.
Do I need a permit for kitchen remodel 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 Remodeling nearby
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Other kitchen services in Berwyn
Kitchen Design & Layout PlanningLayouts, 3D plans and material picks before work starts.
Kitchen Cabinet Installation & ReplacementNew cabinets installed, leveled and ready for counters.
Countertop Fabrication & InstallationQuartz, granite and butcher block, templated and installed.
Kitchen Backsplash InstallationTile backsplashes with clean lines and flush outlets.
Kitchen Cabinet PaintingFactory-smooth painted cabinets without replacing them.