A 1960s layout with a peninsula and soffits
Many 1960s kitchens have a peninsula that blocks the dining area and soffits that eat the top of the wall. We check what's inside the soffits and whether the peninsula can open up or turn into an island.
Serving Des Plaines & nearby Mount Prospect, Park Ridge
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Des Plaines, IL
Measured layouts, 3D views and an appliance plan for your Des Plaines kitchen, drawn before anything is ordered.
- Kitchen remodels across Des Plaines ZIP 60016, 60018
- One project manager from drawings to final walk-through
- Permits and inspections handled for you
Layout problems we solve in Des Plaines kitchens
We plan kitchens for Des Plaines 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.
Narrow galley kitchen
We work galley kitchens hard: shallow pantry cabinets, cabinets to the ceiling, a counter-depth fridge and, where a wall allows, an opening to the next room.
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.
A layout that no longer fits how you live
Families change and kitchens usually don't. We ask who cooks, who sits, where mail and backpacks land, and design zones for each.
Doorways and traffic through the kitchen
Kids heading for the fridge and the dog heading for the yard shouldn't cross in front of the stove. We plan the layout around how people move through the room.
You can't picture the finished room
Floor plans are hard to read. We show you 3D views from where you will actually stand, so you can see sight lines, island size and cabinet heights before ordering.
Aisles that are too tight or too wide
Two people can't pass and the dishwasher door blocks the walkway. We size the aisles for how many cooks you have, usually around 42 inches for one and wider for two.
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.
What's included
- Needs and habits interviewWe go through who cooks, how often, what you store and what frustrates you now.
- Layout optionsSeveral floor-plan options with the trade-offs of each, so you choose the direction.
- Appliance planAppliance sizes, clearances, hood venting and hookups confirmed against the models you pick.
- Lighting and electrical planAn electrical layout showing each light, switch, dimmer and outlet location.
- 3D viewsThree-dimensional views of the room so you can check heights, sight lines and finishes.
- Drawings for permit and constructionPlan and elevation drawings our crew builds from, plus what the village needs when the work requires a permit.
- Written, itemized estimateThe finished plan comes with a detailed written estimate you can adjust by line.
Materials and options
Galley layoutTwo parallel runs, efficient for one cook and very common in older homes and condos.
Two-tone and wood accentsContrasting island or lower cabinets, a look that tends to age better than one-season trends.
U-shaped layoutThree walls of cabinets give the most counter and storage, as long as the opening stays wide enough.
Shaker and slab cabinet stylesThe two door styles we draw most often, shown in 3D in your colors.
Peninsula instead of an islandGives most of an island's benefits in rooms that can't spare the floor space.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning before and after — Des Plaines homes
Before
In progress
AfterBefore and after: a postwar Cape Cod in Des Plaines
A postwar Cape Cod in Des Plaines, a typical kitchen for Des Plaines. What we started with: 1970s dark pecan-stained cabinets, light beige laminate and white appliances. The main complaint was a kitchen closed off from the rest of the house. Finished kitchen: a new layout with an island, cabinets in light greige uppers and muted blue lowers, black honed granite counters and two glass pendants and recessed lights. The job covered needs and habits interview, layout options, plus written, itemized estimate.
Before
AfterA Park Ridge postwar Cape Cod: before and after
This one is a postwar Cape Cod in Park Ridge. 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 layout built around appliances from another era. Finished kitchen: a new layout with an island, cabinets in two-tone, white quartz counters and black cage pendants and slim recessed lights. On site this meant needs and habits interview, layout options, plus appliance plan.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Park Ridge →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a 1950s ranch in Glenview
The site: a 1950s ranch near The Glen. Before: original birch cabinets painted white decades ago, sagging doors, chrome pulls, laminate with an aluminum edge band and an older white range and a white refrigerator. The main complaint was cabinets and a layout that no longer fit how they cook. After: a new layout with an island, cabinets in warm white shaker, light gray quartz counters and a flush drum fixture and under-cabinet lights. Work included layout options, 3D views, plus drawings for permit and construction.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Glenview →
Before
AfterKitchen Remodeling in a postwar Cape Cod, Des Plaines
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.
Kitchen Remodeling in Des Plaines →
Before
AfterA Des Plaines 1960s ranch: before and after
Built-to-fit cabinetry to the ceiling in white uppers and deep green lowers with satin brass pulls and warm walnut butcher block counters.
Custom Kitchen Cabinets in Des Plaines →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 selectionsThe chosen plan becomes 3D views, and we pick cabinets, counters and finishes together.
- Final drawings and estimateDetailed drawings and a line-item quote you can review before ordering.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning questions from Des Plaines homeowners
Do I choose appliances before the cabinets?
Yes. Appliance sizes and hookups decide the cabinet openings, so we settle the model list early in the design.
Do you build the kitchen you design?
Yes. The plan, the estimate and the construction all come from us, with one point of contact.
Can you design around my existing plumbing?
Often, yes. We show you a plan that keeps the plumbing in place and, if it helps, one that moves it, so you can weigh both.
How long does the design take?
Often a few weeks from the first visit to final drawings, depending on how many revisions you want and how quickly selections are made.
Can I just use a free kitchen design app?
Apps are great for trying ideas. They don't know where your drain, gas line and joists are, which is why we measure and check the house before finalizing a plan.
Des Plaines contractor registration: do kitchen contractors need it?
Contractors must register with the City (via the online portal); registrations expire Dec 31. We take care of that before work starts.
What is the Des Plaines building department phone number?
Permits go through Community and Economic Development Department - Building Division, phone 847-391-5380. When your scope needs one, we prepare the application and schedule the inspections.
Do I need a permit for kitchen design in Des Plaines?
It depends on the scope. Des Plaines's rule in short: A building permit is required for any residential kitchen remodel; non-structural work uses the Kitchen/Bath Non-Structural permit ($150 fee, rough and final inspections). We handle the permit when one is needed with Community and Economic Development Department - Building Division.
Do you work in my part of Des Plaines?
Yes. Our crews work across Des Plaines — ZIP 60016, 60018 — and nearby Mount Prospect, Park Ridge, Elk Grove Village.
Working in Des Plaines
- A lot of Des Plaines kitchens date from the 1960s. We know these layouts well and what is worth keeping.
- Most Des Plaines homes are single-family. We protect floors and driveways and leave the site clean every day.
- We know how Community and Economic Development Department - Building Division handles kitchen permits and pull them for you.
ZIP 60016ZIP 60018
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning nearby
More for Des Plaines homeowners
- All kitchen services in Des PlainesRemodels, cabinets, counters, plumbing, appliances and repairs
- Kitchen Design & Layout Planning across ChicagolandEvery town we cover for this service
-
Planning and designKitchen Layout Ideas: How to Design a Kitchen Layout That WorksMost kitchen layout ideas come from six types: one-wall, galley, L-shaped, U-shaped, island and peninsula. To design a kitchen layout that works…4 min read
-
Planning and designSmall Kitchen Ideas: Layouts, Remodel Ideas and 10x10 Floor PlansThe best small kitchen ideas start with the layout, not the finishes. A galley or L-shaped small kitchen layout usually works best, keeping the sink…3 min read
-
Planning and designKitchen Layout Planner Tools: Free Kitchen Design Apps and How to Use ThemYou can design a kitchen layout free online with three kinds of tools: retailer kitchen planners tied to one cabinet line, general room planner apps…4 min read
Other kitchen services in Des Plaines
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.