A 1950s layout with a peninsula and soffits
Soffits, a small peninsula and a desk nook are common in 1950s kitchens. We plan around any ducts in the soffits and reuse the nook as pantry or coffee storage.
Serving Elmhurst & nearby Villa Park, Lombard
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Elmhurst, IL
Measured layouts, 3D views and an appliance plan for your Elmhurst kitchen, drawn before anything is ordered.
- Kitchen remodels across Elmhurst ZIP 60126
- One project manager from drawings to final walk-through
- Permits and inspections handled for you
Layout problems we solve in Elmhurst kitchens
Most of what makes a kitchen work is decided on paper: where the sink sits, how wide the aisles are, which drawer holds the pots. We measure your Elmhurst kitchen, sketch a few layout options and refine one into drawings our crew builds from.
A layout that no longer fits how you live
Kids, working from home, cooking more or entertaining more: the kitchen that worked twenty years ago may not today. We plan for how the house runs now.
Doorways and traffic through the kitchen
When the back door, the basement stairs and the dining room all open into the cook's path, everyone walks through the busiest spot. We shift the work zone out of that route.
The work triangle doesn't work
If you walk across the room every time you go from the fridge to the stove, the triangle is too stretched. We pull the sink, range and refrigerator into a tighter route without crowding them.
Corners and dead storage
Blind corner cabinets swallow pots you never see again. We plan corner pull-outs, drawers that turn the corner, or simply move the run so the corner disappears.
No room for an island
We check the floor space first. A smaller island, a peninsula or a table at counter height can give the same seating and prep space without the squeeze.
Narrow galley kitchen
A galley can be very efficient if it is planned well: the sink and range on opposite runs, tall storage at one end and no doors swinging into each other.
Lighting and outlets planned as an afterthought
Lighting placed after the cabinets are in leaves shadows on every counter. We draw recessed lights, pendants and under-cabinet strips on the same plan as the cabinets.
What's included
- Layout optionsTwo or three layout concepts, such as an L with an island, a U or a galley, compared side by side.
- Appliance planWe fix the appliance list early and check each opening, circuit and duct run.
- Cabinet and storage layoutA detailed cabinet plan with drawer stacks, corner solutions and tall storage.
- 3D viewsThree-dimensional views of the room so you can check heights, sight lines and finishes.
- Material selectionsHelp choosing door style, finish, counters, backsplash, flooring and hardware that work together.
- Drawings for permit and constructionConstruction drawings with dimensions, and permit drawings when walls, plumbing or wiring change.
- Written, itemized estimateThe finished plan comes with a detailed written estimate you can adjust by line.
Choices you'll make
Peninsula instead of an islandGives most of an island's benefits in rooms that can't spare the floor space.
Shaker and slab cabinet stylesShaker doors suit most homes; slab doors give a cleaner, modern look.
Two-tone and wood accentsA painted perimeter with a wood or darker island adds depth without busy finishes.
Galley layoutTwo parallel runs, efficient for one cook and very common in older homes and condos.
L-shaped layout with an islandTwo perpendicular runs plus an island, which works well when the room is open on one side.
Before and after: kitchens near Elmhurst
Before
In progress
AfterBefore and after: a postwar bi-level in Elmhurst
The site: a postwar bi-level 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. What bothered the owners most: a layout built around appliances from another era. The result: a new layout with an island, cabinets in two-tone, white quartz counters and black cage pendants and slim recessed lights. Work included layout options, 3D views, plus drawings for permit and construction.
Before
AfterKitchen Design & Layout Planning in a postwar bi-level, Villa Park
The site: a postwar bi-level in Villa Park. What we started with: 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. What bothered the owners most: a cramped layout and storage that didn't work. Finished kitchen: a new layout with an island, cabinets in warm white shaker, light gray quartz counters and a flush drum fixture and under-cabinet lights. The job covered appliance plan, 3D views, plus drawings for permit and construction.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Villa Park →
Before
AfterAn Oak Brook raised ranch: before and after
This one is a raised ranch in Oak Brook. Before: white painted cabinets with yellowed paint and dated scalloped trim, white laminate with brown flecks and an almond range and refrigerator. The main complaint was a cramped layout with nowhere to prep. The result: a new layout with an island, cabinets in terracotta, dark soapstone-look quartz counters and recessed lights and under-cabinet LED strips. The job covered cabinet and storage layout, 3D views, plus material selections.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Oak Brook →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a postwar Cape Cod in Elmhurst
What changed: 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 Elmhurst →
Before
AfterAn Elmhurst 1960s ranch: before and after
What changed: built-to-fit cabinetry to the ceiling in white uppers and deep green lowers with matte black pulls and light marble-look quartz counters.
Custom Kitchen Cabinets in Elmhurst →The project, step by step
- Measure and listenWe visit, measure the room and go through how you use the kitchen and what isn't working.
- Layout optionsYou compare layout concepts and pick the one to develop.
- 3D views and selectionsRenderings, samples and revisions until the room looks right to you.
- Final drawings and estimateDetailed drawings and a line-item quote you can review before ordering.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning questions from Elmhurst homeowners
Can I just use a free kitchen design app?
Bring your app sketches; they help us understand what you like. We then check them against real dimensions, appliance specs and what's inside the walls.
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.
Do I need drawings for a permit in Elmhurst?
Cosmetic changes often need no permit; moving walls, adding circuits or relocating plumbing usually does. We check the village's requirements and draw what they ask for.
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 choose appliances before the cabinets?
Pick them first, or at least their sizes. The cabinet plan depends on them.
Elmhurst building permit for kitchen design: where do I apply?
Permits go through Community Development Department (Building), phone 630-530-3030. When your scope needs one, we prepare the application and schedule the inspections.
Do I need a permit for kitchen design in Elmhurst?
It depends on the scope. Elmhurst's rule in short: Elmhurst requires permits for building and construction projects; all permits are applied for through the City's Citizen Self-Service Portal. We handle the permit when one is needed with Community Development Department (Building).
Do you work in my part of Elmhurst?
Yes. Our crews work across Elmhurst — ZIP 60126 — and nearby Villa Park, Lombard, Addison.
Working in Elmhurst
- A lot of Elmhurst kitchens date from the 1950s. We know these layouts well and what is worth keeping.
- Most Elmhurst homes are single-family. We protect floors and driveways and leave the site clean every day.
- We know how Community Development Department (Building) handles kitchen permits and pull them for you.
ZIP 60126
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning nearby
More for Elmhurst homeowners
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Other kitchen services in Elmhurst
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.