Small kitchen in an older Evanston home
Older homes often have small kitchens with a pantry, a back hall or a breakfast nook next door. We look at whether borrowing one of those spaces gives the room what it needs.
Serving Evanston & nearby Skokie, Glenview
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Evanston, IL
Measured layouts, 3D views and an appliance plan for your Evanston kitchen, drawn before anything is ordered.
- Kitchen remodels across Evanston ZIP 60201, 60202, 60208
- One project manager from drawings to final walk-through
- Permits and inspections handled for you
Layout problems we solve in Evanston 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 Evanston kitchen, sketch a few layout options and refine one into drawings our crew builds from.
Condo kitchen with fixed plumbing
Risers, shared walls and association rules set the limits in a condo. Our plan starts from what is fixed and makes the most of the rest.
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.
Narrow galley kitchen
Narrow kitchens fail when appliances face each other and doors collide. We stagger them and pick drawer storage so two people can still pass.
Corners and dead storage
Half the cabinet volume in many kitchens is hard to reach: deep corners, tall uppers, shelves at the back. A drawer-first plan puts most of it within easy reach.
Sink and range on the same wall
One long wall with everything on it leaves almost no prep space between the stations. We consider an island or peninsula that takes one station, or a longer run with a clear prep zone.
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.
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.
Everything in a kitchen design
- Site measurementA full measure of the room, plus where the drain, gas line, duct and panel sit.
- Needs and habits interviewA conversation about your routine, your storage and your wish list, written down as the brief.
- Appliance planAppliance sizes, clearances, hood venting and hookups confirmed against the models you pick.
- Cabinet and storage layoutA detailed cabinet plan with drawer stacks, corner solutions and tall storage.
- Lighting and electrical planAn electrical layout showing each light, switch, dimmer and outlet location.
- Drawings for permit and constructionConstruction drawings with dimensions, and permit drawings when walls, plumbing or wiring change.
- Written, itemized estimateA line-item estimate tied to the final drawings, so you see where the money goes.
Finishes and options
Furniture-style and inset detailsDetails borrowed from period furniture that make a new kitchen feel at home in a prewar house.
L-shaped layout with an islandTwo perpendicular runs plus an island, which works well when the room is open on one side.
Two-tone and wood accentsContrasting island or lower cabinets, a look that tends to age better than one-season trends.
Peninsula instead of an islandGives most of an island's benefits in rooms that can't spare the floor space.
Galley layoutParallel counters with a center aisle; compact and quick to work in when planned right.
What the work looks like in Evanston homes
Before
In progress
AfterEvanston kitchen, brick bungalow from the 1920s: kitchen design & layout planning
This one is a brick bungalow from the 1920s in Evanston. Before: 1980s honey-oak raised-panel cabinets installed over the old plaster, dark brown speckled laminate 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 light greige uppers and muted blue lowers, creamy quartzite-look quartz counters and two glass pendants and recessed lights. On site this meant site measurement, cabinet and storage layout, plus lighting and electrical plan.
Before
AfterKitchen Design & Layout Planning in a postwar bi-level, Skokie
A postwar bi-level in Skokie, a typical kitchen for Skokie. What we started with: 1970s dark pecan-stained cabinets, light beige laminate and white appliances. The reason for the call: 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. Work included site measurement, appliance plan, plus cabinet and storage layout.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Skokie →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a postwar bi-level in Glenview
The site: a postwar bi-level near The Grove. 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. 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. Work included site measurement, needs and habits interview, plus appliance plan.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Glenview →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a brick bungalow from the 1920s in Evanston
Finished: 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 Evanston →
Before
AfterCustom Kitchen Cabinets in a brick bungalow from the 1920s, Evanston
Finished: built-to-fit cabinetry to the ceiling in sage green with satin brass pulls and black honed granite counters.
Custom Kitchen Cabinets in Evanston →From first visit to final walk-through
- Measure and listenA walk-through with a tape measure and your wish list in hand.
- 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 estimateConstruction and permit drawings plus a written, itemized estimate for the build.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning questions from Evanston homeowners
Can you design a condo kitchen?
Yes. We confirm what the association allows and where the risers and vents are, then design within those limits.
How much space do I need for an island?
You need the island itself plus walking room on every side, usually around 42 inches, more where two people cook or a dishwasher opens. We check it on your plan before recommending one.
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.
Can I just use a free kitchen design app?
Use one to play with layouts, then let us confirm it. Most app layouts need changes once clearances and hookups are measured.
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 Evanston condo associations need to approve kitchen design?
Associations usually set rules for work hours, elevators, deliveries and insurance, and many require approval for plumbing, electrical or structural changes. We provide the certificate of insurance and follow the building's rules.
Do I need a Evanston-registered contractor for kitchen design?
All contractors working in city limits must register with the City; annual fee General Contractor $150, Trade Contractor $125. We take care of that before work starts.
Evanston building permit for kitchen design: where do I apply?
Permits go through Community Development Department, Building & Development Services (Building & Inspection Services), phone (847) 448-4311. When your scope needs one, we prepare the application and schedule the inspections.
Do I need a permit for kitchen design in Evanston?
It depends on the scope. Evanston's rule in short: Residential permit applications go through the Citizen Portal; City worksheets signed by the contractors are required for any electrical, plumbing or HVAC work. We handle the permit when one is needed with Community Development Department, Building & Development Services (Building & Inspection Services).
Do you work in my part of Evanston?
Yes. Our crews work across Evanston — ZIP 60201, 60202, 60208 — and nearby Skokie, Glenview, Park Ridge.
Working in Evanston
- Most Evanston homes are prewar. We work around plaster walls, radiators and out-of-square rooms every week.
- Condo or townhome? We follow association rules on work hours and elevators and bring the insurance certificate your board asks for.
- Live in a historic district? Interior kitchen work is usually not reviewed. We check before anything touches the exterior.
ZIP 60201ZIP 60202ZIP 60208
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning nearby
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Other kitchen services in Evanston
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.