A 1990s layout with a peninsula and soffits
Many 1990s 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 Naperville & nearby Lisle, Warrenville
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Naperville, IL
Measured layouts, 3D views and an appliance plan for your Naperville kitchen, drawn before anything is ordered.
- Local crews working in Naperville ZIP 60540, 60563, 60564, 60565
- Design, permits and every trade on one schedule
- A written, itemized estimate before any work
Layout problems we solve in Naperville 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 Naperville kitchen, sketch a few layout options and refine one into drawings our crew builds from.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Appliances chosen too late
A range or refrigerator picked after the cabinets are ordered often won't fit. We build the plan around the model numbers you choose, with the right openings, power, gas and venting.
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If the room has a desk nobody uses and no place for the kids to sit, the plan is out of date.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.
Everything in a kitchen design
- Site measurementWe measure walls, windows, doors, ceiling height and the positions of plumbing, gas, vents and outlets.
- 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 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.
- 3D viewsRenderings from the angles you will see most, with your cabinet colors and counters.
- Written, itemized estimateA line-item estimate tied to the final drawings, so you see where the money goes.
Choices you'll make
Galley layoutParallel counters with a center aisle; compact and quick to work in when planned right.
Shaker and slab cabinet stylesThe two door styles we draw most often, shown in 3D in your colors.
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.
U-shaped layoutCabinets on three sides, a good choice for a closed kitchen where one cook does most of the work.
What the work looks like in Naperville homes
Before
In progress
AfterKitchen Design & Layout Planning in a 1980s two-story, Naperville
This one is a 1980s two-story near Highlands. Before: honey-oak cathedral raised-panel cabinets with worn finish near the handles, brass knobs, almond laminate with a backsplash lip and almond appliances. The main complaint was cabinets and a layout that no longer fit how they cook. After: a new layout with an island, cabinets in white uppers and dusty blue lowers, warm walnut butcher block counters and recessed lights and under-cabinet LED strips. On site this meant site measurement, appliance plan, plus 3D views.
Before
AfterA Lisle 1980s two-story: before and after
This one is a 1980s two-story near Oakview. The kitchen as it was: golden-oak cabinets with oak soffits above, white Corian-style solid surface with a yellowed seam and black 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 warm taupe, warm walnut butcher block counters and recessed lights and under-cabinet LED strips. On site this meant site measurement, layout options, plus appliance plan.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Lisle →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a two-story colonial from the 1990s in Warrenville
A two-story colonial from the 1990s in Warrenville, a typical kitchen for Warrenville. Before: white thermofoil cabinets peeling at the edges, oak trim, white ceramic tile with dark stained grout lines and white appliances. The main complaint was a cramped layout and storage that didn't work. The result: a new layout with an island, cabinets in terracotta, charcoal concrete-look quartz counters and a flush drum fixture and under-cabinet lights. On site this meant appliance plan, lighting and electrical plan, plus written, itemized estimate.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Warrenville →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a two-story colonial from the 1990s in Naperville
Finished: cabinets in light butter yellow with satin brass pulls, charcoal concrete-look quartz counters, a terracotta-look square tile backsplash, gray wood-look porcelain plank flooring and two glass pendants and recessed lights.
Kitchen Remodeling in Naperville →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a 1980s two-story in Naperville
Finished: built-to-fit cabinetry to the ceiling in pale sage with brushed nickel bar pulls and warm walnut butcher block counters.
Custom Kitchen Cabinets in Naperville →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 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 estimateConstruction and permit drawings plus a written, itemized estimate for the build.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning questions from Naperville homeowners
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.
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 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?
The scope sets the price, from a simple cabinet layout to full drawings with 3D views and permit sets. You'll get the number in writing before we start.
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.
Which Naperville homes do you most often see for kitchen design?
In Naperville we see historic district homes from the 1800s and rapid suburban growth 1960s-1990s. Each comes with its own walls, wiring and plumbing, and we plan the job around them.
What is the Naperville building department phone number?
Permits go through Transportation, Engineering and Development (TED) Business Group, Building Permits, phone (630) 420-6100, Option 2. When your scope needs one, we prepare the application and schedule the inspections.
Do I need a permit for kitchen design in Naperville?
It depends on the scope. Naperville's rule in short: Remodeling such as kitchens requires a permit, as do electrical work (minor repairs and low-voltage excepted), plumbing pipe/fixture installation or rearrangement, and structural changes. We handle the permit when one is needed with Transportation, Engineering and Development (TED) Business Group, Building Permits.
Do you work in my part of Naperville?
Yes. Our crews work across Naperville, including Downtown Naperville, Highlands, Tamarack — ZIP 60540, 60563, 60564, 60565 — and nearby Lisle, Warrenville, Bolingbrook.
Working in Naperville
- A lot of Naperville kitchens date from the 1990s. We know these layouts well and what is worth keeping.
- Most Naperville homes are single-family. We protect floors and driveways and leave the site clean every day.
- Live in the Naperville Historic District? Interior kitchen work is usually not reviewed. We check before anything touches the exterior.
Downtown NapervilleHighlandsTamarack
ZIP 60540ZIP 60563ZIP 60564ZIP 60565
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning nearby
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Other kitchen services in Naperville
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.