Closed-off kitchen in an older home
Many Oak Park 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 Oak Park & nearby Berwyn, Chicago
Kitchen Remodeling in Oak Park, IL
Get your kitchen remodel priced by a contractor who works in Oak Park — and know what to expect before the estimate visit.
- Kitchen remodels across Oak Park ZIP 60302, 60304, 60301
- One project manager from drawings to final walk-through
- Permits and inspections handled for you
Kitchen problems we solve in Oak Park
Most Oak Park homeowners call us about one thing that bothers them every day: a cramped layout, worn-out cabinets or a dark, closed kitchen. We plan the whole room around how you cook, then handle cabinets, counters, flooring, lighting and the trades behind the walls.
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
Floors that slope and walls that bow are part of an older house. We level, shim and scribe so the new cabinets look straight.
Condo rules and fixed risers
Condo remodels run on the association's rules. We take care of approvals, insurance and elevator bookings and design around fixed plumbing.
Small kitchen that feels cramped
We plan small kitchens around storage and light — the two things that make them feel bigger.
New appliances won't fit
Today's appliances are bigger and need more power and venting. We build the openings, circuits and ducts around the models you choose.
The kitchen is dark
One ceiling fixture leaves you working in your own shadow. We plan recessed lights, pendants over the island and LED under-cabinet strips on separate switches and dimmers.
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.
Everything in a kitchen remodel
- CabinetsNew cabinet boxes and doors in the style you choose, leveled, anchored and adjusted.
- Backsplash and tileSubway, zellige, slab or large-format tile with clean edges and outlets set flush with the tile.
- FlooringNew flooring under and around the kitchen — LVP, tile or hardwood — with clean transitions.
- Plumbing and gasSink, faucet, dishwasher and ice-maker lines, plus gas line changes by licensed trades.
- Electrical and lightingDedicated appliance circuits, GFCI outlets, recessed lights, pendants and under-cabinet LEDs.
- 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.
Finishes and options
Inset cabinetsFurniture-style inset doors that match the millwork of a prewar house.
Shaker cabinetsThe most requested door style: a flat center panel with a simple frame. Works painted or in wood.
Luxury vinyl plankWaterproof, warm underfoot and forgiving on uneven subfloors — popular in busy kitchens.
Hardwood flooringRuns continuously from kitchen to living areas; can be sanded and refinished later.
Granite and quartziteNatural stone slabs you choose in person; heat resistant, sealed once a year or so.
Kitchen Remodeling before and after — Oak Park homes
Before
In progress
AfterOak Park kitchen, 1920s bungalow: kitchen remodeling
A 1920s bungalow in Oak Park, a typical kitchen for Oak Park. 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 reason for the call: cabinets that were falling apart. After: 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. On site this meant cabinets, electrical and lighting, plus permits and inspections.
Before
AfterElmhurst kitchen, 1960s ranch: kitchen remodeling
This one is a 1960s ranch in Elmhurst. Before: dark walnut-stained flush-panel cabinets with brass pulls, speckled laminate, brick-pattern sheet vinyl and a fluorescent box light. The main complaint was a dated kitchen with worn surfaces everywhere. 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. On site this meant plumbing and gas, electrical and lighting, plus permits and inspections.
Kitchen Remodeling in Elmhurst →
Before
AfterPark Ridge kitchen, postwar bi-level: kitchen remodeling
A postwar bi-level in Park Ridge, a typical kitchen for Park Ridge. The kitchen as it was: original birch cabinets painted white decades ago, sagging doors, chrome pulls, laminate with an aluminum edge band, 9-inch vinyl floor tiles and a round fluorescent ceiling ring. The reason for the call: worn-out cabinets and a kitchen that no longer worked. After: cabinets in forest green with matte black pulls, black honed granite counters, a green zellige-look tile backsplash, warm oak luxury vinyl plank flooring and a flush drum fixture and under-cabinet lights. Work included cabinets, electrical and lighting, plus range hood venting.
Kitchen Remodeling in Park Ridge →
Before
AfterKitchen Design & Layout Planning in a 1920s bungalow, Oak Park
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 Oak Park →
Before
AfterKitchen Cabinet Installation & Replacement in a brick bungalow from the 1920s, Oak Park
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 Oak Park →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 estimateLayout drawings, material choices and a line-item estimate you can compare.
- Ordering and permitsWe place cabinet and counter orders and submit permit drawings while you wait for delivery.
- ConstructionDemolition, rough plumbing and electrical, inspections, then cabinets, counters, tile and lighting.
- Final walk-throughWe adjust every door and drawer, finish the punch list and walk the kitchen with you.
Kitchen Remodeling questions from Oak Park homeowners
What if you find problems behind the walls?
We stop, show you what we found and give you a written change order before any extra work — no surprises on the final invoice.
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.
Do you work with condo associations?
Yes. We provide the insurance certificate, follow the building's work hours and book the elevator for deliveries.
Do you also remodel bathrooms and basements?
Kitchens are our specialty; we can discuss adjoining rooms during the estimate.
What does a kitchen remodel cost?
Cabinets, layout changes and materials drive the price. After measuring, we send a line-item estimate so you can adjust the scope.
Oak Park plumbing code: who can do the plumbing for kitchen remodel?
Separate plumbing permit required; single-family owners may obtain permit by affidavit to do work themselves. Our plumbing connections are made by licensed plumbers.
What kind of Oak Park homes do you work in?
In Oak Park we see homes built 1892-1950, Queen Anne, Prairie School and Craftsman. Each comes with its own walls, wiring and plumbing, and we plan the job around them.
Do I need historic review for kitchen remodel in Oak Park?
Oak Park has locally reviewed areas, including Ridgeland/Oak Park Historic District, Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic District and Gunderson Historic District. Exterior changes there can need review; interior-only work usually does not. We check before anything changes on the outside.
Does kitchen remodel need a Oak Park building permit, and who files it?
Permits go through Permit & Development Division (Development Services Department), phone 708-358-5430. When your scope needs one, we prepare the application and schedule the inspections.
Do I need a Oak Park-registered contractor for kitchen remodel?
Contractors must be registered with the Village and keep a valid certificate of insurance uploaded in Village View. We take care of that before work starts.
Do I need a permit for kitchen remodel in Oak Park?
It depends on the scope. Oak Park's rule in short: Permits needed for installing new cabinets and countertops and for any extension or alteration of electrical, plumbing or HVAC systems; separate electrical and plumbing permits. We handle the permit when one is needed with Permit & Development Division (Development Services Department).
Do you work in my part of Oak Park?
Yes. Our crews work across Oak Park, including Ridgeland-Oak Park Historic District, Gunderson Historic District, Harrison Street arts district — ZIP 60302, 60304, 60301 — and nearby Berwyn, Chicago, Elmhurst.
Working in Oak Park
- Most Oak Park 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 the Ridgeland/Oak Park Historic District? Interior kitchen work is usually not reviewed. We check before anything touches the exterior.
Ridgeland-Oak Park Historic DistrictGunderson Historic DistrictHarrison Street arts district
ZIP 60302ZIP 60304ZIP 60301
Kitchen Remodeling nearby
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- All kitchen services in Oak ParkRemodels, cabinets, counters, plumbing, appliances and repairs
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Other kitchen services in Oak Park
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.