A 1950s layout with a peninsula and soffits
Many 1950s 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 Skokie & nearby Evanston, Park Ridge
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Skokie, IL
Measured layouts, 3D views and an appliance plan for your Skokie kitchen, drawn before anything is ordered.
- Kitchen remodels across Skokie ZIP 60076, 60077, 60203
- One project manager from drawings to final walk-through
- Permits and inspections handled for you
Layout problems we solve in Skokie 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 Skokie kitchen, sketch a few layout options and refine one into drawings our crew builds from.
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.
No landing space next to appliances
If you have to turn around to put anything down when the oven door is open, the landing areas are missing. We plan counter space exactly where hands need it.
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.
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.
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.
You can't picture the finished room
Most people can't judge a kitchen from a line drawing, and that's fine. Our 3D renderings show colors, heights and clearances in a way you can react to.
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.
What's included
- Site measurementWe measure walls, windows, doors, ceiling height and the positions of plumbing, gas, vents and outlets.
- Layout optionsTwo or three layout concepts, such as an L with an island, a U or a galley, compared side by side.
- Lighting and electrical planRecessed lights, pendants, under-cabinet lighting, switches and outlets placed on the drawings.
- 3D viewsRenderings from the angles you will see most, with your cabinet colors and counters.
- Material selectionsSamples of cabinets, counters and tile reviewed together in your own light.
- 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.
Finishes and options
Peninsula instead of an islandGives most of an island's benefits in rooms that can't spare the floor space.
Shaker and slab cabinet stylesThe two door styles we draw most often, shown in 3D in your colors.
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.
L-shaped layout with an islandThe most common plan in suburban homes: two walls of cabinets and an island for prep and seating.
What the work looks like in Skokie homes
Before
In progress
AfterBefore and after: a postwar bi-level in Skokie
The site: a postwar bi-level in 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. The result: 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 layout options, 3D views, plus material selections.
Before
AfterEvanston kitchen, prewar brick bungalow: kitchen design & layout planning
A prewar brick bungalow in Evanston, a typical kitchen for Evanston. The kitchen as it was: 1980s honey-oak raised-panel cabinets installed over the old plaster, dark brown speckled laminate and an almond range and refrigerator. The main complaint was 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 lighting and electrical plan, drawings for permit and construction, plus written, itemized estimate.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Evanston →
Before
AfterKitchen Design & Layout Planning in a 1960s ranch, Park Ridge
A 1960s ranch in Park Ridge, a typical kitchen for Park Ridge. Before: dark walnut-stained flush-panel cabinets with brass pulls, speckled laminate and a built-in wall oven and a cooktop in harvest gold. The reason for the call: a wall oven and cooktop that split the room awkwardly. The result: 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 layout options, material selections, plus written, itemized estimate.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Park Ridge →
Before
AfterA Skokie postwar Cape Cod: before and after
Cabinets in light butter yellow with polished nickel pulls, black honed granite counters, a gray beveled subway tile backsplash, light oak hardwood flooring and two glass pendants and recessed lights.
Kitchen Remodeling in Skokie →
Before
AfterCustom Kitchen Cabinets in a postwar Cape Cod, Skokie
What changed: 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 Skokie →How your kitchen design goes
- Measure and listenA walk-through with a tape measure and your wish list in hand.
- Layout optionsYou compare layout concepts and pick the one to develop.
- 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 Skokie homeowners
Do I need a designer if I already know what I want?
Yes, if you want the result to match the picture. We turn your ideas into measured drawings and flag anything that won't fit.
Which layout suits my kitchen: galley, L, U or island?
The doors and windows usually decide it. After measuring we show which layouts fit and what each one gives you.
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.
Which kitchen trends will date quickly?
Hard to predict, so we keep cabinets and counters simple and let easy-to-change items like lighting, paint and hardware carry the trend.
Do I need drawings for a permit in Skokie?
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.
Does kitchen design need a Skokie building permit, and who files it?
Permits go through Community Development Department - Building & Inspection Services Division (www.skokiepermits.com), phone (847) 933-8223. When your scope needs one, we prepare the application and schedule the inspections.
Skokie contractor registration: do kitchen contractors need it?
Many contractors must be registered and insured with the Village each year; permits are not issued unless all listed contractors are registered and insured. We take care of that before work starts.
Do I need a permit for kitchen design in Skokie?
It depends on the scope. Skokie's rule in short: Electrical work and plumbing or electrical system changes need a permit. We handle the permit when one is needed with Community Development Department - Building & Inspection Services Division.
Do you work in my part of Skokie?
Yes. Our crews work across Skokie — ZIP 60076, 60077, 60203 — and nearby Evanston, Park Ridge, Glenview.
Working in Skokie
- A lot of Skokie kitchens date from the 1950s. We know these layouts well and what is worth keeping.
- Most Skokie homes are single-family. We protect floors and driveways and leave the site clean every day.
- We know how Community Development Department - Building & Inspection Services Division handles kitchen permits and pull them for you.
ZIP 60076ZIP 60077ZIP 60203
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning nearby
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Other kitchen services in Skokie
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.