Lighting and outlets planned as an afterthought
We plan where light falls and where cords plug in at the same time as the cabinets, so nothing gets squeezed in later.
Serving 49 Chicago-area suburbs
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Chicago & the Suburbs
Measured layouts, 3D views and an appliance plan for your Chicagoland kitchen, drawn before anything is ordered.
- Kitchen remodels across the Chicago suburbs, from Naperville to Evanston
- One project manager from drawings to final walk-through
- Permits and inspections handled for you
Layout problems we solve in Chicagoland 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 Chicagoland kitchen, sketch a few layout options and refine one into drawings our crew builds from.
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.
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.
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.
Sink and range on the same wall
If the sink and stove fight for the same strip of counter, we split them: a prep sink, a peninsula or a re-planned run gives each its own working space.
No room for an island
If an island would block the dishwasher or the fridge door, we draw alternatives: a peninsula, a counter-height table or a run extended along another wall.
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.
No landing space next to appliances
A fridge jammed against a wall or a range at the very end of a run leaves you juggling dishes. Our layouts keep a stretch of counter beside every major appliance.
What the project covers
- Site measurementWe measure walls, windows, doors, ceiling height and the positions of plumbing, gas, vents and outlets.
- Needs and habits interviewA conversation about your routine, your storage and your wish list, written down as the brief.
- Layout optionsTwo or three layout concepts, such as an L with an island, a U or a galley, compared side by side.
- Appliance planAppliance sizes, clearances, hood venting and hookups confirmed against the models you pick.
- Cabinet and storage layoutEvery cabinet, drawer, pull-out and pantry section drawn and assigned to a job.
- Lighting and electrical planAn electrical layout showing each light, switch, dimmer and outlet location.
- 3D viewsThree-dimensional views of the room so you can check heights, sight lines and finishes.
Finishes and options
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.
L-shaped layout with an islandThe most common plan in suburban homes: two walls of cabinets and an island for prep and seating.
U-shaped layoutThree walls of cabinets give the most counter and storage, as long as the opening stays wide enough.
Peninsula instead of an islandA counter attached to one run, giving seating and prep space where a full island won't fit.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning across Chicagoland
The same job looks different in a 1920s bungalow, a 1970s split-level and a new subdivision. Here is what we plan for in different parts of the region.
Prewar towns
Small kitchen in an older Berwyn and Evanston home
Kitchens in older houses were built for a different way of cooking. Folding in a pantry or nook, or opening toward the dining room, is often the key move in our plan.
Postwar suburbs
A 1990s layout with a peninsula and soffits
Soffits, a small peninsula and a desk nook are common in 1990s kitchens. We plan around any ducts in the soffits and reuse the nook as pantry or coffee storage.
Bartlett, Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Elgin, Glen Ellyn, Geneva
Condo and townhome towns
Condo kitchen with fixed plumbing
Condo kitchens have more constraints but the same goals. We confirm the riser and vent locations and plan the cabinets and appliances around them.
Glendale Heights, Arlington Heights, Lisle, Itasca, Woodridge, Lombard
Recent kitchen design work around Chicagoland
Before
AfterBefore and after: a prewar brick bungalow in Evanston
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. After: 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. The job covered needs and habits interview, layout options, plus lighting and electrical plan.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Evanston →
Before
AfterWoodridge kitchen, 1980s two-story: kitchen design & layout planning
This one is a 1980s two-story near The Ridge. Before: white thermofoil cabinets peeling at the edges, oak trim, white ceramic tile with dark stained grout lines and white appliances. The reason for the call: a cramped layout and storage that didn't work. Finished kitchen: 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 site measurement, needs and habits interview, plus appliance plan.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Woodridge →
Before
AfterA Glen Ellyn 1960s ranch: before and after
This one is a 1960s ranch in Glen Ellyn. 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 main complaint was a wall oven and cooktop that split the room awkwardly. Finished kitchen: a new layout with an island, cabinets in two-tone, white quartz counters and black cage pendants and slim recessed lights. The job covered needs and habits interview, layout options, plus 3D views.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Glen Ellyn →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 estimateConstruction and permit drawings plus a written, itemized estimate for the build.
Before you start: kitchen design questions
How much space do I need for an island?
The island is the easy part; the aisles around it decide whether it works. We measure clearances to the counters, appliances and doors first.
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.
Which kitchen trends will date quickly?
Anything that depends on one season's color tends to date fastest. We steer the expensive, permanent parts toward classic choices and put trend colors on paint and hardware.
Do I need a designer if I already know what I want?
Even with a clear picture, drawings catch problems early: a door that hits the range, an island that blocks the fridge, a hood with no duct route.
Do you build the kitchen you design?
Yes. We are a design-build contractor, so the same team that draws the plan orders the cabinets and builds it.
Which towns do you serve?
Chicago and 49 suburbs, from Naperville and Aurora to Evanston, Schaumburg and Orland Park. Pick your town below for local details and ZIP codes.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning near you
Pick your town for local details, ZIP codes and nearby projects.
DuPage County
Cook County
Kane County
Lake County
Will County
McHenry County
Helpful guides
-
Planning and designKitchen Layout Ideas: How to Design a Kitchen Layout That WorksMost kitchen layout ideas come from six types: one-wall, galley, L-shaped, U-shaped, island and peninsula. To design a kitchen layout that works…4 min read
-
Planning and designSmall Kitchen Ideas: Layouts, Remodel Ideas and 10x10 Floor PlansThe best small kitchen ideas start with the layout, not the finishes. A galley or L-shaped small kitchen layout usually works best, keeping the sink…3 min read
-
Planning and designKitchen Layout Planner Tools: Free Kitchen Design Apps and How to Use ThemYou can design a kitchen layout free online with three kinds of tools: retailer kitchen planners tied to one cabinet line, general room planner apps…4 min read