Small kitchen with no room for an island
When the room can't spare aisles on all sides, a peninsula gives you seating and counter space attached to an existing run.
Serving 49 Chicago-area suburbs
Kitchen Island & Peninsula Installation in Chicago & the Suburbs
We add, enlarge or replace kitchen islands and peninsulas in Chicagoland, with seating, power and plumbing planned around real clearances.
- Local crews working in the Chicago suburbs, from Naperville to Evanston
- Design, permits and every trade on one schedule
- A written, itemized estimate before any work
Island and peninsula problems we solve in Chicagoland
Most Chicagoland homeowners want the same three things from an island: more counter space, a place to sit and extra storage. We plan the size around the room, run the electrical the code usually calls for, and suggest a peninsula when an island would crowd the kitchen.
Cracked overhang on a stone top
Stone seating ledges need hidden support plates or brackets once they reach past what the slab can carry alone. We build them in.
Want the cooktop in the island
A cooktop in the island needs ventilation from a ceiling hood or a downdraft unit, plus a gas line or a heavy circuit. We plan all of it before building.
Island too small to be useful
If your island has no seating, no outlets and barely any storage, we can build a bigger one that does all three.
Nowhere to prep
If two cutting boards can't fit side by side anywhere, the kitchen needs a central work surface. An island or peninsula is the usual answer.
Island that wobbles or shifts
Wobbly islands crack countertops and loosen cabinets. Ours are screwed to blocking on the floor and leveled first.
No place to sit in the kitchen
If everyone stands around while you cook, a seating side on an island or peninsula gives them a place without blocking the work zone.
Want a sink in the island
Facing the family while washing up is a common wish. We plan the drain, vent and supply lines and add a dishwasher next to the island sink.
What's included
- Layout and clearance checkWe measure the room and mark the island footprint to confirm walkways and appliance door swings.
- Electrical rough-inA circuit run to the island for outlets, plus wiring for pendants overhead.
- Plumbing and ventingDrain, vent and supply lines for an island sink or dishwasher, run by licensed trades.
- Island cabinets set and anchoredWe set the island boxes level, join them and fasten them down.
- Panels and seating sideDecorative panels on the exposed sides and a clean seating face for the stools.
- Overhang supportHidden or visible supports sized to the overhang and the countertop material.
- CountertopWe measure the finished island for the countertop and install it once fabricated.
Materials and options
Legs, corbels and bracketsHidden steel brackets for a clean edge, or decorative corbels for a traditional style.
Butcher blockWood tops add warmth and are pleasant for prep; they need oiling or sealing from time to time.
Waterfall endsA slab that wraps over the ends to the floor and protects the cabinet sides.
Island cabinetsStock, semi-custom or custom bases in a matching or contrasting finish.
Pop-up and side outletsWe place outlets where code allows and where they won't be in a spill zone.
Kitchen Island & Peninsula Installation 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
Galley kitchen walled off from the dining room
Many older Berwyn and Oak Park homes have a narrow kitchen behind a wall. Opening part of it for a peninsula with stools connects the rooms without a full gut.
Postwar suburbs
Dated peninsula with a half wall
Upper cabinets hung over a 1970s peninsula block the room. We take them down, reroute any wiring and rebuild the peninsula with an overhang.
Downers Grove, Aurora, Lake Zurich, Hanover Park, Wheaton, Naperville
Condo and townhome towns
Concrete floor in a condo
Running wiring to an island through a concrete floor needs building approval. A peninsula connected to an existing wall avoids most of it.
Arlington Heights, Lombard, Woodridge, Lisle, Glendale Heights, Evanston
Kitchen Island & Peninsula Installation before and after in Chicago-area homes
Before
AfterA Des Plaines 1950s ranch: before and after
A 1950s ranch in Des Plaines, a typical kitchen for Des Plaines. What we started with: 1970s dark pecan-stained cabinets and light beige laminate. The main complaint was too little counter space and nowhere to sit. After: a new island in dusty blue with a charcoal concrete-look quartz top and seating. Work included electrical rough-in, island cabinets set and anchored, plus overhang support.
Kitchen Island & Peninsula Installation in Des Plaines →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a 1980s two-story in Lisle
This one is a 1980s two-story near Four Lakes Village. What we started with: honey-oak cathedral raised-panel cabinets with worn finish near the handles, brass knobs and almond laminate with a backsplash lip. The reason for the call: a kitchen with no room to prep or gather. After: a new island in dusty blue with a black honed granite top and seating. Work included island cabinets set and anchored, panels and seating side, plus countertop.
Kitchen Island & Peninsula Installation in Lisle →
Before
AfterA Glen Ellyn 1950s ranch: before and after
The site: a 1950s ranch in Glen Ellyn. What we started with: original birch cabinets painted white decades ago, sagging doors, chrome pulls and laminate with an aluminum edge band. The main complaint was too little counter space and nowhere to sit. The result: a new island in navy with a warm walnut butcher block top and seating. Work included island cabinets set and anchored, overhang support, plus countertop.
Kitchen Island & Peninsula Installation in Glen Ellyn →How your island project goes
- Measure and mock-upWe measure the kitchen and tape the island outline on the floor so you can test the walkways.
- Plan and written estimateA layout with dimensions and a written estimate covering carpentry, electrical and plumbing.
- Rough-in and permitsWe pull any needed permit and run the lines, then the inspector checks them.
- Build and countertopBase set and anchored, panels installed, top templated and installed.
- Hookups and walk-throughOutlets, pendants and plumbing connected, and a final walk-through with you.
Questions about island project
Can you put a cooktop or range in the island?
It's possible in most kitchens. Ventilation is the main question, followed by getting gas or power to the island.
Will my floor hold a stone island?
Usually yes. We look at the joists when the island is large or sits mid-span and reinforce if anything seems marginal.
How much does it cost to add a kitchen island?
The main factors are the base, the top and the trades. After measuring we put every part of it in a written estimate.
How much overhang do I need for seating?
Roughly 12 to 15 inches at counter height is common, with about 24 inches of width per stool. Stone overhangs that deep usually need brackets.
How long does island installation take?
Once cabinets are on site, setting and anchoring the base usually takes a day or two; rough-ins, inspection and the countertop add time around 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 Island & Peninsula Installation 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
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Planning and designIsland Kitchen Layout Design: Kitchen Island vs Peninsula and Ideas for Small KitchensAn island kitchen layout works when you can keep about 42 inches of walkway on every side, or about 48 inches with two cooks. In narrower rooms a…3 min read
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Planning and designKitchen Island Dimensions: Island Kitchen Layout Dimensions, Seating and ClearancesMost kitchen islands are about 36 inches (91 cm) high, 24 to 42 inches (61 to 107 cm) deep and 4 to 10 feet (1.2 to 3 m) long. Plan about 42 inches…3 min read