Kitchens · Design and layout
Kitchen design and layout in Chicago.
If the room frustrates you more than the finishes do, the layout is the problem to solve first. We plan how the kitchen works before choosing what it is made of, then build what we drew.
Is this you?
Is a layout-led design right for your kitchen?
Design here is not a separate service you buy before finding a contractor. It is the first half of a remodel that the same team prices and builds. That matters because layout decisions carry cost consequences, and we can tell you what each one means while the plan is still on paper.
A good fit when
- The refrigerator, sink or range is in the wrong place for the way you cook
- Walkways are tight, or the room dead-ends where it should flow to dining
- Storage is scattered, so daily items live on the counter
- You are weighing an island against a peninsula, or whether either fits
- You want the new kitchen to relate to the dining and living rooms around it
If you already have finished construction drawings from another designer and only need them built, we are not the right fit.
Decisions
The layout questions that shape everything else.
- 01
Keep the footprint or change it
Keeping the sink, range and refrigerator where they are saves plumbing, gas and electrical work and keeps the schedule predictable. Moving one of them is worth it when it fixes circulation or unlocks a real island. We show both options and what each costs before you choose.
- 02
Circulation
A kitchen should let one person cook while another walks through to the back door. We look at door swings, walkway widths, where people stop to talk, and whether the refrigerator can be reached without crossing the cook.
- 03
Work zones
Prep, cooking, cleanup and storage each need counter and cabinet space beside them. The old triangle still helps, but modern kitchens with two cooks, a coffee station or a homework counter need zones planned for the household that actually lives there.
- 04
Island or peninsula
An island needs clearance on every side, usually at least 42 inches, and more where two people pass. A peninsula gives seating and prep space with one fewer walkway. In many Chicago rooms the honest answer is a peninsula or a narrower island than the catalog suggests.
- 05
Storage planning
We inventory what you own, then size drawers, pantry and tall units to it: deep drawers for pots, a place for small appliances, a landing zone by the refrigerator, recycling that is not an afterthought.
- 06
Appliance placement
Appliance sizes drive cabinet sizes. A 36 inch range, column refrigeration or a panel-ready dishwasher each change the elevation, the ventilation route and the electrical plan, so we settle them early.
What is included
From first preview to measured drawings.
In planning
- Complimentary render previews from your photos, if you include them, to test a direction before we meet
- Field measurement of the room, doors, windows, ceiling heights and existing utilities
- Two or three layout options with the tradeoffs of each written down
- Elevations for every cabinet run once the layout is chosen
- Appliance schedule and the ventilation, gas and electrical each appliance needs
- Lighting plan with task, ambient and accent layers
- Detailed renders of the chosen design, a written scope and a priced proposal
In construction
- Demolition and protection of the rest of the house
- Plumbing, gas and electrical rough-in to the plan
- Framing changes, patching and drywall
- Cabinet installation, countertop templating and installation
- Backsplash, flooring, lighting and hardware
- Permits and inspections where the scope requires them
Decision aid
Keep the footprint or change it?
A quick comparison of the two starting points. Most projects land somewhere between them, for example keeping the sink and moving the range.
| Aspect | Keep the footprint | Change the layout |
|---|---|---|
| Plumbing and gas | Stays in place; fixtures replaced | Rerouted; floors or ceilings often opened |
| Electrical | New circuits added where needed | Replanned around new appliance locations |
| Flooring | Often patched or replaced in the kitchen only | Usually replaced, sometimes into adjacent rooms |
| Cabinetry | New cabinetry in similar positions | Cabinetry built to the new plan |
| Permits | Electrical and plumbing permits as required | Building, electrical and plumbing permits; structural review if walls move |
| Schedule | Most predictable | Longer, with more sequencing between trades |
| Best when | The layout mostly works and finishes and storage are the problem | Circulation, zones or the connection to other rooms is the problem |
Cost implications for each path are explained on the Investment page.
Cost and schedule
What moves the number and the calendar.
Layout decides most of it. After that, cabinet construction and appliances have the most leverage.
- How far utilities move
- A few feet along the same wall is manageable. Across the room can mean opening the floor below or the ceiling above.
- Cabinet construction
- Semi-custom cabinetry comes in set increments; custom is built to the room. Both can be well made. The design decides which is needed.
- Appliance package
- Professional ranges and column refrigeration need more ventilation, gas and electrical capacity than standard appliances.
- Adjacent rooms
- Continuous flooring or a widened opening into dining extends the work beyond the kitchen.
- Decision timing
- Layouts settled early keep cabinetry, surfaces and trades aligned. Late layout changes ripple through all of them.
Stage two
What the in-home visit establishes
Previews from photos show direction. The visit turns direction into a design we can price.
- 01Exact room dimensions, ceiling heights and out-of-square walls
- 02Where drains, supply lines, gas and the electrical panel are, and what capacity exists
- 03Which walls carry load and where joists run
- 04Window and door positions that fix cabinet runs
- 05How you cook, store and gather, so the zones fit the household
Questions
Common questions about kitchen design and layout.
Can you design the kitchen if I keep the existing layout?
Yes. Keeping the footprint is often the right call. Design then focuses on storage, work surfaces, lighting and how the cabinetry meets the walls and windows.
How many layout options will I see?
Usually two or three, each with its tradeoffs written down. More than that tends to blur the decision rather than sharpen it.
Do I need to choose appliances before the design is done?
You need to choose their sizes and types early, because cabinets are built around them. Exact models can be confirmed later as long as the dimensions and utility needs do not change.
Will the render previews match the final design?
The previews from your photos show a direction, not measured dimensions. The detailed renders after the visit are drawn from field measurements and reflect the design you approve.
Let’s plan your kitchen.
Have kitchen photos? Include them with your inquiry for complimentary render previews within minutes. Photos are optional.