We just wrapped up an extensive kitchen remodeling project on the South Side of Naperville.  The project involved removing all the kitchen cabinets and one pantry closet (where the new wall oven and microwave are located).  The cabinets were replaced with new Fieldstone Cabinetry in stained cherry and painted maple hardwoods.  The backsplash tile is all new with a great design and accent pattern above the cooktop.

The cabinets contain many innovative design configurations such as roll-out shelving, spice rack drawers, garbage and recycling center, and self-closing drawers.

The original kitchen did not have a vent to clear cooking fumes and smoke from the range.  We were able to add one set in a dramatic mantle-like style.  The new vent exhausts to the exterior and clears any unwanted odors from the kitchen quickly.  No more setting off the smoke detector!  That’s actually a common problem we hear that our clients would like to fix.

See some before pictures of this project.

One of the other big changes to the kitchen space was to add a stainless steel 48″ built-in refrigerator.  This new fridge fits perfectly in an alcove that used to contain the refrigerator and some cabinets.  No lack of space in that machine.  But just to make sure, we also added a beverage fridge near the family room so that the kids can grab pops and fruit juice without getting in the way in the kitchen.

One of the biggest changes to the house was the addition of hardwood floors throughout the first floor and upper hallway.  Every room on the first floor now has beautifully stained white oak floors.  Some of the rooms even have the flooring in patterns with walnut inlays.  Quite the elegant look.

All of the formal spaces on the first floor, and upper hallway, were upgraded with wainscot paneling on the walls.  The white panels add a great contrast to the darker floor and really help to make the wall colors stand out.  The panels were carried up the stairway and down the hall to really tie all the spaces together.

Speaking of stairs, the stairway was also rebuilt to add oak treads and handrails.  The oak was all stained to match the flooring.  New painted balusters were also installed.  A formal wool carpet runner was installed to add that last finishing touch.

Overall this project has turned out great.  It’s a great new living space that the homeowners can be proud of for years to come.

We recently wrapped up construction on the second-story addition/kitchen renovation project that was in progress on the North side of Naperville.  We are happy to report that the homeowners are thrilled with the results and wasted no time moving back into their kitchen.  These photos were taken in our last full week at the project so you will notice some things not quite done and temporary plastic and floor coverings in place.

The kitchen features Alder hardwood cabinets from Fieldstone Cabinetry.  Caleb did a great job installing them and they are full of features such as roll-out shelves, a spice rack an apothecary drawers.  The countertops are New Venetian Gold granite and the sink and faucet are from Kohler.

Paul did an awesome job installing the backsplash tile.  Unfortunately for him the pattern worked out that he needed to install 75% of the tile pieces individually and not as sheets as they were designed.  Luckily he stuck with it and it turned out beautifully.

The new floor is red oak that was stained in place and finished with three coats of a water-based finish.  All the appliances were from the existing kitchen and we laid out the new kitchen to accommodate them.

I will need to get this kitchen into the before and after gallery just as soon as I get some real photos (no offense iPhone) of the completed project.

We just recently wrapped up a bathroom remodel in Oswego.  The picture to the right is a before shot I took on the day we started.  The bathroom is very small (only 4′ x 10′) but it still has a full shower, vanity and toilet.  We also managed to find space for a utility cabinet next to the toilet when it was done.  The new shower is a combination of slate and porcelain tiles.  The shelves in the shower are made of solid slate – really cool.  The shower has a custom base to best use the space available.   The shower door is a frame-less glass door using glue chip glass to give some privacy to the shower.  The new vanity is from Fieldstone Cabinetry and is made of cherry.  It was customized to make it shallower than a standard vanity to increase the floor space of the room.  The countertop and the shower threshold are a variety of granite that closely resembles soapstone.  The sink is stainless steel.  All the plumbing fixtures are from Kohler.

Overall, we were able to pack a lot of function into a very small room.

Stephanie recently took some photos of a couple of projects that we just completed. The first photo is of a Master Bathroom in Naperville. We used a cherry cabinet from Fieldstone Cabinetry and Kohler fixtures.

This is the shower from the same bathroom. Stephanie selected all the tile and and the coordinating fixtures.

This is the bathroom in Aurora that we recently completed. Stephanie selected a multi-shaded green glass tile that is really cool and contemporary. Note the matching green cabinet knobs. The shelves in the shower are made of Corian for a sleek low profile look. Again, the cherry cabinet is from Fieldstone Cabinetry and the fixtures are Kohler.