Final Reveal: The Kenwood Kitchen!
Can you believe it? 2017 is coming to an end. What a year it has been!
Three designer bathrooms in Winnetka, an award-winning historical restoration in Hyde Park, a National Historic Landmark Firehouse, a Landscaping transformation in Oak Brook, a Frank Lloyd Wright Historic District Victorian...and the Kenwood Kitchen.
Built in 1903, this 3-story masonry structure features steep roof lines, a wrap-around porch, and showcases over 5,000 square feet of living space. Located in the historic Kenwood neighborhood, this property boasts the rich past - both ancient and recent - that Chicago's south side has to offer.
Our scope for this project included the remodeling of the Kitchen including new cabinetry, appliances, lighting, and tile. An extension of the Kitchen, we also upgraded an existing Butler's Pantry.
The interior finishes and woodwork have been immaculately maintained throughout the home so our Designer chose to work with the existing Kitchen footprint. Since this home was built over a century ago, the Kitchen is a small space compared to the scale of the residence. This is because the Kitchen was primarily intended for servants' use.
The goal of this design was to use the existing space consisting of limited square footage to maximize impact. For this effort, we were fortunate to collaborate with the renown Beverly Hammel.
Upon starting the project, one of our priorities was to improve the temperature control of the space. As such, we intended to remove the plaster walls and install maximum-value insulation into the cavities between the studs.
"...Intended..." is the important word there - after starting to remove the plaster - SURPRISE! There are no studs!
We stood in confused silence for quite a while until it dawned on me - yes, of course! This room is COLD! It is COLD because the Kitchen was in the Basement! This was a COLD pantry! IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE COLD!
It totally messed up our intention to improve the comfort in the space - hey! at least we learned something about history, didn't we?
The heat situation is another story, and in fact, another project. So, we will end the heat discussion there with that anecdote.
Other than that, we moved on without a hitch in our giddyup.
So, as a final high five to close out 2017, here are the Before & After photos for your (and our) enjoyment:
Thanks to The 606 Studio for our photography.
Thank you to Steve Zavodny and the Beverly Hammel team for providing us with a beautiful design to bring to life.
...and, of course, to our client. Your communication, your "can-do" attitude, your flexibility, your kindness during construction - we loved working with you on this. Kitchen renovations are the most difficult projects to live through and you did it with class, style, and collaboration. Thank you.
Here's to 2018! We'll see you all in the new year.
Want to see more projects? Check us out at Integro Rehab!