Green Oaks Kitchen Addition Takes Home Top Design Award

This Green Oaks kitchen addition took home a Remodeling Excellence Award from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) of Greater Chicagoland. This award, which is selected by a panel of experts, recognizes beautiful and well-thought-out designs in the Chicagoland area.

These empty nesters were looking for a larger, brighter kitchen with a better connection to the outside. Their current kitchen was dated and had a compact eating area. It was semi-open to the family room and only had one small window. They wanted a large, open area that allowed them to spread out and enjoy views of their entire yard.

Normandy Designer Vince Weber stepped into to help bring their vision to life. The kitchen was completely gutted and remodeled. In the process, an entire wall was eliminated, making way for a new addition. “The addition is loaded with windows to provide plenty of natural light giving them the views that they desired along with a new seating and eating area for meals and entertaining – book club gatherings are a regular occurrence, so this was important,” said Vince.

The new updated kitchen has a transitional look. It boasts plenty of counter space for prepping meals and high end appliances, including two ovens (steam and regular) and an induction cooktop. The island is massive with plenty of seating for a quick meal and drawers for storage giving it the look of a hutch.

“The materials in the kitchen are functional and beautiful,” said Vince. “They include a ceramic backsplash, glass tile and quartz countertops. There’s even an appliance garage to hide the toaster and mixer. The white-painted cabinets have a glaze to add some depth and contrast with the dark stained island.”

When it came to lighting, all the can lights were repositioned in the ceiling with dimmers. Decorative pendants also carry an aesthetic consistent with other spaces in the home. Sky lights and windows in the addition also bring in an abundance of natural light.

The new addition looks as though the home was built that way to begin with. It consistently blends with all the finishes and architecture in the rest of the home.

This project was one of 8 Remodeling Excellence Awards that Normandy received. Winners were evaluated by an impartial panel of judges, comprised of industry experts. The judging criteria included problem solving, functionality, aesthetics, craftsmanship, innovation and degree of difficulty.