Designer: Steve Johnson of Johnson/Soler
Client: Young Couple
Location: Beverly — Chicago, Illinois
This kitchen renovation is unique because it was designed by Johnson/Soler to be "temporary". Though a larger scale renovation project was needed, it was not in the budget. This solution makes use of inexpensive — and repurposable — materials to get the homeowners one step closer to their dream kitchen.
We did this project for a young couple who had just bought a historic bungalow in the Beverly neighborhood of Chicago. They loved the house and could deal with all the quirks an old house has to offer, except for the tiny kitchen with all its retro-80's flair. Eventually, they would like to create a large open kitchen and entertainment area by combining the kitchen with an adjacent room, but for the time being they just needed a kitchen that didn't make them want to tight roll their jeans while they cooked.
With the future expansion in mind, we opened up the kitchen by removing a pantry and closet attached to the room next door to give them a spacious area to work with. We covered the floors with a free floating snap in laminate flooring that matched the rest of the wood flooring in the house. This inexpensive option makes future remodeling easier by making demolition of the floor simpler if they want to eventually install a tile flooring.
Finally, we finished out the kitchen with IKEA cabinets with butcher block tops. These cabinets blend nicely with the existing bungalow interior but without the cost of custom cabinetry. The butcher block tops add a sense of casual warmth to the space our clients were looking to achieve. Eventually, the cabinets will be relocated to the basement workroom when the kitchen is expanded. This makes the butcher block counters appealing because they can be re-cut in a new configuration at that time, avoiding the cost of new counter-tops.
Our clients love their "temporary" kitchen and appreciate the amount of forethought we put into it to make the future renovation more cost effective and speedy.
Thanks Steve!
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great -- and just in time -- would you please ask them what they sealed the countertops with? Thanks.
Hmmm. They were so limited in funds that they could only move walls and install an IKEA kitchen? I can only imagine the budget for their "permanent" kitchen! :)
Great looking kitchen! I am curious what kind of chimney hood you used. We are currently going through a kitchen renovation on a budget and we are also using IKEA cabinets. We've been looking at the IKEA Luftig HOO C50 chimney hood. We like how it looks and the price but we can't find any reviews on how it performs. Thanks.
Looks great!
I'm still trying to wrap my head around this. They "needed" a new kitchen to tide them over until they get their "dream" kitchen. Interesting interpretation of needs vs. wants. Many folks wait years to get what they characterize as a temporary fix.
I think we saw this already, but I ain't complainin because I still really like this kitchen. :)
(It does make me sad that their "temporary" kitchen is my "luxury" kitchen haha)
OK, take a deep breath, AT. Slow down. Really. Remember, quality vs. quantity. I will still read your awesome blog if you need to post less. I promise!
And like the first time, I still really like this kitchen remodel. For me, there wouldn't really need to be more!
This was posted on AT about a year ago - and many of us were appalled that this is considered "Temporary" when most of us would be thrilled to have this as a "Permanent" kitchen.
I'm going to echo most of the statements about the "temp" kitchen. THIS is what they did so they could "live with it"? *eyeroll*
I'm currently planning my within-reach dream kitchen: Ikea cabinets and not knocking down walls. :-/
i thought it was a re-post
I am so sick of huge, clunky handles with teeny-tiny knobs. Is this a trend that can die now?
Love the countertops with the superdark cabinetry. We
Who hires a decorator for their "temporary" kitchen?
And moreover, not in love with the three different types of wood going on in such a small space. It all kinda clashes. So odd given the "professional stamp" this place has.
These people are spoiled if this kitchen is a make do kitchen. This kitchen is beautiful. Keep the kitchen and put the rest in savings or give it to charity.
This is a pretty nice temporary solution. I'd take it as a permanent kitchen any day!
But it is good to know that when the new (and I'm guessing more expensive) kitchen goes in, the materials here will be reused in the basement. So I can see it as an investment.
So nice to see a home in Beverly featured! I live in Beverly and there are so many amazing historical homes in the area. It's a total hidden gem in the city.
As far as the temporary vs. permanent judging going on, we have no idea what their definition of temporary is. It could be their fix for the next 10 years before they are able to really invest in their dream vision. Which I see as reasonable.
I assume they will be keeping the appliances on the full remodel, and it's already stated they'll be re-using the cabinets and the countertops, so I really don't know what ppl are complaining about.
Aside from the re-posting. Proof the AT bloggers really don't consult with each other or track each others' posts, even if they seem to have hivemind sometimes? Just how it goes, I guess.
floor plan would be great to see....
The idea of this as a temporary kitchen until the dream kitchen arrives is an excellent example of the endless tiering of wants in America. An amazing waste.