Forest Avenue:
A Farmhouse Transformation
A small, dated kitchenette in an 1870's farmhouse in River Forest has been transformed into an upscale gourmet kitchen featuring maple flooring, custom cabinetry, granite counters and high-end appliances. "We were approached to design a dream kitchen," says Oak Design & Construction President and Certified Remodeler Dave Brady. "What we designed is a beautifully functional, gourmet kitchen that brings the outdoors in and uses sustainable design principles."
Beyond doubling the size of the existing kitchen with an addition, Oak Design created a beautifully curved wall of windows showcasing the homeowner’s award-winning garden to bring the outdoors in. A staircase at the ground level features copper balusters and follows the curvature of the adjacent garden-view windows. All of the maple cabinetry is hand crafted with the highest quality of modern stability and functionality, but designed to mimic the traditional farmhouse. Tile flooring was replaced by maple and a walk-in pantry houses floor to ceiling cabinetry and a prep sink. Counters are made of Blue Bahia Granite and are complemented by high-end appliances such as an AGA Range, Wolf Ovens, Sub-Zero refrigerator, a Bosch dishwasher and a hand-hammered copper sink and range hood. A powder room off the kitchen showcases an antique reproduction vanity designed and builtat Oak Design’s cabinetry shop.
In addition to painstaking detail to seamlessly blend the farmhouse with its updated addition, Oak Design used techniques during construction promoting energy efficiency and sustainability. Spray insulation and Pella Energy Star-rated windows were selected to increase energy efficiency. Reclaimed brick was used for the foundation of the addition and wood was locally sourced for all cabinetry. Says Brady: “It’s very important that we include sustainable and energy-efficient design into all the work we do to save our clients future costs and lessen the impact of our footprint on the environment."
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