Grove:
Creating a Working Kitchen
and Elegant Entertaining Space
Design/build services simplify renovating an
early 20th century home
When Drs. Bill and Beth Clark decided to remodel, they planned only to expand the kitchen to indulge Beth’s passion for cooking. To get ideas, the couple went on the Parenthesis Kitchen Walk in Oak Park in 2003, and while attending a panel discussion asked the question: "What if you want to make one phone call for your project?" The panel’s answer: talk to a design/build firm.
The Clarks met with Oak’s design staff to develop concepts for a remodeled kitchen. In addition to larger space, the Clarks wanted an elegant, open space suited for entertaining. Oak’s team, including Steve Gruszka and Jon Brady, proposed making the kitchen five feet larger and opening the space up to allow the kitchen to flow into the family room. To increase the size of the kitchen, Oak extended the back of the house, lopping off five feet of the back porch.
Oak’s custom cabinetry shop made the cabinets and a multi-height island to make the space more inviting and accessible. The island features a raised granite snack bar, a butcher’s block for chopping and food preparation, and a lowered marble pastry area. The design team also created smaller touches, such as a countertop nook to conceal the coffee maker.
In the family room, Oak designed and crafted built-in cherry bookshelves and a fireplace mantle that fits with the rest of the early 20th century four square.
Though the project began with the kitchen, the Clarks soon decided to overhaul their basement - now bright and clean and livable - and both upstairs bathrooms. The master bath features two side-by-side sinks, a glass-enclosed shower and custom wood shelves with a built-in seat.
"We enjoyed the process of working with Oak," says Bill. "And we’d do it all over again. They brought a lot of creativity and energy and passion to our project, and their work was terrific. Going the design/build route was a very productive decision for us."
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