BEFORE

THE DESIGNER
Linda Larisch
Insignia Kitchen & Bath Design Group
(insigniakitchenandbath.com)

THE CHALLENGE
Inject a dull, styleless kitchen with urban smarts.

THE WISH LIST

• A CENTER ISLAND THAT LOOKS LIKE FURNITURE 

• A 48-INCH STOVE

• A 48-INCH REFRIGERATOR

• A LARGE PANTRY, INCLUDING BROOM STORAGE

• BEVERAGE CENTER–BAR AREA

• PLACE FOR DOG DISHES
 

THE RESULT

Linda Larisch gave this Barrington Hills kitchen a total overhaul, starting with moving a staircase to the adjacent family room to allow for a more open floor plan. (The original layout was so congested that oven and dishwasher doors practically touched the center island when opened; a peninsula had cabinets hung so low over it that one couldn’t comfortably work there, let alone see into the breakfast nook beyond.) Larisch removed the sink and the window over it and replaced them with a new 48-inch range and a dramatic mantel hood; she situated the new sink under a large window with a view of the backyard. A center island that seats four became a focal point of the space—both for food prep and for eating. She also combined traditional white-painted cabinets with more furniture-like, dark-finished ones that allow for a comfortable transition between kitchen and family room.

A shrewdly designed island accommodates both human and canine dining.

Resources See Buy Guide.

Photography: Eric Hausman
Styling: Kelly McKaig