The kitchen is the soul of the home, having a powerful influence on our houses and lives; it is where the family gathers daily and is a space for entertaining friends. That is why homeowners want kitchen remodel ideas that will accentuate the best of this central living space and why homebuyers are willing to spend up to 53.5% of the remodel’s cost more when purchasing the home. 

At Middlefork, we are in the business of bringing your most upscale, dreamy kitchen remodel ideas to life. Read on to learn more about the most sought-after and trendy kitchen remodel ideas our clients are requesting.

1. Open-concept floor plan

An open-concept floor plan removes the walls that separate the kitchen from the rest of the living space. An open floor plan allows the living room, kitchen, and often dining room as well to become a single, barrier-free space. This makes the space appear larger, improves traffic flow, opens up natural lighting, and brings people together. 

2. Spruced Up Kitchen Island

A kitchen island becomes the focal point of the kitchen and is a popular gathering place in the home. It can be made more functional by adding a stovetop, sink, or other amenities that make cooking a breeze. We’re also seeing a trend in larger luxury kitchens of adding two islands, providing additional space for storage, appliances, and seating.

3. Hidden Built-Ins

A “hidden” built-in refrigerator gives the kitchen a sophisticated, custom look and opens up the floor plan with more space. It also streamlines the kitchen significantly, removing the bulky or uncoordinated look that many fridges can have in a kitchen. Additionally, you can customize your kitchen with enclosed, pull-out trash and recycle bins that are hidden from view, cabinets that open to reveal sets of drawers, and cabinets that work around unusual shapes and floorplans. Want a built-in, hidden wine refrigerator? Your kitchen remodel ideas can be completely customized to tuck away and special features you want to blend into your kitchen’s design.

4. Smart Kitchen Appliances

Kitchen remodel ideas that bring your kitchen into the 21st century will be practical and make life easier. A smart microwave is voice-activated, so you can speak cook commands while your hands are busy chopping. It also has automatic humidity control, so your food doesn’t dry out. Smart faucets are touchless, and smart refrigerators allow you to keep a food inventory and shopping list through smartphone apps, helping to streamline not just your cooking but your life as well! 

5. Unique Flooring

There are many luxurious options for flooring to consider in your kitchen remodel. Handcrafted, ceramic, or natural stone tiles can create beautiful, unique mosaics, custom and unique to your kitchen. Pebbles can also be turned into a high-end floor mosaic, making your floor a true work of art. Another option is choosing exotic hardwoods, like Brazilian Walnut or Australian Cyprus, as the base of your remodel. 

6. Design Details 

When mapping out your kitchen remodel ideas, don’t forget to consider the design details. The colors you choose can change the size, shape, and feel of a space. Choose light and bright colors for the walls, backsplash, and cabinets to make the kitchen feel larger. A white ceiling can make the ceiling seem higher. On the contrary, you can choose dark colors to make a vast space feel smaller and cozier.

A statement light fixture can double as a work of art and set the stage for the kitchen’s style. Try using large lantern pendants, or woven rattan pendants that will add rustic charm, or create a modern minimalist vibe with iron geometric cage pendants, glass orb pendants, or black netted pendants. Have a more modern style? A billiards-style pendant with hanging wires flaunts a contemporary style. 

If you’re ready to start designing the kitchen of your dreams in the greater Chicago area, learn about what you can expect in a kitchen renovation, and then send us a message, and we will turn your kitchen remodel ideas into a reality!

The Greystone: Chicago’s most iconic building style that has developed nationwide notoriety due to its unique, sophisticated appearance. These understated yet beautiful homes are a staple in many Chicago neighborhoods in the same way that brownstones are in New York. 

Contrary to popular belief, the term “Greystone” actually has little to do with the size, type, or location of the home; rather, it refers to the limestone building material that is used on the home’s facade, giving the homes their namesake “grey” appearance. At Middlefork, we have built and renovated a number of greystones and they’ve truly become some of our favorite projects to work on! Creating or preserving a home that reflects a piece of Chicago history makes us proud Chicagoans and these homes provide a bit of beauty to any neighborhood they grace. 

You’ve likely heard of more than a few different types of home builders: tract, spec, semi-custom, custom…but what does it mean to be a “luxury home builder?” All of these different types of builders have their own specialties and clientele, but luxury home builders are who take home building and customization to a whole new level. 

Have you heard the phrase “go big or go home?” That phrase encapsulates how we feel about doing a Chicago kitchen renovation. The kitchen is the heart of the home and deserves to be treated as such, so a kitchen remodel is your opportunity to really pull out all the stops! Spiffing up the kitchen not only simplifies hosting and increases your home’s value, but it also provides more opportunities for connection with your family during everyday life. When the kitchen is a pleasant place to be, your family will naturally gravitate there and can create bonding experiences around cooking or just gabbing at the kitchen table. 

We’ve all seen it: that person who pours a ton of time and energy into completely gutting and renovating an old home, and in the end, it all turns out a bit…vanilla. Sure, they have the fanciest kitchen gadgets and everything looks crisp and clean, but when there’s nothing to capture your eye and attention it all turns out a bit boring! Our modern-day society tends to be all about the latest and greatest, but there’s something to be said for one who prioritizes and choses to preserve character during a remodel. By highlighting your home’s distinctive features, you’ll end up with a unique home design that’s sure to capture your guests’ attention and feels more like “home”! 

If you love hosting parties or family gatherings, you know how the space you’re in can make or break your hosting experience. From a home’s layout to its features to even its finishes, there are so many factors that can either make hosting a breeze or a downright struggle. So, how do you create a home that’s the ultimate entertaining hub? Here are our top recommendations to consider when building or renovating to create a home designed for entertaining.