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Remodeling in a high rise or condominium unit has more restrictions than a single-family home, but don’t give up hope for reworking your space. “In buildings like these you can’t move things around as easily because of how the units line up, so that just means we have to get creative in how we work around structural columns, posts and mechanicals,” says Normandy Designer Jackie Jensen.
In this Chicago high rise project, the clients – who just relocated from the suburbs to the city – wanted to update the kitchen and increase the flow to the main living area. “They didn’t like the peninsula, they felt like it made the kitchen too tight, and ideally wanted an island,” Jackie says. “We removed the peninsula, which not only opened up flow between the kitchen and living area but opened up space along the wall. So we suggested a row of cabinetry for various storage options.” The clients loved this idea, since they also wanted to reposition their washer and dryer for easier access, but this is where the Design and Construction team had to get a little innovative.
The left portion of cabinetry would house the laundry – which meant knocking down a wall and turning the washer and dryer 90 degrees – and thankfully shifting the mechanicals was in line with what the building allowed, according to Jackie. But the middle bump was a key mechanicals wall that couldn’t be removed entirely. Which meant that its depth couldn’t match the cabinetry to the left and right. The solution?
“For the middle bump out, we decided to build a shallow spice shelf on top of it, to keep it in line with the other cabinetry and still make that space functional,” Jackie says. “And while we couldn’t remove that entire middle wall section, we were able to shorten it, giving us room to create a pantry in the right cabinet, which our clients hadn’t considered but loved the idea.” The cabinetry solution was so custom that it had to be created mainly on site, Jackie says. As far as the finishes, the island was constructed in a maple wood-stained finish and the rest of the kitchen is a painted finish with brushed glazing details to finish off the refined look. Custom condo cabinetry mission complete!
Do you have a remodeling puzzle to solve? You can schedule a free consultation with Jackie. For more home design inspiration, follow Normandy Remodeling on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok for regular photos and tips, or check out our photo gallery of past projects.
