North Park Bungalow Kitchen Renovation | W Agatite Ave | Assembly Squad
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First Home, Dream Kitchen: North Park Bungalow Transformation
Buying your first home in Chicago comes with that perfect mix of excitement and reality checks. This North Park bungalow on W Agatite Ave had all the charm you'd expect from the neighborhood—solid bones, great location, walkable to everything—but the kitchen? That was stuck in a different era entirely.
Our clients knew exactly what they wanted: a modern kitchen that worked for how they actually live, not just surface-level updates. This wasn't about slapping on some paint and calling it good. They wanted a space they'd genuinely enjoy cooking in, a kitchen that felt like it belonged in their first home, not their grandparents'.
We started where every serious renovation should: with design. Our in-house team sat down with the clients to understand not just what they liked aesthetically, but how they'd use the space. Who cooks? How often? Do you entertain? What drives you crazy about kitchens you've had before? These conversations matter because they're the difference between a pretty kitchen and one that actually functions well.
From there, we created a 3D design that showed them exactly what they'd be getting. No surprises, no "trust us, it'll look great" promises. They could see the layout, understand the flow, and make informed decisions before we touched anything. That's how it should work when you're investing sixty-five thousand dollars into your first home.
Once we had the green light, reality hit us immediately—and this is where experience with Chicago bungalows becomes invaluable. The flooring situation was, to put it mildly, a mess. Four different layers of flooring stacked on top of each other, which is classic old Chicago home construction. Previous owners kept adding layers rather than properly removing and replacing, creating a subfloor nightmare that had to be addressed before we could move forward.
This is exactly why we always budget time and flexibility into bungalow renovations. You can't see what's under the surface until you start demo, and in these older North Park homes, there's almost always something. The key is having a team that knows how to handle it without derailing the entire project or blowing up the budget.
We fully gutted the kitchen—you can see in the progress photos just how thorough this process was. Everything came out: cabinets, flooring, old plumbing, outdated electrical, the works. This gave us a clean slate to rebuild the kitchen properly, up to current code, with modern systems that would actually support how the clients wanted to use the space.
The plumbing and electrical work was comprehensive. Chicago bungalows weren't built with modern appliances and lighting in mind, so we essentially rewired and replumbed the entire kitchen. This isn't the exciting part of renovation, but it's arguably the most important. You want this stuff done right, once, by people who know Chicago building codes inside and out.
Insulation and new drywall came next, followed by one of the clients' specific requests: eight recessed lights. Lighting transforms how a kitchen feels and functions. Gone are the days of a single overhead fixture casting shadows everywhere while you're trying to prep dinner. Proper lighting design means you can actually see what you're doing, and the space feels more open and modern.
With the infrastructure solid, we moved to the fun stuff: new flooring that would actually last, modern cabinets that provided both style and serious storage, and a beautiful stone countertop that elevated the entire design. This is where the kitchen started looking like the 3D rendering they'd approved weeks earlier—seeing it come together in real life never gets old.
The backsplash tile installation was carefully selected to complement both the cabinet color and the overall aesthetic of the space. It's a small detail that makes a massive difference in how finished and intentional the kitchen feels. This is where having an in-house design team pays off—these decisions aren't made in isolation, but as part of a cohesive plan where everything works together.
What these clients ended up with wasn't just cosmetic improvements. They got a completely rebuilt kitchen with all new plumbing, all new electrical work, proper insulation, new walls built to code, modern lighting, quality flooring, custom cabinets, stone countertops, and designer tile work. This is what a real renovation looks like in a Chicago bungalow—respecting the home's character while completely modernizing its functionality.
We completed the entire transformation in under seven weeks from start to finish. That timeline includes design, full gut renovation, all the infrastructure work, and every finishing detail. For a project of this scope in a bungalow with the subfloor complications we encountered, that's solid execution.
The total investment came to $65,000, which included materials, labor, design services, and project management throughout the entire process. For first-time homeowners wondering what a complete, code-compliant kitchen renovation costs in a Chicago bungalow in 2024, this project provides a realistic benchmark of what quality work actually runs.
North Park bungalows have tremendous potential—they're solid homes in a great neighborhood with easy access to everything you need in the city. But most of them need exactly this kind of thoughtful, comprehensive renovation to bring them into the modern era. Surface updates won't cut it when you're dealing with outdated systems and layered flooring disasters. You need a team that understands these homes and knows how to properly update them without destroying what makes them special.
Complete Scope of Work
- Full in-house 3D design consultation and planning
- Complete kitchen gut renovation and demolition
- Four-layer subfloor removal and replacement
- Complete plumbing system replacement to code
- Full electrical rewiring and updates to code
- New insulation throughout kitchen
- Complete drywall installation
- Eight recessed lights installation
- Modern kitchen cabinet system installation
- Premium stone countertop fabrication and install
- Designer backsplash tile installation
- New flooring throughout kitchen
- Project management and coordination
Ready to Modernize Your Chicago Bungalow?
Complete kitchen renovation with 3D design, new cabinets, stone countertops, and all systems updated to code. Transform your first home in 7 weeks!