A kitchen, bathroom and powder room at The Chandler, renovated as one project.
A three-room "Modern Lakefront Living Bundle" in a Lakeshore East high-rise steps from the Chicago Riverwalk — a complete kitchen with new IKEA cabinetry and MSI quartz countertops, a knee wall reworked into a breakfast bar, a rebuilt walk-in shower with Kerdi waterproofing and frameless glass, a new double-sink vanity, and a refreshed powder room. Designed, demolished, and rebuilt in 6–8 weeks for $55,000 all-in.
Project Details
- Project Type
- Kitchen + Bathroom + Powder Room Bundle
- Address
- 450 E Waterside Dr, Unit 510, Chicago
- Building
- The Chandler · 35-Story High-Rise
- Neighborhood
- Lakeshore East · New Eastside, 60601
- Scope
- Kitchen · Shower Rebuild · Vanities · Powder Room
- Duration
- 6–8 Weeks Start to Finish
- Total Cost
- $55,000 All-In
- Client
- Lakeshore East Homeowner
Scope Delivered
- Kitchen
- IKEA Cabinets · ~14–16 LF · New Layout Storage
- Countertops
- MSI Quartz · ~35 Sq Ft · Extended Peninsula
- Breakfast Bar
- Knee Wall Cut to 42" · 12–15" Overhang
- Shower
- Full Rebuild · Frameless Glass Door
- Waterproofing
- Kerdi Membrane · Durock Backer
- Vanities
- Double-Sink Quartz + Powder Room Vanity
- Coordination
- HOA Approval · Building Engineer · Elevator
- Warranty
- 1-Year Workmanship
The Project
450 E Waterside Dr sits in Lakeshore East — the New Eastside pocket between Millennium Park, the Chicago Riverwalk, and Lake Shore Drive, where high-rises like The Chandler ring the neighborhood's six-acre park. Our client's 1-bed/2-bath condo had its original 2007 builder finishes throughout: a dated kitchen, a tired walk-in shower, and a powder room that had never been touched.
Rather than renovate room by room over several years, the homeowner chose Assembly Squad's bundle approach — three rooms, one team, one fixed price, and one point of responsibility from design through final cleanup. Bundling the kitchen, bathroom, and powder room into a single mobilization saved $6,491 against pricing the rooms individually, and meant one HOA approval, one elevator reservation, and one construction window instead of three.
The kitchen was rebuilt with new IKEA cabinetry (~14–16 linear feet), MSI quartz countertops across an extended peninsula, a new tile backsplash, and an undermount sink — and the existing knee wall was cut down to 42 inches and extended into a proper two-seat breakfast bar. In the bathroom, the walk-in shower was taken back to the framing and rebuilt on Durock cement board with Kerdi waterproofing membrane behind every tile, finished with a frameless glass door, a new double-sink vanity with a quartz top, and his-and-hers mirrors. The powder room received a new vanity, countertop, mirror, faucet, and lighting to match.
The result: three finished rooms delivered in 6–8 weeks for $55,000 all-in. This is exactly the kind of work behind our Chicago kitchen remodeling, Chicago bathroom remodeling, and Chicago condo remodeling services — multi-room transformations in high-rise buildings, with all the building coordination handled by one team.
Three rooms, one contract.
The Bundle Advantage
Priced individually, the kitchen ($35,876), bathroom ($22,815), and powder room ($2,800) totaled $61,491. Bundled into one mobilization — one demo, one crew schedule, one HOA approval — the homeowner paid $55,000, saving $6,491 and months of living through back-to-back projects.
Knee Wall → Breakfast Bar
The existing kitchen knee wall was shortened to breakfast-bar height (~42"), refinished, and topped with the MSI quartz extended 12–15" past the wall — turning a dead partition into two-seat counter dining without moving a single wall or plumbing line.
Shower Rebuilt on Kerdi
The walk-in shower was stripped to the framing and rebuilt on Durock cement board with Kerdi waterproofing membrane behind every tiled surface, then finished with a frameless glass door. In a 35-story stacked building, that hidden membrane is the layer protecting the unit below.
High-Rise Logistics Handled
The Chandler is a 35-story high-rise with its own alteration paperwork, insurance requirements, and freight-elevator rules. Assembly Squad handled the HOA documentation, building-engineer coordination, and elevator scheduling on the homeowner's behalf — standard on every high-rise project we run.
What the condo looked like before we started.
The condition we inherited at 450 E Waterside Dr, Unit 510 — original 2007 builder finishes in the kitchen, bathroom, and powder room. Documented before demolition began.
What the condo looks like now.
The completed Lakeshore East bundle at 450 E Waterside — a new IKEA kitchen with MSI quartz and a breakfast bar, a rebuilt walk-in shower with Kerdi waterproofing and frameless glass, a double-sink vanity, and a refreshed powder room. Delivered in 6–8 weeks for $55,000 all-in.
Planning a kitchen or bathroom remodel in Lakeshore East or the New Eastside? Schedule a consultation → or call (312) 544-9150
What a Lakeshore East kitchen + bath bundle actually costs.
Most Lakeshore East owners researching a renovation get quotes room by room, priced on partial scope. Here is the full all-in number for 450 E Waterside: a complete kitchen, a rebuilt bathroom, and a refreshed powder room — every line item delivered under one fixed-price contract.
Priced separately, the three rooms totaled $61,491 — the kitchen at $35,876, the bathroom at $22,815, and the powder room at $2,800. Bundling them into a single mobilization brought the price to $55,000, a $6,491 saving. For context, a Chicago high-rise kitchen alone typically runs $30,000–$75,000 and a bathroom $15,000–$50,000, depending on scope and selections.
Everything delivered in 6–8 weeks.
Consolidated from the signed contract — three rooms renovated under one fixed-price agreement, all HOA and building coordination handled. One-year workmanship warranty on all labor and installation.
Kitchen
- Full demo — cabinets, countertops, and backsplash removed
- New IKEA cabinets (~14–16 LF) with soft-close hardware
- MSI quartz countertops (~35 sq ft) with extended peninsula
- New tile backsplash (~25 sq ft), grouted and sealed
- Knee wall cut to 42" breakfast bar with 12–15" overhang
- Undermount stainless sink, new faucet, new ceiling light
- All outlets, switches, and cover plates replaced
Bathroom
- Walk-in shower stripped to framing — base and tile removed
- Durock cement board + Kerdi waterproofing membrane
- New shower wall and floor tile, grouted and sealed
- New shower valve, showerhead, and frameless glass door
- Double-sink vanity with quartz top and soft-close drawers
- His-and-hers mirrors and new vanity lighting
- Full bathroom repaint — walls, ceiling, and trim
Powder Room
- New vanity supplied and installed
- New countertop and faucet
- New mirror and light fixture
- Plumbing and electrical connections completed
- All hardware and accessories installed
Design, Coordination & Management
- Complete design package — layouts, selections, material specs
- Single fixed-price design-build contract
- Full-time dedicated project manager
- HOA documentation and board approval handled
- Building-engineer coordination and elevator scheduling
- Daily site cleanup · 1-year workmanship warranty
Why Lakeshore East homeowners choose Assembly Squad
Questions about Lakeshore East condo remodeling
How much does a kitchen and bathroom remodel cost in Lakeshore East?
In Lakeshore East and the New Eastside, a high-rise kitchen remodel typically runs $30,000–$75,000 and a bathroom $15,000–$50,000, depending on scope and selections. The 450 E Waterside project at The Chandler bundled a complete kitchen, a bathroom shower rebuild, and a powder room refresh for $55,000 all-in — a $6,491 saving versus pricing the three rooms separately. For full breakdowns, see our Chicago kitchen remodel cost guide and Chicago bathroom remodel guide.
Is it cheaper to remodel a kitchen and bathroom at the same time?
Usually, yes. Bundling rooms into one project means one demolition, one crew mobilization, one HOA approval, and one elevator reservation instead of two or three — and those savings get passed through. At 450 E Waterside, the kitchen, bathroom, and powder room priced individually totaled $61,491; bundled, the contract was $55,000. It also compresses months of separate construction windows into a single 6–8 week project.
Can a condo knee wall be turned into a breakfast bar?
In most cases, yes — knee walls between a kitchen and living area are usually non-structural partitions, so they can be shortened to counter height (~42") without moving plumbing or electrical. At The Chandler, we cut the existing knee wall down, refinished it, and extended the new MSI quartz countertop 12–15 inches past the wall to create two-seat breakfast bar dining — one of the highest-impact upgrades available in a compact high-rise kitchen.
Do you handle HOA approvals in Lakeshore East high-rises like The Chandler?
Yes. Assembly Squad handles the full condo-association process on the homeowner's behalf — alteration agreements, certificates of insurance, board approval, building-engineer coordination, and freight-elevator scheduling. We've worked in 300+ Chicago condo buildings, and Lakeshore East towers each have their own requirements. At The Chandler, all building communications and elevator reservations were managed as part of the design-build package.
Do I need City of Chicago permits for a condo kitchen or bathroom remodel?
It depends on scope. Cosmetic renovations that reuse existing plumbing and electrical infrastructure — like this project, where all fixtures reconnected to existing lines and no circuits were added — do not require City of Chicago permits, though building-management approval is still required. When a remodel relocates plumbing, adds circuits, or alters walls, permits are required, and Assembly Squad pulls and coordinates them as part of the contract.
Where is Lakeshore East, and do you remodel in the New Eastside?
Lakeshore East is the New Eastside neighborhood tucked between Millennium Park, the Chicago Riverwalk, and Lake Shore Drive, built around a six-acre private park and home to towers like The Chandler, Aqua, and The Tides. 450 E Waterside Dr sits on the park's north edge. Assembly Squad works throughout Lakeshore East and the New Eastside, as well as the neighboring Loop, Streeterville, River North, and South Loop.
Planning a remodel in Lakeshore East?
Private consultation at your unit, our Lincoln Park design studio, or via virtual session. Licensed Illinois GC, EPA Lead-Safe certified, fully insured. HOA coordination, building logistics, and fixed-price proposals all standard.
Book a Consultation 312-544-9150