Is a kitchen gut renovation worth it in Wicker Park?

Yes. Updated kitchens with open-concept layouts, custom cabinets, and quartz countertops command 10-20% price premiums over unrenovated comparables in Wicker Park. For new homeowners, renovating immediately sets the home up for how you want to live and how it will perform in the market when you sell.

Wicker Park Kitchen Remodeling | Custom Island + Quartz

Wicker Park Kitchen Remodeling Photo Gallery — Before & After

Complete documentation — gut renovation, custom island, quartz countertops, backsplash, and restained floors. Click any image to view full size.

Wicker Park kitchen remodeling Chicago after -- custom island quartz open concept

Project Highlights — Wicker Park Kitchen Remodeling Chicago

Open Concept Wall Removal — Wicker Park Kitchen

Our clients had just purchased their Wicker Park home and envisioned a kitchen at the heart of their living space. The non-load-bearing wall came out — instantly opening the first floor into a seamless flow between kitchen and living area. In Wicker Park's market, open-concept kitchens are a standard expectation for buyers and sellers alike. This single structural decision transformed how the entire floor lives and feels.

Custom Island + Cabinets — Matched to First Floor Aesthetic

The custom island serves as both functional workspace and social hub — the natural gathering point when guests are present and the primary prep surface for cooking. Custom cabinetry was designed to match the first floor's existing aesthetic, ensuring the renovated kitchen feels like it was always part of the home, not a renovation dropped into an existing space. Every cabinet optimized for storage efficiency and modern line work.

Quartz Countertops + Backsplash — Chic Modern Finishes

Quartz countertops provide the durability a working kitchen demands — stain resistant, scratch resistant, zero maintenance — while delivering the premium surface quality expected in a chic modern Wicker Park kitchen. The backsplash adds texture and visual interest, tying the surface palette together. Both selections were made with the open-concept sight lines in mind: visible from the living room, they needed to hold up as design statements from any vantage point.

Restained Wood Floors + New Appliances

The entire flooring was restained to create visual cohesion between the renovated kitchen and the rest of the home — new cabinetry and countertops against mismatched old floors would have broken the continuity the open-concept design demands. New state-of-the-art appliances complete the modern culinary workspace. The result is a kitchen that works as hard as it looks: optimized for the way this Wicker Park household actually lives.

Wicker Park Kitchen Remodeling Chicago — Custom Island, Quartz Countertops, Open Concept Gut Renovation 2026

This Wicker Park kitchen remodeling project started with new homeowners and a clear brief: transform the closed, dated kitchen into an open-concept space that would serve as the social heart of their home. I'm Viktor Aharon with Assembly Squad Remodeling LLC — we've completed 500+ renovations since 2013 (IL License #TGC098779, A+ BBB), with extensive experience in Wicker Park kitchen renovations and open-concept gut remodels throughout Chicago.

The clients had just purchased the home and wanted the kitchen done right from the start — not a cosmetic update, but a complete gut renovation that would define how they live in the space for years.

Open Concept — Wicker Park Kitchen Wall Removal

The non-load-bearing wall between the kitchen and living area came out cleanly — permitted, properly assessed, executed with seamless drywall and flooring transitions. The Wicker Park open concept kitchen that resulted opens the entire first floor: natural light crosses from the living area through the kitchen, sight lines extend across the full floor plate, and the person cooking is no longer separated from guests. In Wicker Park's competitive real estate market, open-concept layouts are a selling standard — this renovation delivered what the neighborhood demands.

Custom Island + Cabinets — Built for How They Cook

The custom kitchen island Wicker Park is the centerpiece — a dedicated prep zone, a social hub when guests are present, and the feature that defines the kitchen's identity. Custom cabinets were designed to match the first floor's existing aesthetic, creating visual continuity rather than the "renovation was added" look. We analyzed the clients' cooking habits and built the cabinet layout around their actual workflow — not around a standard template.

Quartz Countertops, Backsplash, Restained Floors

Quartz countertops for durability and premium surface quality — zero maintenance, stain resistant, appropriate for a household that actually cooks. The backsplash design bridges the quartz and cabinet palette while adding visual depth. Restaining the existing wood floors throughout the first floor was the finishing move: new cabinetry and countertops against old mismatched floors would undercut the whole renovation. New appliances complete the chic modern Wicker Park kitchen package.

Complete Scope of Work

Complete kitchen demolition — Wicker Park Chicago
Non-load-bearing wall removal for open concept kitchen
Custom kitchen cabinet design and installation — matched to home aesthetic
Custom island design and installation
Quartz countertop fabrication and installation
New backsplash design and installation
Restaining of entire first floor wood flooring
New state-of-the-art appliance installation
Complete electrical and plumbing updates
All Chicago permits handled

Wicker Park Kitchen Remodel Cost 2026

A complete Wicker Park kitchen gut renovation — wall removal, custom island, custom cabinets, quartz, backsplash, floor restaining, new appliances — typically runs $55,000–$120,000 depending on cabinet quality, appliance selection, and scope. Assembly Squad provides detailed fixed-price proposals after an in-home consultation. See our full Wicker Park kitchen remodeling service page → and our Chicago kitchen remodel cost guide → for more detail.

Wicker Park Kitchen Remodeling FAQs — 2026

A complete Wicker Park kitchen gut renovation — wall removal, custom island, custom cabinets, quartz, backsplash, floor restaining, new appliances — typically runs $55,000–$120,000. Variables include cabinet quality (custom vs semi-custom), appliance selection, and whether structural work is required. Assembly Squad provides fixed-price proposals after an in-home consultation. See our full Chicago kitchen remodel cost guide →

Yes — non-load-bearing walls can be removed in Wicker Park homes with proper structural assessment and permitted work. Assembly Squad handles all structural evaluation, City of Chicago permit management, and execution with seamless drywall, ceiling, and floor transitions. See our wall removal guide →

A custom kitchen island in Wicker Park is the feature that makes an open-concept kitchen work on both a functional and social level. It defines the cooking zone within the open floor plan, provides a dedicated prep surface, and serves as the natural gathering point during entertaining. Stock island options rarely fit the proportions or workflow needs of a specific kitchen — custom is the right call for a gut renovation.

Yes — Wicker Park kitchen renovations consistently deliver strong ROI. Updated kitchens with open-concept layouts, custom cabinets, and quartz countertops command 10–20% price premiums over unrenovated comparables in the neighborhood. For new homeowners especially, renovating immediately sets the home up correctly for how you want to live in it — and for how it will perform in the market when you sell.

Assembly Squad is a licensed kitchen remodeling contractor in Wicker Park Chicago (IL License #TGC098779, A+ BBB, 500+ projects since 2013). We specialize in open concept kitchen gut renovations — wall removal, custom islands, custom cabinets, quartz — throughout Wicker Park and all Chicago neighborhoods. Free consultation → or call (312) 544-9150.

LET'SBUILD.

Free in-home consultation throughout Wicker Park and Chicago. Fixed-price proposal within 48 hours. Custom islands, open concept, quartz — all permits handled.

Wicker Park Kitchen Remodeling — Custom Island, Quartz Countertops, Open Concept Chicago

Wicker Park Kitchen Remodeling Before & After — Open Concept Gut Renovation Chicago

Wicker Park Kitchen Remodeling Photo Gallery — Before & After

Project Highlights — Wicker Park Kitchen Remodeling Chicago

Open Concept Wall Removal — Wicker Park Kitchen

Custom Island + Cabinets — Matched to First Floor Aesthetic