A cabinet maker for Johnsburg, 8 minutes away

Lake homes and custom homes: what Johnsburg kitchens need

Johnsburg says it has the most waterfront of any community on the Chain O'Lakes, with more than 2 miles of shoreline on the Fox River and the Chain. Chicago families started summering here in cabins in the late 1800s; many of those cabins have since been replaced by permanent homes. The village also grew away from the water. It merged with Sunnyside in 1991 and added about 600 acres in 1997. It now includes custom-home developments such as Dutch Creek Estates and Whispering Ridge Estates, with lots of three-quarters of an acre to two acres and more.

That mix shapes the cabinet work:

• On the water, a house may have started as a summer cabin. If yours did, the kitchen may still sit in that footprint, and the plan is about storage per foot of wall: cabinets to the ceiling, pull-outs in the corners, a bench by the lake door for wet gear. If the house sits closed up for part of the year, we talk about materials and finish before anything is built.
• In the custom-home developments, lots start at about three-quarters of an acre. The plan starts from how the kitchen meets the family room, the island and the pantry. Tell us if a lower-level bar or a family-room built-in is part of it.

Do I need a permit for cabinet work in Johnsburg?

The village issues its own permits. Its building code says no construction, alteration, excavation or demolition may start until a building permit is issued, and the village building page says most building projects need one. We check your project with the village building department and pull the permit ourselves when one is required.

Work we have done in Johnsburg

• A stained wood kitchen.

A few minutes away, in Spring Grove, we built a full basement bar in stained oak, with glass doors, a wine rack and a back bar.

Nearby finished projects: the Bull Valley kitchen; the Crystal Lake home office.

Before you plan a Johnsburg kitchen

• What the kitchen has to hold. List what lives in the kitchen now and what has nowhere to go: the big pots, the small appliances, the recycling. We plan the drawings around that list.
• Wet gear and the back door. A lake house needs a place for towels, boots and life jackets that is not the kitchen counter. A bench with cubbies or a row of lockers by the lake door solves it.
• Seasonal use. Some Johnsburg houses are not lived in all year. If yours sits closed up, tell us at the visit so we can plan the materials and the finish for it.
• The permit. The village requires a permit for most building projects. We confirm what your project needs with the village building department and pull it ourselves when it is required.

Bookshelves, closets and wine storage for Johnsburg homes

Beyond the kitchen, we build:

• Built-in bookshelves and media walls, fitted to the wall and the windows.
• Closets, from a reach-in to a full walk-in with drawers and shelves.
• Bars and wine storage. Close by in Spring Grove we built a basement bar in stained oak with glass doors and a wine rack, and in Barrington Hills a wine cellar room with wood wine racks.
• Mudrooms and laundry rooms for the lake-door traffic.
• Vanities for every bathroom.

From visit to install in Johnsburg

1. The visit. It starts with a visit. We measure, we listen, and we give you a straight number. If it works for you, we design it with you, and only then do we build. We are about 8 minutes away, and the visit and consultation are free.
2. The design package and drawings, with one major revision, ending with the final price.
3. The permit, where the village requires one: we file it ourselves.
4. The build. Roughly 6 to 8 weeks from signed drawings for an average kitchen; built-ins and closets usually 4 to 6.
5. Delivery and installation, usually 1 to 3 days for a full kitchen. Tell us about access to the house: a narrow lane or a steep drive to the water is easier to plan for ahead of time.

From the shoreline to the subdivisions, and nearby towns

Johnsburg runs from the shoreline on the Fox River and the Chain to the developments away from the water that the village lists: Dutch Creek Estates and Whispering Ridge Estates (custom homes), Remington Grove and Running Brook Farm. We serve all of Johnsburg. Nearby are Richmond, Spring Grove and McHenry; see all the towns we serve.

Johnsburg questions

Do you build built-in bookshelves?

Yes: bookcases, media walls, window seats and offices, fitted to your wall. See custom built-ins.

Can you build a bar?

Yes, as built-in cabinetry: bar cabinets, the bar top and a back bar. Our nearest is a basement bar in Spring Grove.

Do you build closets?

Yes: walk-ins, reach-ins and wardrobes. See custom closets.

Can you build a wine cellar or wine room?

Yes, as racks and cabinetry fitted to the room. We built wood wine racks for a Barrington Hills wine cellar room. Tell us how many bottles you want to keep.

Is a stained kitchen a good choice for a lake house?

It can be; our Johnsburg kitchen is stained wood. We can show you stained and painted samples side by side at the shop, by appointment.