Custom kitchens for South Barrington's lake and estate homes

Large lots and houses about 30 years old

Landowners formed South Barrington in 1959, in three days, to beat a rival group that wanted quarter-acre lots. Later zoning set a minimum lot of an acre and a half. A founder's construction company built three subdivisions on former farms, Sunset Ridge Farms, the Cove and the Glen, and the village has 45 private lakes and ponds and the 80-acre Stillman Nature Center. The population grew from 473 in 1960 to about 5,000 in 2020, with the biggest jumps in the 1980s and 1990s.

So the typical South Barrington house is about 30 years old (median year built 1995):

• Kitchens. A new kitchen can run the cabinets to the ceiling and add a working island or a butler's pantry, if the room allows.
• Primary suites. Long double vanities and a walk-in closet built to the room.
• Lower levels. Bars, media walls and storage in finished basements.

Permits in South Barrington

The village has a handout for interior remodel, finished basement, attic and bonus room permits. It asks for two sets of stamped architectural drawings, a copy of the contract with the estimated cost, an application fee and a plan-review deposit. It does not mention kitchens or cabinets by name. (Village of South Barrington, April 2026 handout, as read 2026-10-27; confirm with the village for your project.) Because the drawings must be stamped, plan on an architect for a remodel that needs this permit. We price from and build to those drawings. Ask the village whether a cabinet-only replacement counts as an interior remodel.

Work we have done in and near South Barrington

• In South Barrington: a closet, and new treads and railing on an existing stair.
• Schaumburg: a modern flat-panel kitchen in a concrete-look finish; an entertainment wall around a fireplace, with the mantel and ceiling beams; a stair with wood treads and white balusters.
• Barrington: a white flat-panel kitchen, primary bath, wardrobe wall and window bench in one house.

Planning a South Barrington kitchen: drawings first

• Stamped drawings. The village's interior remodel permit asks for two sets of stamped architectural drawings and a copy of the contract. For a remodel that needs that permit, start with an architect; we price from and build to the drawings.
• A cabinet-only job. If you are only replacing cabinets, ask the village whether it counts as an interior remodel. It can change how much paperwork the job needs.
• The lower level at the same time. Finished basements fall under the same village handout. Planning a bar or a media wall with the kitchen keeps it to one set of drawings.
• The rest of the suite. If the primary suite is on your list, plan it with the kitchen: a double vanity and a walk-in closet in matching finishes.

Closets, stairs and more for South Barrington homes

Our South Barrington work is a closet, and new treads and railing on an existing stair. For houses like these we also build:

• Walk-in closets and wardrobe walls.
• Stairs: new treads, risers and railings, or a full rebuild.
• Primary bath vanities.
• Lower-level bars and media walls.
• Libraries and home offices.

Stamped drawings to installation: a South Barrington project

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. South Barrington is about 40 minutes away; the visit and consultation are free.
2. Drawings. From your architect's stamped set, priced as given, or through our design package for cabinet-only work.
3. The permit, as the village requires.
4. The build. Roughly 6 to 8 weeks from signed drawings for an average kitchen; built-ins and closets usually 4 to 6.
5. Installation, usually 1 to 3 days for a full kitchen, less for a vanity or a single built-in.

From Sunset Ridge Farms to Nathan's Glen, and nearby towns

The village's first subdivisions were Sunset Ridge Farms, the Cove and the Glen; other neighborhoods include Windemere, Falcon Lakes, Magnolia Pointe and Nathan's Glen. We serve all of South Barrington. Nearby, see our page for Inverness, and we also serve Barrington Hills and North Barrington; see all the towns we serve.

South Barrington questions

Do you work from an architect's drawings?

Yes. We price from the drawings as given and build to them. If we need to remeasure, that time is added to the final cost.

Can you build a primary bath vanity and closet together?

Yes, in matching finishes, planned in one set of drawings.

Can you put new treads and railing on my stair?

Yes. In South Barrington we replaced the treads and railing on an existing stair. See finish carpentry.

Do you build walk-in closets?

Yes, built to the room: drawers, shelves, double and long hanging. See custom closets.

Can you build a lower-level bar?

Yes: bar cabinets, glass-front uppers and wine racks. We built a full basement bar with a wine rack in Spring Grove.

Does a finished basement need the same permit?

The village's handout covers interior remodels, finished basements, attics and bonus rooms together, with the same paperwork: two sets of stamped drawings, the contract and the fees. Plan a lower-level bar with the rest of the job.

Do you build for houses on the village's private lakes?

Yes. South Barrington has 45 private lakes and ponds. If your house is on one, plan storage by the door for what comes in from outside, along with the kitchen.