Custom kitchens for Western Springs, from Old Town to Timber Trails

Western Springs, one neighborhood at a time

A Quaker developer founded Western Springs in 1886, named it for local mineral springs, and early deeds often barred selling alcohol. The 1892 water tower, built of Naperville stone, is on the National Register and is now a museum. The village grew by neighborhoods, each with its own era. The historical society's guide names them: Old Town, first marketed as a summer retreat; Field Park and Ridge Acres, on land Marshall Field bought in 1885; Forest Hills, planned in 1923 with "wide, deep front lawns"; Springdale, first platted in 1955; Ridgewood, platted in 1957; and Timber Trails, on 104 acres of a former golf club bought in 2005.

That history shapes the kitchen:

• Old Town's pre-1900 houses. If yours has its original trim, painted framed cabinets or stained wood inset, with matched trim, suit it.
• Forest Hills, planned in 1923. If your house still has a separate breakfast room or pantry, the cabinets can borrow from that era: paneled doors, glass uppers, a furniture-style island.
• Springdale and Ridgewood, platted in the 1950s. If your kitchen is closed off, decide first whether it opens to the family room.
• Timber Trails, on former golf-club land bought in 2005: built-ins, closets and lower-level storage.

Permits in Western Springs

The village's Building Permit Information sheet (revised November 2018) says: "Permits are required for construction of any type, including but not limited to the following:" Its list of finishes names "Kitchen Cabinet/Countertop Replacements," and it adds: "Interior remodeling permits require the submittal of digital architectural plans". (Village of Western Springs Building Permit Information, as read 2026-10-28; confirm for your address.) We confirm with the Department of Community Development what your job needs, and we pull the permit ourselves when one is required.

Work we have done in Western Springs

• One whole house: the kitchen, a butler's pantry, a mudroom, a laundry room, the vanities in every bathroom, a closet and a small built-in office.

Planning a whole-house job in Western Springs

• One plan, every room. Our Western Springs job was a whole house: the kitchen, a butler's pantry, a mudroom, a laundry room, the vanities in every bathroom, a closet and a small built-in office. Doing it together means one set of drawings, one set of finishes and one schedule.
• The neighborhood decides the style. An Old Town house, a Forest Hills house from the 1920s and a Springdale house from the 1950s want different doors, trim and colors. We start from the house.
• Older walls. If the walls and floors in an older house are out of level, we scribe the cabinets to them.
• The permit. The village's permit sheet names kitchen cabinet and countertop replacements, and interior remodeling permits need digital architectural plans. Ask the Department of Community Development about your project early; we pull the permit when one is required.

Butler's pantries, mudrooms, laundry rooms and more

• Butler's pantries, like the one in our Western Springs job.
• Mudrooms with lockers, a bench and drawers.
• Laundry rooms with a folding counter.
• Vanities for every bathroom, in matching or different finishes.
• Closets and built-in offices.
• Trim to tie it all together, part of nearly every job we do.

One house, many rooms: how the work runs

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. Western Springs is about an hour and ten minutes from the shop; the visit and consultation are free.
2. The design package, with one major revision and the final price.
3. The permit, where the village requires one.
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.

Neighborhoods of Western Springs, and nearby towns we serve

We serve all of Western Springs, from Old Town south to Forest Hills, Springdale and Ridgewood. Nearby, see our page for Hinsdale, or all the towns we serve. We also serve La Grange, Clarendon Hills and Elmhurst.

Western Springs questions

Is Western Springs too far for you?

No. It is inside our service area, in Cook County, about an hour from the shop, and we have done a whole house here.

Can you build cabinets that suit a 1920s house?

Yes: paneled doors, painted or stained, or stained wood inset, with glass uppers and trim that matches the house.

Can you do every room in one job?

Yes. Our Western Springs job covered the kitchen, a butler's pantry, a mudroom, a laundry room, every bathroom vanity, a closet and an office in one house.

Do you build laundry rooms?

Yes: base and wall cabinets, a folding counter and tall storage for the vacuum and the ironing board.

Can you work in an older Old Town house?

Yes. We scribe the cabinets to the walls as they are and match the trim.

How do you plan finishes for a whole house?

Room by room, in one set of drawings, so the kitchen, the pantry and the mudroom match and the bathrooms can differ if you want them to.

Do you build butler's pantries?

Yes. There is one in our Western Springs whole-house job, built with the kitchen.

Do you build small built-in offices?

Yes. The same house has one, built with the rest of the job.