Bright open-concept kitchen with in-ceiling light fixtures and an island bar. — The complete open-concept kitchen in this remodeled Chicago home is nothing like its tiny, cramped predecessor.

Open concept kitchen with matte white kitchen cabinets and champagne island cabinets — The kitchen cabinets are the same style but with different finishes; the perimeter cabinets are matte twilight while the island cabinets are champagne.

Bright open concept kitchen with an island bar and bar stools made of blue leather and gold metal bases. — The metal base on the blue leather bar stools complements the sleek stainless steel appliances.

The Open Concept Redesign

Working with the Orren Pickell Building Group, one of the first decisions the homeowners made was to expand their cramped kitchen, redefining the layout by moving the kitchen walls into an area that had served as a screened porch. By doing a complete kitchen remodel in their Chicago-area home, the homeowners would have a much larger living area and would finally have the open-concept space they’d been wanting, giving them much more room to enjoy their home as a family and entertain friends.

Because this was a situation where the homeowners weren’t just putting the house back “the way it was” after the fire, but were actively improving it and expanding it, the Orren Pickell Group realized that they needed to be sensitive to what the insurance company was paying for and what the homeowner was paying for out of pocket. To accomplish this, Orren Pickell provided two renovation quotes: one to return the house to its original state for the insurance company and a second quote for the homeowners that included the upgrades and expansion.

Side view of an open-style kitchen with an island bar next to a living room — The kitchen is open to the dining area and living room, creating a perfect spot for entertaining.

Bright living room with blue and gray chairs surrounding a wooden table and a shiplap fireplace. — The home’s living room features custom built-in shelves and a stained concrete and painted shiplap fireplace.

A bright remodeled guest bathroom with mosaic hex tile floors, circular paintings and a furniture style vanity — The remodeled guest bathroom features marble mosaic hex tile floors and a furniture-style vanity.

Replacement of Like Kind and Quality

Additionally, Orren Pickell worked with the homeowners to help advocate for “like kind and quality” of materials to be used on the renovation. Orren Pickell project manager and fire and water restoration expert Rob Oldenburg explains that, “Insurance companies use a software program called Xactimate to come up with an estimate of damage, repair and rebuilding costs, and they tend to stick closely to their software numbers. However, we can help homeowners review those estimates and pick up on things that the insurance company may have inadvertently missed—perhaps something like a higher-quality level of tile or another higher-level finish—so that the homeowner is made whole. We’re prepared to explain to the adjuster why there’s a legitimate difference between what their software tells them and the bid we come up with.”

Rob admits that speaking the language of insurance adjusting can be very confusing. “And the quotes are confusing, too. It’s easy for a homeowner to scan the lines of text and then look down at the bottom and see what may look like a reasonable figure. But what often happens is down the road, they realize the adjuster missed things. Most of the time this is the result of an honest mistake—they simply overlooked a room or counted two coats of paint instead of three. But other times, it’s because they got the specifics wrong on what should be put back—for example, if your basement floods and you need your carpeting replaced, your adjuster can put in for whatever level of carpet he believes your previous carpet to be; however, if you have records of your specific carpet purchase from a specific store, they need to give you back that. “It’s all about ensuring that they know your house fire destroyed a $120 toaster, not a $20 toaster,” says Rob.

A large master bedroom in a custom home with large windows, dark cream walls and a blue bed. — The home’s master bedroom features a tray ceiling. Large windows allow for ample natural light.

A front entryway staircase featuring custom built-in art on the wall below the stairs. — The front entryway includes a custom built-in art niche to display pieces from the homeowner’s extensive art collection.

A custom-built master bathroom with travertine floors, his and her sinks and flat-panel cabinets. — The master bathroom offers travertine floors, his and her sinks and flat-panel cabinets.

Hidden Costs of Code Upgrades

Rob also reminds homeowners to be aware of code upgrades in their policies that may be required but not covered. On this project in particular, the amount of demolition done was over a certain threshold, triggering a clause in their policy that required the homeowners to install a sprinkler system in their home—a cost the insurance company didn’t cover. “Certain policies have code upgrades that you never planned for. Something like a sprinkler system costs, on average about $12K for a house, and it’s not something you can sidestep; it’s required,” Rob explains.

Renovations Regardless of your Reasons

Certainly, most homeowners come to the Orren Pickell Building Group for renovation projects that have nothing to do with a devastating event. But regardless of if your home is damaged by fire, water (or any other element) or you simply want to update its appearance and enhance its livability, the designers and architects are ready to assist. We can help assess your current home situation and brainstorm ideas for what your dream home could be. Then, we’ll work with you to create a design plan and build a timeline so you know what’s happening every step of the way. And your Orren Pickell project manager will be there with you to guide you through the process.

Ready to get many more years of enjoyment out of your current space? Need expert luxury kitchen remodeling in Chicago or the North Shore? Get in touch today for a free consultation on remodeling your home.