Designed for our clients who are passionate about cooking and entertaining, this new home construction project redefines outdoor living, creating a connection between indoor and outdoor spaces across multiple levels. Expansive sliding doors, open-air terraces, and thoughtful design elements make every space feel integrated with nature, making the outdoors an extension of the home rather than a separate feature.
Ah, the classic Chicago summer dilemma: you’re hosting friends in your private courtyard, but instead of enjoying the good vibes, you’re constantly running back and forth to the kitchen. What if the courtyard became an extension of the kitchen and living room – a comfortable space for cooking and entertaining? That is precisely what we designed at this Bucktown single family home on a double-wide lot. While the new indoor kitchen is elegant, the outdoor space receives equal care and attention. And when the dessert wine comes out, everyone can head up from the yard to the beautifully landscaped roof deck for a nightcap.
All photos courtesy of Tony Soluri Photography
Internal Courtyard: Where Indoors Meets The Outdoors
The main element of this design is the internal courtyard. Which, after our update, transforms into a vibrant, multi-functional outdoor living space. It now includes a fully equipped open-air kitchen, dining, and hang-out area. Throughout the transformation, we made a point to preserve the mature Ginkgo tree, allowing it to continue anchoring the space both visually and ecologically.
The front living room benefits from dual-aspect lighting with large windows on both the south and north sides. This design choice floods the space with natural light throughout the day while offering courtyard views. Adjacent to this, we arranged the kitchen with a transitional seating area that bridges the gap between cooking and lounging. Our clients have most family meals in the kitchen, so we integrated a four-person table directly into the kitchen island. Separated by the central interior stairs, the dining room extends the home’s social space to the rear, opening up to a view of the courtyard and the Ginkgo tree.
New Home Construction Interior Courtyard Kitchen
Descending from the interior living space down to the courtyard, a custom stainless steel and limestone staircase guides you to the exterior courtyard. The outdoor kitchen, located along the exterior wall at the heart of the courtyard, provides easy access to electrical and plumbing lines. The kitchen design includes all the essentials for the outdoor chef: a place for a smoker/charcoal grill, a gas grill, a stainless steel sink, a drink cooler, and Kalamazoo Gourmet stainless steel cabinets for storage. Masonry matching the home’s exterior facade forms the kitchen’s foundation, while a limestone countertop completes the design with an organic and durable finish.
We finished the entertaining area with Natural Cleft Bluestone pavers that tie the space together, linking the courtyard to the front gate entrance and the roof deck. The stairs to the roof deck are made of limestone with a custom stainless steel handrail that’s sturdy and refined, with concealed LED lighting that adds a soft glow. Up top, we laid down ceramic pavers that are durable enough to withstand harsh weather conditions. Overhead, a custom-designed, powder-coated aluminum trellis structure provides shade and architectural interest.
Indoor Main Kitchen
Functionality, durability, a space for entertaining, and a ‘baker-centric’ design were our directives for the interior kitchen during this new home construction project. Drawing inspiration from our commercial restaurant kitchen design experience, we developed a layout that supports three distinct workstations, each tailored to meet specific client needs. We arranged three workstations focusing on our clients’ needs: the baker station, the prep station, and the storage/breakfast station.
Folding pocket doors hide small appliances, clearing up counter space and keeping the kitchen organized.
The Baker Station
This area prioritizes efficiency and accessibility for baking tasks. A fold-away cabinet houses essential tools like the mixer, grain mill, and baking supplies, all positioned conveniently next to the double oven. Adjacent to the ovens, a dedicated drop spot allows pans to transition seamlessly from oven to cooling. One standout feature is the upright, 24″ wide reach-in freezer beside the 30″ reach-in refrigerator. This setup accommodates full sheet pans to go directly into the freezer. No more emptying the entire freezer bin to find that Ball jar of frozen lime juice needed for those killer margaritas.
The Prep Station
Designed for versatility and interaction, the prep station enables hosts to remain engaged with guests while working. The sink is on the island, facing the living space, while the cooktop sits on the back counter. This layout avoids blocking views with an overhead exhaust fan. Instead, a stainless steel backsplash adds a chef de cuisine, easy-to-maintain surface between the counter and upper cabinets, with exhaust ducting efficiently routed through an exterior wall.
The Storage & Breakfast Station
To enhance convenience during morning routines and provide accessible storage, we outfitted this zone with essential appliances like the toaster oven and coffee maker, ensuring everything is within easy reach. Moreover, it offers direct access to the walk-in pantry. Instead of positioning the pantry directly in the kitchen, we designed it to connect from a small hallway, creating a subtle buffer between spaces. Additionally, a custom-fabricated aluminum and acid-etched frosted glass pocket door from Deltana allows the pantry to be closed off for privacy when needed. Similar to the kitchen triangle, we laid this out as an individual prep station tailored to daily needs.
Materials & Finishes
We designed the kitchen materials for durability and resilience—the custom lacquered cabinets, designed and fabricated by moss, balance style with functionality. The countertops combine stainless steel along the back wall and Caesarstone quartz on the island. Appliances include SubZero refrigeration and Wolf cooking equipment, with a 36″ wide induction cooktop.
Exterior Siding & Rainscreen Detailing
The primary goal in exterior wall design is simple: keep water out of the building. Our standard detail achieves this with a ‘rainscreen’ assembly for exterior walls. The air and water barrier is positioned behind the siding material using this system. This design treats the siding as a protective screen rather than the first line of defense against moisture. In contrast, typical tract housing or developer-built homes rely on a less sophisticated, inexpensive assembly. It’s common to see a ‘building wrap’, which is stapled directly to a plywood sheathing during tract home construction, with a siding material applied. This approach provides no drainage or drying space, increasing the risk of water infiltration and mold growth.
Our superior detail uses DensGlass, essentially an exterior grade of drywall. DensGlass acts as the sheathing layer behind the air and water barrier. We used a fluid-applied product from Prosoco for this project. Over that is the siding product held off with furring strips. The siding boards are a cement panel from Equitone, sourced from Metal Design Systems. Equitone is a top-of-the-line siding product that offers resilience, a clean design, and off-site fabrication. The Equitone team visits the site after the exterior walls are built to measure the facade with lasers for the most accurate calculations. The laser-based information is returned to their shop, and custom panels are cut, packaged, and shipped to the jobsite. This leaves the installation team with nothing more to do than attach the panels to the building. There is no on-site cutting required.
Below – Rooftop canopy and staircase options presented to clients for their new home construction
