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Five stylish Chicago kitchens to inspire you now

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From tight spaces to eclectic design

There is a concrete island, stainless steel range, and wooden cabinets.
A minimalist, Bulthaup-designed kitchen.
VHT Studios

In most homes, kitchens serve as the gathering place—that’s particularly true around the Thanksgiving holiday. While you might dream of a grand kitchen with tons of storage and a massive island, there are some cozy, stylish kitchens that get the job done, too.

We’ve rounded up some of our favorite kitchens in the homes we’ve written about this month. Here are the kitchens we covet, and the ones that make small spaces work.


An art-filled home and quirky kitchen

Kitchen with white walls and dark wood trim has a oval island in the middle below two pendant lights. At the far end of the room there is a dedicated eating area and shelves behind glass doors.
The kitchen has dark wood cabinets penny tile flooring.

A Grecian-inspired tile pattern? Dark cherry wood cabinets? Angular light shades? We love it. The open shelves and display cabinetry exhibit the owners collection of Japanese ceramics, but are set up perfectly to show off your own ceramics, kitchenware, and favorite dishes. This listing is in the pricey Gold Coast neighborhood and will set you back $1,550,000.

A dramatic entertaining space

A kitchen with white cabinets, an island with four stools, and a staircase in the distance.
A spacious kitchen with a timber ceiling.

The kitchen’s waterfall-edge island certainly commands attention. It’s clear this space is made for entertaining—a cool modern backdrop for a lively gathering. New owners will also get to select a few of the finishing touches in the kitchen such as the cabinetry hardware. In Lincoln Park, this rehab of a 133-year-old home is asking $1,690,000.

A stylish eat-in kitchen

There is an circular dining table next to cabinets with glass panels. the kitchen has white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and white countertops.
The kitchen and dining area is bright and modern.

In just about a week this Old Town condo listed at $695,000 had an offer. Could it because of this cozy, eat-in kitchen? Even in this open layout, there’s lots of countertop space, room for a dining table, and an abundance of storage.

A minimalist, modern design

There is a concrete island, stainless steel range, and wooden cabinets.
The kitchen is modern and minimalist.

Minimal hardware, integrated steel, polished concrete, exposed brick—it’s almost too pretty to cook. In lieu of backsplash, the Bulthaup-designed kitchen also features a horizontal cut out which opens to the living room. This space is housed in a funky, geometric townhouse in Old Town listed for $1,095,000.

Making the most of a tight space

There are white cabinets, white appliances, a small window over the kitchen sink, and honey colored upper cabinets.
The kitchen was recently renovated and optimized with better storage and appliances.

This tiny kitchen was redesigned for optimal efficiency and storage. As far as as small spaces go, it has all the perks like a dishwasher, subway tiling, a breakfast bar, and a lovely window in front of the sink. This sunny unit in Logan Square is under $200,000—not surprisingly there’s an offer on the table.