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The original Foxtrail kitchen was a closed-off 1994 layout — a peninsula cutting across the sight line to the family room, dark Transitional cabinetry that stopped at the upper wall, and a cooktop isolated from the rest of the workspace. The homeowners wanted open. They wanted light. And they wanted a kitchen that worked as hard as it looked.
We started with demo and immediately confirmed what the drawings suggested: the peninsula was load-bearing — not a partition wall, but a knee wall that the builder had used to carry a second-floor joist. Removing it required a structural engineer, a flush beam, and a temporary shoring wall to keep the second floor in place while we made the swap. SilverBullet coordinated the engineering, filed the structural amendment to the building permit, and executed the beam installation in a single day of framing work. The kitchen opened up by roughly 60 square feet of functional floor space.
Cabinetry is white shaker, floor-to-ceiling, with glass uppers on the window wall to let in natural light. The island is 4×6 feet with a quartz waterfall edge and seating on three sides — positioned to face the family room exactly as the homeowners envisioned. The Zellige backsplash runs full-height behind the range, a handmade Moroccan tile with the subtle variation that no manufactured tile can replicate. The range hood is custom-built to the cabinet opening, painted to match the uppers.
Not every kitchen remodel requires a structural engineer. This one did. The original peninsula was carrying joist load from the bedroom above — removing it without a proper beam would have caused deflection in the subfloor above within months. SilverBullet identified this during the initial walkthrough, scoped the engineering requirement into the project estimate, and coordinated directly with a licensed structural engineer to produce the beam spec and connection drawings.
The City of Naperville required the structural drawings as part of the permit amendment. We submitted them, received the amended permit, and passed both the framing inspection and the final inspection without issue. This is the kind of coordination that happens invisibly when a licensed general contractor is running the project — and becomes a very expensive problem when it doesn't happen at all.
The quartz countertop is a white with subtle grey veining — selected to complement the Zellige tile without competing with it. Quartz was the right call here over natural stone: the homeowners have young kids and wanted a surface that wouldn't need sealing or show every water ring from the island seating. The LVP flooring transition carries through from the kitchen into the adjacent dining and family room, unifying the entire open-plan main floor.
Hardware is matte black throughout — cabinet pulls, faucet, and light fixtures — creating a consistent thread through all the white and off-white surfaces. The pendant lights over the island are on a separate dimmer circuit, allowing the homeowners to shift the kitchen mood from bright task lighting to softer ambient when the family is gathered at the island in the evenings.
The Foxtrail project was a full gut-to-studs kitchen remodel in Naperville, including: peninsula removal with structural beam installation, full demolition of existing cabinetry and surfaces, new white shaker cabinetry to ceiling, 4×6 quartz waterfall island, Zellige tile backsplash, custom painted range hood, full electrical rough-in with new dedicated circuits, plumbing rough-in updates, LVP flooring transition, and recessed and pendant lighting installation. All work was permitted through the City of Naperville.
Yes. The Foxtrail project involved structural work (beam installation replacing a load-bearing peninsula knee wall), electrical panel circuit additions, and plumbing modifications — all of which required a City of Naperville building permit. The structural amendment required licensed engineering drawings. SilverBullet managed the permit, engineering coordination, and all required inspections from rough to final.
Nine weeks from demo to final punch list. The primary schedule drivers were the custom cabinet order (4.5-week lead time), countertop template and fabrication (10 days after cabinet set), and structural beam coordination during the framing phase. SilverBullet built the schedule into the contract before demo began — the homeowners had a firm move-back-in date from week one.
The load-bearing peninsula wasn't identified until demo — SilverBullet had the engineering process ready, amended the permit, and kept the project on schedule without a change order surprise.
Running the uppers to the ceiling — with custom filler panels and crown molding at the soffit — added 40% more storage and eliminated the dust-collecting gap above traditional 42-inch uppers.
Zellige has uneven depth and variation that requires an experienced setter — not someone who has only done subway tile. SilverBullet's tile work ensured a consistent mortar bed and a finished wall that shows off the tile's character without looking sloppy.
The homeowners had a specific move-back-in date. We built the schedule backwards from that date, sequenced cabinet delivery, countertop template, and tile installation in the right order, and hit every milestone.
The Foxtrail project is one of several SilverBullet kitchen remodels in Naperville. We've completed full gut remodels, layout redesigns, and design-build kitchens across DuPage County — from Wheaton and Downers Grove in the north to Plainfield and Bolingbrook in the south.
Every project comes with the same things Foxtrail had: a written estimate, a clear scope of work, all permits pulled before demo, and a single point of contact from first meeting to final walk-through.
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