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The Fulton project was a multi-room renovation of a historic home in Geneva, IL — a property with real architectural character, original details worth preserving, and systems that needed modern upgrades. The homeowners wanted a home that honored what was there while working for how they actually live today.
Scope covered four rooms: a full kitchen renovation, a primary bath remodel, updates to the family room, and mudroom reconfiguration. The kitchen was the centerpiece — original cabinetry from the 1920s era had been modified repeatedly over decades and was no longer functional. We replaced with new custom cabinetry designed to complement the home's period, not fight it.
Throughout the project, the constraint was respect for original elements. The original hardwood floors (refinished but not replaced), original window and door trim (preserved and re-integrated into the new layouts), and the home's fundamental architectural proportions all guided the design decisions. New work had to feel like it belonged, not like it was dropped in.
Not every historic home renovation requires restoration-grade work — but this one asked for thoughtfulness about what to preserve. We refinished rather than replaced the original hardwood (sanding to a lighter stain to match updated cabinetry). We preserved the original crown molding profiles and replicated them where damaged sections needed replacement. The original plaster walls in the family room got skim-coat repair rather than tear-out and re-drywall. This added cost and time compared to standard renovation methods — but delivered an outcome that's genuinely congruent with the home.
The kitchen layout was tighter than a new-build would be — the home's historic footprint didn't give us space for a modern island-driven plan. Instead, we built a perimeter-heavy layout with generous counter depth, a breakfast peninsula, and carefully specified appliance placement. Electrical had to be completely re-run (original wiring was knob-and-tube in places), and plumbing relocations required careful work around original structural elements. All of this was coordinated with the City of Geneva building department.
Historic-home renovations are always longer than equivalent new-home scope. The Fulton project ran 18 weeks across four rooms — roughly 30% longer than the same four-room scope would take in a post-2000 home. Demo is slower (careful with original surfaces), rough trades are more complex (working around existing framing and plumbing), and finish work requires more custom solutions. We priced this into the estimate from day one, and the project closed within contract timeline and budget.
Four rooms: a full kitchen renovation, a primary bathroom remodel, family room updates, and mudroom reconfiguration — all in a historic home in Geneva, IL. Work preserved original hardwood floors, crown molding, and period-appropriate architectural elements while updating infrastructure and finishes to current standards.
Historic renovations typically take 25–35% longer than equivalent scope in newer homes. Electrical often needs complete re-run (knob-and-tube, ungrounded circuits), plumbing must work around original structural elements, and finish work requires more custom solutions to integrate with original details. Budget contingency should be higher — 20–25% vs. 10–15% for newer homes — to account for discoveries.
Yes. Full City of Geneva permits were pulled for electrical, plumbing, and structural modifications. Geneva is particularly thorough with historic-area properties; we worked closely with the building department throughout and passed all inspections without revisions.
Every decision was made in service of the house. Wainscoting restored, not replaced. Floors protected throughout. Millwork profiles matched. The architecture was the brief — every new finish was chosen to enhance what was already there.
Dining room drama, girl's suite whimsy, girl's bath femininity, boy's bath crispness — four rooms with four design identities, executed simultaneously under one contract without any room feeling like it was rushed or deprioritized.
Scallop tile border hand-set to align with door and window openings. Pattern wallpaper landed correctly at every corner. Radiator cover built into cabinetry. These are the details that mark the difference between a renovation and a transformation.
Chandelier and bathroom electrical, plumbing for both bathrooms, structural modifications for the window bench — all permitted through the City of Geneva and inspected at every required phase before work proceeded.
Fulton Geneva is one of several historic and design-forward renovation projects SilverBullet has completed in Geneva and Kane County. We serve Geneva, St. Charles, Batavia, Naperville, and the full western suburb corridor for interior renovations, bathroom remodeling, kitchen remodeling, and whole-home transformations.
Whether your project is design-driven or budget-focused, simple or complex, we bring the same commitment: a written estimate, all permits pulled before work starts, and a single point of contact from first meeting to final walk-through.
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