Our Work: Foursided

Name: Foursided
Location: Chicago, IL
Design: Kaper Design, LLC
Photography: Kyle McKenna

Kaper Design is excited to share our latest work in Chicago! Located in the heart of East Lakeview (Just a few blocks down from Dryhop, too.), Foursided is a neighborhood staple for those looking to get the best framing or unique gift. Being the original location, it came time for a facelift and we were happy to jump on board. Follow the jump below for a look at their new space.

Local Favorite; Parson's Chicken & Fish

Name: Parson's Chicken & Fish
Location: Chicago, IL
Design: Land & Sea Dept

As a modern take on the classic neighborhood joint, Parson's created a vibrant and fun space that utilizes color, geometric shapes, and clean lines. 

Our Work; Dryhop Brewers

Name: Dryhop Brewers
Location; Chicago, IL
Designer: Kaper Design, LLC
Scope of Work: Schematic Design, Design Development, Feasibility studies, Contract Administration,  FF&E Sourcing

Kaper Design, LLC is proud to announce the opening of Dryhop Brewers. A warm and comfortable space, our design showcases the craft of creating. With an initial concept given by the owner of 'My father's workshop on a good day.', Kaper Design created a space that played homage to the craftsmen and their crafts. Highlighting the woodworking and beer making crafts simultaneously was an exciting challenge and allowed us to get creative with materials and applications. 

Local favorite; The Purple Pig

Name: The Purple Pig
Location: Chicago, IL

The Purple Pig is easily one of my favorite dining spots in the city. With an intimate and warm space, great wine list, and fun menu it easily fits the bill for just about any occasion. Even with an hour average wait time (every day, all year long…), The Purple Pig is the restaurant we frequent the most often and the place we are most likely to take visitors.

Local Favorite: Bow Truss

Name: Bow Truss
Location: Chicago, IL


With NeoCon just around the corner, I wanted to give all those headed into town a look at one of my favorite coffee shops near the Mart.

Bow Truss is a local, small batch roaster with two locations in Chicago. While both serve amazing coffee, their newest location in River North is the stand out in terms of design. 

A smaller space than their original, the River North location still maintains the rustic, reclaimed, and hip nature the original East Lakeview location is known for but does it a more thoughtful and concentrated manor. 

Images © Zagat, Doejo

James Beard Awards 2013

Just like many others in the food industry, May 6th was spent live streaming & refreshing every social media outlet to get the play by play of the annual James Beard Awards!

While many were awarded, we are always more interested in those that deliver the full package;  great chef, great food, and well designed spaces. Take a look at a few of our favorite winners, after the jump.

Our Work; The Salsa Truck

Local Chicagoans and food truck fanatics alike have probably already heard the great news. Chicago has officially given out its very first mobile food preparers license which allows chicago food trucks to now cook on-board. This historic moment for the restaurant and dining scene was added to by the fact that we had the pleasure of working with owner, Dan Salls on the first first food truck to ever cook on board, The Salsa Truck.

Kaper Design was responsible for the branding, logo, truck design, packaging, and all other printed goods. Here are a few images of our work;

A Look Back; Our Work

It's been a busy year for us and couldn't be more excited about the projects we've gotten to work on and the clients we've gotten to work with. Here is a quick look back at what kept us busy during 2012.



Name: The Salsa Truck
Status: In progress
Location: Chicago, IL

Name: The Garage
Status: In Progress
Location: Chicago, IL

Name: Dryhop Brewers 
Status: In Progress
Location: Chicago, IL

Name: Shady's Burgers & Brewhaha
Status: In Progress
Location: Dallas, TX

Name: Cogdal Vineyards
Status: Design Completed
Location: South Haven, MI

Name: The Savoy (Previously named, The Odyssey)

Status: Completed

Location: Chicago, IL

Name: Bang Bang Pie Shop
Status: Completed
Location: Chicago, IL

Name: DIY Kitchen Crashers Episode 301 

Status: Completed & Aired

Location: Chicago, IL

A huge thank-you goes out to all of our amazing clients and fans for making 2012 such a great year. With The Garage, The Salsa Truck, Dryhop, and Shady's all opening in 2013, we can't wait for all that 2013 has in store. 

Local Favorite; Little Goat Bread

Name: Little Goat Bread
Location: Chicago, IL

The newest venture from local favorite, Stephanie Izard, is a diner meets bakery located just across the street from her acclaimed restaurant Girl & the Goat. 

DIY Kitchen Crashers

At Kaper Design, 

We believe in the essence of the kitchen

We believe in the passion of the chef

We believe that a meal can be a celebration of, or escape from the everyday

We believe that gathering around a table unites and connects

We believe that the soul of any space is the kitchen, be it residential or commercial.

With this in mind, we'd like to announce that Kaper Design will be featured TONIGHT on the Season Premiere of DIY's Network show; Kitchen Crashers. 

(Click here for the airtime in your area)

(A little glimpse into the almost finished product. Read below for the inside scoop on our design.)

Local Favorite; Big Shoulders Coffee

Name: Big Shoulders Coffee
Location: Chicago, IL

Big Shoulders takes cues from it's Chicago location with both the name, and interior.

The interior is kept simple with nods to Chicago's industrial & manufacturing background throughout.

Local Favorite: BellyQ

Name: BellyQ
Location: Chicago, IL

BellyQ, chef Bill Kim's newest restaurant has brought yet another interesting spot to the bustling West Loop food scene.

Local Favorite; Grass Fed

Name: Grass Fed
Location: Chicago, IL

What I love about the interior of Grass Fed, a Bucktown/Wicker park steak house, is that the interior steers clear of any typical steakhouse associations. You could almost describe Grass Fed as your girlfriends steakhouse. The script font, bright interior, and topiaries all add a distinctive feminine touch to what has typically always been a masculine concept.

Local Favorite; The Publican

Name: The Publican
Location: Chicago, IL

One of my favorite spots in Chicago for oysters and meat is hands down, The Publican.

Located in Chicago's booming restaurant scene over in the West Loop, the space is communal and raw which goes perfectly with the food it serves.

Local Favorite; Ada Street

Name: Ada Street
Location: Chicago, IL

Tucked away in an industrial part of Chicago, Ada street restaurant is a welcome contrast to the gritty urban exterior. You enter through the dimly lit lounge and are guided down a long hall lined with vintage lockers storing the restaurants wine selection. At the end of the hall is additional vintage storage, but this time for their extensive record collection. The dining space opens up from here allowing you to pass by the open kitchen and head chef Zoe at the helm. 

A look at the intimate space;

A wide range of design aesthetics were used but all were kept minimal and comfortable. A banquet wrapped in army blankets flanks the wall with two-top spots in the center. The opposite wall is dominated by their large glass-backed, and well stocked bar. 

 Past the dining room is Ada's great outdoor back patio complete with artificial grass, picnic tables and checkered table clothes. While we were visiting, Ada was featuring a menu focused around the grill and luckily we got to experience some wonderful dishes cooked right outside our table. 

A look at what we ate;

Stuffed zucchini blossom with heirloom tomatoes, foie gras with bing cherries & toasted ciabatta, grilled market flatbread with zucchini, scallop with corn puree and crispy potato, and we ended the night with brioche donuts with port wine caramel.

I would go back for the scallop, flatbread and donuts. The zucchini blossom is always a win but I only wish they could have given two. The foie gras, was good, but served cold which threw me off a bit.

Photos 1&3 © Ada Street Facebook

Photos 2 &4 © Kaper Desgin

Local Favorite; Butcher & the Burger

Name: Butcher & the Burger
Location: Chicago, IL

One of the great things about the Chicago food scene is that you truly can create anything, and have it be successful as long as you stick to a concept. Butcher & the Burger did just that and created a great local burger spot in the process. Focused on made-to-order, custom burgers (think grass-fed, salmon, bison, etc.) and thick cut Kennebec fries, the local burger joint is also a butcher shop and classroom of sorts giving hands-on butcher & cooking experience to anyone interested.

The interior is a great mix of industrial and traditional Chicago. Exposed brick walls, industrial stools & fittings, antiques from old butcher shops, and hand-cut Carrara marble subway tiles help create a blend of high & low. 

With a traditional Chicago row-house space, seating was maximized with stools that swing out from under the metal & pipe bar. 

Image 1-2 © Timeout Chicago

Image 3 © LTH Forum

Image 4-5 © Google+

The Trencherman

Name: The Trencherman
Location: Chicago, IL
Design: Kevin Heisner

One of the newest restaurants to pop up here in Chicago is The Trencherman. With vintage details, rich woods, and some surprising pops of color, the space is one I'm excited to try out. I love the utilization of the pipes above the booths for lighting and the bar extending beyond, creating a table of sorts built-it. The pop is blue found in the seating area on the upper level, is separated enough for it to define the space while also providing a bit of a transition from the entry to the main dining space.