Contemporary Kitchen Remodel

While historic homes throughout the greater St. Louis area are full of character, they often present some unique challenges when it comes to modernizing the floorplans—specifically, their kitchens. Long-time Aptitude client Cindy found herself struggling to make the most of the limited square footage in her rental property’s kitchen, necessitating a call to Aptitude when it was time for an update.

“It was a small, confined space that wasn't set up very well,” recalls Aptitude president Matt Mierek. “If you're looking from the family room towards the back of the house, there's a door on the left and a door on the right. And originally, right between those two doorways was the fridge—and it just took up so much room.” Though the configuration of the home’s doors made it difficult to fully overhaul the layout of the kitchen, Mierek and his team tinkered with the design to create the most possible usable space—and allow for a feeling of airy openness that was previously missing from the home. “It took some thought to be able to move things around, without further limiting the usable space,” he explains.

This required moving some walls and doorways. “One of the biggest things we did was move the bathroom door, which was originally further to the right (near where the fridge now sits). We moved that doorway over to the left so that we could put the fridge where the old doorway was, giving us more room on that side of the kitchen,” says Mierek. “We came up with the idea to move the fridge, and create some more countertop space by opening up the wall up between the family room and the kitchen.” Removing this wall completely changed the feel of the space, which had previously been very closed off. “It just gives you a little more flow and openness through that area,” Mierek explains.

From there, the only finishing touches that were needed were much more superficial. New countertops, new cabinets, new flooring, and a fresh coat of paint completed the look afforded by the new floorplan. “There's almost more thought that goes into renovating a really tiny space, than there is when working in a huge kitchen where you’ve got tons of layout options,” Mierek recalls. But in any case, in spite of the kitchen’s small footprint, its upgraded aesthetic makes a huge impact in the home.