Nicholasville, KY Kitchen Remodel With Open-Concept Living Space
Transforming a 2003 Ranch Home
Rather than simply updating the cabinets and finishes, Stak Construction was brought on to complete an extensive remodel that changed how the main areas of the home connect and function. From structural framing and a new support beam to the kitchen, plumbing, electrical, flooring, drywall, and finish work, the project took approximately two and a half months to complete.
Project Details
- Location: West Place neighborhood, Nicholasville, KY
- Home: 2003 ranch style home
- Project type: Open-concept Kitchen remodel
- Timeline: Approximately 2.5 months
- Main features: Load-bearing wall removal, new structural beam, redesigned kitchen, white shaker cabinetry, quartz countertops, new sink and plumbing, updated electrical and recessed lighting, new vinyl plank flooring, drywall and ceiling repairs, paint, trim, and finish work
Before: A Divided Main Living Area
Although the home already had a practical one level footprint, the kitchen was separated from the living area by an interior wall. That division limited sightlines through the home and made the kitchen feel more isolated from the larger gathering area.
Because the homeowners had just bought the property and hadn’t moved in yet, they wanted to immediately revamp the entire space to better fit the needs of family and friends, both in everyday life and hosting.
Before demolition, we helped the homeowners design the new space, showing them 3D renderings of the redesigned area, as well as providing samples of different materials like cabinetry, countertops, hardware, flooring, and more. Seeing this all come together really helped the homeowners to make decisions that they were happy about. Paired with our expertise in giving them pros and cons of their various options, they were able to finalize a plan that they were very excited about.
Opening the Kitchen to the Living Room
One of the most significant parts of the project was removing the wall separating the kitchen and living area.
This wasn't simply a matter of removing drywall and studs. Because the wall was part of the home's structural system, Stak reinforced and removed the existing framing, installed a new structural beam to carry the load across the larger opening, all according to code and best practices. The homeowners really appreciated the fact that our team could handle not only the kitchen remodel but all of their other needs as well. One thing they didn’t want was vetting and hiring multiple different contractors to handle different parts of their remodel. With Stak, they had one contact throughout the entire project, and we handled every detail from demolition to the grand reveal.
The surrounding framing, ceiling, drywall, and electrical all had to be addressed as well as part of the change. Once completed, the new opening dramatically expanded the sightlines through the home and allowed the kitchen and living room to function as one connected space. It now became a large, open area instead of several smaller rooms.
Building a Completely New Kitchen
With the old kitchen removed and the wall opened, Stak rebuilt the kitchen around the new floor plan.
New white shaker-style cabinetry gives the kitchen a brighter appearance while providing considerably more usable storage. Upper and lower cabinets were installed throughout, along with additional cabinetry that takes advantage of the new open layout.
To make the space flow better, the homeowners also had our team move the pantry from one corner to the other. We expanded it, giving them more storage space.
The new counters feature white quartz with different shades of grey veining, adding a strong visual appeal to the kitchen.
We also installed a large new peninsula with an undermount stainless-steel sink. Plumbing was reworked as part of the remodel to accommodate the new kitchen layout.
The peninsula also creates a natural transition between the kitchen and the rest of the main living space, with space for counter seating, eating, and socializing.
Plumbing, Electrical, Lighting, and Finish Work
Opening the walls gave Stak access to update and reroute the electrical and plumbing required for the new layout.
New electrical boxes and wiring were set up, while recessed ceiling lighting helped brighten the newly opened space. After the structural work was complete, the ceilings and walls were repaired and finished so the former wall location blended naturally into the surrounding rooms.
Stak also completed the painting, baseboards, trim, and other finish work throughout the remodeled areas.
New Flooring Creates One Continuous Space
A major part of making the new floor plan feel cohesive was carrying new luxury vinyl plank flooring through the kitchen and nearby areas.
The continuous flooring helps the remodeled areas flow together, reinforcing the open layout and making the main level feel larger and more connected.
The Finished Open-Concept Remodel
The finished project looks and functions very differently from the home the owners had purchased just a few months earlier.
What was once a divided kitchen and living area is now an open, bright main living space with long sightlines, a completely updated kitchen, more storage, new flooring, modern lighting, and finishes that flow naturally from one part of the home to the other rooms.
More importantly, the transformation wasn't done by simply making cosmetic updates. Structural, plumbing, electrical, framing, drywall, flooring, cabinetry, and finish work all had to come together to make the new layout possible.