Historic Highland Kitchen
Some kitchens just need a refresh. This one needed to be re-imagined. Tucked inside a historic Waterloo home with decades of character, the kitchen was the one space that hadn't kept pace with the rest of the house. The layout worked against the people using it, storage was an afterthought, and nothing about it reflected the craftsmanship visible in every other room. The goal wasn't to modernize. It was to finally make the kitchen feel like it had always belonged.
Key Features
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Two-toned custom cabinetry.
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Reconfiguration to allow for a dishwasher.
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Custom pointed headers matching existing home.
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Historically compliant window replacement.
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New flooring, countertops, fixtures and paint.
Timeline
4 weeks
Location
Waterloo, Iowa
Investment Range
$60,000-$75,000
The Family
A homeowners in Waterloo, Iowa, lived in a home with real character and history, the kind of house that tells a story the moment you walk in. The kitchen, though, wasn't keeping up with the rest of it.
The Challenge
The kitchen had been fighting them for years. The footprint was small, and the layout made it smaller. The stove sat isolated with no counter space on either side, turning even basic meal prep into a frustration. Storage was scarce. There was no dishwasher. Every day in that kitchen was a reminder of what the space wasn't doing for them.
The deeper issue wasn't just inconvenience. They loved their historic home and wanted to love every room in it. The kitchen was the one place that let the whole house down.
Working Together
The relationship started not with a sales pitch, but with a conversation at a trade show. It was easy and genuine, the kind of exchange that makes you think, these are people I could work with. A follow-up visit to the home confirmed it. Walking the space together, listening carefully to what they wanted, the team understood immediately what was at stake. This wasn't just a remodel, but about honoring a home that deserved better.
Two things mattered most to the clients: the kitchen had to function and it had to feel like it had always been there.
The Plan
Design came first, and it took several iterations. The team worked closely with the clients throughout, tracking every decision against the budget so there were no surprises. A visit to the cabinetry showroom brought the vision into focus. The clients had come in with inspiration images of a two-toned kitchen, and seeing real options in person made the path forward feel clear and exciting rather than uncertain.
Before construction could begin in earnest, the team coordinated with a certified abatement company to safely remove the existing asbestos flooring. It was an important step handled with care, and it cleared the way for everything that followed.
No remodel goes exactly as drawn. When layout challenges came up mid-project, the team paused, thought through the options carefully, and brought the clients into the conversation before moving forward. It's a simple approach, but it's rare — and it's what turns a stressful process into a partnership.
The Transformation
The kitchen that exists now barely resembles what was there before, and yet it feels completely at home. Cabinet organizers put everything within reach. The dishwasher, finally, handles what it should. The appliances are placed where they make sense, creating a flow that actually works. The two-toned cabinetry draws the eye without shouting. The re-plastered ceiling is clean and period-appropriate. The new window meets the neighborhood's historical standards while letting more light in.
And then there are the headers. Throughout the rest of the home, every door and window is crowned with a distinctive pointed header — a detail that gives the house its personality. Replicating that custom profile in the kitchen's doorways and new window wasn't a simple task, but it was a necessary one. The result is a kitchen that doesn't just respect the house. It belongs to it.
Customer Experience
"We are so pleased with our kitchen remodel. After a complete renovation, our old, tired kitchen is fresh and cozy. Plus updates that were needed make a big difference in functionality.
Working with Brandon, Megan and their team was easy. From start to finish they had great ideas and listened to our requests. It's great to work with great people!"
