Kitchen Remodeling in The Highlands, Louisville

The Highlands homeowners trust us for design-build kitchen renovations across Highlands Craftsmans, Shotgun Expansions & Suburban Colonials. Full projects typically range from $35,000 – $60,000 to $100,000 – $165,000+.

About The Highlands

The Highlands is the cultural center of Louisville's east-of-downtown living: Bardstown Road and Baxter Avenue anchor a corridor of independent restaurants, bookstores and bars, while side streets fan out into some of the city's most architecturally diverse housing. The area is a collection of smaller pockets, including Cherokee Triangle, the Original Highlands, Tyler Park and Deer Park, each with slightly different building eras and lot patterns. Streetcar-era development and the opening of Cherokee Park helped drive growth between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Housing here ranges from grand Victorian, Queen Anne and Romanesque homes in Cherokee Triangle to Craftsman bungalows, American Foursquares, Tudor Revival cottages and shotgun houses in the surrounding blocks. Porches, brick sidewalks, mature street trees and deep rear yards are common. Cherokee Triangle and the Original Highlands are local preservation districts, so exterior changes are typically reviewed by the Louisville Metro Landmarks Commission, while ordinary interior kitchen work is generally not.

Kitchens in these homes were typically small, service-oriented rooms at the back of the house, often behind a formal dining room and sometimes tied to a former back stair, pantry or enclosed porch. Many have been remodeled one or more times, leaving layers of plumbing and wiring behind plaster-and-lath walls. Lots are often narrow and deep, which shapes how an addition or a relocated window can be handled, and brick exteriors make ventilation penetrations a design decision rather than an afterthought.

Kitchen Remodeling Challenges in The Highlands

• Plaster-and-lath walls and ceilings make demolition dusty and can complicate running new wiring, ductwork and recessed lighting.
• Pre-1978 paint is common, so lead-safe work practices apply to most paid renovation projects in older Highlands homes.
• Knob-and-tube remnants, early cloth-sheathed wiring and undersized electrical service often need to be addressed when appliance loads increase.
• Brick exterior walls and tight rooflines make routing a high-output range hood to the outside a planning exercise, particularly where street-facing walls are within a preservation district.
• Original kitchens are small and separated from dining areas by walls that may be load-bearing, so opening the space requires engineering and often a permit.

Remodel Ideas That Suit The Highlands Homes

Open the kitchen to the dining room with an engineered beam, and use a peninsula or compact island to restore counter space without crowding the circulation path.

Replace a closed rear kitchen with full-height inset or Shaker cabinetry that echoes the era of the house, adding a butler pantry or coffee station where a former pantry or back stair existed.

Reclaim an enclosed rear porch or narrow side space for a breakfast nook or mudroom, taking care that exterior changes are reviewed if the house sits in a local district.

Pair quartz countertops and a farmhouse sink with period-appropriate tile and lighting so a modern kitchen still feels at home in a Craftsman or Victorian interior.

Services in The Highlands

• Bespoke Cabinetry & Butler Pantries — Shaker, modern slab, and craftsman cabinet lines built for durability.
• Structural Load-Bearing Removal — Licensed residential beam design to merge living spaces into expansive kitchens.
• Quartz Countertops & Farmhouse Sinks — Durable composite quartz, undermount sink fabrication, and designer faucets.
• Master Bathroom Overhauls — Tile shower conversions, custom vanities, and luxury soaking tub installs.

Nearby Areas

• St. Matthews
• Prospect
• Crescent Hill
• Anchorage
• Middletown