Project Objective

When they first considered relocating to their Macalester-Groveland neighborhood home, our St. Paul clients appreciated that the American Foursquare had a full second level instead of the typical 1.5 stories, lots of windows, and a basement with plenty of potential. The previous kitchen update from the 1970s wasn’t perfect, but this design-forward family appreciated the idea of taking on a few projects to make the home feel more like their own. After a few years of managing other home updates, it was finally time to completely rethink the kitchen.

A successful remodel for these St. Paul homeowners meant reorganizing the kitchen to maximize storage, incorporating a better view of the backyard, fixing major temperature swings and freezing pipes, and providing space for the whole family to enjoy the room together. Though neither owner dared to get their hopes up, they also dreamed of finally getting a bathroom on the main level.

Project Details

Project Type: St. Paul Kitchen Remodel with an added Bath
Style of Home: American Foursquare
Year Built: 1918

Managing Priorities and the Upkeep on a 1918 Home

It’s not surprising that a property from 1918, lovey as it is, would need good stewards, people who want to invest in the home’s continued upkeep and push it right back into the 21st century. With a history in high-end design, these owners were the perfect match. Though like all homeowners, they had to consider what projects to tackle first.

While the kitchen wasn’t perfect, the couple decided to design and manage their own basement remodel not long after purchasing the home. The project looked great and the design fit them perfectly, but the time investment to manage both the design and build side of the project was immense, on top of all the other demands for their time.

Unfortunately, worsening issues with freezing pipes and drastically undersized storage upstairs established a clear need to start planning their kitchen remodel.

The kitchen just wasn’t working well anymore, but what were the issues?

Temperature Issues

The poorly insulated kitchen made spending time in that space uncomfortable for everyone. To make matters worse, the homeowners had to incorporate irksome rituals into their daily routine to prevent bursting pipes, like keeping various cabinet doors open, running water continuously, and using inefficient space heaters.

Spatial Issues

With nearly half of the kitchen reserved for a dine-in table and peninsula, the available space for critical kitchen functions like storage, cooking, and appliance usage was limited. The one-person kitchen couldn’t sustain the family of four all spending time together just as it couldn’t afford the space for a full size dishwasher.  Then, there was the storage issue. Various kitchen facelifts over the years had left most of the cabinets with very little available storage, to the point where the basement became the family’s de facto pantry.

Ceiling Height Issues

And, curiously, the kitchen had a dropped ceiling. Our clients were looking to understand not only why but also if there was some way to adjust for a better, more spacious feeling room.

It was time to call a remodeling pro for a major kitchen redesign.

With small kids and professional demands to prioritize, the thought of taking on the added stress of managing a kitchen renovation not long after the basement project was less than appealing. That’s when the couple decided to look for a remodeling partner, someone who could facilitate their nuanced design ideas into a plan that would work in the 100+ year-old home. They were looking for designers and construction professionals who were knowledgeable about older homes like theirs and who felt comfortable navigating zoning and building codes, and who could manage the job from project start to project closeout.

Next up, design.

In our next blog, we’ll uncover more of the plans to remodel the kitchen in this St. Paul Foursquare and the amazing perks of working with design-minded clients! Check back in to see the final design.