Kitchens
Kitchen remodeling in Louisville, KY
Custom kitchens designed around how you cook, gather and entertain, and built by the same team that drew them.
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- Design-buildOne firm, one contract
- East EndTen communities
- Major projectsKitchens to whole homes
Design-build kitchens
The room that has to do everything
A kitchen is the hardest-working room in a house: it's where breakfast happens in a hurry, homework spreads across the island and every party ends up. It's also the most technical room to remodel, with plumbing, gas, ventilation, electrical circuits, structure and a dozen trades all meeting in one space.
Keystone designs and builds kitchens as a single team. We start with how you use the room, draw a layout that fixes what isn't working, price it as we design, and build it with one project manager running every trade. Many of our kitchen projects in Louisville's East End involve opening a wall to the dining or family room, which is exactly where design-build earns its keep.
What we build
Everything a great kitchen needs
Most of our kitchen projects combine several of these. We design them together so the room works as one.
Layout redesign
Rework the plan for better work zones, clear walkways, and room for two cooks. We move plumbing and gas where the design needs it.
Opening walls
Remove or open walls to dining and family rooms, with engineered beams sized for the span, flush where possible.
Custom & semi-custom cabinetry
Full-height storage, appliance garages, pantry pull-outs, paneled refrigerators and furniture-style islands.
Islands & seating
Islands sized for prep and seating, with prep sinks, beverage drawers, microwave drawers or a second dishwasher.
Stone & quartz counters
Natural quartzite, marble and granite, or engineered quartz, with mitered edges and full-height backsplashes.
Lighting & electrical
Layered recessed, pendant and under-cabinet lighting, new circuits for modern appliances and panel upgrades when needed.
Ventilation
Properly ducted range hoods sized for professional-style ranges, with make-up air planned in from the start.
Pantries & mudrooms
Walk-in and butler's pantries, coffee bars and drop zones that connect the kitchen to the garage or back door.
Flooring & finishes
Site-finished hardwood matched to the rest of the house, large-format tile and coordinated trim and doors.
Signature looks
Three kitchens we love to build
Classic white, done properly
Painted inset cabinetry, honed marble or quartzite, unlacquered brass and a plaster or tile hood. It suits Crescent Hill foursquares and St. Matthews Tudors because it looks like it could always have been there.
Warm modern
Flat-panel or slab doors in rift oak or a soft gray, integrated pulls, a long island with a waterfall end and glass pendants. A natural fit for the open plans in Lake Forest and Hunting Creek.
The cook's kitchen
A 48-inch range under a fully ducted hood, a second sink at the island, a scullery or butler's pantry to hide the mess, and durable stone that takes heat and wine.
Inspiration
Kitchens built to be lived in
Photography shown is representative of the finish level we build. Keystone project photos are being added.
Louisville homes
Every era of house brings its own kitchen problem
The age of your home shapes what a kitchen remodel involves. Here's what we usually find across the East End.
1900s–1930s homes
In Crescent Hill and the older parts of St. Matthews, kitchens were small service rooms at the back of the house. Remodels often mean borrowing space from a pantry or porch, replacing old wiring and drain lines, and matching original trim so the new kitchen belongs to the house.
1940s–1960s Capes & ranches
St. Matthews, Lyndon and Jeffersontown are full of postwar homes with closed galley kitchens. Opening the wall to the dining room is the most-requested change, and it usually means a load-bearing wall, a new beam and rerouted ducts.
1970s–2000s homes
In Hurstbourne, Lake Forest, Hunting Creek and Anchorage's newer sections the kitchens are larger but dated: soffits, small islands, builder-grade cabinets and formal rooms nobody uses. We rework the plan, enlarge the island and often fold in the old breakfast nook or formal dining room.
Design decisions
Decisions that make or break a kitchen
- The work triangle is only a start. We plan zones for prep, cooking, cleanup, coffee and baking, and keep through-traffic out of the cook's way.
- Island proportions. We plan at least 42 inches of clearance around an island (48 for two cooks) and size seating at roughly 24 inches per stool.
- Storage you'll use. Deep drawers instead of base-cabinet shelves, tall pantry pull-outs, and a home for small appliances off the counter.
- Stone selection. Quartzite and marble vary slab to slab; we help you pick slabs in person and plan seams before fabrication.
- Ventilation. A hood that matches the range's output and is ducted outside, not recirculated, with make-up air where code requires.
- Lighting in layers. Task lighting under cabinets, ambient recessed light, and pendants scaled to the island, all on separate dimmers.
Planning your budget
What shapes the investment
- Layout changes. Keeping plumbing, gas and walls where they are costs far less than moving them. Opening a load-bearing wall adds engineering, a beam and duct work.
- Cabinet line. Stock, semi-custom and fully custom cabinetry differ widely in price, lead time and finish. Inset doors and paneled appliances sit at the top.
- Stone. Engineered quartz is predictable. Natural quartzite and marble vary slab to slab and add fabrication time for mitered edges and full-height splashes.
- Appliances. A pro-style range often needs a bigger hood, make-up air and a new gas line, so the choice ripples through the rest of the job.
- What's behind the walls. Older East End homes often need new wiring, drains or subfloor once the old kitchen comes out. We open up early so these are priced before construction.
We don't publish prices because every house is different. You get a fixed price at the end of design, before construction starts. Read the cost guide
Typical timeline
How long a kitchen remodel takes
Typical ranges for our projects in the East End. Your actual schedule is set in your contract once the design is final.
- 4–8 weeks
Design & pricing
Measured drawings, layout, selections and a fixed price.
- 6–12 weeks
Ordering
Cabinet and appliance lead times; permits are pulled in parallel.
- 8–12 weeks
Construction
Demolition, rough-ins, inspections, drywall, cabinets, stone templating.
- 1–2 weeks
Finish & walkthrough
Stone install, backsplash, fixtures, punch list.
Permits & approvals
Most kitchen remodels need permits
Replacing cabinets and countertops alone is finish work, but most of our kitchens move plumbing, add circuits or take out walls, and those need permits. In most of the East End, Louisville Metro issues the building, electrical and mechanical permits, while plumbing permits come from the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction. Jeffersontown handles its own building permits, and cities such as St. Matthews and Prospect have their own approvals. We pull the permits and schedule every inspection.
The Keystone process
Six phases, no surprises
Each phase closes with your approval before the next begins, so the schedule, budget and selections are settled before construction starts.
Consultation
A walk through your home to understand how you live, what isn't working and what you want to change.
Design
Measured drawings and renderings, refined with you until the plan, the budget and the details agree.
Selections
Cabinetry, stone, tile, plumbing fixtures and lighting chosen with our designer, before anything is ordered.
Pre-construction
Permits, approvals, ordering and a firm schedule, all settled before the first wall comes down.
Construction
A dedicated project manager, protected floors and a clean, orderly site at the end of every day.
Walkthrough
A final review together, every punch-list item closed, and a home that's ready to live in.
Where we work
Across Louisville's East End
Kitchen projects look different in a 1910 Crescent Hill foursquare and a 1990s Lake Forest two-story. Here's what we see most in each community.
Louisville, KY 40207St. MatthewsOpening postwar Cape Cod and ranch kitchens to the dining room
Louisville, KY 40206Crescent HillCraftsman-era kitchens rebuilt with new wiring, plumbing and matched trim
Louisville, KY 40207Indian HillsEstate-home kitchens with stone, paneled appliances and butler's pantries
Louisville, KY 40222Lyndon1950s ranch galleys opened into family kitchens with islands
Louisville, KY 40222Hurstbourne1970s–80s kitchens with soffits removed and islands enlarged
Louisville, KY 40223AnchoragePeriod-sensitive kitchens in historic homes and updates to 1980s customs
Louisville, KY 40243MiddletownKitchen updates in historic Main Street homes and 1990s subdivisions
Louisville, KY 40299JeffersontownRanch and split-level kitchens opened up, with permits through J-Town
Louisville, KY 40245Lake Forest1990s kitchens reworked with larger islands and walk-in pantries
Prospect · 40059Hunting CreekLarge-home kitchens in Prospect connected to family rooms and patios
5.0 from 17 Google reviews
★★★★★
“They treated our home as if it were their own. The kitchen is the room everyone ends up in now, and the craftsmanship shows in every joint.”Kitchen remodel, St. Matthews Sample text Read our Google reviews
Questions
Kitchen remodeling questions
How long does a kitchen remodel take?
It depends on scope. Design and selections come first, and long-lead items like custom cabinetry are ordered before demolition so construction isn't waiting on deliveries. We give you a schedule with real dates during pre-construction, before work starts.
Can you remove the wall between my kitchen and dining room?
Usually, yes. Many East End homes have a load-bearing wall there. We confirm what the wall carries, size a beam (often flush with the ceiling), and reroute any ducts, plumbing or wiring inside it. It's one of the most common changes we make.
Can we live at home during a kitchen remodel?
Most families do. We seal the work area with dust barriers, protect floors along the path in and out, and can help you set up a temporary kitchen with a refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker in another room.
Do you do cabinet painting or refacing?
No. We focus on full kitchen remodels where layout, cabinetry, counters, lighting and finishes are designed together. That focus is what lets us give each project a dedicated designer and project manager.
How much does a kitchen remodel cost in Louisville?
It depends on whether walls and plumbing move, the condition of the house and the cabinetry and stone you choose. We price your kitchen from its actual design rather than a per-square-foot guess. Our cost guide explains what drives the number.
Do I need a permit for a kitchen remodel?
If the project moves plumbing, adds electrical circuits, changes ductwork or removes walls, yes. Plumbing permits come from the state; building and electrical permits usually come from Louisville Metro or your small city. We handle all of it. See our permits guide.
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