The new owner of a Kirkwood, MO condominium, built in 2002, needed to make some changes. The floors were noticeably uneven, the builder-grade windows were drafty, and the unused hot tub in the master bathroom needed to go.
Correcting these issues triggered her call to St. Louis remodeling firm Mosby Building Arts. As she worked with a Mosby consultant and design team, she decided to make additional changes so the place would really feel like home, and better reflect her open and vibrant personality.
The main public area of the condo is, essentially, one open space. But the space felt awkward because of 4 non-structural columns bordering the dining area (shown above). The home office off of the living room felt isolated. And even though there were French doors leading to a patio, the place felt dark.
As seen above, by removing the visual barriers around the dining area, enlarging and angling the office entrance and improving both the electric and natural light, the space looks and feels more open and modern.
Now when you enter the condo, the eye takes in all the details of a lively space, compelling you to come in.
All of the floors in the condo were taken down to the subfloor and made level before installing engineered hardwood in natural Maple in the main area and hallway, ceramic tile in the laundry room and bathrooms, and new carpet in the bedrooms.
The original kitchen (above) did not jive the owner’s personal style, and the bar-height side of the island felt like a barrier, and was seldom used.
The sleek new kitchen above, has a new island whose tallest side is even with the countertops (and holds an electric range with retractable vent fan), and with a more comfortable dining-height bar on the other side.
The new flat-front cabinets are the Brookhaven model from Wood-Mode, in a Latte finish, that provide a calm background for stainless steel appliances and cabinet hardware, and light Cambria quartz countertops.
The short wall of cabinets in the middle of the photo above was always awkward for storage, so for the new kitchen that barrier was removed.
Mosby carpenters built a wider wall so a refrigerator with storage above would fit. The other side of this new wall has a shallow curve that quietly and gracefully guides one into the heart of the home.
A unique feature of the kitchen backsplash is frosted glass subway tiles laid vertically from the counter to the underside of the wall cabinets. This makes for less grout lines which is a calmer feel. The multi-shades of green glass mosaic tile behind the sink is also on the vertical, making it feel like a gentle rain fall.
One of the reasons the living area felt dark was because the natural light coming into the office stayed only in the office, shown above.
As shown above, Mosby enlarged the opening, placed it on an angle and topped it with a transom window. This new angle lets natural light from the office window spill into the living room, which has made a huge difference. Plus, as the owners sits at her desk, she has an expansive view of the rest of the home which creates a sense of ease.
Other touches that add to the energy of the updated condo is new paint in Sherwin-Williams Balanced Beige or Antiguan Sky, a Minka metal ceiling fan, Otto pendant lights above the kitchen island and ceiling can lights on dimmers throughout the entire space.
This condo update project also includes (and can be seen here) new Beechworth replacement windows in every room of the house, updated paint colors and flooring, and a complete remodel of the master bathroom (we got rid of that hot tub!). So from the front door to the back bedroom, it looks and feels like a brand new home that’s just as outgoing and gracious as the woman who lives there.
For help updating your Metro St. Louis home, call the Mosby Building Arts office at 314.909.1800 or contact them here.