Before & After: Remodeling a Crestwood Ranch Home

With the kids off to college, a couple wanted to make their 1960s ranch home in Crestwood, MO more inviting, and have amenities they’d always longed for. On their list of desires: a large master bathroom; designing a new kitchen with a breakfast nook and fireplace; bringing the laundry up from the basement; a covered and enlarged patio for outdoor entertaining.

Because they love their community, they plan to stay in the home for a lifetime, so why not transform a home that has served them well into the home they always wanted?

After contemplating what the couple wished to achieve with their remodel, the Mosby solution was an addition to the rear of their home. As shown in the before and after floorplans above, a 28 x 15-foot vinyl-clad addition created the space needed to add a dining area and an enlarged master bathroom that includes a laundry room. The rest of the design was reconfiguring the existing spaces to flow seamlessly into the bump out.

Shown above is how the living room looked when entering the front door. To the right, you can see the original dining room.

By removing an L-shaped section of wall and constructing a “cube” (shown above) that does double-duty for the living room and the kitchen, an open floor plan is in play. As soon as you walk into the home, the eye travels throughout an airy space and is instinctually drawn to the inviting rooms deeper in the home. Another plus is that those in the living room do not feel separated from conversation and activities in the kitchen and dining area.

The original dining room (above left) was a cozy space adjacent to a small kitchen (above right).

The space that was once the kitchen and dining room is now a generous-sized kitchen that melds beautifully into the room addition that now has plenty of room for the dining table (that can now permanently keep its leaf in place!), plus a comfortable seating area centered around a wood burning stove in the corner.

Mosby’s kitchen remodeling ideas for this space include white kitchen cabinets from Showplace Cabinetry, with Cambria quartz countertops in Bellingham. All existing wood floors were refinished to match the new wood installed in the addition. Learn more about St. Louis Kitchen Remodeling with Mosby.

To add to the merriment of entertaining, there’s even a bar height eating area (above), overlooking the kitchen, and – again – you have comforting views of the rest of the home and outside. No matter where you go in the house, you are part of the action.  Also of note is this useful kitchen remodeling idea: solar tubes in the ceiling of the kitchen and dining areas provide natural light that gives everyone a sense of ease, even on the cloudiest of days.

You can see more detailed shots of their kitchen remodel here.

Here we take a closer look at the seating nook. Two over-stuffed armchairs face a Natural Essence wood burning stove, which is accented by cultured stone walls and a ceramic tile ground. The lady of the house loves to sit here for quiet time in the morning, drinking coffee and gazing out into the backyard, which is now easier to access with a wide set of sliding glass doors out to the covered patio (more on that in a second!).

Elsewhere in the home, the original hall bathroom (not shown) received a full bathroom makeover to be as modern and inviting as the new public areas. And then we come to the master bathroom.

As shown above top, the original master bath was very much of its era, and oh-so tiny. A Mosby rendering (above, bottom) depicts a cut-away of how we use a portion of the rear room addition to elongate the master bathroom. The cabinet and vanity portion are within the footprint of the original bathroom. The shower, toilet and laundry room (which can be closed off with a sliding door) stretch into the area of new construction. Learn more about St. Louis Bathroom Remodeling with Mosby.

In this view of the master bathroom remodel (above) we are in the shower/toilet portion of the suite; the laundry room is behind us and we look forward to the vanity space. The glass wall walk-in shower with bench seating features Hansgrohe Raindance plumbing fixtures and a tan ceramic tile surround with glass mosaic tile accents.

With the rear of their home unfolding in a most gracious manner, the logical end point would be a similarly inviting outdoor entertaining area. The photo above shows their original patio area, covered with a simple shed roof.

And here’s how the Mosby crew transformed their backyard into an outdoor destination. The patio was greatly enlarged to encompass the width of the room addition. Now there is room for seating around a fire pit, or under the roofed portico with wood columns on a brick base, that matches the home’s existing brick siding. The backyard view from inside the house is just as engaging as being out in it! Learn more about Outdoor Living remodeling projects with Mosby Building Arts.

This Crestwood, MO ranch home remodeling project was a big investment for the couple, and there was an important conversation between the homeowners and their Mosby design team about the cost of the improvements vs. the sales prices of the surrounding homes. Because they are committed to staying in their home for a lifetime, this remodel is a long-term investment in living their ideal life. They will have decades of enjoyment and leave behind a quality home that benefits the future value of the neighborhood they love.

Here is why the homeowners went with the Mosby Building Arts team to bring their desires to life. If you’re ready to transform your St. Louis home, call the Mosby office at 314.909.1800 or contact them here.