Top kitchen ideas, design for a remodel, layout

Homeowners are personalizing their kitchens with features like large islands, custom pantries, and stacked ovens.
Design trends include mixing modern and traditional elements, such as wood cabinetry and unique plate racks.
Historic homes are being updated to blend classic charm with modern functionality and luxury finishes.

National Kitchen & Bath Month has been observed every October since 1982. Created by the National Kitchen & Bath Association, it serves as a time to highlight these rooms and encourage homeowners to consider remodeling projects before the holidays.

As this national observance comes to a close, we’re taking a look back on a few of our favorite kitchens that have been featured in Home of the Week. From stacked ovens and expansive islands to one-of-a-kind pantries, the hearts of these homes are sure to inspire culinary creativity.

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Upsized and upgraded

For Caleb and Emily Vogelsang, their children — then four and five years old — were the primary motivation for moving into a larger home.

“We were growing as a family,” Emily said. “We wanted something bigger to accommodate us and the kids as they grew up.”

She and Caleb found a home in Old Brownsboro Place that offered enough space, but they knew a remodel was necessary to make it work for their needs.

“The layout and the flow really didn’t work for us and how we used our kitchen,” Emily said, explaining that their remodel with Bailey Design Build began with reconfiguring just the heart of the home.

She added that the original space had a small pantry and an L-shaped island that didn’t allow for the ideal seating configuration. She and Caleb knew from experience that family and friends would gather around the space during get-togethers. So, they opted for a large, rectangular island that comfortably seats five and features a built-in sink.

Building the island was simple enough, but creating the arched pantry door presented more of a challenge than Emily anticipated. It would have been more cost-effective to incorporate a typical rectangular-shaped door, but she pushed for it as a design detail.

“I’m glad that I did,” she exclaimed. “I love that door.”

Wood cabinetry is another look that Emily is fond of, and it is seen throughout the kitchen and bar. The wooden plate rack was another one of Emily’s ideas; the functional, built-in part of the cabinetry looks like a unique furniture piece all on its own.

“It’s something that I had (on Pinterest) for a long time,” she said. “It kind of feels like old European.”

Culinary comfort

Dave and Debbie Weinstein moved around the country a dozen times throughout Dave’s 40-year automanufacturing career. But after decades of bouncing around the continental U.S., Debbie, a Kentucky native, decided she wanted to retire at home.

“We (were still living) in Nashville when we built this house,” Debbie said of their four-bedroom Sanctuary Bluff home. “We were building it from afar, and we would come here every couple of weeks.”

“This is a culmination of all eight previous houses,” Dave added. “This is all our wishes, all put together.”

Debbie loves cooking, so her wish list included a large, well-equipped kitchen.

“She’s a gourmet cook,” Dave boasted. “This is the best restaurant in Louisville!”

Whether Debbie is whipping up brisket or manicotti, she now has the ideal space for it, the kind of kitchen she has always wanted.

“I have a lot of dishware — a lot of serving pieces,” she explained. “In my (previous) houses, they’d be upstairs in a closet; they’d be all over the place. Finally, I can fit everything in here. I also wanted double ovens.”

The side-opening ovens are stacked and conveniently placed so Debbie can easily slide pans in and out, to and from the 5-foot by 10-foot quartz island.

Classic charm

Jessica Kain Barton and her husband, Fred, moved from San Francisco to the Highlands about three years ago.

“We’re both originally from Kentucky, so it’s kind of a homecoming,” Jessica said.

She adds that the second she set foot into their five-bedroom, Georgian abode, she knew it was going to be their new home.

“It was just a feeling I got,” she said. “I loved it, and there was so much charm.”

Though the historic home was maintained impeccably, it needed an update. With the help of Chip North, an architectural designer and owner of the full-service residential architectural design firm Northdwell, Jessica refreshed the space while keeping all of its classic elegance.

A hidden hall door leads to the butler’s pantry, which is decked out in Gracie paper. The iconic, hand‑painted wallpaper has been a hallmark of luxury and craftsmanship for over a century.

“I knew I wanted Gracie paper,” Jessica exclaimed. “That’s something I’ve been saving up for since we sold our house in California, because I knew when I closed (the door), I wanted it to completely disappear on both sides.”

The custom Gracie paper blends seamlessly from the door to the walls, complemented by pale sage cabinetry and anchored by handcrafted oak floors. A barreled case opening connects the butler’s pantry to the kitchen.

With its French Cornue range, custom ivory cabinetry, honed marble countertops, and floor-to-ceiling handmade subway tiles, it’s a luxe space with everything Fred needs to whip up a delicious dinner — but it feels like a cozy spot that any guest would happily pull up a chair to get comfortable.

“Jess and I are such anglophiles,” North said, “(and) when you see British kitchens, they still feel like rooms — so we just wanted to embrace some of that old worldness.”

Know a house that would make a great Home of the Week? Email writer Lennie Omalza at [email protected] or Lifestyle Editor Kathryn Gregory at [email protected].

nuts & bolts: Upsized and upgraded

Owners: Emily and Caleb Vogelsang. Emily is a strategy advisor at Humana and Caleb is a financial advisor at Edward Jones.

Home: This is a four-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath, 3,025-square-foot, traditional home in Old Brownsboro Place. It was built in 1987.

Distinctive elements: Newly renovated first floor with arched doorways to the mudroom and pantry; wet bar between the kitchen and living room; sunroom converted into a year-round space with views of the pool and backyard; farmhouse sink, custom cabinetry, and unique plate rack in the kitchen; combination of modern and traditional furniture/décor; art pieces from family and homeowners’ travels.

Applause! Applause! Bailey Design + Build, M&H Custom Cabinets, Century Entertainment and Furnishing

nuts & bolts: Culinary comfort

Owners: Dave and Debbie Weinstein. Dave is retired from a 40-year career in auto manufacturing, and Debbie is retired from the retail shoe business.

Home: This is a 4-bed, 4-bath, 4,200-square foot, traditional-style home that was built in 2019 in the Sanctuary Bluffs subdivision.

Distinctive elements: Lot specifically selected to watch sunsets from the patio and cigar room; main living space on first floor; second floor built for guests, complete with media room and private baths in each bedroom; foyer with 19-foot ceiling and lighted niche wall for art glass collection; gourmet kitchen built for entertaining with quartz countertops & 5-foot-by-10-foot island; butler’s pantry and large kitchen pantry; hobby room; power-ventilated cigar room; patio with powered awning; master bath has a bubbler, heated floor, and steam room; laundry built adjacent to master closet; large garage with shop; SmartHome with a security system, doors, HVAC, doorbell, and lighting controlled by phone apps.

Applause! Applause! Tom Waller, registered builder and owner of Tom Waller Signature Homes; Karista Hannah, interior designer and owner of Set The Stage Interior Design & Décor; Scott Doan Design-Drafting; Gonzalez Brothers Framing; Louisville Spray Foam Insulation; The Door Store & Windows; Scott Riggles Carpentry; Adams Plumbing; Winnelson Plumbing Supply; Elder Heating & Cooling; Corrigan Electric; Brechers Lighting; Louisville Tile; Snipp Tile Design; Century Entertainment & Furnishings for the appliances, cabinetry, furniture, and SmartHome system; Eleet Stone Countertops; Phil Osbourne Concrete; AG Glass & Mirror; Carpet Specialists; Draped in Style; Louisville Blinds & Drapery; and Taylor Landscaping.

nuts & bolts: Classic charm

Owner: Jessica Kain Barton, who is an interior designer and the owner of J. Kathryn Interiors. Also in the home is her husband, Fred Barton, and their son, Duncan.

Home: This is a five-bedroom, three-and-a-half bathroom, 4,800-square-foot, Georgian home in the Highlands. It was built in 1922.

Distinctive elements: Antique Brazilian settee, antique oil Painting from antique dealer Andrew Gentile, brass sconces to complement original historical pediments and newly complete wall paneling, hidden jib door, and barreled arch in entry/foyer; floor-to-ceiling papier chinois by Gracie with antique crystal chandelier and Aubusson rug in dining room; conservatory with sage ticking stripe wallpaper and fabric and tole lantern to complement original marble black and white historic flooring; butler’s pantry with custom colored Gracie mural with pale sage cabinets, walnut countertops, and handmade basketweave oak floors by Ethan of Broadleaf; kitchen with custom ivory cabinetry, honed marble counters to complement original historic marble flooring, floor-to-ceiling handmade subway tiles, brass pendants, French Cornue range, and handmade wooden work table; powder room with hidden paneled door in entry’s barreled archway and punchy pink faux tufted wallcovering by Rose Cumming; living room with Bowood drapery and window treatments, lilac sofa, and custom upholstery details; upstairs study in Chocolate Brown and Lilac, with Maria Buatta-inspired drapery in Lilac Chintz; primary bedroom swathed in tone-on-tone stripe wallpaper with canopy valance and antique furnishing, leads to English countryside-inspired bath and Jessica’s upstairs office through newly configured dressing room and linen hall.

Applause! Applause! Architectural designer Chip North of Northdwell, who was the owner’s right hand; Ethan Abrudeanu of Broadleaf Hardwoods, who restored several original floors and created basketweave in the butler’s pantry; and David Mills, who dreamed up most of the window treatments throughout the house.

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