A Brookside Remodel: Personal Touches for a Family of Four
913-717-6325
913-717-6325
Every home has a story to tell. At Wineteer Construction, we believe the best home renovations celebrate that story while creating beautiful, functional spaces that reflect the people who live there. That philosophy was at the heart of this one-of-a-kind Brookside kitchen remodel in Kansas City, Missouri. Nestled in one of Kansas City’s most charming neighborhoods, this English Tudor-style home was already filled with architectural character, personality, and history. What it lacked was the functionality and space needed for a busy, growing family.
Our challenge? Transform an outdated, cramped kitchen into a welcoming, functional gathering space without sacrificing the home’s distinctive historic charm.
The result was a colorful, thoughtfully designed kitchen renovation featuring custom cabinetry, unique patterned tile, beautiful granite countertops, improved storage, and personal touches that made the space unmistakably theirs.
Brookside is known for its beautiful older homes, mature trees, and distinctive architectural styles. Many homes throughout this established Kansas City neighborhood feature traditional details, unique floor plans, and craftsmanship that homeowners want to preserve. However, historic homes often present challenges when it comes to modern living. Smaller kitchens, limited storage, closed-off layouts, and outdated finishes can make everyday activities more difficult.
This Brookside home was no exception.
During our initial walkthrough, our team immediately recognized its whimsical charm and began referring to it as the “Storybook Home.” The nickname became part of our early design conversations because we wanted the homeowners to know that preserving their home’s unique personality was just as important to us as improving its functionality.
They loved the existing character of their English Tudor home but needed a kitchen that better supported family life.
Their remodeling goals included:
Our design-build team worked to balance these priorities, creating a kitchen that feels both fresh and authentic to the home’s original character.
One of the biggest challenges in this historic Kansas City kitchen renovation was the original galley-style layout.
Although galley kitchens can be efficient, this particular space felt cramped and disconnected from the adjoining dining room. The family needed more room to move, prepare meals, store kitchen essentials, and spend time together. Our solution involved removing the wall separating the kitchen and dining room to create a more open, connected layout.
Remodeling older homes requires thoughtful planning, particularly when changing existing walls and layouts. In this kitchen, two exposed brick structures framed the original wall. Our team was able to remove one of the brick elements while preserving the other, which contained essential plumbing and ventilation components.
Rather than allowing these existing conditions to limit the design, we incorporated them into the overall remodeling plan. This approach allowed us to open up the kitchen while respecting the home’s existing systems and architectural character.
Removing a wall can sometimes mean sacrificing cabinetry and storage. However, thoughtful kitchen design can actually improve storage capacity while creating a more open floor plan. By reconfiguring the kitchen layout and incorporating new cabinetry, we created better storage solutions for pantry items, cookware, and everyday appliances. The finished kitchen offers improved functionality, more usable space, and a stronger connection to the adjoining dining area.
The result is a kitchen designed for modern family living without losing the charm that makes this Brookside home special.
One of the most memorable features of this Brookside kitchen remodel is its beautiful green cabinetry. The homeowners loved color, particularly warm yellows and reds, but wanted to avoid a design that would compete with the home’s English Tudor architecture. We selected a rich green cabinet finish matched to Sherwin-Williams Green Onyx (SW 9128).
The color adds depth, warmth, and personality while complementing the home’s traditional aesthetic.
Green kitchen cabinets are an excellent option for homeowners who want something beyond classic white or neutral cabinetry. Depending on the shade and surrounding materials, green can feel sophisticated, earthy, traditional, or contemporary. For this kitchen, the cabinetry became a beautiful foundation for the other colorful design elements.
Paired with creamy white backsplash tile, natural stone countertops, and distinctive decorative hardware, the green cabinets create a kitchen that feels collected, intentional, and timeless.
Countertops play a major role in bringing a kitchen’s overall design together.
For this project, we partnered with SCI Countertops, a Kansas City-area countertop fabricator, to incorporate Cotton White granite. The natural stone features creamy tones with subtle yellows, wine-colored reds, and purple accents. These colors were particularly meaningful because they helped connect the new kitchen design with the warm reds and yellows already present throughout the home. Rather than introducing a countertop that competed with the bold cabinetry, we selected a material that tied the room’s color palette together.
The granite adds natural movement and visual interest while complementing the home’s traditional character. Natural stone countertops can be an excellent choice for kitchen remodeling projects because they offer distinctive patterns, lasting beauty, and a unique appearance that cannot be exactly duplicated. For homeowners considering a kitchen remodel in Brookside or the Kansas City metro, coordinating countertop colors with cabinetry, flooring, and existing architectural details can help create a cohesive design.
While the green cabinets provide a bold foundation, the backsplash introduces a softer, more traditional element. We selected MSI Antique White subway tile featuring a subtle wave in its surface.
Unlike standard flat subway tile, this product offers gentle texture and dimension, creating a more elevated appearance while maintaining a classic look. The creamy white color complements the granite countertops and balances the deeper green cabinetry. We also extended the backsplash tile all the way to the ceiling.
This design detail creates visual continuity, draws the eye upward, and gives the kitchen a more finished, intentional appearance.
One of our favorite elements of this kitchen remodel was the decorative cabinet hardware selected by the homeowners. Rather than choosing traditional matching cabinet pulls, they sourced unique black-and-white, artist-made glass hardware. The mismatched pulls reflect the family’s appreciation for art and handcrafted pieces, making the cabinetry feel more personal.
These decorative details also coordinate beautifully with the kitchen’s apron-front farmhouse sink, matte black Moen faucet, and patterned flooring. It’s a great example of how small design decisions can make a major impact. A thoughtfully designed kitchen should reflect your personal style, not simply follow the latest remodeling trends.
If there’s one design element that truly captures the creative spirit of this Brookside kitchen renovation, it’s the floor. 
Our original design concept called for a checkerboard pattern throughout the entire kitchen. However, after reviewing the layout, the homeowners felt the full pattern might be too visually busy. We worked together to refine the design, ultimately incorporating the checkerboard pattern around the perimeter of the room. This adjustment allowed us to showcase the decorative tile without overwhelming the space. The finished floor provides a unique artistic element that complements the green cabinetry, granite countertops, and handcrafted hardware.
It also demonstrates an important part of our design-build remodeling process: great design evolves through collaboration. We encourage homeowners to share feedback throughout the design process so the finished space reflects both their functional needs and personal preferences.
Not every kitchen needs a continuous wall of upper cabinets. For this Brookside remodel, we incorporated floating shelves to introduce contrast and create opportunities for decorative displays. The shelving helps break up the visual weight of traditional cabinetry while providing accessible storage. It also gives the homeowners an opportunity to display plants, artwork, and meaningful pieces collected through their travels. When thoughtfully incorporated into a kitchen design, floating shelves can help a room feel more open and personalized.
Combined with the ceiling-height backsplash, these shelves contribute to the kitchen’s distinctive, layered appearance.
The kitchen wasn’t the only space that needed attention. Adjacent to the kitchen was an existing cabinetry area that had become worn and outdated. We saw an opportunity to transform this space into a dedicated coffee and beverage bar.
Creating a separate beverage station helps keep coffee preparation, drinks, and smaller appliances outside the main cooking area. For busy families, this can improve everyday kitchen organization and reduce congestion.
To visually distinguish the coffee bar from the main kitchen, we selected Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore (SW 7069) for the cabinetry. The deep charcoal finish introduces rich gray tones that complement the surrounding blue accents. We also incorporated glass-front upper cabinets inspired by the home’s existing decorative glasswork.
The homeowners wanted the new cabinetry to coordinate with the unique glass details found in their front door, so we carefully selected glass that complemented the home’s character. White cabinet interiors provide contrast and help brighten the display areas.
The homeowners also wanted a beverage refrigerator incorporated into the new coffee bar. We adjusted the cabinetry design to accommodate the appliance while maintaining useful storage. To keep the backsplash visually clean, we also planned for appliance cords by incorporating a countertop opening that allows cords to pass through discreetly. This small detail helps reduce visible clutter and maintain a polished appearance.
We continued the home’s artistic design theme by incorporating Daltile Quartetto tile into the coffee bar backsplash. This material connection helps the new space feel cohesive with the kitchen while allowing the coffee bar to have its own identity. We also preserved the beautiful existing window, which brings natural light into the area. Knowing the family’s love of plants, we intentionally included room for greenery near the window.
The finished coffee bar is both functional and personal, providing a dedicated space for everyday routines while celebrating the home’s unique architectural features.
Renovating an older home requires more than selecting beautiful materials. Homes throughout Brookside and other established Kansas City neighborhoods often feature unique construction methods, existing plumbing and ventilation systems, distinctive architectural details, and layouts that weren’t designed for today’s lifestyles.
A successful remodel requires careful planning to balance modern functionality with the character of the original home. At Wineteer, our design-build approach brings the planning, design, and construction process together. For projects like this Brookside kitchen remodel, that means considering how each design decision affects the home’s existing conditions, construction requirements, and overall aesthetic.
From reconfiguring the kitchen layout to selecting complementary materials and incorporating meaningful personal details, our goal is to create spaces that feel like a natural extension of the home.
This Brookside kitchen transformation was about much more than replacing outdated cabinetry and countertops. It was about creating a space that reflected the homeowners’ love of art, travel, family, color, and creativity. The newly opened kitchen offers improved flow and storage, while the green cabinetry, natural stone countertops, decorative tile, and artisan hardware bring warmth and personality to the space. The adjacent coffee bar adds everyday convenience and creates another opportunity to showcase the home’s distinctive character.
Most importantly, the renovation respects the architectural charm of this English Tudor home. The result is a kitchen that feels thoughtfully updated without losing the personality that made the homeowners fall in love with their house in the first place. Because the best home remodeling projects don’t erase a home’s story.
They help write its next chapter.
Absolutely. A thoughtfully planned kitchen remodel can preserve original architectural details while improving storage, functionality, and layout. Design choices such as traditional cabinetry styles, complementary colors, natural stone countertops, and carefully selected finishes can help modernize a historic home while respecting its original character.
Opening a kitchen to an adjoining room, reconfiguring cabinetry, improving storage, and incorporating open shelving can help a small galley kitchen feel more spacious. The best approach depends on the home’s existing layout, plumbing, ventilation, and structural conditions.
Yes! Green cabinetry can complement traditional architectural styles, including Tudor, Craftsman, and other historic home designs. Deep, muted greens pair particularly well with natural stone countertops, warm wood accents, and classic tile.
A dedicated coffee bar creates a convenient space for beverage preparation, small appliances, and additional storage. It can also help reduce traffic in the primary cooking area while adding a personalized feature to the home.
Yes! Wineteer Design Remodel | Kitchen & Bath provides custom kitchen remodeling and design-build services throughout the Kansas City metro, including Brookside and surrounding communities. Our team specializes in creating beautiful, functional spaces tailored to each homeowner’s lifestyle and the character of their home.
Whether you’re looking to open up a cramped kitchen, modernize an older home, improve storage, or create a completely custom design, our team is here to help. At Wineteer Design Remodel | Kitchen & Bath, we believe your home should reflect your lifestyle, your personality, and your story. From historic Brookside homes to modern kitchens throughout the Kansas City metro, we bring thoughtful design, craftsmanship, and personalized service to every remodeling project.
Let’s create a kitchen that tells your story.
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Nick McIntyre is the President and CEO of Wineteer Construction and has more than 30 years of experience designing and remodeling homes. He believes every successful project starts by understanding how people live, then creating spaces that combine lasting craftsmanship with practical, everyday function. With a background in fine arts and decades of hands-on remodeling experience, Nick has helped countless homeowners create kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and living spaces tailored to their families, lifestyle, and budget.