Skip to content
Kitchen NV logo
Narrow Old West Side bungalow kitchen in Ann Arbor with blue-gray cabinets and a rainy garden view

Washtenaw County · about 25 min (17 mi)

Kitchen Remodeling in Ann Arbor, MI

Century-old houses, historic districts and downtown condos, 25 minutes from our Pinckney studio.

  • ★ 5.0 on Google (28 reviews)
  • MI Residential Builder #2101209269
  • CMKBD · CAPS · CLIPP designer
  • Serving since 2020

Kitchen NV handles kitchen remodeling in Ann Arbor, MI from our design studio in Pinckney, about 25 minutes (17 miles) to the southeast. Ann Arbor is home to about 123,892 residents (2020 Census) and the University of Michigan, and its older neighborhoods, Burns Park and the Old West Side among them, hold century-old houses whose kitchens were never built for the way people cook now.

What makes Ann Arbor kitchens different is the combination of old walls, small rooms and high expectations. Owners here tend to want a designed kitchen, not a refreshed one, inside a footprint that cannot grow much.

Old West Side and Burns Park houses with 1910s kitchens

Ann Arbor's early-1900s houses were built with the kitchen at the back, a pantry beside it and a door to every room. Over a century, owners removed the pantry, added a dishwasher where a cabinet used to be and dropped a soffit to hide new ductwork. The result is a small room with too many openings and almost no continuous counter. Plaster walls bow, floors slope toward the old chimney, and electrical service may still be partly original.

Our approach is to measure precisely, open the plan only where it helps, and win back storage with full-height cabinets, drawers instead of doors and a pantry wall. Downtown and near-campus condos pose a tighter version of the same puzzle, plus association rules on work hours and plumbing moves.

Full-height pantry wall replacing a removed butler pantry in a century-old Ann Arbor house
A floor-to-ceiling pantry wall restores the storage an old butler pantry once held.

Kitchen remodeling in Ann Arbor, MI, from Burns Park to downtown condos

Bathroom DesignTight bathrooms in Burns Park and Old West Side houses leave little margin, so a drawn layout and tile plan settle clearances before anyone opens century-old plaster walls.Kitchen RemodelingKitchen remodeling in Ann Arbor's older neighborhoods usually means rethinking a closed-off room without adding square feet: closing one of four doorways, borrowing a few feet from a back hall and moving the refrigerator out of the traffic path.Kitchen DesignMany Ann Arbor owners already know a builder; kitchen design from a Certified Master Kitchen & Bath Designer gives that builder complete drawings, from cabinet elevations to the electrical plan, so the bids you collect all describe the same kitchen.Kitchen CabinetsFurniture-grade kitchen cabinets can be built to fit a 1910s room, chimney chases and all. Scribed panels and inset doors close the gaps that stock boxes leave against bowed plaster.Small Kitchen RemodelA small kitchen remodel suits Old West Side and Water Hill houses where a compact back kitchen has to hold a range, dishwasher and full refrigerator, so every drawer depth is chosen on purpose.3D Kitchen Design & Renderings3D kitchen design lets you compare two or three layouts before committing, useful when the choice is between keeping a historic pantry or opening the wall to the dining room.Bathroom RemodelingBathroom remodeling for the single upstairs bath that so many older Ann Arbor homes still rely on, often with a clawfoot tub, a pedestal sink and no storage worth the name.Aging-in-Place RemodelingLong-time residents who want to stay near campus and downtown benefit from aging-in-place remodeling planned by a CAPS and CLIPP certified designer.

Historic District Commission rules and Ann Arbor's own building permits

The Old West Side is one of several local historic districts in Ann Arbor, and the city's Historic District Commission looks at exterior alterations within them. An interior kitchen remodel normally falls outside that review, but a new or enlarged window, a range-hood vent cap on a visible wall, or a changed rear door may need approval. We flag those items early so you can check with the city before they are designed in.

The city counts fifteen local historic districts, from single properties up to districts of several hundred houses, and its Historic District Commission has reviewed exterior work since 1973. The Old West Side was listed on the National Register in 1972 and designated a local district in 1978. If you are unsure whether your address falls inside a boundary, the city publishes district maps, and we check them before any exterior change goes into the drawings.

The City of Ann Arbor issues its own building permits rather than sending residents to the county, and the partner contractor on your project files for them. Nick prepares the drawings and scope the permit set relies on, and his state residential builder license (number 2101209269) is public on LARA's lookup.

Rear of an older Ann Arbor house where window and vent changes may need historic review
Rear elevations visible from the street can bring exterior review into a kitchen project.

Kitchen NV

10094 Kress Rd, Pinckney, MI 48169

Get directions · View on Google

Mon–Fri 9 a.m.–5 p.m. · Design consultations by appointment

Typical drive from our Pinckney base: ~25 min (17 mi).

Planning a kitchen in Ann Arbor? Call (810) 923-8792

Call Kitchen NV in Pinckney, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Design consultations are by appointment.

  • ★ 5.0 on Google (28 reviews)
  • MI Residential Builder #2101209269
  • CMKBD · CAPS · CLIPP designer
  • Serving since 2020

From a Pinckney studio to an Ann Arbor kitchen table

There is no storefront to visit. Nick comes to you, and that first consultation, held in your Ann Arbor kitchen, is an interview about who is in the room at six o'clock and what you would keep. He measures the room in detail, including the basement below if plumbing might move.

A design retainer then funds the drawing phase, which for an Ann Arbor house often means comparing two or three layouts in 3D before one is detailed into elevations, install-ready drawings and a priced proposal. Selections follow at your house, hourly or bundled, so finishes are judged in your own north-facing or south-facing light. When you sign the purchase agreement, we order the cabinetry and materials, and trusted partner contractors build the kitchen while Nick stays involved to the last panel.

Compact downtown Ann Arbor condo kitchen with a narrow island and full-height cabinets
A condo kitchen that fits an island by keeping it narrow and running storage to the ceiling.

Client reviews

What clients near Ann Arbor say about working with Nick

★ 5.0 average from 28 Google reviews

★★★★★
“I worked with Nick on a kitchen remodel when he was at DK and the experience was phenomenal. Nick is a true professional -- he knows his stuff when it comes to design, he is an effective communicator, and is great at establishing timelines and sticking to them (or keeping in close contact when things slip due to unforeseen circumstances). I highly recommend Kitchen NV!”
Matthew P.Google review · 5 years ago (as of Nov 2026)
★★★★★
“I reached out to Nick for help with our completely dysfunctional and outdated kitchen last year. He was so patient with us as I was struggling decide on a final design. He came up with multiple 3d designs on the computer. His knowledge and experience is so apparent as he walks you thru the journey to finding your perfect kitchen. He was tremendous help with picking out fixtures, colors, and floor. He just knows what will look fabulous. He has that eye and artistic edge, but still down to earth and easy to talk to. I highly recommend Nick. We will use his company again, when we remodel our master bathroom. Five Stars”
Vicki D.Google review · 5 years ago (as of Nov 2026)

Kitchen remodeling in Ann Arbor: common questions

Do you remodel kitchens in older Ann Arbor homes in Burns Park or the Old West Side?

Yes. Century-old Ann Arbor houses are a strong fit for design-led work, because the room is small and every decision matters. Nick measures for bowed plaster and sloped floors, plans cabinets with scribes and fillers, and has the partner contractor open up questionable knob-and-tube or galvanized lines before drawings are final.

Does a historic district affect an interior kitchen remodel in Ann Arbor?

Usually not for the interior itself. Ann Arbor's Historic District Commission reviews exterior changes inside local historic districts such as the Old West Side. If the kitchen plan includes a new window, a moved door or a vent on an exterior wall, that piece may need review. Check with the city early, and we will design around its answer.

How far ahead should we book a kitchen design in Ann Arbor?

Start a season or more before you want construction to begin. Design, selections and cabinetry ordering all take time, and partner contractors schedule their own calendars. Because Nick works with a limited number of clients, an early call also secures a place in his design schedule. A spring call often fits a fall or winter build.

Can you design kitchens for Ann Arbor condos?

Yes. We design condo kitchens downtown and across the city, working within association rules on work hours, deliveries and which plumbing or walls can move. Space is tight, so Nick favors full-height cabinets, narrow islands and appliance garages, and sizes everything to fit through hallways and elevators.

More places near Ann Arbor we serve

See every Kitchen NV service area

Planning guides

Start your Ann Arbor kitchen with a call to Nick

Call Kitchen NV in Pinckney, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Design consultations are by appointment.

  • ★ 5.0 on Google (28 reviews)
  • MI Residential Builder #2101209269
  • CMKBD · CAPS · CLIPP designer
  • Serving since 2020
Call (810) 923-8792Request design