Project Spotlight: The Des Moines Kitchen That Was One Room Over the Whole Time 

Not every kitchen remodel begins in the kitchen. In a lot of Des Moines homes, the layout a family really needs is sitting right next door, in a dining room that rarely gets used or a space that was never set up to work the way people actually live. 

That was the case with this recent Des Moines kitchen remodeling project. Our client’s kitchen was not working for how they lived day to day, while the dining room beside it sat mostly unused. Instead of forcing a new design into a room that was always going to feel tight, we moved the kitchen into the dining room and gave them the layout they needed from the start. 

Rethinking the Kitchen Layout 

Many kitchen renovations get stuck trying to solve a floor plan that cannot really be solved. The room is too narrow, the traffic flow is awkward, or there is simply nowhere to add the storage and counter space a family needs. 

Instead of treating those limits as the end of the conversation, we see them as a reason to step back and look at the whole footprint. In this home, shifting the kitchen one room over opened up everything the old space could not: better flow, more room to cook and gather, and the storage the original layout could never fit. This kind of planning is exactly what we look for during the design phase, long before any demolition begins. 

Turning the Fireplace Into a Focal Point 

The dining room came with an existing fireplace, and rather than work around it, we built the kitchen design around it. 

We extended the backsplash onto the fireplace so it reads as part of the kitchen rather than a leftover feature. Then we carried a single stain across the maple mantel, the wood hood, and the custom island, tying the warm wood tones together throughout the space. The result feels intentional, as if the fireplace was always meant to anchor the room. 

The Result 

Our client ended up with a kitchen that has ample storage, a layout built around how they actually use the space, and a fireplace that gives the whole room character. The kitchen they wanted was one room over the entire time. It simply took rethinking the plan to find it. 

Before and After 

The photos below show where this remodel started: an underused dining room and a kitchen that had run out of ways to work. Seeing the before and after side by side is the best way to understand what a thoughtful layout change can do.

AFTER

BEFORE

Do you have a kitchen that has never quite worked for your home? The fix might not be where you expect. At AIM Kitchen and Bath, our in-house team handles everything from design through installation, so we can look at your whole space and find the layout that fits the way you live. 

As a trusted kitchen remodeling company serving the greater Des Moines area since 1988, we would love to help you plan your next project. Schedule a consultation or call us at (515) 255-0731. 

You may also interested in: