Mariemont · Greater Cincinnati
Kitchen design for Mariemont homes, from 1920s group houses to later Colonial Revival houses, planned with the village’s historic review in mind.
Homes & local context
Mariemont was planned by John Nolen and built from the 1920s on; the village was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2007. The nomination records attached group houses, apartments, duplexes and detached homes, mostly Tudor Revival and Colonial Revival, and the Mariemont Preservation Foundation notes that this variety was part of the plan. Early townhouses on Chestnut Street had a living room, dining room and kitchen on the main floor. Deed restrictions kept single-family homes to two or two-and-a-half stories. Few houses were built between 1931 and the end of World War II; building picked up again in the mid-1940s.
Local source: National Park Service · Village of Mariemont National Historic Landmark nomination, designated 2007 ↗
Our approach
In a house planned around separate ground-floor rooms, the first question is how much of that plan to keep. We’d begin with the kitchen, the dining room and the wall between them, then look at the windows and doors on the outside walls. Leaving those openings where they are often lets a kitchen be redesigned entirely indoors. If the layout you want does call for a new window, a vent through an outside wall or a rear addition, we’d raise it at the first conversation, so you can ask the village what review applies before any detailed design begins.
Design considerations
Use these starting points to explore your own room. We’ll help you compare the options with a plan and estimate.
The 1920s plans gave the kitchen and the dining room a room each. Where they share a wall, a wider cased opening keeps space for cabinets and lets each room hold its shape. Taking the wall out makes room for an island or peninsula, at the cost of storage and of the trim that framed the two rooms. Your furniture and daily routes usually decide it.
Casement and sash windows are part of how these houses look from the street. Setting the sink, the counter height and the wall cabinets to the existing openings avoids exterior changes, and a shallow shelf can bridge a low sill. If a window has to change, treat that as its own decision and take it to the village early.
A small kitchen has few places for a refrigerator. Check its depth, its door swing and the path from the back door before the cabinet layout is fixed, and look at counter-depth or panel-ready models where a standard one would crowd a doorway. Plan the hood’s exhaust route at the same time, since a ducted hood has to reach an outside wall.
Scope & investment
Scope in these homes turns on two decisions: whether the wall between kitchen and dining room stays, and whether anything on the exterior changes. An interior-only plan is the more contained project. Work that touches windows, doors or the footprint can add drawings, approvals and time, so settle it before choosing finishes.
| Project level | Planning range | Scope to discuss |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $50,000–$70,000 | A fresh, functional update with practical cabinet and countertop selections. Best suited to a more straightforward project. |
| Mid-range | $80,000–$100,000 | More flexibility in cabinetry, finishes, storage, and design details, with room for selected layout changes. |
| Signature | $125,000+ | A more extensive renovation with greater customization and construction scope. |
These are approximate planning ranges, not fixed packages or neighborhood averages. Appliances and flooring are included in these planning ranges. Your room, selections, construction and any additional work determine the quote. We’ll confirm current pricing and inclusions during design review.
Design fees are separate from cabinetry, countertops, installation, and project management. We’ll explain the scope and fees in your Design Agreement before work begins.
Prepare for a design conversation
Photograph the kitchen, the dining room and the outside wall that holds the kitchen windows. Note which trim, doors and built-ins look original, and ask the village whether your address is in the Historic District. Sizes of any appliances you already have in mind are useful too.
East Main can help with a full kitchen renovation, design and materials alongside your own contractor, or cabinetry and countertops for a focused project. We’ll clarify the scope and responsibilities before you order.
Local sources reviewed November 10, 2026. Historical sources retain their own dates; the planning suggestions are East Main’s editorial guidance.
Nearby guides: Terrace Park, Madisonville, Mount Lookout
Meet your designer
Start with a free design consultation to discuss your goals, inspiration, general budget, and whether East Main is the right fit. Detailed design follows under a paid Design Agreement.
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