Montgomery · Greater Cincinnati
From 1950s ranches to the two-story “Montgomery colonial,” plan a Montgomery kitchen around the era of your subdivision and the rooms beside it.
Homes & local context
The city’s bicentennial history, published in 1995, records that Montgomery’s population stayed in the hundreds until after World War II, then grew from 750 residents in 1955 to 3,700 in 1963 as farm fields became subdivisions. It lists them by year, from Campus Lane and Ross Avenue in 1946 to the Reserve of Montgomery in 1993. The earliest held ranch-style houses from the late 1940s and 1950s; before long the two-story, four-bedroom house, “often called the ‘Montgomery colonial,’” took precedence. The 19th-century village center is a separate story, and the city now counts 32 designated landmarks.
Local source: City of Montgomery · History of Montgomery, Ohio, 1795–1995 (Montgomery Historical Society, 1995) ↗
Our approach
We’d ask first which subdivision you live in and roughly when it was built, because the city’s own list tells us a good deal before we see the room. A ranch in one of the first subdivisions, begun between 1946 and the mid-1950s, raises different questions from a two-story colonial in a later one. In a ranch, the kitchen shares one level with every other room, so what it looks like from the living areas matters. If yours is a two-story colonial with a dining room on one side of the kitchen and a family room on the other, the useful question is which of those connections to open, widen or leave alone.
Design considerations
Use these starting points to explore your own room. We’ll help you compare the options with a plan and estimate.
With the kitchen on the same level as the living and dining rooms, much of it can be seen from the rest of the house. Decide what should be on view, such as a range wall or a window, and what should not, such as the cleanup sink or small appliances. A tall pantry run can screen the working side.
If the kitchen sits between a dining room and a family room, each wall offers a different gain. Opening to the family room joins cooking to everyday living; keeping the dining room wall saves cabinet space and a quieter room for meals. Widening a doorway is sometimes enough. Wall changes are on the city’s permit list, so raise them early.
The city’s history describes a 19th-century village theme reflected in “colonial architecture in housing.” If your home has that character, look at its door casings, stair rail and mantel before choosing a cabinet door style. A plainer house can take a plainer kitchen, and a house in the old village may ask for closer attention to trim.
Scope & investment
Two things tend to set scope in these homes: how many walls change, and how far new flooring and trim must run into adjoining rooms once a kitchen opens up. In a house built between the late 1940s and the 1970s, also plan for updates behind the walls that a full renovation can uncover.
| 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
Find your subdivision’s name and the year the house was built if you can. Photograph the kitchen from each adjoining room and note which doorways you use most. If the house is a designated landmark or in the Heritage District, tell us when you book.
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: Blue Ash, Madeira, Indian Hill
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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