38.83° N104.82° WEl Paso County
Colorado Springs Kitchen Design, From the Old North End to Flying Horse
We provide Colorado Springs kitchen design, custom cabinetry and full remodels for homes from the Old North End to the city's newer north side, and in nearby Manitou Springs and Fountain. At roughly 6,000 feet, with Pikes Peak filling the western windows, this city asks a few things of a kitchen that a lower, damper place doesn't. We plan for them from the first drawing.
Homes in Colorado Springs
The Houses Colorado Springs Kitchens Live In
Colorado Springs grew in waves, and each one left a different kind of kitchen behind. Most of the rooms we're asked about fall into one of these.
- 1880s to 1920s
Old North End Victorians and early homes
The Old North End, north of downtown near Colorado College, holds some of the city's oldest and grandest houses. Their kitchens were built as service rooms at the back: narrow, with several doorways and often a later addition tacked on. The work is usually about finding one clear run of counter without losing the trim and doors that make the house worth owning. Inset cabinetry and painted finishes tend to sit more comfortably here than slab doors.
- 1950s to 1960s
Postwar ranches
Single-story ranches spread across central and eastern Colorado Springs as the military bases grew after the war. Expect a compact, closed kitchen with a low ceiling and a wall between it and the dining room. Taking that wall out is the most common request. It often works, but a bearing wall or a duct run inside it changes the plan, so we find out early.
- 1980s to 2000s
Briargate two-stories
Briargate and the neighborhoods around it filled with production-built two-stories. The kitchen typically opens to a family room but hides behind a peninsula, with oak cabinets under a soffit and a small window over the sink. Removing the soffit lets tall cabinetry run to the ceiling, though we check first whether it's hiding ductwork or a vent stack.
- 04
North-side builds and foothill homes
Flying Horse and other newer communities on the north side, along with custom homes in the southwest foothills near the Broadmoor, bring higher ceilings, bigger islands and walls of glass aimed at the mountains. The kitchen is already open. The design work moves to proportion, glare and appliance integration: a tall ceiling needs cabinetry scaled to it, and a wall of west glass needs a plan for the afternoon.
Designing for Colorado Springs
What Altitude and Sun Mean for a Colorado Springs Kitchen
Some of this applies anywhere along the Front Range. These are the versions of it we see most in Colorado Springs.
- 01
West windows and the afternoon sun
Plenty of homes here are oriented to catch Pikes Peak, which puts the big glass on the west wall. The view is the reason the house was built that way, so we don't block it. We plan for it instead. High-altitude sun carries more UV, and over the years it fades timber and some painted finishes unevenly, so a door in direct light ages differently from its neighbor in shade. Glare off a polished slab late in the day is real too. Honed or leathered stone, UV-filtering glass and shades built into the window trim all help.
- 02
Dry air and solid timber
Colorado Springs is semi-arid, and indoor air gets very dry once the heat comes on in winter. Solid wood shrinks as it gives up moisture, so a wide solid panel can pull back and show a sliver of unfinished edge. We favor construction that allows for that movement. Cabinetry and hardwood flooring should also sit in the house to acclimate before installation rather than going straight from the truck to the wall.
- 03
Gas appliances at 6,000 feet
Thinner air changes how gas burns. Many ranges, cooktops and ovens need a high-altitude adjustment, made by the installer according to the manufacturer's instructions, and some models spell out requirements above a certain elevation. We read the installation guide for every gas appliance before it's chosen, so a pro-style range doesn't go into the drawings and then turn out to need a kit nobody planned for.
- 04
Permits and older houses
Building permits in Colorado Springs and the rest of El Paso County go through the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department, and kitchen work that touches plumbing, wiring or gas typically needs one. In the Old North End and other older neighborhoods, interior changes rarely face design review. A new window or a range hood vent through a street-facing wall is different, and may need review if the property sits in a local historic overlay, so check with the city before the exterior becomes part of the plan.
How We Work on Colorado Springs Kitchens
Every project starts with kitchen design for the way you cook: a measured plan, elevations and a clear decision about where the view, the light and each work zone belong. In a postwar ranch that might mean opening the dining room wall. In a Briargate two-story it's usually the peninsula and the soffit that have to go.
From there, cabinetry made to the room's real dimensions does the heavy lifting. Old North End walls are rarely square, and a cabinet built to an out-of-plumb wall closes the gap that stock boxes leave to filler strips. When walls, plumbing and flooring all move, we plan it as a whole-room kitchen remodel from the start, in one set of drawings.
Stone and timber choices matter more under strong sun, and our notes on how surfaces age cover which ones hold their color. If you live a little further north, see our page on kitchen design in Monument. Otherwise, arrange a consultation for your Colorado Springs home and bring photos of the room at the time of day it bothers you most.
Also covered from this page
Colorado Springs and Nearby Communities
- Manitou Springs
- Fountain
We also design kitchens for homes in Manitou Springs and Fountain. Manitou's Victorians and cottages climb the hillsides right at the foot of the mountain, and their small kitchens on steep lots call for careful storage and tight, well-ordered runs. Fountain, to the south along Fountain Creek, is largely newer subdivisions, where the work tends to start with an open plan and a builder kitchen that's ready for better cabinetry.
Questions
Colorado Springs Kitchen Questions
01Do I need a permit to remodel a kitchen in Colorado Springs?
Plumbing, electrical, gas and structural changes typically need a permit from the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department, which serves the city and the rest of El Paso County. Purely cosmetic work may not, but it's worth confirming with them before the scope is settled. We draw the plan so the permit scope is clear before anyone orders cabinetry.
02Can I open up the kitchen in a 1950s or 1960s ranch?
Often, yes. The wall between kitchen and dining room in many postwar ranches can come out, but some carry roof load and others hide ductwork or plumbing. We find out what's inside the wall before the plan depends on it, and design a beam or a partial opening if part of it has to stay.
03How do I keep a west-facing kitchen from fading and overheating?
Start with the glass: UV-filtering glazing and shades built into the window trim do most of the work. Then choose surfaces that tolerate light, such as honed stone, and finishes picked with sun exposure in mind. We also avoid placing one wood door in full sun beside its twin in shade, where any color change shows.
04Will a pro-style gas range work at Colorado Springs elevation?
Most can, with the high-altitude adjustment the manufacturer specifies, typically made by the installer. A few models have elevation limits or need a specific kit, so we check the installation instructions before the range goes into the plan. The hood gets sized at the same time, since a big range needs ventilation that keeps up.
05Can you update an Old North End kitchen without losing its character?
Yes, and we'd start by deciding what to keep: original window trim, door casings, perhaps a pantry. Inset doors, painted cabinetry and a quiet stone usually sit more naturally in these rooms than a flat-panel modern kitchen. The aim is a room that feels like it belongs to the house, with modern appliances built in out of sight.
Planning a kitchen in Colorado Springs?
Bring the floor plan, the photos you've saved and a list of what frustrates you about the room you have. That list is where good briefs begin.
Schedule a consultation