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Loveland Kitchen Design Shaped by Lakes, Foothills and Light
Dream Home Kitchens offers Loveland kitchen design for homes near the lakes, around downtown and out toward I-25, along with custom cabinetry and full remodels in nearby Berthoud and Johnstown. Loveland is the gateway to the Big Thompson Canyon and Estes Park, so many kitchens here have a foothills view on one side and water on another. We plan for both.
Homes in Loveland
The Homes Behind Loveland's Kitchens
Loveland's houses span more than a century, from the blocks around 4th Street to neighborhoods finished in the last few years. Here's what each era tends to bring to a kitchen project.
- Early 1900s
Downtown bungalows and foursquares
The streets around 4th Street hold Loveland's oldest homes, many of them modest bungalows and foursquares. Kitchens are usually small and closed off, sometimes with a back porch that was enclosed decades ago. That old porch is often the key. Folded into the kitchen, with the floor leveled and properly insulated, it can hold a pantry wall or a breakfast table without an addition.
- 1960s to 1970s
Ranches and bi-levels
Loveland added a lot of these during its postwar growth, and they have the standard kitchen of the period: an L or U shape, a soffit above the uppers and a wall closing it off from the living room. Removing the soffit can give back a foot or more of height for cabinetry. Soffits often carry ducts or vent pipes, though, so we look inside before the drawings commit.
- Varied eras
Homes on Lake Loveland and Boyd Lake
Houses near the lakes range from older homes to large custom builds, and the water decides the layout. Lake-side kitchens tend to be long and window-heavy, which leaves little wall for upper cabinets. We move storage into an island, a pantry wall or a scullery behind the kitchen, and keep the window wall low and open.
- 2000s onward
Master-planned neighborhoods near Centerra
East Loveland near I-25 and Centerra has newer master-planned neighborhoods of open-plan two-stories and ranch-style homes. Kitchens are open but often generic: a center island, a corner pantry and a range with a microwave hung above it. Swapping that microwave for a real hood, and the corner pantry for a full-height pantry wall, changes the room more than any new finish.
Designing for Loveland
Loveland Considerations We Plan For
Loveland's climate and its mix of old and new neighborhoods shape a few decisions early in every design.
- 01
Dry air and the timber we choose
Loveland is semi-arid, and indoor air gets very dry once the furnace runs through the winter. Solid wood shrinks across its grain as it dries, so wide slab doors and long solid-wood tops need care. We specify stable constructions, such as veneered panels or five-piece doors with floating center panels, let cabinetry and flooring acclimate in the house before install, and talk through a whole-house humidifier with clients who want a steadier room.
- 02
Light off the water
Lakeside kitchens get light twice: direct sun, and light reflected off the water. On a polished counter that can mean real glare at certain hours. Honed or leathered stone, matte cabinet finishes and well-placed under-cabinet lighting keep the room comfortable, and low-e glass protects finishes from the strong UV that comes with living at about 5,000 feet.
- 03
HOA review in newer neighborhoods
Centerra and many east Loveland subdivisions have HOA architectural review. It usually covers exterior changes, such as a new window, a hood vent on a visible wall or a bump-out, rather than interior work. We map those items early so your application goes in once, with clear drawings, instead of holding up the work later.
- 04
Kitchens that open to a patio and a view
Many Loveland homes face a lake or the foothills across a deck or patio, and in summer the cooking moves outside as often as not. We put the serving zone near that door, with a beverage refrigerator and a clear counter to pass food across. If gas appliances are in the plan inside or out, many need a high-altitude adjustment per the manufacturer's specs, which we flag on the appliance schedule.
Our Kitchen Services for Loveland Homes
Design-led kitchen planning for a Loveland home starts with the view and the light. We work out where the lake or the foothills sit in relation to the room, then arrange prep, cooking and cleanup so the person at the sink isn't staring at a blank wall while guests get the window.
A view kitchen gives up wall cabinets, so the storage has to come from somewhere else. Custom cabinets drawn for the space make that possible: shallow pantry walls, an island with storage on both faces and drawers sized to the pots you actually own.
When the plan moves walls or plumbing, our kitchen remodeling service brings every trade onto one set of drawings. You can read about the way our process works before we meet. When you're ready, start with a design consultation.
Loveland sits between two other cities we serve. To the south, see kitchen design and remodeling in Longmont. To the north, there's our page on Fort Collins kitchen design.
Also covered from this page
Loveland and Nearby Communities
- Berthoud
- Johnstown
We also design kitchens in Berthoud to the south and Johnstown to the southeast. Berthoud pairs an older town center with newer subdivisions, and Johnstown has grown quickly with master-planned neighborhoods near I-25, many with HOA review for exterior work. Both are covered from this page.
Questions
Questions From Loveland Homeowners
01What countertop works best in a sunny lakeside kitchen in Loveland?
Honed or leathered quartzite is a strong choice. It's hard, resists etching better than marble and doesn't throw glare the way polished stone does. Some quartz products can discolor with long direct UV exposure, so check the manufacturer's guidance before setting quartz beside a big west or south window.
02Do I need HOA approval for a kitchen remodel in Centerra?
Interior work usually doesn't need it, but check your community's design guidelines. Exterior items such as a new hood vent, a window change or an addition typically go to the architectural review committee before work starts. Building permits are a separate step through the city.
03Can I remove the soffits in my 1970s Loveland kitchen?
Usually, but find out what's inside first. Soffits from that era may hide ductwork, a plumbing vent or nothing at all. Empty ones come out easily and let cabinetry run taller, while ones carrying ducts can often be rerouted or reduced to a smaller bulkhead that's designed in rather than left over.
04How do I keep a lake-view kitchen from feeling short on storage?
Move storage off the window wall and into places that don't block the view: a full-height pantry wall on a side wall, drawers on both faces of the island, and a scullery or walk-in pantry if the plan allows. Deep drawers hold more usable volume than the wall cabinets they replace, and the sightline to the water stays clear.
05Is an enclosed back porch worth folding into a downtown Loveland kitchen?
Often, because the walls and roof already exist. The usual work is leveling the floor, insulating to current code and checking what the old porch sits on. Done properly, it makes room for a pantry, a breakfast table or a real back-door drop zone without building an addition.
Planning a kitchen in Loveland?
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