Bathroom renovation in Kirkwood, MO
Kirkwood is the test case for renovating across eras. There’s the Victorian and Queen Anne stock around Argonne and Adams. The mid-century ranches in Greentree and the streets off Manchester. The pre-war two-stories in the historic district. The recent infill on streets where a teardown sat last year. A bathroom renovation in Kirkwood depends almost entirely on which Kirkwood the home was built in.
Why Kirkwood homeowners trust Aleto with their bathroom renovation
Few St. Louis suburbs have the architectural range of Kirkwood. The original 1850s and 1860s homes near downtown. The Victorian and Queen Anne homes from the 1880s and 1890s along Argonne, Adams, and Washington. Pre-war two-stories from the 1910s through the 1940s. Mid-century ranches that filled out the post-war neighborhoods. 1990s and 2000s infill in pockets across the community. And new infill construction continuing in the historic core. Each of these eras presents a different bathroom renovation puzzle.
A 1900 Victorian with one bath is a project about adding bathrooms, often in attic or third-floor space, while preserving the home’s exterior and original interior trim. A 1955 ranch is a project about modernizing a primary bath that’s been redone twice (in 1985 and 2002) without ever quite working. A 2008 infill is a project about replacing builder-grade with custom in a layout that’s already current. Treating these the same way produces bad bathrooms in every Kirkwood era. Treating each on its own terms produces renovations that fit the home.
Aleto Construction Group has been working in Kirkwood for decades across all of these eras, including primary bath additions in third-floor build-outs, mid-century ranch primary suite renovations, original-bath redesigns in the historic district, and full primary bath renovations in newer construction. As a design-build firm rooted in St. Louis since 1955, we adjust the approach to the home rather than the other way around.
What a bathroom renovation in Kirkwood, MO can include
Every project is scoped to the home and the homeowner. Here are the areas we address most often in Kirkwood bathroom renovations:
Primary bath additions in older homes
Building primary bathrooms in attic, third-floor, or addition space for Victorians, Queen Annes, and pre-war two-stories that never had one
Mid-century ranch primary renovations
Redesigning ranch primary baths that have been updated piecemeal across the decades into single coherent layouts with current finishes
Historic district sensitive work
Coordinating exterior changes (windows, exterior doors, dormer additions) with City of Kirkwood historic preservation review where applicable
Original bath redesigns
Complete reworking of original bathrooms in pre-war and Victorian homes, including selective preservation of original tile, fixtures, and millwork worth saving
Jack-and-Jill conversions
Combining underused closets, hallway space, or adjacent bedrooms with existing baths to create shared bathrooms between children’s bedrooms
Powder room additions
Carving half-baths out of entry closets, under-stair space, or unused pantry corners in older homes that lacked main-floor powder rooms
Plumbing replacement
Replacing original galvanized supply lines and cast-iron drains in pre-war homes during bathroom renovations, when the walls are open anyway
Newer-build custom upgrades
Replacing builder-grade fixtures and finishes in 1990s and 2000s Kirkwood infill homes with custom millwork, slab stone, and current plumbing
What a bathroom renovation looks like in Kirkwood, MO
Kirkwood bathroom renovations are shaped by which era the home was built in. Here are the scenarios we see most often, organized roughly by housing type.
Adding a primary bath to a Victorian or Queen Anne
Many of Kirkwood’s most beautiful homes are also the ones with the fewest bathrooms. A typical 1890s Queen Anne has one full bath at the top of the stairs, no primary bath, and three bedrooms with no en-suite anything. The renovation question is where to put a primary bath without compromising the home’s historic character. Often the answer is the third floor or attic, with a dormer addition for headroom. Sometimes it’s an addition off the back of the home, sympathetically detailed to read as period-correct. Either way, the project requires structural reinforcement of the existing floor system, plumbing routed down through closets or chases, and exterior work that may go through historic district review, depending on the home’s location.
Renovating a mid-century ranch primary
Kirkwood’s mid-century ranches typically have an original primary bath that was modest at best (one vanity, a tub-shower combo, a small water closet) and has often been updated cosmetically over the decades without ever fully working. The right renovation usually involves expanding the footprint into an adjacent room or closet, redesigning the layout for a separate walk-in shower and proper vanity area, and selecting finishes that respect the mid-century context without becoming kitsch. Mid-century-appropriate doesn’t mean themed. It means clean lines, honest materials, and proportions that fit the home.
Working in the historic district
Portions of central Kirkwood are within designated historic districts where exterior changes (and in some cases significant additions) require review through the City of Kirkwood’s preservation process. Interior work generally doesn’t trigger a review. Bathroom renovations that include dormer additions, exterior windows, or visible additions need to plan for the review timeline and design with the guidelines in mind from the start. We handle the review process and design accordingly. The result is renovations that honor the home’s history and pass review on first submission.
Updating a 2000s build to actually be custom
Kirkwood has had significant infill construction over the past 20 years, and many of those homes were built to a higher spec than typical subdivision construction, but still with builder-grade primary baths. The renovation pattern looks like Chesterfield work in some ways (same builder-grade replacement opportunity), but with more architectural attention because the homes themselves are typically more designed. The work is replacing the stock package (corner tub, prefab shower, builder vanity) with custom millwork, slab stone, and current plumbing in a layout that takes better advantage of the existing footprint.
What our clients are saying…
“Aleto made our dream home come true and they made the four months renovation period smooth, pleasant, and seamless. Mike was a dream contractor – he kept in communication with us every single day. We received daily updates and he responded immediately to any and all messages we sent him. They hired the best workers, they worked with the best companies, and we could not be happier with our finished project. We recommend Aleto 100%.”
Mary – Houzz Review
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Frequently asked questions
How much does a bathroom renovation cost in Kirkwood?
Costs vary substantially with the era of the home. Renovations to existing bathrooms in newer Kirkwood homes typically run from the mid-five figures into the low six figures. Bathroom additions in older homes (third-floor build-outs, dormer additions, ground-floor additions) typically run from the high five figures into the mid-six figures because they involve structural work, new plumbing routing, and full mechanical integration. Historic preservation review adds time but generally not material cost.
Can you add a primary bath to our older Kirkwood, MO home?
In most cases, yes. The path depends on the home: third-floor or attic build-outs are common for two-story Victorians and four-squares; rear-of-house additions work for homes with the lot space; carving from existing rooms works when there’s an underused space (a small bedroom, a sleeping porch, an oversized closet) that can be repurposed. We assess all the options during design and recommend the path that fits the home, the lot, and the household.
Does our Kirkwood home need a historic district review?
It depends on whether the home is within one of Kirkwood’s designated historic districts and whether the planned renovation involves exterior changes. Interior bathroom work doesn’t typically trigger a review. Exterior work (dormer additions, new windows, additions, exterior alterations) on homes in designated districts requires review through the City of Kirkwood. We confirm the home’s status during design and handle the full review process where it applies.
How long does a Kirkwood bathroom renovation take?
Renovations to existing bathrooms typically take 6 to 12 weeks of construction. Bathroom additions, particularly third-floor build-outs and dormer additions, run 14 to 22 weeks because they include structural and exterior work alongside the bathroom itself. Older homes consistently produce more discoveries inside the walls (deteriorated plumbing, framing inconsistencies, prior unpermitted repairs), and the schedule reflects that.
Should we preserve the original tile in our pre-war Kirkwood bathroom?
It depends on the tile’s condition, the substrate behind it, and how it fits the renovation aesthetic. Original 1920s and 1930s hex mosaic floors and small subway wall tiles can often be preserved if the substrate is sound and the tile field is intact. We assess the condition during design. If the tile is in good shape and matches the new design intent, we work around it carefully. If it’s failing or doesn’t fit, we remove it and replace it with period-appropriate new tile. Both approaches can produce a bath that feels native to the home.
More home renovation services in Kirkwood, MO
Looking at a different room or scope? Explore our other services available in Kirkwood, MO:
Kitchen renovation
We rethink how your kitchen flows, functions, and feels from layout to custom storage and premium appliances.
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Whole-home renovation
Full reimagining of your home from top to bottom, designed and built as one cohesive project.
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Additions & dormers
Room additions, second stories, dormers, and sunrooms that look like they’ve always been there.
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Ready to transform your Kirkwood bathroom?
A bathroom renovation starts with a conversation about what’s working, what isn’t, and what the space could become. Tell us what you’re thinking, and we’ll take it from there.
A UNIQUE PARTNER FOR YOUR UNIQUE VISION
For new construction, renovation, simple repurposing, or grand reimagining, Aleto brings decades of experience and creativity to every project, large or small. You have something special in mind, and we have a knack for helping you bring your vision to life with all the quality, personality, and professionalism it deserves.
We’re a family-owned company with creativity in our DNA. Curious? Get to know us a little better.
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