Kitchen Remodeling in University Park, TX

Six Design Group takes on kitchen remodeling in University Park, TX from Lake Highlands, about 20 minutes and 7 miles away by Northwest Highway or Mockingbird Lane. University Park is the Park Cities town wrapped around SMU, with Central Expressway along its east side and Highland Park to the south. What makes it different for remodeling is space. Pre-war Tudor and Colonial homes sit on tight lots with firm setbacks, so a bigger kitchen almost always has to come from inside the house, and the finished room is expected to look as if it had always been there.

Pre-War Tudors, Tight Lots and Plaster Walls in University Park

University Park's older housing dates largely to the 1920s through the 1940s: two-story brick Tudors, Colonial Revivals and cottages on narrow lots, many served by rear alleys. Many original homes have been replaced over the years, and the ones that remain are often the reason owners chose the neighborhood. Teardowns and new builds next door are common, so a remodel may share the alley with another job, and delivery days are planned around it.

Inside, expect plaster walls that are rarely square, tall ceilings, original millwork and kitchens that were built as service rooms. Homes from this era in the Dallas area were commonly built on pier-and-beam, which makes moving plumbing from below easier but means floors need leveling before stone and tile. Houses from the 1920s can also hide knob-and-tube wiring or early cloth-insulated cable in walls and attics, along with galvanized supply lines narrowed by decades of scale, and both are replaced once the walls are open.

The soil is expansive Blackland Prairie clay, which moves foundations seasonally and can crack plaster. Every home built before 1978 falls under the EPA lead RRP rule, and older flooring and mastic should be tested for asbestos before demolition. The City of University Park, not Dallas, reviews permits and sends inspectors.

Getting to University Park From Lake Highlands

We have not published any University Park projects or reviews, and we are not going to list streets or name past clients. What we can confirm is coverage. From Lake Highlands we take Northwest Highway west, which runs along the city's northern edge, or Mockingbird Lane past the SMU side, with US-75 as the fast route to the east side. Neighborhoods near Snider Plaza and the SMU campus are on our regular weekday schedule, as are the blocks that border Highland Park. Inside the town, Hillcrest Avenue runs past SMU and Snider Plaza, Preston Road and Lovers Lane carry most west-side traffic, and many blocks have rear alleys that make deliveries easier than the street. Highland Park ISD serves University Park as well as Highland Park, a sign of how closely the two towns are tied, though each runs its own permit office.

Nearby, we also cover Highland Park, Dallas, Farmers Branch, Addison and Cockrell Hill.

How Custom Kitchen Remodeling in University Park Comes Together

A University Park project usually involves more design time than build time. It begins with a weekday visit, Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm, where we measure the real walls, open cabinet doors, look at the floor framing if accessible and talk about which original details matter to you.

1. Design. Layout options that borrow space from a pantry, breakfast room or porch, with cabinet drawings matched to existing millwork.
2. Selections. Stone slabs, tile, hardware and lighting, priced in a written estimate.
3. City of University Park permits and a job-site plan for parking, deliveries and the dumpster.
4. Build. Plumbing by TSBPE-licensed plumbers and electrical by TDLR-licensed electricians, inspected before walls close.
5. Walkthrough once the last cabinet door is adjusted.

Ashley B. called us the "Best design and construction team I have ever seen" in a Google review. For budgeting the millwork, read what custom kitchen cabinets cost in Dallas.