NORTHSTONEKitchen Architecture

Kitchen remodeling in Scottsdale, drawn from the structure out.

Whether you call it a remodel or a renovation, the question is the same: does the plan still serve the way you live? We answer that first — then draw, mill and build the whole thing with one team.

Key facts

Kitchen remodeling in Scottsdale, at a glance

Typical investment
$85,000 – $250,000 for a full architectural remodel
Typical timeline
5 – 7 months, design through reveal
Design & drawings
6 – 10 weeks, produced in-house
Cabinetry lead time
10 – 14 weeks, milled in our Arizona shop
On-site construction
8 – 12 weeks with one dedicated site lead
Warranty
10-year workmanship, lifetime on cabinetry
Service area
Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia, Cave Creek, Carefree, Fountain Hills

Start here

What is the difference between kitchen remodeling and kitchen renovation?

Renovation restores what is already there — new doors, new counters, the same footprint. Remodeling changes the plan itself: walls move, the work triangle is redrawn, and storage is rebuilt around how you actually cook.

Most firms will sell you whichever one they are better at. We tell you which one your house needs, and we recommend renovation whenever the existing layout genuinely works — it is the cheaper answer and sometimes it is the right one.

R1

Renovation

Same footprint. New cabinetry fronts or full replacement, new stone, new lighting and finishes. Typically 10–14 weeks on site and $45,000–$95,000. Right when the layout works and the materials have simply aged.

R2

Remodel

New plan. Walls, structure, windows and services move. Permitted, engineered and rebuilt around how the household actually uses the room. Typically 8–12 weeks on site after a 6–10 week design phase.

Case study

A galley that fought the house.

Built in 1996 with a load-bearing wall down the centre and every appliance on one run. We took the wall, moved the range to the exterior elevation and drew twenty-two feet of uninterrupted stone.

Before: a dated kitchen with wooden fixtures, granite counters and a closed-in layout After: an open architectural kitchen with waterfall stone island and integrated appliances Before After

Service 02

Custom cabinetry, milled for one house.

Stock cabinetry comes in three-inch increments and stops at eight feet. Your ceilings do not. We draw cabinetry to the room it is going into — full height, correct proportion, and fitted to what you actually own.

Everything is milled in our shop in north Scottsdale. That means we can change a drawer bank in week six without waiting on a distributor, and it means the person who cut the door is twenty minutes from your house if anything ever needs attention.

Typical cost
$1,200 – $2,400 per linear foot
Typical kitchen
28 – 42 linear feet
Lead time
10 – 14 weeks from approved drawings
Species
Rift white oak, walnut, ash, painted maple
Warranty
Lifetime on cabinet boxes and joinery
Full-height wood panelled joinery wall with integrated open shelving
Dramatic green and white veined marble slab

Service 03

You choose the slab. Not the sample.

A three-inch sample tells you the colour and nothing else. Veining is the whole character of a stone, and where it lands on your island is a design decision — so we make it with you, standing in front of the actual slab in daylight.

What is the best countertop material for a kitchen?

For most Arizona kitchens, quartzite offers the best balance — it carries the depth of natural marble but resists etching from citrus and heat far better. Choose marble if you want patina and accept it, porcelain for the largest uninterrupted runs, and engineered quartz if you want the lowest maintenance in a busy family kitchen.

Quartzite
$120 – $200 /sq ft installed · hardest natural option
Marble
$100 – $250 /sq ft installed · patinas with use
Porcelain
$95 – $160 /sq ft installed · largest slab sizes
Engineered quartz
$80 – $140 /sq ft installed · lowest maintenance

Service 04

Do I need an architect for a kitchen remodel?

You need one whenever walls, rooflines, structural beams or window openings change — and for most kitchens worth remodeling, they should. The layout problem is almost always a structural problem wearing a decorating disguise.

Northstone includes architectural drafting in every project rather than subcontracting it. The person designing your layout is the same person who knows what the structure will allow — which is why our drawings do not change halfway through the build.

Designer comparing paint and finish swatches against measured kitchen drawings

Scope

What does a kitchen remodel include?

One contract covers all of it. There is no point in the project where you are asked to go find another trade.

01

Design & permits

Measured survey, architectural drawings, structural coordination, city permitting and inspection scheduling.

02

Demolition & structure

Dust containment, controlled demolition, beam installation and any framing the new plan requires.

03

Services

Electrical rework, plumbing relocation, gas lines, HVAC adjustment and dedicated appliance circuits.

04

Cabinetry

Milled, finished and installed by our own joinery shop, with all interior fittings and hardware.

05

Stone & tile

Templating, fabrication, seam layout, installation, backsplash and any full-height stone elevations.

06

Finish & reveal

Lighting, appliance integration, paint, final clean, professional photography and the punch list.

Questions

Before you book.

Plain answers to the four we hear most about remodeling specifically.

What does a kitchen remodel include?

A full Northstone remodel includes measured architectural drawings, structural coordination and permits, demolition, electrical and plumbing rework, custom cabinetry, stone fabrication and installation, tile, lighting, appliance integration, paint and final styling. One contract, one crew, one point of contact.

Can you remodel a kitchen without moving walls?

Yes — and roughly a third of our projects keep the existing footprint. If the layout already works, moving walls adds cost without adding function. We tell you which case you are in at the first consultation, before any drawings are commissioned.

How much do custom kitchen cabinets cost in Arizona?

Custom cabinetry in the Scottsdale market runs roughly $1,200 to $2,400 per linear foot depending on species, finish and interior fittings. A typical Northstone kitchen uses 28 to 42 linear feet. Because we mill in our own Arizona shop, you pay for the joinery rather than a distributor margin.

Will I be able to use my kitchen during construction?

Not the room itself — but we set up a temporary kitchen with your refrigerator, microwave and a working sink in an adjacent space on day one, at no charge. Dust walls with zippered access go up before the first cabinet comes out.

Next step

Ninety minutes will tell you more than ninety hours online.

We come to your kitchen, measure it, and leave you with a written investment range. No charge, no obligation, no sales visit afterwards.

Call studio Book consultation