North Lauderdale guide
Two generations of houses, two sets of questions
Homes built in different decades are put together differently, and a good remodel starts by respecting that. A mid century style house may have lower ceilings, a smaller kitchen tucked at the back and rooms that were designed to be closed off. A newer house often has taller ceilings, an open plan and a larger primary suite, along with its own challenges.
Neither type is better or worse for remodeling. They simply raise different questions. In the older style of house you often ask how to open up and brighten. In the newer style you often ask how to make a large, open space feel organized and warm.
This page is general guidance for homeowners in the North Lauderdale area. It does not describe projects we have completed there, and it cannot substitute for an on site look at your own home. Its goal is to help you ask the right questions at the right time.
Keep in mind that a house is rarely pure. Additions, earlier remodels and repairs mean that one home can combine several eras, so your plan should be based on what you find, not on assumptions about the date.
The practical consequence is that the same wall can be handled very differently from one house to the next. Wiring may be older in one room and newer in another, plumbing may run through a slab in one wing and through a wall in the next, and floor materials can change at a doorway. Ask for observations to be written down room by room so the plan reflects the actual house.
Reading the house before you redraw it
Before you imagine new layouts, learn how the house is built. Look at the floor in each room and notice any steps, slopes or thresholds. Look at ceilings for patches, cracks or changes in height. Look at walls for signs of earlier openings, such as a patch where a doorway used to be.
Photographs and simple measurements are very helpful. Measure room widths and lengths, ceiling heights, window sizes and the distance between doors. Even rough numbers let a planner sketch options and avoid ideas that cannot fit.
Ask yourself which features are original and worth keeping. Terrazzo, plaster details, built in shelves and distinctive windows can give a house its character, and a remodel can protect them or build around them. Deciding early prevents accidental removal.
Take notes on how each room behaves through the day. Which rooms get strong afternoon sun, which stay dim, which feel warm in the evening and which collect humidity? Climate is part of the building here, with heat, humidity and storm season shaping what materials and openings make sense. Those observations guide window choices, lighting plans and the placement of fans and cooling vents long before products are selected.
Our page on measurements and site conditions lists what to gather before a planning conversation.
Floor level changes and what they mean
Many houses have places where the floor changes height, such as a step down into a family room, a raised hallway or a sunken living area. Sometimes the change was intended, and sometimes it came from an addition built at a slightly different level. Either way, it affects flooring, doors and how comfortable the house feels to move through.
When you want one continuous floor, you have several options. The lower area can be built up, the higher area can be modified, or a deliberate transition can be designed so the change looks intentional. Each option has consequences for ceiling height, door clearances, thresholds and cost of work, so it should be decided during planning, not on installation day.
Safety deserves attention. A small, unexpected step is a trip hazard, especially for children and older family members. If a level change stays, make it clear with lighting, contrast or a visible edge. If it goes, think about what has to change nearby.
Underlayment and substrate decide how a new floor behaves. A material laid over an uneven base will flex, squeak or crack, so the surface underneath must be flat within the limits the product requires. Ask how flatness will be checked, what will be used to level low spots and whether the existing floor needs to be removed or can stay. These questions sound technical, but the answers directly affect how long the new floor looks and feels right.
See our guide on flooring transitions planning and the problem page on uneven floors for more detail on how these questions are approached.
- Ask whether a level change is original or came from an addition.
- Measure the height difference at every doorway and threshold.
- Decide whether to raise a low area, lower a high one or keep a clear transition.
- Check how a change affects door swings and ceiling height.
- Plan lighting so any remaining step is clearly visible.
Ceiling repairs and what they reveal
Ceilings in older houses sometimes show cracks, patches, stains or old texture that no longer looks right. Before you cover them, find out what caused them. A hairline crack may be simple settling, while a stain suggests moisture that must be traced to its source before any repair is made.
Texture is a matter of taste and condition. Some homes have heavy textured ceilings from past decades, and many owners prefer a smoother surface. Changing it involves dust, careful preparation and often the repair of the surface beneath, so it is wiser to plan it alongside lighting and paint rather than as an afterthought.
Ceiling work is also an opportunity. While the surface is open or being repaired, you can add recessed lighting, update fan locations or improve ventilation routes. Doing this before finishing saves repeated disruption.
Consider the lighting plan at this stage. Recessed fixtures need room above the ceiling and a layout that avoids glare, and ceiling fans need a proper support. Think about where switches will sit and whether dimming makes sense. A ceiling that is repaired without a lighting plan often gets cut open again a year later to add what was forgotten.
Our pages on water stains on ceilings and painting and drywall explain how causes and repairs are separated.
Rethinking the kitchen layout
The kitchen is where layout decisions matter most. In a mid century style house the kitchen may be small, closed off and set apart from the family room. In a newer house it may be large but awkward, with long distances between sink, cooktop and refrigerator. Both can be improved by thinking carefully about how you cook and move.
Start with the work triangle and traffic. Ask where people walk through the kitchen, where the refrigerator door opens and where the dishwasher sits relative to the sink and storage. Small changes, such as moving an appliance a few feet or adding a peninsula, can transform the flow.
Storage and counter space are the other half of the layout. A kitchen can have a perfect triangle and still frustrate you if there is no landing space beside the cooktop or no place to set groceries down. List the tasks you perform most often and make sure each one has a surface and a nearby home for tools. This kind of planning matters more than the exact style of cabinet door.
If you are considering removing a wall, begin with questions. Is it a load bearing wall? What runs through it? What would a beam require? Your city building department sets the rules on structural changes and permits, so ask before assuming. Our page on wall removal basics explains how this planning question is approached.
The pages on kitchen remodeling and dated kitchen layouts go further into the process.
Opening up without losing comfort
Open concept living is popular, but it is not a universal answer. Opening a kitchen to a living area brings light and conversation, and it also brings cooking noise, odors and visual clutter. A partial opening, such as a wide pass through or a half wall, may give many of the benefits with fewer drawbacks.
Think about furniture and storage. Removing walls removes places to put shelves, cabinets and televisions. If you open a space, plan where those items will go, and plan where the supply and return air for cooling will run, since open rooms can change how well they are cooled.
Acoustics change too. Hard floors, high ceilings and big windows can make an open room echo. Rugs, upholstered furniture, textured wall treatments and ceiling details can soften the sound. See the guide to open concept planning for more about trade offs.
Ventilation deserves a second look in an open plan. A range hood that vents outside becomes much more important when cooking smoke and moisture can drift across the whole living area. Ask about hood size, duct routes and makeup air, and ask your city or building what is required. Good ventilation protects finishes as well as comfort.
Newer houses and the problem of too much room
Newer houses in the area often have large, open rooms with tall ceilings. That scale can feel impressive and also a little impersonal. Many owners want to make the space cozier, more organized or better suited to how they live.
Ideas include defining zones with lighting, rugs and furniture placement, adding built in storage along a wall, or introducing a coffered or beamed ceiling detail. A long, empty wall might hold a built in desk, shelving or a bench. These touches give a large room structure and warmth.
Pay attention to scale in fixtures and finishes. Small pendants can look lost in a tall room, and a tiny backsplash behind a large range looks undersized. Choosing items sized for the room makes the whole space feel intentional. A useful test is to tape the outline of a fixture or cabinet on the floor or wall and live with it for a day, because scale is easier to judge when you can walk around it. Our guide to pendant and chandelier placement covers sizing and height.
Bathrooms and primary suites
Bathrooms in mid century style houses are often small and may have a single sink and a tub shower combination. Bathrooms in newer houses may be larger, with double vanities and separate showers. In both cases the key questions are about wet area construction, ventilation, storage and lighting.
If you are changing a tub to a shower, ask how the floor will be built, how it will slope to the drain and what waterproofing sits under the tile. Ask where the fan exhausts. These hidden parts decide how well the bathroom lasts in a humid climate.
A primary suite is more than a bathroom. A closet that works, a vanity with good light and a bedroom that is quiet and comfortable all contribute. Think about natural light and privacy as well, since a window above a tub or shower needs a finish that tolerates water and a covering that keeps the room private. Our pages on planning a primary suite update and bathroom remodeling outline the questions.
Sequencing the work and protecting your daily life
Remodeling in an occupied house requires thought about daily life. If the kitchen is out of service, how will you eat? If one of two bathrooms is being rebuilt, how will the household share the other? Planning these answers in advance keeps stress lower.
Dust and noise are the other daily realities. Ask how work areas will be separated from living areas, how floors will be protected and how debris leaves the house. A clear plan for the path from the work area to the outside prevents damage to finishes you have already completed. Pets and children need a plan too, such as a closed off zone and a safe place away from tools.
Order of work matters. Structural and mechanical changes come first, then ceilings and walls, then floors, then cabinets and fixtures, and finally paint and finishing touches. Sequence errors, such as installing flooring before heavy work above it, are common and avoidable.
Make a list of deadlines for selections. Cabinet styles, tile, fixtures and appliances should be chosen before they are needed. Our page on sequencing trades in a remodel shows the logic in detail.
Starting the conversation
Our process is simple. You call and tell us about the property, the space and your priorities. We talk through layout, materials, storage, lighting and the existing conditions, then build the plan and selections. Before construction, we go over the plan and the information needed before work begins.
Bring photographs of the rooms, notes on floor changes and ceiling marks, and a rough sense of how you want the home to feel. These make the first conversation specific and useful.
Neighboring areas share many questions, and you may wish to read about remodeling in Lauderdale Lakes and Coconut Creek.
When you are ready, call and we will start with a plain conversation about your house.
Questions and answers
How do I know whether a floor level change can be corrected?
It depends on how large the difference is, what lies beneath and how the surrounding rooms connect. Options include building up the low area, adjusting the high one or designing a clear transition. Each affects doors, thresholds and ceiling height, so measure first and discuss the choices during planning.
Should I repair a ceiling crack or look for a cause first?
Look for a cause first. A hairline crack may be simple settling, but a stain or a repeating mark suggests moisture or movement. A repair that ignores the cause tends to return. Once the source is understood, the surface can be repaired, smoothed and finished properly.
Can I open the kitchen to the living room?
Often it can be done, but first learn whether the wall carries load and what pipes, wires or ducts run inside. Your city building department sets requirements for structural changes and permits. A partial opening can give light and conversation while keeping some separation from cooking noise and odors.
How can I make a large new house feel more comfortable?
Define zones with lighting, rugs and furniture, add built in storage or shelving to long walls, and choose fixtures sized for the scale of the room. Ceiling details and warmer finishes also help. Planning these items together prevents a large room from feeling empty or impersonal.
Do older houses always hide surprises?
Not always, but conditions behind walls and under floors are hard to see. Earlier repairs, moisture and outdated materials can appear once work begins. Planning with some flexibility, and agreeing how changes are written down and approved, keeps surprises from turning into disputes.
What should I prepare before the first call?
Gather photographs, rough room measurements, notes on floor changes and ceiling marks, and any association or community paperwork. Think about what frustrates you and what you would keep. You do not need drawings. We build the plan and selections with you after listening to your priorities.