For many people, the kitchen is the heart of the home where family and friends gather to nibble and nosh while sharing stories and making memories. With an Italian heritage, a deep love for food and a propensity for entertaining, homeowner and interior designer Mary Tramelli is definitely one of those people. But her tiny (123 square feet) kitchen posed a problem. “It meant that I was alone in the kitchen while the party went on without me,” says Tramelli, who was forced to prep food in the small space and then bring it out to guests. She knew a remodel was long overdue.

Forget everything you thought you knew about retirement center aesthetic and that dull, one-room ubiquity the phrase conjures up. Taking cues from the avant-garde tradition of experimental design, local interior designer Holly Blumeyer of Holly Blumeyer Interior Design Group pushed the boundaries when she converted two adjacent rooms at the Mari de Villa Retirement Center into an unexpected suite brimming with custom design and a whole lot of class.

Faced with the task of updating the charming but outdated kitchen in their century-old Georgian-style Central West End home, Greg and Kim Minana made some dramatic changes. Envisioning a welcoming space, the Minanas melded modern amenities with classic finishes to retain the allure of their 100-year-old home. “Contemporary décor wasn’t right,” says Kim. “But, the functionality is still contemporary.”

It’s shaping up to be a great summer at Andy and Anita Higginbotham’s Chesterfield home, where warm days are spent in the new pool, meals prepared in the outdoor kitchen are served on the enlarged patio, and balmy evenings on the screened porch feature the soothing sounds of the backyard’s two water features.

Historic houses are beautiful, with their high ceilings, intricate moldings and gracious Old World touches. They’re not always practical, however, especially when it comes to kitchens and baths, where modern layouts, plumbing, fixtures and materials are not just stylish but essential to daily life.

But that doesn’t mean that fans of stately old homes need to forego the classic. Given knowledgeable contractors and experienced interior designers, these charming old spaces can be given a facelift that adds the best of the new while preserving the past.

With its exposed brick wall, sculptural rug, sleek drapes and tonal palette of soothing grays and taupes, this dining room in a Central West End loft strikes a warm, modern vibe. But when Joni Spear of Joni Spear Interior Design first saw her client’s space, it was a bit plain Jane. “It was pleasant, but it looked almost like a model home—it lacked pizzazz,” she explains.