What started out as an unexpected disaster quickly turned into an opportunity for change when Town and Country homeowners discovered a crack in their basement floor. Foundation issues that needed immediate attention pushed them to redo their lower level, turning it into the space they had always dreamed of.

After building their home in 2006, the couple thought they had built the perfect basement. It had a bar, a gym and a place for guests, but after several years in the home, they found they never used the space and, honestly, just did not like it.

Seated at the peninsula in her tired, dated kitchen, a Ladue homeowner wistfully envisioned her family and friends gathered around a center island while she prepared delicious meals and snacks. While her current kitchen wasn’t necessarily small, it was narrow, making it nearly impossible to add a center island that was the appropriate size for seating and aisle space. A peninsula extending from one wall provided seating, but it cut off the flow to the breakfast room and doors to the home’s exquisite backyard patio and pool.

“I can never just cook a simple meal,” gushes homeowner and bona fide foodie Allison Gulbrandsen. Apparently her culinary exuberance slipped into interiors, too, because what began as a simple nursery project quickly enveloped Gulbrandsen’s entire residence, ending with the dramatic reimagining of an outdated Chinese-toile papered dining room.

After 50 years in Davis Place, Elaine and Tom Tucker made a big move from life in a single-family home to high-rise condominium living.

Remodeling is on the rise in 2014 as more and more homeowners are taking the steps to improve one, if not several, spaces in their homes. Careful planning, sticking to a budget and enlisting the help of an architect and/or remodeling professional will ensure a successful end result. If you are considering embarking on a remodeling project, we want you to be inspired. This special before-and-after section highlights innovation and clever design at its finest, from kitchens and bathrooms to living spaces and an exterior.

After creating dream kitchens for countless clients, Sheri Finkelstein, owner of REDECORIZE LLC, decided it was time to have one of her own. Her husband was set on staying in their St. Louis home, but the cramped kitchen space wasn’t going to cut it for their growing family of children and grandchildren. Last September, Sheri set out to construct her tailor-made kitchen.