Interior Design Studio · Serving Bellevue
Kitchen Remodel Design in Bellevue, WA
NU Curations designs kitchen remodels for Bellevue homeowners: layout, cabinetry, materials, and lighting resolved into one cohesive, buildable plan your licensed contractor can build with confidence.
Book a Design ConsultationBellevue kitchens are ready for their second act
Much of Bellevue was built in the 1960s and 70s, which means thousands of good houses are carrying kitchens designed for a different era of cooking and gathering. A remodel is the chance to bring the heart of the house up to how you actually live. The difference between a good result and a great one is design: layout, cabinetry, materials, and lighting decided as one composition before construction begins.
NU Curations is a Seattle-area interior design studio working across the Eastside. Our Bellevue design work includes Thekoi Sushi & Sake Bar, and our residential portfolio spans kitchens from Queen Anne to Kenmore.
What our kitchen remodel design service includes
We handle the design decisions that make or break a kitchen remodel, so you walk into construction with a complete, buildable plan instead of a folder of inspiration photos.
Layout & space planning
We rethink how your kitchen actually works: the cooking triangle, storage, seating, and how the room connects to dining and living spaces.
Cabinetry & millwork design
Cabinet elevations, door styles, and storage details designed around how you cook, entertain, and put things away.
Materials & finish selections
Countertops, tile, hardware, plumbing fixtures, paint, and flooring chosen as one cohesive palette, with every specification documented.
Lighting design
Layered task, ambient, and accent lighting, from pendants over the island to under-cabinet lighting, planned before the electrician arrives.
Contractor coordination
We prepare the drawings and specifications your licensed contractor builds from, and stay available to answer design questions during construction.
Styling & finishing
Once construction wraps, we layer in the open-shelf styling, seating, and finishing details that make the kitchen feel complete.
Kitchen design from our recent projects
How much does a kitchen remodel cost in Bellevue?
Eastside kitchen remodels tend to run above the metro average, since kitchens here are often larger and homeowners typically select premium materials. Ranges published in Bellevue remodel guides cluster into three tiers:
Refresh
$35,000 to $50,000
Keep the layout, update the surfaces: counters, backsplash, hardware, paint, and lighting that modernize the kitchen without moving plumbing.
Full remodel
$50,000 to $80,000
New cabinetry, counters, appliances, tile, and a full lighting plan within the existing footprint. This is the most common Bellevue scope.
Layout change
$80,000 to $150,000+
Walls opened, the footprint rethought, structural work involved. This is typical when a 1960s or 70s kitchen is fully reconnected to dining and living space. High-end custom scopes in Bellevue can run well beyond this range.
Ranges reflect construction market costs paid to your licensed contractor, based on published Bellevue-area remodel guides; design fees are quoted separately after consultation. Homes of this era can surface dated plumbing and electrical that affect construction budgets.
How a kitchen remodel design project works
Our process is designed to replace uncertainty with momentum, whether you are refreshing finishes or reworking the entire layout.
- 1
Start with a consultation
We learn how you cook and live, what is not working in the current kitchen, and what you want the space to feel like.
- 2
Get a clear design direction
We shape the layout, cabinetry, materials, and lighting into one cohesive plan, refined with your feedback.
- 3
Hand off a buildable plan
Your licensed contractor receives complete drawings and selections, so bids are accurate and construction starts with clarity.
- 4
See it through with confidence
We stay involved through construction questions and finishing details so the built result matches the design.
Why Bellevue homeowners choose NU Curations
Nearly half of Bellevue's single-family homes were built between 1960 and 1979, and that era shaped some of the city's best neighborhoods. Somerset's split-levels were designed around their views, stepped into the hillside with big windows facing the lake and skyline, which means a kitchen remodel there should protect sightlines, not block them. Lake Hills and Newport Hills are full of ranches and split-levels whose closed-off kitchens are the single biggest opportunity in the house.
In West Bellevue and Northwest Bellevue, the pressure runs toward teardowns, with modest mid-century houses replaced by much larger new builds. A design-led remodel is the alternative: it keeps the scale, character, and garden of the original house while giving you a kitchen that performs like new construction.
We bring a design studio's eye to that work: the layout, cabinetry elevations, stone, tile, and lighting drawn and specified as one composition, then documented for your licensed contractor. Our Bellevue design work includes Thekoi Sushi & Sake Bar, and our residential kitchens, like Queen Anne Crestside's marble-topped island and espresso station, show the level of resolution every project gets.
Neighborhoods we serve
- West Bellevue
- Bridle Trails
- Somerset
- Lake Hills
- Newport Hills
- Woodridge
- Enatai
- Crossroads
Client Experience
“Neha was great to work with! We were very unsure how we wanted to design our home and she was so helpful and designed a beautiful space. She was very responsive and professional. We were very happy with her overall process and are loving our new home. We would highly recommend her!!”
Alex, NU Curations Client
Kitchen Remodel Design across the Seattle area
Core Eastside
Frequently Asked Questions
Ranges published in Bellevue remodel guides put a surface-level refresh at roughly $35,000 to $50,000, a full remodel within the existing footprint at $50,000 to $80,000, and a layout change with structural work at $80,000 to $150,000 or more. Those are construction costs paid to your contractor; design fees are quoted separately.
Plan on roughly three to six months end to end. Design and selections typically take two to eight weeks, cabinetry lead times run six to ten weeks, and construction spans six to sixteen weeks depending on scope. Bellevue permits are filed by your contractor through MyBuildingPermit.com, and issuance times vary with scope.
Teardowns are common in West and Northwest Bellevue, but they are not the only path. If the house's bones, lot, and neighborhood are right, a designed remodel delivers a kitchen that lives like new construction at a fraction of the disruption, and it keeps the character that made the house worth buying.
Yes. In view neighborhoods like Somerset and Enatai, we plan the layout so the work zones, island seating, and upper storage never fight the windows. The view stays the focal point and the kitchen frames it.
No. NU Curations is an interior design studio, and construction is performed by your licensed general contractor. We design the kitchen, document every selection, and coordinate with your contractor so the build matches the plan. If you do not have a contractor yet, we are happy to work alongside the one you choose.
Permitting is managed by your licensed contractor as part of construction. Our role is to provide the design documentation and selections your contractor works from, and to keep the design intent intact through the permitting and building process.
Start the Conversation
Tell us about your kitchen
Share a little about your home and what is not working in your current kitchen. We will follow up with thoughtful next steps and honest advice about scope, budget, and timing.
Tell us about your project
Start with the form below and we'll follow up with thoughtful next steps for your project.