Kitchen Remodeling in Southern Highlands, Enterprise NV

Southern Highlands was developed by Olympia Group from 1999 onward, with the gated Estates added a few years later. The kitchens we remodel here were almost all delivered between 2000 and 2012 with the same template: a walled-off kitchen separated from the family room by a load-bearing wall with a pass-through window and a knee-wall bar. The cabinetry was clear or honey-toned maple, the counters were slab granite, the backsplash was tumbled travertine, and the appliance package was GE Profile, KitchenAid, or — on the higher-end Estates plans — first-generation Wolf and Sub-Zero. Twenty years on, the layout fights the way these houses get used.

The remodel we run almost always pulls the dividing wall. Because it's load-bearing on most Southern Highlands plans, the engineering work is the first step: we run the load calcs, spec a flush LVL or steel beam, and pull the structural permit through Clark County before demolition. With the wall out, the kitchen and family room read as one great room, and the new kitchen gets re-laid around a single 10'–12' working island with seating on the family-room side and prep on the kitchen side. Plumbing usually moves with the island, which is a permitted plumbing change.

Cabinetry rebuilds in custom inset or semi-custom in painted finishes — warm whites, soft greens, deep blues and warm walnut are what we're specifying most this year. Full-overlay refrigerator and dishwasher panels are standard so the Sub-Zero and Cove appliances disappear. Perimeter runs to the ceiling with stacked glass-front uppers above the working cabinets, and the original drop soffit comes out flat to recover height. Lighting rebuilds as a layered LED plan with under-cabinet, recessed and a statement fixture over the island.

Appliance packages here lean Sub-Zero / Wolf / Cove or Thermador, with Miele dishwashers on the higher-end Estates projects. The range-vs-cooktop split runs about 60/40 in favor of a 48" range — most Southern Highlands homeowners want the visual statement of a real range under a custom hood. The hood itself is usually a hidden insert behind a plaster or millwork surround.

Stone has moved off granite. Most projects we quote now run quartzite (Taj Mahal, Mont Blanc, Calacatta Macaubas, Patagonia), honed marble (Calacatta, Statuario) on the island when the owner accepts patina, or quartz on the perimeter with a stone slab on the island. Backsplashes are running floor-to-ceiling slab matching the counter, or large-format porcelain — tumbled mosaic tile is fully out.

HOA and permitting: the Southern Highlands Community Association and the gated Estates sub-HOA review exterior changes, paint, roof, hardscape and additions — not interior kitchen work. Plans submit straight to Clark County Building Department. The structural permit for opening the load-bearing wall runs in the same submission as the kitchen scope. We pull all SMEP permits in-house.

Timeline and budget: 10–14 weeks on-site for a full Southern Highlands kitchen including the structural wall removal, plus 6–10 weeks of design, cabinetry shop drawings, structural engineering and material lead time. Most Southern Highlands kitchen projects land $120,000–$280,000 depending on cabinetry program, appliance brand and stone selection. The gated Estates projects with larger footprints and higher-spec appliance packages push higher.