Kitchen Remodeling in MacDonald Highlands, Henderson NV

MacDonald Highlands was developed by Rich MacDonald from the late 1990s onward as Henderson's flagship custom-home community, built into the foothills above DragonRidge Country Club. The kitchens we remodel here were almost all custom-built between 2002 and 2012 in a Mediterranean / Tuscan vocabulary: glazed two-tone alder cabinetry, decorative range-hood arches, ogee-edge slab granite, travertine floors and a Viking, Dacor or first-generation Wolf appliance package. The bones of these kitchens are good — generous footprints, real plumbing and gas, structural steel where it counts — but the finish package and the appliance generation are the parts owners rebuild.

The remodel we run almost always re-scales the island. Original MacDonald Highlands kitchens used a smaller prep island plus a wide bar; the new design pulls both out and rebuilds around a single 11'–14' island in one piece of bookmatched stone, with seating on the great-room side and prep on the kitchen side. Perimeter cabinetry rebuilds in inset rift-cut white oak, matte-painted walnut or a contemporary high-gloss program — Bulthaup and Henrybuilt show up here, along with high-end local custom shops. Full-overlay refrigerator and dishwasher panels are standard so the Sub-Zero, Cove and Wolf appliances disappear into the millwork.

Appliance packages here lean fully integrated: Sub-Zero columns (refrigerator + freezer + wine, in pairs), Wolf 48"–60" dual-fuel or induction range with two ovens, Cove dishwasher pairs, Wolf steam oven, Wolf coffee, Sub-Zero undercounter beverage drawers, Scotsman or U-Line clear-ice machine. Gaggenau and Miele packages are running second most often on the projects we've quoted in the last 18 months. Most kitchens get a true butler's pantry or scullery built behind the main kitchen to handle the daily clutter — espresso, toaster, second dishwasher and pantry storage all live there.

Stone selections are bookmatched quartzite (Patagonia, Cristallo, Taj Mahal, Mont Blanc) on the island and full-height slab on the back wall. Honed marble (Calacatta, Statuario) shows up on the perimeter when the homeowner accepts patina. Backsplash is almost always full-height slab matching the counter — tile rarely makes it into a MacDonald Highlands rebuild anymore. Floors are 60"x120" porcelain or 8"–10" wide-plank white oak run through the entire main level.

Structural and view-line work: MacDonald Highlands is built on graded hillside lots, and most original kitchens were oriented with the windows along the side wall, not the rear. A common scope is to reframe the rear wall for full-height glazing toward the view, pull out a non-bearing partition between kitchen and family room, and drop the original vaulted soffit flat to recover ceiling height for a longer hood and statement light fixture. Structural steel is typically already in place; the engineering and permitting run through our office.

DRC and permitting: the MacDonald Highlands Design Review Committee reviews any exterior change — glazing, paint, roof, hardscape and additions. Expect a 3–5 week DRC review for elevation changes. Interior-only kitchen finish work doesn't need DRC. Plans go to City of Henderson Building & Safety. We run DRC submittal and plan check in parallel and pull all SMEP permits in-house.

Timeline and budget: 14–20 weeks on-site for a full MacDonald Highlands kitchen, plus 4–6 months of design, cabinetry shop drawings, DRC and material lead time before demolition. Most MacDonald Highlands kitchen projects land $250,000–$650,000+ depending on cabinetry program (semi-custom vs. Bulthaup/Henrybuilt), appliance brand (Sub-Zero/Wolf vs. Gaggenau) and stone selection. Scope that includes structural reframing of the rear glazing wall or pantry/scullery additions pushes higher.