Open-Concept Kitchen Remodel in Levittown, PA — Wall Removed, Beam Added, 400 Sq Ft
Levittown’s original Cape Cods and ranches were built with closed-off kitchens — a wall separated the kitchen from the dining area because that’s how houses were designed in the 1950s. It made sense then. It doesn’t work now, when most households want the kitchen visible and connected to the adjacent living space. This project removed that dividing wall, added a structural support beam to carry the load, and rebuilt the kitchen from scratch: new grey cabinets, LVP flooring, tile backsplash, seven recessed lights, fully updated electrical, and a new window and entrance door. BMR Belmax Remodeling completed the work in February 2024 — 400 square feet, $22,000.
Scope of Work
- Demo of existing kitchen — cabinets, flooring, and fixtures removed
- Dividing wall between kitchen and dining area removed
- New support beam installed to carry roof/floor load from removed wall
- New perimeter wall framed to redefine kitchen boundary
- New window installed (improved natural light)
- New entrance door installed
- Full electrical upgrade — new circuits, outlets above countertops and on island
- 7 recessed lights installed
- New grey shaker cabinets — full upper and lower run
- New tile backsplash
- Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) flooring throughout
- New modern appliances installed
- Paint throughout
Why the Wall Had to Come Out
Levittown homes were built between 1952 and 1958 by William Levitt as affordable post-war housing. The kitchen in the original floor plan was intentionally compartmentalized — a functional work room separated from the dining and living spaces. For the era, this was standard. For today’s household use patterns, it creates a kitchen that’s isolated from guests, difficult to supervise children from, and visually small regardless of actual square footage.
Removing the dividing wall is the single most impactful change in this type of renovation. The kitchen doesn’t just look larger — it functions differently. The cook can be part of conversation happening in the dining area. Supervision of the dining table from the kitchen becomes possible. Light from dining room windows reaches the kitchen. None of that happens through a wall.
The Beam: What It Does and Why It’s Required
When a wall is load-bearing — meaning it carries weight from the structure above, whether a floor or roof — you can’t simply remove it. The load it was carrying has to transfer somewhere. In this project, a new support beam was installed to span the opening where the wall had been. The beam sits at ceiling level, supported at each end by posts or the existing structure at the wall endpoints.
The beam size is determined by the span and the load it carries. A structural engineer or experienced contractor calculates this based on what’s above. Getting it wrong means the ceiling or roof above that opening will sag or worse over time. Getting it right means the beam is essentially invisible once drywalled — you see the open kitchen, not the engineering behind it.
Electrical: Why a Kitchen Remodel Always Touches the Panel
The original Levittown kitchen wiring was designed for the appliances of the 1950s — a refrigerator, a range, maybe a mixer. Modern kitchens run a dishwasher, microwave, garbage disposal, under-cabinet lighting, and multiple counter appliances simultaneously. The original circuits can’t carry that load safely.
This project included a full electrical upgrade: new dedicated circuits for major appliances, new outlets positioned above the countertop (required by code at intervals along the counter run), and outlets on the island. Seven recessed lights were added throughout. Recessed lighting in a kitchen this size provides even general illumination without the dead spots a single center fixture creates — particularly important once upper cabinets are installed and shadow the countertop.
Grey Cabinets and LVP: The Material Logic
Grey shaker cabinets are the standard choice for Levittown kitchen remodels at this price point for a practical reason: they work with nearly any countertop color and don’t date quickly. White cabinets show wear on the face frames faster. Dark cabinets make a smaller kitchen feel heavier. Grey occupies a neutral middle ground that photographs well and reads as updated without requiring a commitment to a specific design trend.
Luxury Vinyl Plank was chosen for the floor. LVP is a realistic choice for Levittown kitchens because the original subfloor in these homes — often plywood over a concrete slab or a crawl space — isn’t always flat or dry enough for hardwood or tile without significant prep. LVP accommodates minor subfloor imperfections, handles moisture better than hardwood, and is durable under heavy kitchen traffic. It also installs faster than tile, which matters when the kitchen is out of commission during construction.
New Window and Door: Light and Access
A new window was installed to improve natural light in the reoriented kitchen layout. When the dividing wall comes out and the kitchen expands into the former dining footprint, window placement relative to work zones changes. The new window position was chosen to bring light into the primary prep area rather than a corner that no longer gets used the same way.
The new entrance door improves direct access — either to a side yard, garage, or exterior — without having to route through the living area. In a kitchen this size, a dedicated exterior door also improves ventilation during cooking.
Levittown Context
Levittown is a planned community in Falls Township and Bristol Township, Bucks County — one of the first mass-produced suburban developments in the United States. The housing stock is remarkably consistent: single-story and story-and-a-half Capes, tight floor plans, and kitchens that were never designed for the way people live today. BMR Belmax Remodeling’s Levittown kitchen remodeling services are built around the specific constraints of these homes — load-bearing walls in predictable positions, slab or crawl foundations, and 1950s electrical systems that need full replacement rather than patching.
Cost Range and Next Steps
This 400-square-foot open-concept kitchen conversion came in at $22,000 — a full scope project including structural wall removal, beam installation, new window and door, complete electrical upgrade, seven recessed lights, new cabinets, LVP flooring, backsplash, and appliances. Comparable Levittown kitchen remodels with structural changes run $18,000–$30,000 depending on cabinet grade and appliance selection. Get a project-specific number at the free estimate page.
See the full range of BMR Belmax Remodeling kitchen work on the kitchen remodeling service page.