Design
Measurements, collaborative concepts and 3D renderings give shape to your ideas.
Structural remodels in Muncie, for a floor plan that works
Some homes hold you to a layout you never chose. 1874 Design Studio offers structural remodels, where the design and the build are handled together by one team.
A division of Knapp Supply Co.Full-service remodelingStructural remodels & additionsDesign, selections & 3D renderings
Can this wall come down?
If that is the question you keep circling, it deserves a real answer rather than a guess. A structural remodel is the kind of project where a load-bearing wall, an opening or a whole floor plan is reconsidered, so the house works the way you live now.
You do not need to know which walls are load-bearing before you call. Tell us what feels wrong about the arrangement, and let the structural questions be ours to work through.
Structural work here is always part of a larger project: a kitchen or other space where walls move or come out, an addition, or a stand-alone structure. We do not take on a structural repair by itself, such as jacking up a house, opening a single wall for a header, or modifying an existing structure when no space is being remodeled.
Opening a wall between the kitchen and living room
Often, this question starts in the kitchen. You want to see the living room while you cook, or the kitchen feels closed off from the rest of the house. Whether that wall can open, and how, depends on what the wall is doing. Some walls only divide space. Others carry weight from the floor or roof above, and removing one means that load has to be carried another way, usually by a beam. Walls can also hide plumbing, wiring or ductwork that would need a new route.
Tell us which wall you are thinking about and what you want the open room to feel like, and let the structural questions be ours to work through. If the kitchen itself is changing too, our page on kitchen remodeling covers that part of the conversation.
Design and build are one conversation here
Everything we do is design build. We do not sell design on its own, and we do not hand a drawing to someone else to figure out. That matters most on a project like this one, because the person answering your structural question is part of the team that will do the work.
It means the answer you get in the design conversation is the answer that carries into the build. Ask what is possible, and ask what it would take.
Engineering, permits and the finished room
Changes to a load-bearing wall usually call for an engineer's input and a building permit. We provide the structural engineer and the building permit as part of the project. Which office issues a building permit depends on where you live. For addresses inside the City of Muncie, it is the City's Building Commissioner, and for unincorporated Delaware County, it is the County's office. Delaware County lists both on its permit jurisdiction page.
Once a wall comes out, the rooms on either side have to meet. Floors and ceilings that used to stop at the wall now run together. That is why the finishes for an opened space are planned as one room, and the Discover phase brings those selections into the same conversation.
Start with how you move through the house
Think about the path you take through your home on an ordinary evening. Where do you have to squeeze past someone? Which room do you walk through instead of into? Which doorway would you widen if you could?
Those small frustrations describe a floor plan better than a list of rooms. Bring them with you. Space planning and interior architecture are part of our services, and this is exactly the kind of detail they begin with.
Gather details before you name the change
Look through the project gallery and notice the finishes, the proportions and the small details that hold your attention. You do not need to work out why they appeal to you; that is part of what we are here for.
Bring the ones you keep coming back to into the conversation.
Follow the project through its four phases
Design, Discover, Deliver and Difference carry the project from measurements and concepts through selections, project review and the build. For a structural remodel, Design is where the question of what your walls are doing gets taken seriously.
Discover
Explore material selections, including name brands and boutique lines, with guidance on finishes.
Deliver
Review the project details and proposed total cost.
Difference
Design, project management and trade professionals come together for the build.
3D renderings
See your space before it’s built
Where a structural remodel fits your larger plans
A wall often comes down because of a kitchen. If your idea started in one room, explore our pages for kitchen projects and bathroom projects. If the changes reach across the house, start with whole-home renovations. If you are thinking about gaining space rather than rearranging it, home additions may be the better conversation.
Structural remodels across our service area
1874 Design Studio works with homeowners in Delaware, Randolph, Madison, Hamilton and Boone counties. Choose a city to start there.
Which space is on your mind?
Tell us what you love about your kitchen, what you would change and the look you are drawn to.
Begin with the bathroom you have and the changes you would like to make.
When your ideas reach across several rooms, start with the home as a whole.
What would make you want to spend more time downstairs? Picture the activities you’d like to make room for.
Walk through laundry day in your mind. What would you most like to change about the space?
Think about arriving home with your hands full. Where would you like everything to go?
Picture your ideal workday at home. What would you want around you—and what would you leave outside the door?
Considering built-ins or a fireplace remodel? Share the room and the changes you have in mind.
Stock inspirationWhere does your house run out of room? Picture the space you wish were on the other side of that wall.
Stock inspirationCustom On-Your-Lot New Construction
What would you build if you started from the land up? Picture an ordinary morning in it.
Structural remodel questions
Am I stuck with the layout I have?
Not necessarily, and that is worth finding out before you plan around it. Describe the change you wish you could make, and we will talk through what your home allows.
Do I need drawings or an engineer before I contact you?
No. Bring what you have; a sketch or a description is enough. We will talk through what your project needs and when, and if it needs a structural engineer, we provide one.
Can I hire you for the design and use my own builder?
No. Anything we do is design build, so the design and the construction stay with us as one engagement. Tell us about the full project when you reach out.
Where does the cost conversation happen?
Deliver is the project-review phase, where the details and the proposed total cost are looked at together before anything is built. The consultation form also asks for your expected project investment and your desired completion date, so both are on the table from the start. Ask about timing for your project when we talk.
How is a structural remodel different from an addition?
A structural remodel changes how the space inside your existing footprint is arranged, such as opening a wall or moving a doorway. The square footage stays the same. An addition adds new square footage to the house, and our home additions page covers that path.
How do I know if a wall is load-bearing?
Often you cannot tell by looking. Whether a wall carries weight from above is part of the structural questions we work through with you, and when the wall calls for it, we provide the structural engineer.
Will I see the new layout before any walls come down?
Yes. Design concepts and 3D renderings are part of our Design phase, so you can see the proposed layout before construction begins.
Is there structural work you will not take on?
We do not take on structural work by itself. Jacking up a house, opening a wall for a header, or modifying an existing structure on its own is not work we do. If the structural change is part of remodeling a space or building an addition, such as opening a wall or rearranging the floor plan, we take it on as part of the design and build.
Can we live at home during a structural remodel?
Usually, yes. Most of our clients live at home while we remodel, and our team uses site protection, air scrubbers and daily clean-up to make that as comfortable as possible. For some projects, we plan the work in phases so parts of the house stay usable.
What happens at the first consultation?
It is a conversation about your project, held in your home or at our Muncie showroom. We talk through what you want to change and the scope of the work, and screenshots or saved images are welcome. Detailed measurements come later, at a field measure, once design begins.
Tell us what you would change
Describe the room, the wall or the layout that keeps coming to mind, and the questions you would like to work through first.
(765) 288-1874420 S Ohio Ave, Suite 1874Muncie, IN 47302