The '80s Kitchen Remodel That I Can't Stop Thinking About (It's Unrecognizable!)
Typically, the goal of a kitchen remodel (or any room, for that matter!) is to take an older, sometimes dysfunctional, space and bring the look into the modern day. However, some people take the design path less traveled, shall we say. And those spaces are the ones that won’t leave my mind.
As the Associate Home Editor at Apartment Therapy, I spend most of my time looking at wonderfully and cleverly designed homes and then have the privilege of writing about a few. Some of them, however, are so unique that I can’t stop talking or thinking about them long after the article deadline has passed and the story has been published. One such instance was how Danielle Herrett and her husband transformed the kitchen in their Ohio home.
What stuck with me is how Danielle updated her kitchen in a way that actually looked older by adding in beams to give it more of a historic farmhouse feel. When pulling inspiration for the remodel, she looked to “older homes and farmhouses that have rustic, lived-in charm.” And while the new kitchen has all of the contemporary appliances and practical storage solutions, it doesn’t feel like you’re standing in a suburban home. I feel transported back in time, maybe to a tranquil farm where things are done by hand and where the clock ticks slower.
In my humble opinion, the beams make the room feel like it has a storied past. They look as if they’ve been supporting the roof for years and years and, if they could speak, would have some legendary stories. In reality, they’re incredibly light and were added as part of the kitchen’s remodel.
“They are Fypon beams — faux, very light, made of polyurethane material,” Danielle said. “They come pre-made. You can pick the style — ours is hand-hewn — and we stained them ourselves. Then, we just attached them to wood blocks secured into our ceiling. The stain was a combination between the Minwax colors Walnut and Light Oak.”
The beams perfectly complement the shiplap ceiling, and these two details make the room feel as if it’s from a different period — in the best way possible. This remodel is ingrained in my mind not only because of how markedly different it used to look, but also because of the craftiness of Danielle and her husband. Instead of moving to a farmhouse, she had her heart set on a specific design style and brought those vibes into her home.
“I love that it feels old, charming, and lived-in — even though it isn’t that old,” Danielle shared. “It’s a dream of ours to live in and fix up an actual old home, but in the meantime, we have found that you can still live in and enjoy a ‘newer’ cookie-cutter-style home by taking the time to find ways to make it feel more your own style.”
To learn more about this kitchen’s incredible remodel, visit the original Before & After article.
Further Reading
We Tested (and Rated!) All the Sofas at Ashley — Here Are the Best to Suit Your Style and Space
We Tested (and Rated!) All the Sofas at Pottery Barn — Here Are the Best for Every Type of Need
See How a Stager Used Paint to Transform a 1950s Living Room
