When Jessica and Nate decided that they wanted their South Dakota home to better reflect their sense of style, they called on Chelsea and Cole DeBoer to help them add some bold “ranch glam” to their outdated house. In the premiere episode of HGTV’s “Down Home Fab,” Chelsea and Cole gave the kitchen and sitting room some unique, modern updates.
While the original kitchen contained a few stylish details, the space required several updates. The cabinets were in great shape, but they needed some new color and hardware. The floors were made up of large white tiles and the island was abnormally short, which prevented the family from being able to comfortably sit or stand around it during mealtime.
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With a kitchen budget of $35,000, Chelsea, Cole, and their team started by demolishing the small island and ripping up the old countertops. They removed the old flooring and later replaced it with dark, sliced french oak hardwood to help bring out the “ranch feeling.” They painted the cabinets black for an affordable way to make a big change. They also tore down the wall that had previously separated the kitchen from the dining area, which created an open concept look with lots of natural light.
Chelsea shared that she thought that “every room should have a magical moment,” so she opted to give the stove a chunky and dramatic black vent-hood-turned-statement piece that could tie everything together. She picked out butcher block countertops for the surrounding spaces and a veined quartz countertop for the new kitchen island. She also used the quartz on the backsplash for the stove. The team wrapped the base of the new island in copper and brought in four light blue chairs to help complete the look.
The original living room was similarly outdated. The focal point of the space was a massive wood-burning fireplace, but the room as a whole was too dark. The walls and ceiling were made out of dark wood and the floor was carpeted. “We love the wood aspect and tones to it, but something, I think, needs a little bit of a new look to it,” Nate said.
Keeping their $15,000 living room budget in mind, Chelsea and Cole added the same wooden flooring from the kitchen into the living room in an effort to add some “rustic warmth” to the space. They painted the walls and ceiling a dark green to add some warmth, but refrained from touching the ceiling beams in an effort to maintain the original cabin vibe of the space. They also installed custom antler chandeliers, which created a chic lodge feel.
The greatest transformation in the living room was the stone on the fireplace, which Chelsea and Cole chose to whitewash. While Jessica was on board for the idea, Nate was initially hesitant because he was afraid of losing the stone’s character. In a compromise, the DeBoers promised to lighten it up in a way that would keep the original texture and color variation. They used a 1:1 paint:water ratio in the whitewash to help keep it on the lighter side. The team painted the outer shelves the same dark green as the ceilings and walls before stacking the shelves with wood. They also replaced the original flagstone hearth with the same quartz that was used in the kitchen. From there, they extended the quartz into a waterfall effect, so that the hearth was completely covered.
“What you’ve done is awesome,” Nate said after seeing the living room. “It feels like ours now.”
“Down Home Fab” airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV and discovery+.
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Name: Gretchen Raguse Location: SE Portland, Oregon Size: 615 square feet Type of Home: One-bedroom Apartment Years Lived In: 3 years, renting
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“I fell in love with my apartment the second I saw it,” admits Gretchen Raguse, who’s been renting this 615-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment in Southeast Portland for three years. “Growing up in Portland, I feel the most connected with the character of the Eastside. I stumbled upon this spot during my daily Craigslist scroll and realized it was exactly where I wanted to be in the city. It checked all my boxes; it’s walking distance to my favorite park, close to great places to eat and shop, and it had the charm I was looking for.”
Gretchen says she loves the architectural details like hardwood floors, arches, and the 1920s-era elements, but the apartment’s layout and large amounts of storage were also big selling points. “It has its quirks, but I enjoy making the most of the ‘landlord special’ and I’ve been grateful to give this blank canvas my personal touch,” describes Gretchen. Some of those changes have been small DIYs like renter-friendly fabric wallpaper accent walls, to significant add-ons to the small kitchen to make it much more functional.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: Eclectic, Curated, Repurposed, Functional, Maximalist
Favorite Element: I love using vintage fabric as wallpaper. I came across this idea on Apartment Therapy a few years ago, and knew I needed to try it out in my own space. For me, the application is much easier and more affordable than that of traditional wallpaper or peel and stick. The added texture of the fabric feels high-end, contemporary, and gives the space a unique personality.
I started with an accent wall in my kitchen, meant to visually divide the area for my office. Repurposing a dress my mom made in the ’70s, I cut and pasted the fabric together to form a repeating pattern. I only had enough to cover a small section, so I added trim and beadboard to fill out the wall. Fabric as wallpaper quickly became an obsession of mine and made its way through my apartment. After the accent wall, I added it to my hallway ceiling and bedroom. Even my friend’s place got a fabric makeover!
Biggest Challenge: Incorporating my ugly 1950s brown, beat-up, floor-to-ceiling wall heater was definitely my biggest challenge. As soon as I moved in, I knew I needed to get creative with how I would conceal this eyesore. I contracted a friend of mine to build a custom heater cover, complete with three raw-edge walnut shelves. I envisioned this design to resemble a mantel, providing space for decor and other seasonal tchotchkes, while still factoring in the functionality of the heater behind it. Once the cover was built, I painted the main structure to blend in with my apartment walls. I’m very pleased with how it turned out and it’s been a wonderful solution to an unsightly problem.
Proudest DIY: The kitchen was lackluster to begin with. The original cupboards and countertops only lined one side of the room, leaving just a stove and a small set of recessed shelves on the opposite wall. I wanted the stove to feel more integrated and needed more storage in general, so I built a series of freestanding kitchen cabinets and counters using mostly secondhand materials.
I rehabilitated a discarded lower cabinet to function as my coffee bar, food prep area, and home for my microwave. This floor unit is tucked into the right side corner and gives the stove a built-in feel.
On the left side of the stove, I sourced an old dining room buffet, which I purchased at an estate sale. By turning this piece sideways, and aligning it to the recessed wall shelves, I created a small kitchen peninsula. This added counter space and divided the kitchen into a cooking area on the right and a small office area on the left. Unfortunately, this orientation exposed the buffet’s unfinished backside near the stove and required extensive cosmetic work. When finished, this gave me a convenient place to hang my cutting boards.
The front side of the buffet has two doors giving me easy access to ample storage for office supplies. With a little more effort, I also replaced the top and added lift-up hinges to create an optional standing desk.
To complete the kitchen design, I repurposed an old bathroom storage cupboard, salvaged from a remodel, and secured it to the wall directly above the stove. It was shallow enough to allow room for cooking to happen underneath, and its extra height mimicked the original built-ins. I then used a variety of open air shelving to fill out the remaining wall space. With all of these upgrades, my kitchen now shines and the space feels functional, dual-purpose, and complete.
Budget: I’m a frugal girl, so budget is always a priority when decorating. I’m also a thrifting expert and pride myself on finding killer deals. For instance, I found the round, blue corner chair in my living room online for just $20. This same chair is often listed at upwards of $2k. Finding deals like this is part of my process and it’s how I furnished my apartment while keeping my budget incredibly low.
Is there something unique about your home or the way you use it? Apart from an office in the kitchen, I’ve carved out a number of dual-purpose spots in my home by utilizing a strategic layout and every inch of storage available. I worked hard to maximize my square footage through creating intentional and inventive solutions to make my space multifunctional.
I have a makeshift yoga studio stored in my living room credenza. When the motivation strikes, I can easily grab what I need to work out and set up in front of the mirror I installed on the back of my bathroom door. In my main closet, I have a fold-down ironing board and drying rack attached to the inside of each door. When they’re open, my laundry station is ready to go. In my front doorway I added an eye hook to hang a hammock chair on nice days. It captures the feeling of having a sunroom and extends my living space into a shared courtyard. All of this easily tucks away, but gives me options, and makes my small home more enjoyable!
Please describe any helpful, inspiring, brilliant, or just plain useful small space maximizing and/or organizing tips you have: Buy a label maker and get obsessed with it! It’s my favorite way to create order in the home. Other than that, the rest comes with a lot of trial and error. I have moved the dishes in my kitchen from one cabinet to another, too many times to count. I keep going until I have a system in place that functions smoothly with my lifestyle and makes the most sense spatially.
Finally, what’s your absolute best home secret or decorating advice? ABT. Always Be Thrifting. Most everything can be sourced secondhand or made yourself. Thrift often and think outside the box. Check out resale and secondhand shops, online marketplaces, estate sales, and friends’ throwaways. Then take your time making the space feel good for you. Start with the things you love, and see what develops. Don’t be constrained to a certain style or design, because sometimes the best solutions are discovered in the process. The worth becomes what you create from what you find. Best of all, you save a lot of money!
Drew Barrymore has always credited her makeup artist and best friend, Deb, with helping her get through her divorce. When Deb wound up going through her own divorce, Barrymore decided to give her friend a fresh start in her longtime home. In the latest episode of HGTV’s “Celebrity IOU,” Barrymore teamed up with Jonathan and Drew Scott to renovate Deb’s house.
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The focus of the renovation took place in the kitchen and dining area, where Deb and her son spent a bulk of their time. While the kitchen was in decent shape, it hadn’t received any upkeep in recent years and the wear-and-tear had begun to show. The kitchen was scarce, lacked function, and had worn-down wooden floors. It was also in need of more storage, counter space, and room to host dinner parties.
With a timeline of five weeks, Barrymore and the Scott brothers kicked off the renovation by tearing down the old white shelves and cabinets. They removed the patio doors from the kitchen (and moved them to the living room), so that they could use the extra kitchen space to install additional cabinetry and storage. Barrymore picked out light wooden cabinets with black brass hardware and a light backsplash. The team tore up the old wood flooring and replaced it with new, light wood flooring in a herringbone pattern to add some “comfortable sophistication” to the room.
“Just because Deb likes modern doesn’t mean you can’t have a classic touch like herringbone,” Drew said. “This actually elevates the look of the space.”
In an effort to increase counter space (and give Deb and her son a casual breakfast bar), the team installed a kitchen island. They used white quartz on both the countertops and the top of the island, which featured a black base and two matching chairs. The white quartz helped give the counters a marble look, minus the easily stained properties of true marble. For additional storage, the team added floating shelves in the kitchen, which they filled with dishes and decorations.
They brought in totally new appliances, including a fridge that was easily concealed within the same wood as the cabinets. They also incorporated a hidden trash can and dishwasher within the cabinets, which helped give the entire kitchen a seamless and clutter-free appearance. They installed a stylish, customized oven and stove top range. Barrymore picked out a black stove with brass hardware to give the space a “timeless” look.
“With the wood cabinets and the darker island, the range will strike the perfect balance of modern-chic without overpowering the overall design,” Jonathan said.
The team also installed a pot filler over the stove, so that Deb could easily fill pots with water while cooking (rather than lugging a pot over to the sink). They completed the final look by adding plants, flowers, a new white dining table, and four comfortable dining chairs. They also added a pair of brass hanging lights, which matched the hardware on the stove and helped pull the entire space together.
“It’s just such a lovely enhancement to our lives,” Deb said. “I almost don’t feel worthy enough for it, because it is so beautiful and it’s so extravagant.”
“Celebrity IOU” airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV and discovery+.
Olivia Harvey is a freelance writer and award-winning scriptwriter from outside Boston, Massachusetts. She’s a big fan of scented candles, getting dressed up, and the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley. You can make sure she’s doing okay via Instagram and/or Twitter.
