Bobby Berk renovated the house his parents have lived in for 30 years

Bobby Berk has wanted to renovate his parents’ home since he was young.

“Ever since I was little, I’ve wanted my parents to renovate their home,” he told Insider. “I used to sit in the space and plan out all the little things that I wanted to do.”

“They have lived in that house for over 30 years and it was filled with so much love, but the house itself needed some love.”

When Berk’s mother mentioned wanting to make some changes in the kitchen, he took the opportunity to give their whole home a makeover in collaboration with Build.com.

“My parents were the ultimate inspiration for this project,” Berk said of the new design he created for the space.

“I wanted to create a space that was first and foremost comfortable and functional for them,” he said.

The home had an existing farmhouse style, which Berk wanted to lean into with the redesign, along with some modern updates.

“Their love of the outdoors, the modern farmhouse architecture, as well as neutral colors, was all the inspiration I needed to infuse my own design elements with their home to make it a brand new space for them while still letting it feel like ‘their’ home,” Berk explained. 

The main floor’s transformation was the most dramatic, as Berk knocked down walls to create an open-concept space.

“Opening up most of the walls on the bottom floor to be one big space was my favorite part,” Berk told Insider of the renovation.

“My father loves to sit in the living room and my mom loves to be in the kitchen,” he said. “Before we remodeled these rooms were totally separated, but now it is one big room.”

“I love hearing that they are in the same space but different rooms both doing what they enjoy doing. By creating an open concept on the bottom floor, it opened up so much more for hosting, dining, and comfort,” Berk added. 

Additions like painting the fireplace black gave the space a modern feel.

“I lean much more minimal and streamlined when it comes to my own space,” Berk said of the differences between his parents’ design preferences and his own.

“My parents, however, love a more layered look and one that is a bit more traditional.”

“On top of that, I wanted to be authentic to the farmhouse style architecture that it had and not feel like a total departure. We took that farmhouse and gave it a modern look by using traditional elements in modern ways,” he said.

The fireplace is traditional, but the black paint gives it a bold update.

The main floor also got a face-lift through new flooring.

“Flooring is one of the most important elements in a home. It adds personality, depth, and literally grounds you,” Berk said.

“Floors need to be resistant and uphold the weight and traffic they receive, while still staying beautiful over time, and these floors do just that.”

“We got them from Build.com and they could not have been more perfect for the project,” he said of the wood floors in his parents’ home.

“You can completely transform your space by swapping out your flooring.”

The dark cabinetry keeps the modern theme running throughout the kitchen.

Berk noted that if you can only renovate one room in your home, the kitchen is often a good choice because it can give your home the highest resale value.

“But if going in your bathroom every morning to take a shower depresses you, then renovating your bathroom might be a better bet,” he said.

“I always say that people should design their homes to make them happy. So ask yourself which room makes you the least happy and start there. “

Berk said that you should expect a renovation to take longer than you expect.

“Find someone you trust for construction,” he said. “Double your time, double your budget, and double your trust in the ones you hire.”

“It can be a lengthy process, but it’s all worth it in the end.”

For instance, this renovation took longer than Berk anticipated, which caused him stress.

“Having the project take longer than we had originally expected is almost everyone’s claim to fame when renovating, but for me, this was extra sensitive because I had asked my parents to move out of their home,” he said.

“It’s hard enough telling a hero that you need a few days to be in their space to make it livable and desirable, but it’s an added layer of sensitivity when it’s your parents who are homebodies and have specific needs.”

“I always say, ‘double the time and double the budget,'” he said when it comes to renovations.