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DIY Dream Modern Farmhouse

DIY Dream Modern Farmhouse

sectional sofa in modern farmhouse

A 1980s fixer upper in Oklahoma gets DIY updates to become a dream modern farmhouse.

It’s always inspiring to see someone transform their entire home through DIY projects. But is that possible for the rest of us? According to blogger and homeowner Astra Spanbauer of At Home with Astra, the answer is yes. 

In the living room, Astra replaced the original carpet with vinyl wood flooring, installing it herself, of course. “I like the durability of it, having kids and pets, I didn’t want something that would get scratched up and ruined in real life,” she says.

When she first moved into her Shawnee, Oklahoma home in 2018, she knew very little about power tools or DIY projects. “I knew it would be a lot of work to update [the house],” she says. “My ex-husband was very handy, so I thought it was great that he would do all these projects. And then we got divorced. And it was a fixer upper, so I had to figure out how to get the projects all done.” Little by little and step by step, Astra has become a DIYer and has turned her home into her dream farmhouse, customized for her and her children.

Learning Curve

The home was built in 1979 and had an interior design to match. “It was a 1980s dream when I bought it,” Astra says. The house has 3,600 square feet, and all of it needed 21st-century updates. “I wanted to figure out how I could do it on my own without spending a lot of money,” she says. “I’m the kind of person that if I see someone else doing it, I figure I can do it too.” Astra started with painting and since then she has tackled big projects that have included plumbing, tiling, laying flooring and even gutting walls.

But that doesn’t mean she’s done it perfectly every time. “My skillset has definitely grown significantly in the last 5 years,” Astra says. One of her biggest “fails” was in redoing her kitchen countertops in 2022. She decided to pour concrete countertops. “I love the concrete, but I didn’t do a good job,” she says. “I didn’t get the consistency right, so it was lumpy.” She had to completely redo the island, but the other countertops were better, so she left them. “They’re fine to anyone else, but I know how good it could have been, so I see all of the imperfections.” Astra has since poured more concrete countertops for her outdoor kitchen, which turned out much better because she’d had some practice.

Modern Farmhouse Vibes

Besides the practical results of updating an aging home, Astra has been able to add farmhouse style into the design. “I like farmhouse and modern farmhouse,” she says. “I’m starting to lean more toward modern than I was before.” These modern touches include black doors against white walls, high contrast finishes and trims and a mostly neutral color palette.

Astra also sprinkles in some vintage amidst her modern farmhouse design. “I have this one local shop [that] I love,” she says. From Roger’s Vintage Depot, Astra has bought furniture and other décor elements to add to her home—many of which she has repainted herself to get the custom look she wants. A few of these include the lockers in her dining room, the vanity in her primary bathroom and the buffet table in the second dining room.

And what will she do when she runs out of spaces to DIY? “I’ve already done the kitchen twice, so I’ll find something else to do,” Astra says. “I’m also going to start doing client work, so that will be very exciting. I’ll incorporate that into what I’m sharing on Instagram. I’ll work with clients on design consultations, and if local clients have DIY projects they’re doing, I can help them. Or I can consult [with remote clients] on DIY projects they can do.”

Astra’s story is a good reminder that it is possible to get your dream modern farmhouse, even if you must create it yourself from what you’ve got already.

See Also
DIY Apothecary Cabinet finished


To see more from Astra Spanbauer, who was our 2022 Brand Ambassador, hop over here for her DIY projects!

Of course, stay tuned here and on InstagramFacebook and Pinterest to get your daily dose of farmhouse inspiration!

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