Welcome back to Calderwood Cottage! We’ve just wrapped up the third intensive phase of our renovation journey, and while there’s still plenty to do, the progress we’ve made is truly transformative. This round focused heavily on enhancing both the functionality and aesthetic appeal of our kitchen and living room spaces, with a significant emphasis on custom beam work and improved lighting solutions. We also celebrated the completion of our fantastic new deck, adding valuable outdoor living space to our charming cottage.
Inside, the most striking additions are the newly installed, extended, and bulked-out ceiling beams. These elements weren’t just chosen for their visual impact; many serve a crucial purpose by providing much-needed overhead lighting. Given the shallow ceiling cavities and the efficient but challenging closed-cell spray foam insulation, traditional recessed lighting was a complex undertaking. The insulation leaves little room for electrical wiring after installation, making our custom beams an ingenious solution for integrating lighting seamlessly into the ceiling design. This approach allowed us to achieve both the desired farmhouse aesthetic and superior illumination without compromising insulation efficiency or structural integrity.
Transforming Ceilings: The Art of Building Beams
The journey to our stunning new ceilings began with a significant structural modification: installing an engineered beam to support the roof load, allowing us to remove existing ceiling joists and create beautiful, expansive cathedral ceilings. This formidable engineered beam is purely structural, designed to bear substantial weight and ensure the stability of the entire roofline. Unlike decorative elements, its primary role is functional, and we made a conscious decision not to conceal it or its visible fasteners. Instead, we embraced its raw, industrial beauty, letting it stand as a testament to the home’s structural integrity and the significant effort involved in achieving the open, airy feel of the cathedral ceiling.
Crafting the Large Center Beam: A Focal Point of Design
To complement the newly opened space and provide a central design anchor, we meticulously constructed a large center beam. This decorative beam was designed not only for visual appeal but also to cleverly house wiring for future lighting, enhancing the overall functionality of the living area. The construction process was methodical, starting with a robust internal skeleton.
Building the Beam’s Skeleton
We began by blocking out the sides of our intended beam path using 2×4 lumber scraps. These pieces were strategically placed to define the width and depth of the beam. Once the side blocking was securely in place, we attached 1×2 material across the bottom, connecting the side pieces and creating a hollow, rectangular framework. This skeleton provided a sturdy base onto which we could affix the exterior cladding. This foundational step is critical for ensuring the final beam is perfectly straight and achieves the desired proportions, making it a true focal point in the room.
Cladding and Detailing the Beam
With the skeleton complete, the next step involved securing 1/4″ plywood to its exterior surfaces. This lightweight yet durable material allowed us to create smooth, clean lines for the beam. We used a combination of strong adhesive and finish nails to firmly attach the plywood, ensuring a seamless and lasting finish. The thin plywood allowed for slight flexibility, which was helpful in conforming to any minor imperfections in the framing, resulting in a beautifully finished surface.
To elevate the aesthetic, we then added a decorative grid using 1×2 strips of wood. These strips were precisely cut and strategically placed to create visual interest and add a layer of architectural detail to the large beam. Working on a ceiling requires careful planning and execution, especially when working at height. Our scaffolding wasn’t quite tall enough for comfortable access to the highest points, necessitating the use of a step stool on top – a true testament to DIY ingenuity (and perhaps a moment for a friendly reminder about workplace safety!). I handled the precise measurements and cuts for each piece, passing them up to Julie, who skillfully secured them in position, demonstrating the collaborative spirit of our renovation projects.
I cut pieces and handed them to Julie to secure in place. 
Seamless Integration: The Horizontal Beam Extension
Calderwood Cottage boasts a rich history, evident in its original construction using thick, dense, and wonderfully aged lumber. This antique wood brings incredible character, but also unique challenges. The original roofline changes approximately halfway through the house, marking the point where we ceased tearing out ceiling joists for the cathedral ceiling. Consequently, a substantial, genuine structural beam remains prominently visible on the left side of the living space. Our goal was to create a visual continuity, making it appear as though this beautiful, historical beam extends all the way across the room, tying the entire ceiling design together.
Creating an Authentic “Fake Beam”
This “fake beam” extension was surprisingly straightforward to create, largely due to our resourcefulness. We utilized a piece of reclaimed wood that had previously been removed from the house during earlier phases of the renovation. This was a stroke of luck, as using original lumber ensured a perfect match in terms of age, grain, and overall character. This authenticity was key to achieving a convincing extension that seamlessly blended with the existing structural elements.
Restoring and Integrating Old Lumber
Before installation, the reclaimed wood underwent a thorough cleaning and sanding process. It’s truly astonishing how much the wood transforms once all the years of grime, dirt, and weathered impurities are carefully removed. The sanding process revealed the rich, natural beauty of the old growth timber, highlighting its unique patterns and deep hues. This restoration work was vital to ensure the extended beam not only looked authentic but also presented a refined finish.
One particular challenge arose when integrating this extension with a vertical support. The original joist was over 2 inches thick, while our available reclaimed pieces for the extension were only about 1 inch thick. This disparity required careful manipulation and crafting of a piece to precisely fit over the existing vertical support, creating a smooth transition into our new extension. While it doesn’t create the illusion of a single, continuous, monolithic joist, the visual flow and uninterrupted line it provides are incredibly satisfying to the eye, achieving the desired aesthetic effect of a truly unified space.
The successful integration of this “fake beam” perfectly illustrates how thoughtful design and creative problem-solving can preserve historical character while introducing modern design elements, culminating in a visually harmonious and captivating interior. The continuity it brings to the ceiling line makes a significant impact on the perceived spaciousness and cohesion of the room.
Anchoring the Design: The Vertical Support Beam
To further enhance the architectural harmony and balance the visual weight of our new ceiling elements, we decided to bulk out the existing vertical support beam. This step was crucial to ensure the vertical element was perfectly centered and aligned with our expansive new ceiling beam, creating a sense of proportion and intentional design throughout the space. The original support was thin and somewhat insignificant against the new, larger ceiling features.
Customizing Dimensions with Layered Materials
The process of bulking out this vertical support involved a creative layering of various scrap materials. We strategically added pieces of 2x4s, OSB (oriented strand board), and plywood. Each layer was meticulously cut and secured, gradually building out the support until it reached the precise depth and thickness we envisioned. This method allowed us to customize the dimensions exactly to our aesthetic requirements, transforming a slender post into a substantial, integrated architectural feature that felt inherently part of the new design. This adaptable approach is a cornerstone of DIY renovation, leveraging available materials to achieve custom results.
Adding Refined Details
Once the desired bulk was achieved, we applied 1×2 strips to the outside edges of the vertical support. Similar to the detailing on the main ceiling beam, these 1x2s added a layer of refined detail and finish. They create subtle shadows and clean lines that visually tie the vertical element to the horizontal beams, creating a cohesive and polished look. These small, thoughtful details make a big difference in the overall perception of craftsmanship and design. At this stage, every addition feels significant, bringing us closer to the final vision – truly the fun part of seeing all the hard work come to fruition!
Each modification, from the structural changes to these decorative enhancements, significantly contributes to the character and functionality of Calderwood Cottage. The careful consideration given to proportion, material, and detail ensures that every element serves a purpose, whether structural, aesthetic, or both. The vertical support beam now stands as a robust and elegant component, perfectly framing the space and complementing the overhead features, embodying the blend of rustic charm and modern functionality we strive for.
Illuminating Spaces: The Ingenuity of Lighted Beams
Lighting is a crucial element in any home design, and at Calderwood Cottage, we sought to create a warm, inviting, and well-lit atmosphere. While running electrical wiring to the center of the engineered beam for a main chandelier was relatively straightforward because existing connections were available, a single chandelier wouldn’t suffice for the expansive kitchen and living room area. This realization prompted the creative solution of integrating additional lighting directly into custom-built beams.
Off-Site Construction for Efficiency
To maximize efficiency and minimize disruption inside the cottage, we opted to construct these lighted beams off-site. My workspace in the driveway, with the serene backdrop of the neighbor’s barn and horses, became the ideal setting for this task. Building them on the ground allowed for easier handling, precise cuts, and a more comfortable working environment, ensuring each beam was perfect before installation. This approach also simplified the integration of the electrical components before the beams were hoisted into place.
Construction and Integration of Recessed Lighting
Each lighted beam was constructed using robust 2×4 material for its core structure, providing a rigid framework. This framework was then faced with 1/4″ plywood, creating smooth, paint-ready surfaces. Finally, decorative 1×2 material was added to the exterior, matching the aesthetic of our other custom beams and adding a touch of architectural flair. These beams were custom-built to precisely accommodate 3-inch ultra-thin LED recessed lights. These particular lights were chosen for their sleek profile, powerful illumination, and energy efficiency, offering ample light for both the kitchen and living areas without visual bulk.
Chandelier and Bulb Choices for Ambiance
For the central fixture, we selected a chandelier that would provide additional light and, crucially, ambiance. An interesting discovery during installation was that the chandelier, which we initially thought was round, turned out to be oval-shaped. Despite the surprise, we decided we liked its unique form and kept it. We opted to leave off the glass covers, allowing the beauty of exposed LED Edison bulbs to shine through. These cool white, dimmable filament bulbs offer a vintage aesthetic combined with modern energy efficiency, casting a warm and inviting glow that beautifully complements the rustic charm of Calderwood Cottage. The combination of targeted recessed lighting in the beams and the ambient light from the chandelier ensures that the space is perfectly illuminated for any occasion.
While I don’t seem to have a current picture of the chandelier fully installed with its Edison bulbs, rest assured, the overall effect is stunning. This comprehensive lighting strategy, integrated into our custom beams, has truly transformed the kitchen and living room, making them both highly functional and incredibly atmospheric. This marks another significant step forward in our Calderwood Cottage renovation, and we couldn’t be happier with the progress!
