BEFORE & AFTER: A Honey Bee Ham Restaurant Goes From Tired & Dated To Fresh & Delicious!

This was a fun project for us last year.

It was something a bit different from the residential work we typically do.

And because I finally got my daughter in town to photograph over the holidays, I’m excited to share the final results with you.

This deli has been a mainstay in our area for a long time.

They sell delicious honey hams, cajun turkeys, and other foods to serve a crowd, but also have seating for dining in. Their burgers are famous, and the ham sandwiches are my fave!

The food has been bringing in the customers for many years but the interiors...well...they were rather tired and dated. This establishment needed an update.

Here are the before images:

I wanted to give it a hip, cool vibe — one that was on-trend with other cafes and restaurants in the area, while staying within their tight budget. We needed something fresh, clean, a bit industrial, including some easy-to-clean surfaces.

My design plan for the space looked like this:

Before & After: A Honey Bee Ham restaurant remodel | Honey Bee Ham Concept Sketch | Interior Designer: Carla Aston

You can see more of our plan HERE. It included chalkboard signage, barn lights, Tolix style chairs, and a black and white color scheme with some yellow accents (for a nod to the honey bee :-). We did a wood-look tile floor for ease of maintenance; and we used a black textured laminate for tabletops and counters. I wanted to call attention to the space from just outside the doors, making the front counter area the statement in the space with the large chalkboard signage there and the crazy tile pattern on the face of the counter. It draws your eye there and brands the business in a big way.

We went all in with this. We helped with the selection of the napkin holders, sandwich baskets, highchairs, signage for the bathroom, etc. Details matter, you know?

I just love how it turned out and how the biz owner was intent on following the plan all the way through.

I hope it will last them for many years to come!

AFTERS

Honey Bee Ham's New, Delicious Design!

PROJECT DESIGNER: Carla Aston | PHOTOGRAPHER: Tori Aston | CHALK ARTIST: Conrad Aleshare | CONTRACTOR: Dave Rupp

Before & After: A Honey Bee Ham restaurant remodel | Cafe signage and counter | Interior Designer: Carla Aston / Photographer: Tori Aston

Before & After: A Honey Bee Ham restaurant remodel | Chalkboard sign | Interior Designer: Carla Aston / Photographer Tori Aston

Before & After: A Honey Bee Ham restaurant remodel | Tolix style stools and bar | Interior Designer: Carla Aston / Photographer: Tori Aston

Before & After: A Honey Bee Ham restaurant remodel | Cafe Tolix chairs | Interior Designer: Carla Aston / Photographer: Tori Aston

Before & After: A Honey Bee Ham restaurant remodel | |Chalkboard sign - cafe counter | Interior Designer: Carla Aston / Photographer: Tori Aston

Before & After: A Honey Bee Ham restaurant remodel | Cafe signage and counter | Interior Designer: Carla Aston / Photographer: Tori Aston

Before & After: A Honey Bee Ham restaurant remodel | Cafe - Deli counter and signage | Interior Designer: Carla Aston / Photographer: Tori Aston

BTW...

Three of those lights came in the wrong size, and they were opened and installed before I had a chance to see them. I couldn’t return them then, so I have some for sale! (Yes, I couldn’t have three smaller lights in the sea of larger ones, so we reordered.) Check them out in my outlet shop HERE!