Read This Before You Buy a Restored 316 Theme! {Review}
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If you’re a food blogger and are looking for customizable, beautiful themes, keep reading! I’ll explain everything you need to know about Restored 316 Kadence themes in this comprehensive and 100% honest review.
The blogging world is divided about many topics, but especially one in particular.
Experts say you need to focus on speed, loading times, and responsive designs. Your blog needs to be lightning-quick!
Other experts also say it needs to have a great user experience, making it easy for your readers to find what they need and move quickly.
Then there are us, the bloggers, who crave beautifully designed websites that tell a story about their brand.
Do you sacrifice beauty for speed? Or do you set up your blog to make as much money as possible, pushing the user experience to the limit?
As a highly visual person, I can’t skip the last element. I love blogs that are beautiful, thoughtfully designed, easy to navigate, and fast.
They need to evoke something in me – a feeling, a vibe, a craving. There are decent blogs, and there are blogs that catch your breath in your throat and make you an instant fan. But the most beautiful, intuitive websites often cost a small fortune (often between $10-45k).
If you want the best of all worlds: a customizable, nimble site with a beautiful aesthetic and thoughtful user experience, I recommend Restored 316 themes.
I bought my first Restored 316 theme back in 2022, so it’s been a long time now. I have significant experience installing, customizing, and exploring these themes on my blogs and my clients’ and I’d love to break down everything I know!
What is Restored 316 Designs?
Run by Lauren Gaige, Restored 316 Designs sells feminine WordPress themes, block collections, and digital templates all built on the Kadence block editor.
Basically, these are plug-and-play website templates you can install and start customizing on your own instead of hiring someone to build a custom website for you.
Themes are the visual structure you use to organize the content of your website. It’s how your site looks. There are many different ways to structure your blog, but I highly recommend using a block editor, like the Kadence or Genesis framework.
Block collections are specific visual components that you might want to add to your site. They make your content pop!
Especially if you already have a Restored 316 theme and you want to use some of the design elements from another theme, you can purchase additional blocks to add to your own site.
Conversion callouts and funnel builders are like special themed versions of the block collections. They are pre-designed blocks that you can tweak and customize. They’re designed for high visual appeal and impact!
Save 25% on your next theme
Restored 316 only holds two sales per year and it’s about to be one of them! Use code r316bf24 to save 25% on your new theme or bundle multiple items together for 30% off. This is the best time to buy all year!
Restored 316 Kadence Themes Review
What is Kadence?
Remember how I mentioned block editors? Well, one of the reasons why I hesitated to switch to Restored 316 themes was because I didn’t understand what Kadence was. Did that mean I’d need to buy another theme in addition to the Restored 316 theme?
Technically, you do need to install another theme as well, but it’s free! Kadence is a block editor, similar to Genesis, which makes it easier to add custom designed sections to your website without having to code anything.
Yes, there is a pro version of Kadence that opens you up to more block collections and features. Personally, I don’t like to pay for themes that require me to pay a yearly subscription…I’d rather pay one set amount upfront and be done with it.
I’ve never paid for Kadence Pro and still have beautiful, functional Kadence child themes on all of my websites. This is really not an issue!
How to install Kadence free theme
The free Kadence theme is incredibly easy to install. Let me walk you through it.
- Go to this website
- Click the button that says “Try Kadence for Free Now.” A zip file will download to your device. Do not unzip it.
- Go to your WordPress site. Hover over Appearance in the left sidebar and then click Themes.
- Find the small Add New button at the top of the page.
- Click the Upload Theme button.
- Select “choose file” and click on the zip file that was downloaded earlier.
Now, if you want to use Kadence and not install a Restored 316 Design, go ahead and click “activate” to start adjusting your theme to your preferences right away.
If you want to install a Restored 316 Kadence child theme like mine, you’ll need to do a couple more steps, but don’t worry! Restored 316 offers excellent documentation and has both videos and visuals to guide you through each step.
What types of themes does Restored 316 Designs sell?
Wait a minute. If Kadence is a free theme, what exactly does Restored 316 sell?
Child themes.
Child themes are pre-designed theme templates you can download onto your site so that it looks a certain way. You won’t need to spend any time coding. Just adjust the photos, fonts, colors, and text to make it your own!
Starter, Premier, and Signature Themes
Over the years, Lauren and her team have started to offer different types of themes ranging in price and sophistication.
- Starter themes are $79 and perfect for new bloggers
- Signature are usually about $149-179 and are a great mid-range options
- Premier are $249 and have the most features for pro bloggers
In 2024, Lauren and her team implemented starter themes, which are pared-down themes for beginning bloggers. They cost around $79 each, have a beautiful design, and include all the essentials you need to get started.
I started another blog this year and decided to try one of the starter themes for the setup. I absolutely loved everything about it – the fonts, color palette, designs, and more – and was able to launch my new blog in literally one day.
If needed, I can DIY anything extra I want to add or add a block collection or conversion callouts for extra features.
How to pick the right Restored 316 theme
Since Restored 316 has so many themes, it can be hard to choose one! How do you make sure you invest your money in the right one? Fortunately, there’s a quiz to guide you through the process!
1. Explore the theme shop and toggle the features you need.
You can also sort the themes by your purpose (lifestyle blog, food blog, service provider, run an online shop) and your specific needs (recipe plugin, announcement bar, custom recipe index, resource page, sales page, etc).
If you’re a new blogger, you might not even know what you need. My advice for you right now is to dream as big as you can.
Is there any chance you might want to start a podcast? Write a book? Set up a YouTube channel? Do you want to sell courses or maybe even physical products?
Pick a theme that will grow with you
Restored 316 themes are the starting point. Many of them already have pages to help you promote products or services, not just blog posts.
Even if you don’t feel ready for that next, big scary step, starting your blog with a beautiful, responsive, customizable theme will allow you to grow your site as your vision expands.
2. Click “view demo” to open up each theme and poke around.
When you open the theme you’re considering, look for the “view demo” button to see a live, interactive site with that theme. You’ll be able to look at the different home page options, category pages, etc. I found this to be so helpful as I could really experience what my reader would see.
I always, always, always look at the different homepage design options because this is really the “face” of your blog. Explore every page and focus on the structure more than the colors or fonts – those are easy to change.
Don’t forget to check the view on your phone and computer!
3. Purchase your theme and install
Restored 316 has fantastic video resources to help you with every step of the process. It’s very simple to install Kadence and the child themes, and then get customizing!
I always start by switching my branding over (logo, fonts, and colors), then get started updating the homepage and about page. Pretty much everything else can be sent to “drafts” while you get the bare bones together.
Don’t worry – it’s easier than it seems.
Still not sure? Take the quiz to find the perfect theme for your blog.
Best WordPress Themes for Bloggers
After personally purchasing and setting up several R316 themes, I’d like to map out some options that I recommend for different types of blogs. Many of the options can be used for food or lifestyle blogs and you can toggle the features to find one that fits perfectly for you.
- Food or Lifestyle Blogs: Limoncella Theme, Create Theme, Homestead Theme, Thyme, Sage Theme
- Travel Blogs: Rosemary Theme or Journey
- Podcasters or Authors: Scribe
- Service-Based Businesses: Olivia or Elizabeth
- Online Store: Boutique Theme
My Restored 316 Experiences
I splurged on my first Restored 316 theme in 2022 and eventually chose the Thyme theme. It was simple, neutral, and looked so easy to customize!
The set up was super simple and I loved customizing it. It was so nice being able to save reusable blocks to use around the site and I loved being able to change the color scheme and fonts so easily!
I really thought there would be more of a learning curve using Kadence, but it was so intuitive and easy to use. After using it for the past couple of years, I feel very confident with Kadence and can make pages look however I want with it!
But, the looks were just part of it.
3 things that changed overnight
The longer I have my theme, the more I wish I switched earlier. Imagine how much sooner my blog would have taken off if my site was faster and easier to navigate!
Site speed
The real reason I pulled the trigger was that I was tired of my site tanking my page speed tests. I had so many plugins installed to offer functionality that my free theme simply could not match.
Those same plugins were slowing me down and causing readers to leave my page before it fully loaded. My site speed improved immediately!
Yes, a bad theme can cost you business!
Better reader engagement
Plus, I was using a couple of tools to help recommend related posts to people at the bottom of each post.
They clearly were not working because my page stats improved overnight. Even if I had the same amount of viewers, they were clicking through post after post.
Save 25% on your next theme
Restored 316 only holds two sales per year and it’s about to be one of them! Use code r316bf24 to save 25% on your new theme or bundle multiple items together for 30% off. This is the best time to buy all year!
Great feedback
Additionally, I get positive feedback from readers and fellow bloggers all the time. When I started working on collaborating with other bloggers, I know that my slick site helped prove to them that I was doing this right.
I know that having a “pretty” blog doesn’t sound that important, but it can absolutely set you apart. Remember – Restored 316 themes are also lightweight, mobile responsive, and intuitively designed. They’re not just beautiful…they’re powerful.
Over the years, I’ve purchased several block collections, the conversion callout, and two more themes (Olivia and Lauren). This website is set up on Olivia and has been a perfect fit for my writing business.
After trying 3 themes, block collections, and more, I’m a diehard Restored 316 fan and recommend them for literally every blogger. Food bloggers, lifestyle bloggers, travel bloggers…you cannot go wrong.
Do I still love my theme?
Looking back over the themes now, I can see that visually, I prefer some of the other themes.
I often think about switching to the Farmhouse Theme or Homestead, but honestly, I’ve customized my site so much and am happy with it.
Maybe one day I’ll switch, but my site still really works for me, and if I do need a new theme, I’d just buy the block collection anyway. Easy!
Are Restored 316 Kadence themes worth it?
Yes, yes, yes. First, Restored 316 themes are professionally designed to be aesthetically pleasing, user-friendly, and responsive. They load quickly, look great, and are built to help you convert your readers into regulars.
To buy a similar web design, you would need to pay most likely $10,000 or more. But if you get a solid child theme, you can make minimal changes to make it your own for a custom look without the high price tag.
I‘ve wasted way more than $200 of my time tweaking cheap free themes. Restored 316 themes are beautiful right out of the box and will help you improve your online presence instantly.
Even if you’re a new blogger operating on a shoestring budget, spending a little bit on a premium blog theme can really elevate your brand and make you look like the real deal.
Just be prepared to do a little work. This isn’t a totally DIY option, but it’s definitely not hands-off. You’ll need to change all of the photos, text, and colors to suit your style.
(P.S. I’m launching a Website in a Weekend offer to help bloggers set up their site, including copy, email marketing, and more!)
Answer all your tech questions right away using Restored 316’s robust theme support resources. They even have a Facebook group and offer exceptional customer service.
There are also several different types of products to choose from, including child themes (ranging from $79-249), block collections, funnel builders and more. This makes it easy to find a product to fit any budget.
FAQs
If there’s something you really like about one of the other Restored 316 themes, you can purchase a block collection. This is a way to install all of the beautiful page designs you love from a different child theme onto your own.
I’ve done this before and it’s so simple. You basically end up with another tab of designs to choose from when you’re setting up your pages and posts, and it’s so easy to use.
Yes, but only 1-2 times per year. Birthday and Black Friday. I almost always order something during these sales!
They currently have their BFCM sale going, so this is the perfect time to buy!
Save 25% on your next theme
Restored 316 only holds two sales per year and it’s about to be one of them! Use code r316bf24 to save 25% on your new theme or bundle multiple items together for 30% off. This is the best time to buy all year!
