It's a Shabby Thing (or Defacing the Hemnes)

Shabby Chic is all the rage, especially with coastal decor. Unfortunately, my retro living room and terrazzo floors just weren't jibing with the classic white beach style that has pervaded the rest of the house.

Harbor Farm had hardwood floors stained in a deep espresso. The Ikea Hemnes living room collection complemented those floors and the West Indies style that ran through the farmhouse, but not so much at Trading Up.

I spent a little time researching how to distress (think destroy) perfectly good Ikea furniture and came across a blog called 'I Love Rehabs'. Jennifer's ideas for her Ikea Lack coffee table inspired my project and Miss Mustard Seeds Milk Paint webpage helped bring the look to completion. 

Here's how it was done...

Start with one perfectly innocent Ikea coffee table...

Cut linear grooves across the horizontal surfaces to mimic the look of planks...

Use milk paint to cover any dark stain...

Let milk paint do its thing...

Add any amount of additional destruction you desire...

...and voila!

Kitchen Mini-Remodel (the Christmas Project)

My family believes it wouldn't be Christmas without having to slave over reno projects. This year we kept the tradition going with a mini-remodel in the kitchen. Despite an open house on Christmas Day, a week of culinary prowess, and a few electrical issues (no one was hurt), this project came together pretty well.

Before - Dark with Weird Drop-Ceiling Feature (i.e., the Headbanger)

Before - Hello? Is anyone back there?

After - Bright and Open

After

For those that like to see the "during" shots...