Custom Outdoor Kitchen Station
- By design
- •
- 20 Jun, 2019
Now, here’s the thing about this lumber. It had definitely seen better days. It was all cedar, and it was significantly weathered. Significantly weathered. So weathered, there were concerns that the cabinet would be too rustic if we used this old ratty wood. But at Inspired By The Farm, we love a challenge, and this was the definition of a challenge.
Once all the wood had been cut and restored, we fabricated the frame, each as separate pieces, and assembled them using mortise and tenon joints. This process has been used by woodworkers for centuries and basically boils down to this: the tenon (a square peg built into a board) sticks into the mortise (a square hole cut into a board). That’s it. It’s simple, but it’s strong.
All in all, it turned out to be a wonderful little piece, and was finished just in time for the party (by about two days). We put a lot of love and care into this project, and we’re happy to see it go to such a good home.
In this, our very first blog, we…admittedly struggled to settle on a topic. We have all these big ideas that we can’t wait to share with you, from gardening tips to recipes to decorating ideas and everything in between. And yet, we couldn’t decide what story we wanted to tell first.
Well, we were getting way too far ahead of ourselves, and we realized that the best place to start is at the beginning. So we’re going all the way back to the first lesson: Farmhouse 101.
What is farmhouse style?
“Farmhouse style” means different things to different people, of course.
For us, true farmhouse style is authentic, original, and straight from the barn. Some of the pieces we get literally come straight from the barn (dust and all), some are made from barnwood, and some we find along the way.
When we think farmhouse, we think:
· Raw wood
· Corrugated barn tin
· Galvanized metal
· Gingham
· Burlap
· Twine
· Cotton
· Wheat
· Warm rustic colors
· Natural distress
· History
That’s not to say that manufactured pieces, crisp white everything, and replicas of old farm-inspired items are bad. They’re just a little more modern and urban. Hence the term “modern farmhouse.” Imagine having pristine white furniture and coming in to relax after working the fields outside all day! My grandmother would’ve had a fit trying to keep a modern farmhouse clean.
We just prefer to focus on genuine craftsmanship and unique pieces with unique stories that we can share with you.
I like farmhouse style, but it doesn’t match the rest of my décor. How can I incorporate it into my home?
Start small! Try dedicating one room or area of the house to the farmhouse look. The laundry room, guestroom, or even home office are great places to start. They’re fairly unassuming spaces that are often overlooked when it comes to decorating. In these rooms, you can take a few more liberties since they don’t necessarily have to match the motif of the rest of your home. That unfinished basement? Deck it out and make it a canning kitchen or a farm-inspired entertainment space.
Outdoor spaces also naturally lend themselves to farmhouse décor. Decorate your landscaping, porch, patio for any season or holiday with staple pieces like milk cans, galvanized buckets, or wagon wheels. Then, mix and match seasonal florals, vegetation, and fabrics to give them a fresh new look!
Do I have to cover my entire house in shiplap?
Only if you feel so inclined.
