Mismatched Magic

One of the most expensive areas of a house to furnish is the kitchen, but homeowners can be choosy when customizing. “You don’t have to spend a fortune to decorate your home,” Becky insists. “We’ve always bought within a budget and have filled ours with many great items without breaking the bank.” She offers a few tried-and-true techniques on display in her kitchen for personalizing your own space.

Combine Cabinets: Opt for a mix of sizes, shapes and hues to develop cabinetry with a timeworn look. This kitchen is inspired by The Workshops of David T. Smith, says Becky, who built and distressed most of her components. “I wanted it to look like an old kitchen where you add a cabinet here and there as you go along.”

Shop Sales: Scour local home improvement stores for overlooked bargains, especially in the lighting department. Twin pendant lights coordinate with the over-sink fixture, but they are not identical. “I purposely went mismatched. It just makes it all more interesting,” Becky adds.

Get Stumped: Convert parts of a downed tree into a make-do butcher block. Becky had long wanted one, and Ira constructed a three-legged version as a Christmas gift. A great conversation piece, it also serves as an extra work surface.

Strive for Variety: Create a balance with objects of different shapes, colors and sizes when designing vignettes. “I may look at a spot and think, ‘I need something small and round there,’ then I look around or shop my basement storage area for the right thing. That’s part of why I don’t get rid of much. I rotate my things out a lot,” Becky reveals.

Take Another Look: Something not quite hitting the right note as you arrange your collectibles? To perfect her groupings, Becky employs her phone’s camera as yet another tool in her belt. “I take a picture, then look at it again. I see things differently in a picture, so I rearrange and balance everything until it looks right in a photo,” she explains.