Inspired by Distressed Signs in the Kitchen

The first distressed kitchen sign that caught my eye? The "Super Market" one in Chip and Joanna's home (the quirky house-revamping couple of HGTV show Fixer Upper - I love them). What's not to love about Joanna's farmhouse kitchen? The beautiful hardwood floors, open shelving, subway tile, industrial lighting, plank ceiling, beam, farmhouse sink, and shiny modern appliances? (Image via Better Homes & Gardens)

My kitchen is a far cry from her magazine-worthy cooking space. In fact, it's going to be a major project in my apartment - one that requires painting the walls, painting the cabinets, and working in some additional storage. Definitely a project for this coming springtime. So in the meantime, I'm gathering inspiring ideas. And that "Super Market" sign is one of them.

I'm really toying with the idea of a vintage + farmhouse + industrial vibe for my kitchen.

I love this "Farmer's Market" one, too. I also love the burlap window blinds, old railroad lanterns, and the black accent wall overhead. (via Funky Junk Interiors)

"Feed Warehouse" appears on this kitchen's distressed sign. In this space, I love the coming-together of neutrals like gray, beige, black, and white. The cabinetry is a gorgeous shade of gray and I love the open shelving. The major perk to this kitchen is the old farmhouse table used as an island. Genius - since I could use some extra counter space. I like the pot rack hanging from the ceiling, too. (via Our Vintage Home Love)

I'm not sure I'd go with "Bakery" for my distressed sign - since my bf is one hundred times a better baker than me. (His poppy-seed bread and red velvet cake are to-die-for.) What I really love about this sign is that it's vertical. (via The Old Painted Cottage)

Here, we have a "Grocery" sign in a very classy kitchen. I love that little ladder in the window, though I'd probably utilize it for hanging dish towels. Overall, it's a little too dark and beige for my taste. (via Funky Junk Interiors)

Mostly, this kitchen is much too white. But I really love the "Green Grocer" sign, dark gray accent wall, counter top styling, and that natural woven rug. (via Miss Mustard Seed)

Well hello, dream kitchen! This sign is my favorite. It doesn't really fit into the whole "distressed" theme, but it's vintage and gorgeous. That black and gold. That typography. Those vintage lights hanging overhead to illuminate it in the evening! Gorgeous!

I love the rest of the kitchen, too. Ivory cabinets with gunmetal drawer pulls. Pale gray subway tile. Open shelves that aren't your typical sleek, modern kind - but a little country cottagey instead. The retro clock. The old medicine cabinet. The industrial pendant lights. (via Fox Hollow Cottage)

The one thing about all these kitchens that isn't so, well... me? They're all very neutral. Don't get me wrong - I love gray and black. (And years of no-painting-allowed apartments taught me to appreciate white.) But I love to throw color in there with my neutrals.

Yesterday I posted about a DIY mishap that's left me with some extra plywood laying around. Well, looks like I have something to do with that plywood! And one piece is already the perfect size to turn into my own distressed kitchen sign.

Now... shall I go in the Farmer's Market direction or something else?

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DIY Cat Barrier for Under $100 (See-Through, Climb-Proof, and Too-Tall-To-Jump)

ICYMI: I gave up Cotton after deciding that after trying so many things, my two adopted cats Dahlia and Cotton were just never going to get along. Long story short: I missed her. And Cotton's back. And Dahlia's not going anywhere. My heart is big enough to keep trying. And my apartment is big enough that if I need to keep them separated long term (or permanently), it can be done.
I'm going to write-up a separate post about some of the solutions I've tried, how they worked, who they worked on, and what I'll be trying next. But in this post, I wanted to share the main 'piece de resistance' of having both cats in my apartment: an un-climbable, un-jumpable, see-through barrier to separate Cotton and Dahlia.