74 DO IT YOURSELF Winter 2020
STYLE UNDERFOOT
In the kitchen, right,
vinyl tiles in black,
white, and two-shades
of gray were laid at a
45-degree angle to
bring a punchy look
to the cook space for
less than $150. On the
stairs, far right, after
removing about “one
million” staples, Alison
freed the cabin’s
stairs of the 40-year-
old shag carpet. She
installed a budget-
friendly runner crafted
from buff alo-checked
doormats, tack strips,
and a staple gun. (To
ensure comfort and
durability, she placed
cut-to-fi t rug pads
under the mats.)TURN THE CORNER
Alison didn’t want
to miss out on cozy
family movie nights at
the cabin. But she also
refused to spend a
ton on a hulking (and
ugly!) media console
for the great-room’s
one available corner.
She fi nally found her
fi x, installing Sektion
wall cabinets from
IKEA in a fl oating
corner confi guration,left. Maple plywood
was applied to the
tops and sides for
a more rustic look.
Come Christmas,
the television is
swapped out for
festive panels Alison
created using stained
plywood with holes
drilled in the shape
of a tree. Battery-
powered lights add
sparkle to the look.