5280 Home – August 2019

78 | 5280 HOME | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019

and we tore down the walls so you can

see through it. We ended up making the

rails out of metal electrical conduit [tub-

ing] from Lowe’s, and we spray-painted

it flat black.

Brilliant! Other hacks you’re especially

proud of?

In the kitchen, we really wanted a gray-

ish wood [on the front of the island], and

I had such a hard time because every

kind of stain we would use would bring

the red out. I did a lot of research on

Pinterest, and what we ended up doing

is putting steel wool in a Mason jar with

vinegar. You soak it for a day or two and

then when you brush [the steel wool]

on the wood, the combination oxidizes

the wood and makes this beautiful, natu-

ral finish in the color we wanted.

And you love the rest of the house?

It’s exactly what we envisioned, and

we’re thoroughly enjoying it. It feels like

we’re in a treehouse; when you look out

the picture windows, it’s almost like [the

continued

An L-shape sofa from

Crate & Barrel and a converted gas

stove cozy up the living room.

Purdy gleaned decorating advice

from her sister, Crystal Norris, who

is an interior designer.

Below: Gale and Purdy

helped balance their remodeling

budget with an ingenious hack:

Instead of purchasing new wood

balusters, which may have looked

clunky, they created an airy—and

inexpensive—version with metal

electrical conduit tubing from

Lowe’s, which they finished with a

coat of matte-black spray paint.

78 | 5280 HOME | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019

and we tore down the walls so you can

see through it. We ended up making the

rails out of metal electrical conduit [tub-

ing] from Lowe’s, and we spray-painted

it flat black.

Brilliant! Other hacks you’re especially

proud of?

In the kitchen, we really wanted a gray-

ish wood [on the front of the island], and

I had such a hard time because every

kind of stain we would use would bring

the red out. I did a lot of research on

Pinterest, and what we ended up doing

is putting steel wool in a Mason jar with

vinegar. You soak it for a day or two and

then when you brush [the steel wool]

on the wood, the combination oxidizes

the wood and makes this beautiful, natu-

ral finish in the color we wanted.

And you love the rest of the house?

It’s exactly what we envisioned, and

we’re thoroughly enjoying it. It feels like

we’re in a treehouse; when you look out

the picture windows, it’s almost like [the

continued

An L-shape sofa from

Crate & Barrel and a converted gas

stove cozy up the living room.

Purdy gleaned decorating advice

from her sister, Crystal Norris, who

is an interior designer.

Below: Gale and Purdy

helped balance their remodeling

budget with an ingenious hack:

Instead of purchasing new wood

balusters, which may have looked

clunky, they created an airy—and

inexpensive—version with metal

electrical conduit tubing from

Lowe’s, which they finished with a

coat of matte-black spray paint.