Don't stress - Distress!

So let's face it... we want to have a beautiful home with nice furniture, but the common complaint I hear among parents with young (or even teen!) kids is that nice/expensive furniture will just get all beat up. So they continue living with the stuff they have, even though they hate it. So how can you buy better furniture but not have to stress about the toll everyday living can take on it?

Don't Stress - DISTRESS!!! Selecting furniture items that look great with dents and dings can make both your design aesthetic and your family life happy! You won't need to freak out when your expensive new piece is ruined by a scratch or dent. You don't have to keep the kids out of the family room just to keep your stuff nice.

 

Railroad Tie Coffee Table - Great for a Modern Home

When choosing furniture, parents with particularly rambunctious kids (or renters whose stuff gets dented and dinged in transport and moving) may want to consider how a piece will distress. A piece that is already rusticated will benefit with age from some dents and dings, and you won't have to tear your hair out if your brand new furniture gets damaged - more distress adds to the charm! Distressed furniture is easy to live with and can be incorporated into any design from traditional to modern.

You can purchase "new" from many different sources such as Restoration Hardware, Ikea, Viva Terra, etc. Don't have the cash to buy it new? Look for antique or vintage furniture at your local flea market, Goodwill store, or even curbside on trash day!

 

Reclaimed Wood Dining 

And of course, distressed doesn't have to mean wood. These are some GREAT metal twin size beds that would be super cool for kids well into their teen years : Weldhouse Twin Beds 

There are lots of great ideas for distressed items if you are looking to purchase new furniture. Next blog post... finding it used and rehabbing old furniture. Stay tuned!