Dream Kitchen on a

ceiling

Exhausted by attempts to scrape off the home’s original, oldschool popcorn ceiling, Emily and Sean hid it instead using low-cost pine paneling. They had planned on painting or staining the planks but liked the raw boards so much, they just kept the wood as is. “There’s such a rustic, nostalgic feel to it,” says Emily.

Emily and Sean with, from left, Eva, 11; Oliver, 9; and Oaks, 6; and French bulldog Henri mily and Sean Paben are as fearless as they are frugal. When the can-do couple decided to save money by reno’ing the dated kitchen in their 1970s Waco, TX, home on their own, they plunged in with almost no remodeling experience, fallback funds  ––  or power tools. “I actually didn’t own an electric saw when we started,” says Sean, general manager of Magnolia Market, the store owned by HGTV’s Chip and Joanna Gaines. “I had to borrow one from a friend.” Learning as they went, the Pabens spent most weekends in 2014 transforming the cramped eyesore into an open-plan kitchen with a rusticindustrial feel. But the slim budget didn’t mean they had to sacrifice personality. With some strategic spending, the duo was able to pack the cooking space with style and still save along the way. The result: a one-of-a-kind kitchen that’s now the family’s go-to gathering hub. Still, there won’t be a repeat performance anytime soon. “I don’t want to do another remodel for a long, long time,” says Sean.

mak e v

pistachio spritz cookies

TIME: 1 hour, 10 minutes MAKES: about 84 cookies

½ cup pistachios ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 2 cups all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon salt

1½ sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 large egg 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Sanding sugar, for decorating • Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350˚F. • Pulse the pistachios and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in a food processor until the nuts are finely ground and powdery. Sift with the flour and salt into a medium bowl; set aside. • Beat the remaining 3/4 cup granulated sugar and the butter in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and beat until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the pistachio mixture and beat until completely incorporated. • Fill a cookie press with the dough, following the package instructions. Press cookies about 11/2 inches apart onto 2 ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until cookies are set and golden around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.