Why Are Chip and Joanna Gaines Being Blamed for Barn Burglaries in Kentucky?

Kentucky -- a state with more barns per square mile than any other state -- has had an issue with its aging structures being stripped of the weathered planks by thieves.Apparently the burglaries have accelerated with the farmhouse chic trend made popular by Chip and Joanna Gaines on their HGTV Fixer Upper show, according to a story published Tuesday in The Louisville Courier-Journal. Sheriffs across the state have seen some barns stripped to their frames and aluminum roofs, The Courier-Journal reported. Local lumber buyers are working with local sheriffs to trap sellers of stolen wood.The Gaineses have never advocated stealing wood to install rustic embellishments in their designs.While Chip and Joanna made distressed wood a good thing to find in and add to home renovations, they aren't the only people pushing the rustic design ideas. As The Courier-Journal discovered, a search for "reclaimed wood" on Etsy returned more than 98,000 results.Twitter: @MariaHalkias  Continue reading...