DIY Archives - Everyday Edits

How to Create a Feature Wall with Reclaimed Wood

July 11, 2019

My house wish list is long on wants and short on cash. While prioritizing projects for our pending empty nest, we set our eyes on our basement. I just completed this one-hour corner home office project, when I realized the room needed a little something with a “wow” factor on the opposite wall. This is how to create a feature wall with reclaimed wood.

How-to-create-feature-wall-with-reclaimed-Wood-planks

This feature wall update came together when I found these weathered, hardwood boards at Home Depot. The wood boards provided an authentic, reclaimed barn wood appearance without having to find a dilapidated barn.

When I found it was cheaper to plank a feature wall with wood boards than to refinish/install wood floors, the feature wall project moved to the top of our DIY wish list.

And, that Happy Meal analogy was my pitch to my DIY partner on how to create a feature wall for his basement home office/sports lounge.

To appreciate the after I have to share the before photo.

How to Create a Feature Wall (Before)

It was like a Happy Meal for DIY enthusiasts.

On a Saturday, in between work and travel, we nailed this feature wall project. The project took less than seven hours, cost under $300 and added a layer of warmth to a room that needed a cozy update.

The only prep for the planked wall was to paint the wall before we installed the wood planks. The install instructions suggested to paint the walls a darker color to disguise any gaps between the planks.

I did a quick prep with leftover paint in the garage. The paint was left over from the Tuscany inspired period almost two decades ago.

You could also check the “oops” section in the paint department at Home Depot.

Supply List for Feature Wall

table saw/chop saw
nail gun (+ air compressor my husband gave me on Valentine’s Day)

We (mostly my husband) used a table saw (chop saw) and an air compressor nail gun to create the easiest, most hassle-free project ever.

The only math needed for this wall was when we measured the width and height of the feature wall. We started in the bottom right corner and worked to the left and up. Because we had an “open wall” on the left side of the feature wall that became our endpoint.

We positioned a plank horizontally to trim the open ended wall.

After spending months on this bathroom remodel, this project made a huge impact in our basement in a few hours.

The barn-like planks took an unfulfilled, uninspired wall and turned it into a conversation starter.

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Thrift Store Addiction

How to Make a Live Edge Coffee Table with Only a Drill

June 26, 2019

I am married to an entrepreneur. His schedule includes crazy hours and a daily dose of uncertainty and euphoria. His go-to stress release is to work with his hands and power tools. Those coping skills make up for the frenetic paced, bootstrapped business model and thousands of stories reminiscent of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. In a way, my live edge coffee table suggestion was a selfless request with his best interests in mind.

#wink

That was my pitch after I found the live edge coffee table in an Arhaus catalog. I argued our Colorado “brownstone in the suburbs” living room deserved a live edge coffee table.

And the best part of this DIY project? The only power tool needed was a hand-held power drill to attach the legs to the coffee table.

Live Edge Coffee Table Details

My husband found a local source for domestic hardwood slabs. We found our Russian Olive “species” in Denver at a store appropriately named Denver’s Wood Slabs.

We decided on a Russian Olive slab. The details of the wood slabs are on display for the customers.

Our Russian Olive slab was salvaged from a Denver park. Our future coffee table was from Denver and not a factory overseas.

Once we picked the slab, the team cut it to our approximate dimensions for a coffee table. They kept the raw edge on one side and planed and sanded the entire slab.

It was a smooth, dense Olive Slab that required the two of us to prep it for the final steps. The final steps to stain and finish with a top coat were the hardest only because we could not wait to get this table in our living room.

Do not rush these final steps.

Our job was to decide on a stain and meticulously apply layer after layer of stain. Together, over the course of several nights, we applied five coats of stain. We completed a light sanding between coats and patiently waited 24 hours to apply the next coat of stain.

Final Coffee Table Steps

I finished the coffee table with two coats of a water-based clear coat. It took a week to stain and seal the table. We ordered the table’s legs from an Etsy shop. As promised, the only power tool needed for this coffee table was a power drill to attach the legs!

We love this finished look of our live edge coffee table! It would be fun to run down there and see if I can take a few scraps for future fun projects!

Our Russian Olive, live edge coffee table is a little piece of Colorado history in our living room.

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How to Make Barn Doors for Less Money

June 17, 2019

If you grew up in the eighties do you remember when your family got their first microwave? And, all of a sudden you and your siblings were microwaving everything in the fridge just to see if it “worked?” Well, our barn doors were my kids’ microwave. Maybe not as much excitement or life-changing meal planning. But, we were ahead of the barn door trend ten years ago (I can’t believe it has been that long). We replaced every builder grade white, hollow door with either stained solid doors or barn doors in our basement.

We installed a set of double barn doors and then a single barn door. This was before a quick Google search locates affordable barn door hardware and track systems. In fact, ten years ago when we called the big box home improvement stores they referred us to large animal feed stores. Over the years we duplicated our barn doors and learned how to make barn doors for less money.Continue Reading

What We Learned with this Bathroom Remodel

June 5, 2019

The toilet flushes and the shower works so technically the bathroom is a functioning bathroom. This bathroom remodel was on schedule and under budget until it went off the rails with a series of unfortunate events. We both blame the countertop. My boys will be out of college by the time we finish the finer details of their Jack & Jack bathroom remodel. We all know those tiny punch lists items take longer to complete than the entire length of the remodel. Oh, wait I am getting ahead of myself with our before and after bathroom remodel.

For twelve years, the boys’ Jack & Jack bathroom the shade of a blue Babolat tennis bag. The shower curtain rod stayed in place with tile adhesive and blocks of wood.

If you lean in you can see the woodblock against the stone. I shared the before bathroom photos in this post.

I was a part of this decision, but I remember thinking nothing good comes when water comes in contact with wood. That scrap block of wood did not move in ten years. The adhesive held up longer than the 1/2 dozen toilet lever replaced over the course of a decade. I do not want to know what my boys were attempting to flush down the toilet that required so much force it broke the lever multiple times.

Our best decision on the before and after bathroom remodel was to hire a demo crew. It took less than seven hours for a two-man team to haul remove and haul away the tub, toilet, vanity, sinks, tile, trim and drywall.

We ordered this

When we removed the baseboards we opted to replace the builder size baseboards with the more substantial 4″ trim.

With the flooring savings, we decided to hire a tile guy to install the shower tile. We went with a conservative grey subway tile for the shower wall. We found a great deal on the tile from a floor & tile store. It looks great against the new white, cast iron tub.

Again, the tile guy was worth every dollar. He and his partner were up and down our stairs a hundred times making the tile cuts in our garage. We were on budget and saved our backs and marriage by hiring out the heavy lifting.

We were so close to finishing the bathroom before our middle son’s visit over the Easter weekend. The only thing we had to do was install the dual- sink vanity.

What could go wrong?

This is where the project went into, “You have got to be kidding me,” but I am going to save the second half of the remodel for its own post. The story and life lesson are THAT good. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have caught a peek.

How to Build Farmhouse Kitchen Shelves

April 5, 2019

The farmhouse shelves in our kitchen were one of my favorite projects. The shelves opened up the space and added a bit of a trend to my aging, dated kitchen. The farmhouse kitchen shelves were an inexpensive solution to replace the dated cabinets and not lose valuable storage. If you are looking for an entry-level DIY project these shelves are a perfect starting point.

Well, when we knocked out the wall between the kitchen and dining room we lost a row of upper cabinets. The open shelves was a great way to keep the space open and add storage space for the essentials.

It was a simple project with 2 x 12 select pine from Home Depot. We went with select pine because it has a smoother finish. I cut the pine boards to size using a table saw (with an assist from my assistant (husband) to hold the end of the board).

I used my favorite pre-stain wood conditioner to prep the wood shelves.

This was my go-to stain for most of my DIY projects. I have a few other favs, but this is a reliable stain and gives me a rich, Colorado rustic finish.

I went with a heavy bracket and found Wade’s shop on Etsy. These were super easy to install to the wall and the weight of the brackets matched the weight of the pine shelves.

The hardest part of these farmhouse shelves was capturing a photo at the right time of day (still waiting) and staging the shelves. Seriously, I was so excited to stage the shelves and it has been many late nights with episodes of Friends in the background while trying to find the right accessories.

This was an easy Saturday afternoon project. I loved this project so much I added the same shelves to our aging basement kitchenette/bar. So the farmhouse shelf photos are from both spaces.

I am taking staging suggestions for staging the shelves in the comments.

How to Make a Wood Mantel for Under $75.00

March 26, 2019

I know it’s spring, but now is the time to think ahead to next fall and the warmth of a fireplace! Take advantage of a rainy weekend and build a mantel! As a child, I remember the prep involved with a wood burning fire. My dad fanning the flames (literally) and my mom used those pinecone firestarter things to give the smolder a little more kick.

And for 32 minutes we enjoyed a wood burning fire. Not a big surprise our family was one of the first on the block to convert to a gas fireplace.

One of the reasons we bought our brownstone in the suburbs house was it came with a finished basement. And, it had a dual sided fireplace. Score! Dual-sided fireplaces are like a two-for-one. We get the benefit of one fireplace straddled between two rooms. This stained wood mantel project smoldered in my mind for years.

WOOD MANTEL BEFORE

This is a rough image of the fireplace. The white mantel and tile front were too fancy for the basement vibe we wanted to achieve. Not to mention this screamed 2002 builder grade fireplace. But, the bones were good! It just needed an update. We finished this stacked stone fireplace update last year.

With the resurfaced stacked stone front, my attention went to the fireplace mantel. This drives my husband crazy because I am always one idea ahead of him.

The white mantel was too fancy for the space. I wanted a wood mantel but not too rustic. Living in Colorado we have to tone down the log cabin and bear images that come to mind of those, not from Colorado. #wink

This year has been a year filled with smallish house updates. And, it was time to turn our attention to the dual sided fireplace. The only problem with a dual fireplace is it’s best when both sides match. So when we updated one side we made a duplicate fireplace mantel on the opposite side. We did the same process when we replaced the tiles with stacked stone.

The coolest part of this mantel was the trip to a specialty lumber store.*** My husband loves this kind of thing so he took the lead to find the knotty alder wood.

Knotty Alder Wood Mantel Details

Knotty Alder Wood 1×8′

Furring Strips

We built the mantel like a 3 sided box with the back open to make it easy to attach above the fireplace. We used 1x8x3 for the three sides of the box.

We used the furring strips to create smaller wood blocks to nail the pieces together (from the open-ended back side). Short finishing nails were used so the nails would not pop through the front.

Mantel Installation

Use a 2×4 (shorter by 5″ on each side of the mantel’s length and then screw into the studs. The finished mantel attaches to the 2×4 (because the opposite side of the mantel’s face is open).

Finish with making pilot holes on the top of the mantel and then screw into the 2×4.

We finished with Jacobean stain (my fav)

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Pottery Barn Kitchen Table Knockoff

March 14, 2019

I was this close to selling my kitchen table on Craig’s List when I saw this table on Pottery Barn’s website. In just a few minutes of side glances over my shoulder and back at the screen I knew I had a PB kitchen table knockoff in the works!

I looked at this table, zoomed in on the base and looked over to my World Market clearance table. This white PB kitchen table turned out to be the inspiration for my Pottery Barn kitchen table knockoff I finished last summer.

My veneer-ish, shiny black table was mix-matched with the shades of blue. I was so close to trading it in for something new.

I painted my round table with this Benjamin Moore color. It is Mascarpone and it is a favorite white at my house. The hardest part about this creamy white is spelling it correctly. I have to Google it everytime.

And, this Pottery Barn kitchen table knockoff is one of my favorites! My kitchen table went from a shiny, veneer-ish finish to a creamy color to brighten the space.

kitchen-table-pottery-barn-knockoff-feature

I think this table is the longest I have kept a piece of furniture free from new paint. Yes, I do touch it up, but I have not wavered in my decision to paint it a different color. I love it!

How to Create a Storage Closet from a Coat Closet

February 20, 2019

This is the time of year, with chilly temps, when I love to watch a Rom-Com movie and clean closets. Except, this particular weekend I made the decision to create a storage closet from a coat closet.

how-to-create-storage-closet-from-coat-closet-everyday-edits

I was over the wire shelves, with missing brackets and “weak weight points.”

It was time to relocate and/or organize the contents of our entry hall coat closet to a more useful storage closet.

My husband’s only question, “Why do we need new shelves when you just removed 30 pounds of wire shelves? With a slight tone to my voice I gave him my go-to pitch for house-related projects:

“I planned this project months ago.”

I describe our home as a brownstone in the It’s wider than a brownstone (that’s the suburbs part) but has multiple levels and lots of steps. Our main level includes the kitchen, family room, living room, study and dining room and guest bath.

The only storage is what is in the kitchen. This storage closet from coat closet makeover was in the works for years and once it made it to this list the plan was already in motion.

Moving down a flight of stairs to the entry level is the front door and a hall closet. When guests arrive thru the front door there are two choices; to go up a flight of stairs or to go down a flight of stairs to the basement. The basement also includes the garage entry door. You following this?

It was this accident when I saw this goo creeping (spilling) out of the entry closet that set the plan into motion. All along, our coat closet really wanted to be a storage closet.

So on a blustery winter afternoon, before the first commercial during the Proposal with Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock, I pulled all the contents from the entry hall coat closet.

With a carload of melamine shelves like these and a table saw, we got to work with measurements. We took into consideration the height of the vacuum cleaner and the back up dog food bags. It’s also nice to have a place to stash Amazon orders.

I wanted shelves where I could slide in existing storage bins. I wanted the storage closet to include the everyday essentials/non-essentials in one place. Things like light bulbs, bulk toilet paper and paper towels (remember all those stairs). It’s nice to have those supplies nearby but not next to the flour and sugar canisters.

And in a few hours and an hour of repainting the walls I had transformed a storage closet from a coat closet.

DIY Goals in 12 Months

January 8, 2019

I love lists! I make lists for the days, weeks and months. In college, I made lists by the hour like “begin poli-sci exam” followed by “finish poli-sci exam.” Those three to four days of finals generated dozens of countdown lists. It’s all about the feeling of accomplishment.

My son left for a mission trip to Belize on Sunday. I have a head cold that has settled in my lungs and sinuses so I am on day 2 of sweats and slippers. Messy hair takes on a new meaning when you have a cold. So when I ran my eyes thru his bedroom this morning to make sure he had packed all the clothes I suggested, I found this on his nightstand. He is my son. This was his packing list. #goals #proudmommoment.

I don’t know what I love more that he called his boxers, undies or that he spelled toiletries correctly.

So with a cold. my Christmas jammies and the movie The Help I buried myself into the couch nd created a list of DIY goals for 2019. It’s ambitious, but aren’t we all a little more ambitious the first week of January?

Organization will be a theme for DIY goals this year. Starting with our entry closet by the front door. This closet door looks so pretty, but what lurks behind it is a hot mess of light bulbs, batteries, extension cords and office supplies.

And, once we get the entry closet organized I will need to refresh the front door. I loved my decision to paint the stained front door white, but it gets banged up during the year. And, yes that’s a tennis racquet along the wall. Every room has at least one random tennis ball. I smile every time I find a tennis ball under the tables and window treatments. #momoftennisplayers

Next up are the cabinets on the kitchen island. I flirted with the idea when I painted the kitchen island a fun gray! And, if you follow me on Instagram you may have seen a sneak peek of my island plans! Here’s a look at the kitchen island. The cabinets are on the other side.

Another top 12 DIY goals is a major gut job of the boys’ jack & jack bathroom. I shared their bathroom here when I started dreaming of new tile, bathtub, toilet, vanity, and lighting.

Barn doors were one of the only trends we were ahead of before every other social, digital and print publication. Our last barn door project was replacing builder grade slider closet doors with barn doors. I shared a sneak peek here. But now, I want to attempt a different version of a barn door. Stay tuned!

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