There was plenty to love about our home when we first started house hunting after our move. I looked at about 13 houses in 3 days, but when I walked into our house, I knew. I also knew the floor to ceiling paneling in the main living room had to go. My love for the house was basically built around the living room's potential. Eric on the other hand was not convinced - of my plans for the paneling that is. He loved the coziness of the room and had no desire to remove the paneling. But I persisted, and begged, and persuaded, and he finally agreed. One of the first things we did was say goodbye to the built-in … [Read more...] about Living Room Remodel: Demo Drunk
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Staining our Modern Patio Table
Shortly after building our modern patio table, we finished it with an outdoor stain to give it some color and protect it from the elements. When it came to finishing our modern patio table, there was never much debate in terms of paint vs. stain. It was more so a question of what we would stain it with. Durability and protection were really important to me. I've read some shall we say "horror" stories of applying polyurethane to outdoor furniture. The seal and beauty are short-lived as it inevitably cracks and flakes from exposure to moisture and temperature fluctuations. Since we would be … [Read more...] about Staining our Modern Patio Table
Modern DIY Patio Table
With a few tools and less than $100 on lumber and screws, this DIY modern patio table was a quick and budget-friendly build. After I conquered my first substantial woodworking project, I felt confident enough to tackle a patio table for our covered outdoor space. I honestly feel that designing and planning is the most difficult part of woodworking - at least for the skill level I'm at. After finding inspiration in the few modern (and expensive!) tables available online, I sketched out some plans and headed to the lumber yard to get my building materials. My supplies list included: 7 - 1x4s @ … [Read more...] about Modern DIY Patio Table
Built for a King – Mid Century Modern Bed
After endless online searches, building a DIY mid century modern bed was an easy decision. And fortunately, with the help of a Kreg Jig pocket hole system, it was also easy to make! A California King bed is something we have wanted for a long time. However once we realized how expensive a frame was going to be, building seemed like our best option. Of course I found this project to be the perfect excuse to finally get a Kreg Jig! In terms of building materials, here was my supply list: Set of 4 tapered furniture legs from (purchased from DIY Upholstery Supply which no longer seems to be in business). … [Read more...] about Built for a King – Mid Century Modern Bed
Simple Barstool Upgrade
Finding barstools for our kitchen's tiny eat-in area was a bit of a challenge. My goal was to have two stools, that when tucked under the overhang, wouldn't stick out too much. But that only left us with with less than 30" in width. As petite as some barstools looked, they measurements proved otherwise. Finally I came across a barstool at Target that was only 14" x 14" at it's widest. They also came at a reasonable price of around $55 each. While the measurements were perfect, the overall appearance was quite underwhelming. Fortunately the seat attached pretty simply to the base, and we realized we could … [Read more...] about Simple Barstool Upgrade
No DIY Needed: Faux Mantel
A simple faux mantel is a great way to give a room a focal point. Best of all - you don't even need a fireplace! I feel like I'm cheating a bit with this one. Because it's not DIY at all. I know I'm all about 'BUILD' what you love, but sometimes you just have to 'BUY' what you love. And that's exactly what I did when I decided to turn the odd living room bump-out into a focal point. There are TONS of awesome DIY faux mantels out there (everything from simple shelves to full-size fireplace frames) on Pinterest, but when I came across a simple pre-built crown molding … [Read more...] about No DIY Needed: Faux Mantel
Ikea Kitchen Remodel Reveal
Ikea SEKTION was the perfect choice for our kitchen remodel! We waited over two years to update the space. In that time we discovered ways to make our rowhome's kitchen more functional and inviting. I seriously love our kitchen. But that wasn't always the case. When I purchased the house, I wanted to immediately remodel the cabinet-lacking, pink-floor-tile, formica-covered, non-opening-window, excessive-bump-out, lack-of-counter-space kitchen. However, a co-worker strongly suggested to me that we wait it out, live in the house, get to know it, and then take on the kitchen. Ultimately, I headed … [Read more...] about Ikea Kitchen Remodel Reveal
Helpful Tips for a DIY Ikea Sektion Kitchen
We learned a lot in the process of planning and installing our Ikea Sektion kitchen. The tips below are the result of our trials, errors, and successes! 1. Measure twice, buy once. Make sure the room template where you designed your space is accurate - make sure all your room measurements are correct, and you've accounted for any obstacles. If you are going to be changing any walls, make sure to account for the thickness of studs, drywall, etc. 2. Count twice, buy once. Make sure you have the types of cabinets you really need. Do you have a space for utensils, for pots and pans, for pantry items, … [Read more...] about Helpful Tips for a DIY Ikea Sektion Kitchen
Laundry Room Pallet Accent Wall
Our DIY laundry room accent wall was created with some wood pallets, and a few other materials, for less than $40! It's a colorful focal point for our laundry room and helps hide some unsightly pipes. After painting the ceiling, walls, and concrete floors in our basement laundry room, I still wasn't satisfied with the visibility of the exposed pipes on the back wall. In addition, I felt like our washer and dryer were deserving of a better backdrop. So I came up with a quick solution that involved 2x4s, pallets, nails, and some paint. We had driven by a local pallet yard numerous times, and when Eric … [Read more...] about Laundry Room Pallet Accent Wall