I don’t know about you but it was in the high 70s this weekend and I am so ready for spring! I’m starting to switch out my home decor for more light and airy decor and Target has some really pretty items. Below is a round up of my favorites!
Click the link below to shop.
I’m thinking that rug and chair would look great in my new office.
Here is where I left off with this project. If you missed Part 1, you can get caught up here: https://www.fixinuptheplace.com/custom-built-ins/
We ordered two of these unfinished bookcases from Home Depot. https://rstyle.me/cz-n/hggwbic6p4f
I painted everything but the actual shelves. I stained the shelves to match the butcher block.
I had to chase off a few nosy ducks who almost decorated the driveway with paint footprints. It took three coats of paint and two coats of stain to get the color just right.
After I assembled and installed the book cases, I added a strip of shoe moulding to the edge against the wall to fill in the gap. I caulked it all and touched up the paint.
My favorite part, styling the shelves.
My client ordered these battery powered library lights from Amazon: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/hgzmmac6p4f They were very easy to install and really helped the whole space come together.
What do you think? She’s going to have her tv hung and then decide if she wants to do anything additional to the center wall. If we do, I’ll be sure to update it here!
If you are wanting to hang a tv on a wall that already has an outlet, but you don’t want to see the hanging cords, here is an easy option. You’ll need an extension cord (I went with an 8 foot white cord), two of the 1 gang Old Work Brackets (pictured & linked below) and two brush plates or split plates (pictured & linked below).
1 gang Old Work Bracket
Split Plate
Use the bracket to trace the opening. That gives you a guide as to the size of the hole to cut. Then, use a sharp drywall knife to cut the hole for the bracket and install it. You’ll do this next to the existing outlet at the bottom and behind where the tv will be mounted.
Sorry the picture is a little blurry. I tried to take screenshots from the reel I made. I’ll do better about taking still shots next time.
Anyway, do you see the little arms on the top and bottom of the bracket? As you tighten the screws, the arm sandwiches the drywall and keeps it in place.
Once the two brackets are installed, it’s time to run the extension cord. I used a rigid wire and electrical tape (pictured below).
Start by straightening out the wire and feeding it from the top opening, down the wall, and out the bottom.
Once you get the wire through the bottom opening, attach the female end of the extension cord to the wire with the electrical tape.
Use plenty of tape so that the cord doesn’t come off. Use the wire to pull the cord back up the wall and out of the top opening. Then, add the split plates and this is what you’re left with.
Below shows what it will look like once you are finished. Just plug the extension cord into the outlet at the bottom. You don’t need to have that much slack, I just had it that way for demonstration purposes.
Below is how looked once the cabinets were in place.
And this is how it looks now…
Now, once the tv is mounted on the wall, the cords will not be visible. Let me know if you have any questions.
This client wanted to do something with this big, blank wall that her tv sat on. She wanted something with storage down below and shelves to display decor on the top. We decided on custom built-ins and the first phase turned out great.
We purchased unfinished, stock wall cabinets from Lowes like these: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/g4qbwpc6p4f. If you buy floor cabinets, they will already have the kick plate at the bottom. I guess you could make that work, but it wasn’t really the look we were going for. Having the bottom be flush with the cabinets makes it look more like custom built-ins and less like kitchen cabinets in the living room.
I built a base out of 2x4s for the cabinets to sit on. I used an oscillating tool to cut out the section of the baseboard where the cabinets will go. This allows them to sit flush against the wall without a gap.
Next, I added the cabinets to the base to make sure everything looked good. I added 1 inch strips of wood in between each cabinet to take up space and for a more custom look.
Once I was happy with the set up, I took the doors off of the cabinets and painted them and the cabinet boxes. I ended up doing four coats just to be sure.
Once they were dry, I reassembled them on the base. The below picture shows a better view of the 1 inch strip in between the cabinets. This was taken before I secured them, which is why there is such a noticeable gap.
Here is how the cabinets looked after paint. I secured them to the studs in the wall and to the base with 3 inch wood screws.
Then, I added a baseboard with my nail gun, caulked everything, and touched up a few areas with paint.
I didn’t trust myself to make the long cuts for the butcher block counter so I made my husband do that. The whole unit is 131″ wide and 13.5″ wide so we had to use two pieces of butcher block. After the cuts were done, I sanded it and stained it. This is the stain I used: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Varathane-1-qt-Kona-Premium-Fast-Dry-Interior-Wood-Stain-2-Pack-266161/203371903?irgwc=1&cm_mmc=afl-ir-116548-456723-&clickid=Rlj1Gf16TxyNRXQUCYX8OUKVUkAz131tR3u52E0
Once it dried, we installed it and secured it with wood screws.
After the holidays, I’m planning on going back and adding shelves to the ceiling on either side of the tv. I will be sure to post it once it is completed.
This post contains affiliate links.
Material List:
I grabbed an 8′ 4×4 post and had the employee at Home Depot cut it in half so I could make two signs (one for my mom for Christmas).
We had left over plywood in the garage so I measured and cut two squares. One was 8″x8″ and the other was 6″x6″. I put the 6″x6″ square in the center of the 8″x8″ square and secured them with wood screws to create a base.
Next, I secured the post in the center of the base with more wood screws. I found it was easiest to turn the post upside down and secure the base through the bottom.
Then, I added the post skirt and cap with my nail gun (but you could use wood glue). The below picture shows where the post skirt should go, at the very bottom of the post.
I sanded it a little and painted it Dark Secret by Behr.
Here are some hanging signs that I am loving! https://liketk.it/3UcU9
Friends of mine just bought a house and asked me to do an accent wall in their daughter’s room. They wanted something simple that would grow with her as she got older. So, here’s what I did…
I purchased screen trim (pictured below) from Lowes. It’s super thin and easy to cut without a saw.
Screen Trim: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/g4qbwpc6p4f
Trim Cutter: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/g4qeewc6p4f
The beauty of using these strips of screen trim is that you can cut them with trim cutters. No saw required.
Another plus, the strips are so lightweight that I used painter’s tape to hold them up while I made sure the spacing was right.
Once I was happy with the layout, I used my nail gun to secure it to the wall and removed the tape. If you don’t have a nail gun, you could use a hammer and finishing nails (especially with the painter’s tape holding it for you). You also could use Liquid Nail but expect it to cause damage to the drywall should you want to remove it in the future.
This is the nail gun I use: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/g4qeewc6p4f
This is how it turned out. I filled all of the nail holes, sanded them, caulked everything and left it for paint.
This is how it looked after the painters were finished. I really like how it turned out and now I’m trying to figure out where I can do this at my house. I’m thinking vertical strips would look good, too!
I went to Home Depot to look for the 12′ skeleton that was so popular last year but once I saw that it was +$400, I changed my mind! I found these 5 foot posable skeletons https://liketk.it/3QRmt for $30 each and decided to get a few of them. I think these are more fun than one giant skeleton anyway.
We used twine and zip ties to attach them to the gutter and the roof.
Now, I’m trying to talk myself out of getting more of them. Maybe I’ll wait until after Halloween to see if they go on sale for next year.
I had the pleasure of making over my first half-bath for a client this past week. It was a nice size for a half-bath and it wasn’t in bad condition at all. It just needed a little personality.
Here is the before…
I really like the color but she wanted board and batten. I was pleasantly surprised when she agreed to do a bold color on the top.
Here is the after…
Here is the breakdown of the supplies and cost:
I used 3x8s as the vertical battens, 1x4s for the horizontal board across the top, and the 1x2s for the top ledge. For convenience, I pre ordered all of the MDF boards from Home Depot and picked them up. We decided on Very Navy by Behr in eggshell for the top of the wall and Bright White in semigloss for the bottom. We chose to not replace the baseboards so instead, I cut all of the boards at a 45 degree angle at the bottom. That way, the wood landed on top of the baseboards and didn’t hang over.
She is still in the market for a mirror and maybe a new light but over all, I really like how it turned out and am trying to figure out where I can do board & batten in my own home.
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I have been pleasantly surprised with Amazon’s selection of home decor lately. I’m going to try to do one of these posts monthly. The furniture that I’ve order have been really good quality and you all know how much I love the rugs I’ve gotten from Amazon! Below is a collection of really pretty things that I’ve found lately. Somethings I have, others I wish I did. I’m still trying to talk the husband into the star light fixture. I think it is gorgeous!
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So, this is what we started with. Not terrible, it just needed a little TLC. They donated the old furniture and pressure washed the pavers. They have a really cool roofed area that was begging for a fun, outdoor chandelier. My client and I were all set to find something amazing but her husband made a really good point. We live in Florida and what they really needed was a ceiling fan. It’s not as aesthetically pleasing, but it is more practical and I wanted them to actually use the space. The fan won.
Here is the before…
And the after!
After the fan, all they needed was new furniture, a rug, and lots of plants!
Everything used is linked here: https://liketk.it/3Eirq
Originally, we were going to get an umbrella for the table but now they are thinking of getting a pergola. If that happens, I’ll be sure to post updated pictures .
This plant basket came from Home Depot (linked here: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/gps594c6p4f ) and it is lined with plastic so it won’t leak.
