DIY – Page 11 – Jenna Burger Design LLC – Interior Design & Architectural Consulting

DIY: Outdoor Pallet Sofa

Written by Jenna on June 20, 2013. Posted in DIY. 10 Comments on DIY: Outdoor Pallet Sofa

Despite the drear weather lately, the deck decor is coming together!

We power washed, we prepped, we stained, we built…

…an outdoor pallet sofa!

It is heaven. Take a look (or just come on over to enjoy…)

And guess what’s the best part? It cost less than $5.

Thankfully pallets are readily available in our neck of the woods (for free). I usually snag mine from the back of my local Lowe’s – thanks Lowe’s, you’re the best!

After staining the deck, I knew I wanted something nice and comfy to fill the space right outside of our dining room slider. It used to look like this before…

But went to this with a little TLC…

Here’s how:

I got 4 pallets that were all about the same size (40″ x 30″) and made 2 “sofas”. If you’re wanting to make something similar, then you can make yours as small or large as you desire. If you’ve got a big patio or deck to fill, think about making a humungo sectional. How cool would that be?!

Using 4″x4″ posts from the fence we took out last year, we cut the legs using a compound miter saw (this is a favorite of mine <= affiliate link).

Determine the height of the legs: A typical seat height is 18-20″, so we measured the height of the cushion we bought (4″ high) + the pallet thickness (5″ high), so the legs needed to be 10″.

To attach the legs, we used flat brackets (mending plate <= affiliate link) and braced them from the leg to the pallet edge.

To attach the back pallet, we used (3) 90 degree L-brackets (corner brace <= affiliate link) for each “sofa”, so 6 in all.

Then it was complete. That’s how easy these bad-boys are to make, But I will warn you… THEY ARE HEAVY. So you will definitely need some muscles & braun to lift and move the pallet sofas.

Once they were in place, we were in love!

Check out my little guy chilaxin’…

Heaven.

One more step we could have taken, but haven’t (yet or maybe never) is to paint or stain the pallets. They certainly don’t need to be left the raw wood, it just depends on the look you desire.

I’m sure you’re wondering about the cushions. Right? Boy, they were difficult to find. I found lots of cushions, but they were all too $$$. The tricky part was the seat depth of the pallet sofa which is 30″. It’s the perfect spot for lounging and napping (you’ll never want to get up), but finding a cushion to fit was rough. In the end, I ended up finding these oversized seat-with-back-cushions at Lowes. They were a bit pricey at $55/each, but they are mega thick and durable. They’ve been left in the rain a few times and survived, thankfully. With the cushy back, they fit just right for the 30″ depth.

With 3 cushions across, they were just the right size to allow for some extra room on the ends of the pallets to rest a drink & drink tray.

Even though it’s been practically raining every day, I have been totally loving our new deck space. Many a days ahead will be spent ~~snoozing~~ lounging! A more thorough deck tour to come – I promise! Until then, you’ve gotta make this pallet sofa!

An Easy Upgrade for a Small Space

Written by Jenna on June 6, 2013. Posted in DIY. 4 Comments on An Easy Upgrade for a Small Space

Large mudrooms with a plethora of storage and plenty of seating are desired by most, but not a reality for many (myself included). When I was in need of more storage in my small entryway, I decided to take advantage of the 30″ wide wall behind the front door to create more space for coats and our everyday wares.

When we first moved into our home, I had made the front closet a dual pantry / coat closet, which provided more shelf storage but cut the coat space (especially during the winter months) in half. And even with the addition of my updated “vintage” cabinet, which holds most of the kids shoes, it just wasn’t enough.

As a growing family, we needed more space for coats, backpacks, and the every day “stuff”, so using the wall behind the entry door was the ideal spot for adding built-in coat hooks and wooden crates.

Before adding the built-in coat hooks, I had hung a decorative coat hanger for the kids coats. With only two hooks, it just wasn’t enough. There was so much potential for this 30″ wide wall…

This is the wall before (and another peak at the ‘after’)…

The supplies I used for this project were:

MDF (medium density fiberboard) Board(s) cut to fit the alloted space
Drillable Anchors (if you can’t find a stud)
1-1/2″ Wood Screws
Decorative Coat Hooks
Liquid Nails or Wood Glue
Drill and/or Screwdriver
Wood Putty / Filler

Duration of Project: 4 hours (1-2 days because of drying time for paint)
Project Difficulty: Easy to Medium
How Many People Needed: 1

To get started, I cut (2) MDF boards to size to fit the wall. I had a few pieces leftover from a previous project, which I trimmed to fit snug on the wall from the wall edge to the door moulding. If you’re starting the project from scratch and purchasing the boards from a home improvement store, then bring the measurements of your wall to the store and they will custom cut your pieces – this will definitely save you time and a few headaches!

Once I had the MDF boards cut, it was time to attach them to the wall. My plan of action?? Determine the placement of the boards. Add liquid nails to the back of each board to hold it in place, then…

fuzzy pic – not so pretty, sorry. You get the picture though

…making sure they were level and plumb, I was ready to…

…DRILL! Once the placement of the boards was determined, I found the locations of the studs and drilled 4 holes through the board into the wall. If you can’t find a stud, then use anchors so the boards are securely attached.

I didn’t mention this earlier, but I installed 2 boards at different heights – One board was set lower for the kids coats and one board was set higher for the adult coats.

Once both boards were in place, I wanted to achieve a seamless look at the edges where the board meets the wall, so I used wood filled to fill in the gaps and holes.

Then it was time to paint the boards. This step was probably the hardest because as much as I wanted to make this a fun and funky spot, I also didn’t want to draw any more attention than needed. After much thought, I decided to simply paint the boards the same color as the existing wall, so it would blend in, but also provide the function that our family needed.

To add the finishing and most important touches, I completed my built-in coat rack with hooks.

Installing the hooks was real easy!

And my newly created coat hooks were complete!

Since this project was completed, the remainder of the space got a makeover too, including a new floor and freshly painted mouldings.

Once those DIY projects were complete, I wanted to make the space even more functional so I added wooden crates. I purchased the already stained wood crates from a local thrift store, but I’ve seen similar unfinished styles at AC Moore and Micheals.

I stacked 2 wood crates in the corner and one to the right to create a stepped effect. The crates are ideal for holding / storing bins, baskets, boots, bookbags, and last minute run-out-the-door essentials.

What I love about the wooden crates is that they can be moved, rearranged, or simply taken away in no time. But right now, they are the perfect addition for our newly well-functioning entry!

Even though it’s essentially a small space at 30″ wide, it’s SO USEFUL!

I also added this cute sign that I found at Hobby Lobby and thought it had such a darling saying, “Do the kindest things in the kindest ways”… something we strive for everyday!

This spot has really been a great addition to our front entry.

Do you have a large mudroom? If not, how have you maximized your front entry space? Do you have any built-ins or do you have built-in coat hangers?

How-To Stain a Wood Deck

Written by Jenna on May 30, 2013. Posted in DIY, Spring. 28 Comments on How-To Stain a Wood Deck

For the past few years, we knew something major had to happen with our exterior wood deck, but with SO much work (most of it do-it-yourself projects) to do in other areas of the yard, it kept being put on the back-burner. Well… Baby didn’t want to be put in the corner no more (I know, that was cheesy), so this year was the year for a makeover. And boy does she look smokin’…

I think (well, actually I know) one of the hesitations of the deck was the process. Well, so I thought. Honestly, it was so much easier and more manageable than I ever thought possible. One of the major reasons for that was the use of a hand sprayer. WOW, was spraying easier than hand rolling and/or brushing. We did that last year with the exterior fence and boy did it take ALL SUMMER LONG.

With a sprayer, the stain is applied (slightly) thicker and the coverage is much more even. But best of all, it takes way less time and is much less labor intensive.

Before we get to any more of the process or the after pictures, here is what the deck looked like before.

How could a deck get so bad? I dunno! Living in this house for only 3 years, I have no clue as to when the last time the deck was done. Also come to find out, the deck was previously painted, not stained. Paint on the outside (especially if it’s not the right paint) does not last nearly as long as stain. Also if you take a look, the spindles were white and after looking closely, they were only primed. What I suspect happened, is that when the deck was painted last, someone got lazy, and only went as far as painting the deck surface and the handrail around. Geesh.

Learning from that, for this before and after deck makeover project, we decided to use Cabot Solid Stain. Because we were applying it over a painted surface and didn’t want to sand down to the raw wood, a solid stain seemed like the best choice. Cabot is known for their quality wood products, so there was no doubt that they’d definitely get the job done (after being a disaster for so long)!

Supplies for staining a deck:

Stain (I used a solid stain, but also available are wood tone finishes, semi-transparent finishes, and semi-solid finishes)
Tools to clean / prep the deck surface (I used a power washer, as well as a bristle brush to get dirt off, as well as flaking wood chips)
Sprayer (this is a great one that I would recommend <=affiliate link)
Plastic wrap (for protecting areas you don’t want stained)

1. To start off it’s a must to give the deck a good cleaning. Whether previously coated or bare wood, cleaning the wood deck surface is the MOST IMPORTANT step of the staining process. A few weeks ago, I borrowed our neighbors power washer and went to town on it. It was amazing how much dirt and mildew washed away with a quick sweep of the hose. Plus all the chipped and peeling paint was stripped right off. Because of the power washers strength, it really made a nice clean surface for staining.

A brush like this with firm bristles is great for removing excess dirt and peeling wood chips. This was used right before the staining process started.

2. The house and areas we didn’t want touched were covered with clear plastic wrap.

3. With the wood deck clean and completely dry, we started staining using a hand sprayer.

JUST LIKE with spray painting, the key to hand spraying is to:

Shake Shake Shake the stain before applying

Spray about 7-10″ away for the surface

Move back and forth in a steady, rapid motion in the same direction as the wood grain

Don’t concentrate the nozzle in any one place at any given time

Start spraying in a conspicuous spot (in case is spatters at the start), then continue in a consistent sweep

Wear a mask – the fumes aren’t great to breathe in

Most importantly (which has nothing to do with hand spraying, but with staining in general), read the directions. Apply only the recommended number of coats and be sure not to overapply.

I will be honest, we had someone help us with the deck (due to lack of time) and he used a more powerful hand sprayer. Even though it’s smaller, the one I mentioned above would still work great for a deck or fence. Same rules applies.

And then it was done.

Let the SUMMER BEGIN!

I can not wait to get this deck filled with my Summer Essentials – a spot to eat, a spot to grill, and of course a spot to relax!

The details on the stain…

I wanted a darker color for the deck so it would stand out against the neutral taupe / beige siding. As I mentioned before, I decided on a solid stain because I wanted to skip the process of stripping the deck. I chose Burnt Hickory for the color. It’s perfect. I was worried that it would be too dark, but it’s just the right depth of color that I was looking for.

O, you just wait to see what’s coming… It’s going to be a party deck before you know it!

Huge difference, right?!

And about 24-48 hours, the deck was ready to use and being transformed as we speak. Many more deck details to come. Overall, the process of staining the deck wasn’t at all as difficult as I had envisioned. Yes it was time consuming. Yes, it was laborious. But all well worth it to get this finished look!

Have you ever stained a deck or fence before? If so, how was your experience? And how was the result?

Disclosure: Cabot has provided me product for my project. No one told me what to create, what to buy, how to use the product, or what to write. All opinions are 100% mine! I truly believe Cabot has a great selection of wood staining products.

Powder Room Remodel: Repairing Wall and Hanging Wallpaper

Written by Jenna on May 14, 2013. Posted in DIY, Wallpaper. 5 Comments on Powder Room Remodel: Repairing Wall and Hanging Wallpaper

Between baseball, a birthday party, and celebrating Mother’s Day (shout out to all the moms out there – hope you had a great day), there was very little time to actually get anything major accomplished on the DIY homefront this weekend. BUT, somehow with 5 minutes here and 10 minutes there, I was able to squeeze in a few trips to Lowe’s (for supplies) and a few moments to hang wallpaper. And thankfully with those spare moments, I actually got alot done and I feel like I’m making progress – even though it’s slow.

Since announcing the plans for the powder room and sharing details on the removal of the toilet and pedestal sink, the room has really taken a drastic turn – for the good. When I left you last, there was a huge hole in the wall from where the tile backsplash was removed and the wall colors were still orange and beige. Well not anymore.

Before I could even think about wallpapering, the hole had to be repaired. I’ll admit, I haven’t had the best of luck patching holes and achieving a flawless finish. It’s definitely an art. I’m good, but not great. (need a great tutorial on patching holes in the wall? check out Sawdust Girl). THANKFULLY, most of the hole will be covered with the new vanity, so I wasn’t super obsessed with making it perfect and smooth. To start, I grabbed a 2′ x 2′ piece of sheetrock from Lowe’s, cut it to fit tightly in the hole (a tight fit is key), and spackled the edges. This isn’t the best way of patching a hole, but it’s the lazy way I took – again because I know it’ll be covered with the vanity.

It took a few days for multiple thin layers of spackle and drying time before I could give the wall a good sanding. The hand sander gave a really nice smooth finished surface.

Once the walls were smooth and clean, I was able to paint and wallpaper the room.

I started out with painting the corners and edges at the window and door of the 3 non-wallpapered walls.

The color is Blue Mystery by Valspar and it’s almost an exact match to the background color of the wallpaper. Even though it’s blue, it has a deep purple / violet hue. It’s actually a very different blue than my office, but with the foyer in between the two spaces, you can’t notice the differing tones.

Once the walls were done, it was time to get down and dirty with wallpapering!

How-To Wallpaper using Paste

I had thought the wallpaper I chose was a pre-pasted wallpaper (wallpaper that has paste and is activated with water) but when I added water to the back of my sample piece, I quickly learned it wasn’t. So this was my first time wallpapering using paste. I was apprehensive at first, but it actually wasn’t at all as difficult as I thought it would be. I wrote a tutorial a long time ago on How-To Hang Prepasted Wallpaper, if you want to check that out.

Supplies:

Wallpaper of your choice. I chose Amy Butler Lacework in Midnight.
Wallpaper Paste
Smoothing Took
Sharp Razor or blade
Other handy tools for wallpapering are: a tape measure, a laser level, a pencil

1. To start, I found the center of the wall and made a mark. Then knowing the width of the roll (20.2″), I determined how far over the edge would need to start (1/2 of the overall which is 10.1″). I made another mark and used my laser level to make marks all the way up the wall (which will be the location for the edge of the wallpaper).

2. After determining where the wallpaper edge would be placed, I added the wallpaper paste to the center section of the wall using a brush.

* There are several techniques to hanging wallpaper, but I thought it would be best to follow the steps that came with my wallpaper roll. Another method that is readily used is to apply the paste to the wallpaper back, fold over both ends of the strip (being careful not to crease the paper) so that they meet in the middle. This gives the paste a chance to activate. Again, the instructions with my wallpaper said to apply the paste directly to the wall, which is what I did. If you want to see more on the other application, I found this helpful step by step method.

3. After the paste was applied, I took the end of the wallpaper roll (leaving about 3″ extra at the top) and adhered it to the wall aligning the edge with the mark I made on the wall. Then continued to roll it out down the wall.

4. As I was adhering the paper to the wall, I used the smoothing tool to eliminate the bumps, wrinkles, and air bubbles. It’s best to start at the top and move down the wall, as well as from the center of the paper and smooth out towards the edges. You want to press firmly, but not too hard so all the glue seeps out. Alittle glue seepage is okay and expected.

5. Once the first panel was hung, it was time to hang the second adjacent sheet. The same steps should be taken, but this time it’ll be key to align the seams so the design / pattern matches (especially with the paper I was using).

photo credit: my 7 year old!

6. Once the paper is up and in place, it’s time to trim – the ceiling, edges, and base. Using a sharp blade / razor, follow the crease / edge and gently cut the paper. It might be damp from the paste, so try not to pull the paper because it’ll rip. Scissors also help.

I also had to trim around the light fixture… that’s to come.

And the result is…

…a beautiful, bold focal wall!

The quality of this paper is amazing. Comparing it to the previous time when I wallpapered, this paper is alot heavier which hides many of the imperfections on the wall – score!

Not to shabby going from this… to this…

Plan of Action for #powderroomremodel:

~~Choose and buy sink~~
~~Choose and buy toilet~~
~~Choose and buy faucet~~
~~Remove sink~~
~~Remove toilet~~
~~Repair hole with new sheetrock~~
~~Repair floor @ sink and toilet~~
~~Hang wallpaper~~
~~Paint~~
Add crown moulding (yes, my 1st moulding ever)
~~Assemble sink~~
Install sink and faucet
Install toilet
Accessorize â€“ mirror, pictures, etc.

7 items crossed off the list since last time. Now that’s progress!

But there’s still more to come. Stay Tuned.

Have you ever hung wallpaper? What method did you use? Was it pre-paste or the kind where you had to add the paste?

Powder Room Remodel – Phase 1: Removing the Existing Toilet and Pedestal Sink

Written by Jenna on April 29, 2013. Posted in Bathroom Makeover, DIY. 19 Comments on Powder Room Remodel – Phase 1: Removing the Existing Toilet and Pedestal Sink

My feet are sore and my fingers have a few blisters, but it’s well worth the pain for how much work around the house was accomplished this past weekend. It was the first days of really nice weather and aside from a baseball game and a birthday celebration, much of the weekend was spent cleaning out the garage, sprucing up the exterior, and starting the powder room remodel.

I shared details of my plans for the powder room a few weeks ago and was thrilled to finally get started. To begin the process the old had to come out before the new goes in, so the Mister and I got our tools out and got to work on removing the existing toilet and pedestal sink. I actually didn’t know the process of how to remove either plumbing fixture, but thankfully the Mister has done this before and helped me out – of course with a few bumps along the way – can’t be a DIY project without…

Do you know where and how to start the process of removing a toilet and sink? If not, this post is for you! Keep on reading, but I’ll worn you, this tutorial is ultra detailed, but the pictures aren’t pretty.

Removing an existing toilet.

1. Turn off the water supply. The oval valve at the side or back of the toilet is the water supply. Using a vice grip or adjustable wrench, turn the valve so you turn off the water. Then flush the toilet a few times to empty the tank. Using old rags, put them in the tank and/or bowl to soak up any left over water. It’s best to use gloves during the process as the toilet bowl isn’t a pretty place.

Yup, that’s a closeup of my toilet… Not something you probably expected to see on a Monday mornin’

2. Remove the tank bolts. Remove the (2) plastic caps on each side of the toilet base. Once exposed, you will see the tank bolts, also sometimes referred to as “Johnny Bolts”. Remove the nut, which is easiest to do using a vice grip or adjustable wrench, and the bolt will be exposed.

Then carefully loosen the toilet, rocking it from side to side to loosen the wax seal, and lift it up. Residual water may spill, but that’s fine.

I warned you this post wasn’t pretty, BUT it sure will be helpful when you want to upgrade that sad looking toilet. There surely isn’t a need to hire a plumber because you CAN do it yourself.

3. Remove the old wax. Once the toilet is lifted, the existing wax will need to be removed. Using a putty knife, scrape away the wax from the pipe flange. It’s definitely important to use gloves too (of course we didn’t, but I suggest you do).

We also removed the tank bolts and plan on replacing them when we install the new toilet.

Here is the hole, free and clear of wax.

Pretty sight, right?

NOT! But at least you now know it’s not that difficult of a process.

If there is a time lapse between removing and installing a new toilet, it is very important to plug the drain opening with a rag to prevent sewer gases leaking into your home.

Removing an existing pedestal sink.

Toilets are toilets, and are fairly similar, but there are a range of sink configurations, so I’m sharing the details of my situation, but yours may be different.

The process of removing our pedestal sink was tricky because we could not get our hand in the back to turn off the water supply. After years of wear, the valve had rusted making it very difficult to turn off. So what did we do? We broke the sink. Not what we anticipated doing, but it had to be done.

After that we…

1. Turn off the water supply. Just like the toilet, turn the oval valve at the back of the sink so the water is shut off. Remove the nut from the water supply. Then put a bucket under the drain trap to collect any residual water, and loosen the nut to remove the trap.

Disconnect any additional plumbing connections and remove the sink. For us, we had to unscrew the sink bowl section of the pedestal from the wall and then remove the tile backsplash I added a few years ago. New sheetrock will need to be installed before anything else.

And this is the result…

The entire room will look pretty in no time…

Plan of Action for #powderroomremodel:

~~Choose and buy sink~~
Choose and buy toilet
Choose and buy faucet
~~Remove sink~~
~~Remove toilet~~
Repair hole with new sheetrock
Repair floor @ sink and toilet
Hang wallpaper
Paint
Add crown moulding (yes, my 1st moulding ever)
Assemble sink
Install sink and faucet
Install toilet
Accessorize – mirror, pictures, etc.

That’s quite a list for a little space…

Please tell me you’ve found this post helpful. The Mister thought I was kinda insane for taking pictures of a toilet, one of the ickiest parts of the home. I know it’s not the prettiest post ever, but who knows when it’ll come in handy.

Before you read this post did you know the details on how to remove a toilet or sink? Not to difficult, right?!

Happy Monday to ya!

DIY: Stenciled Shower Curtain using Drop Cloth

Written by Jenna on April 16, 2013. Posted in DIY. 34 Comments on DIY: Stenciled Shower Curtain using Drop Cloth

I hope you’re having a wonderful week so far. Now that I’m coming off my amazing moment high and getting back into my DIY groove, I’m excited to show you the new stenciled shower curtain panel that I recently made for the kids bathroom.

You may have seen a sneak peak of the shower curtain a few weeks ago when I shared some Spring updates. A few of you even commented saying you loved the color choice (I do too).

It’s bright.

It’s bold.

It’s an eye-catcher…

…And I made it myself. It was super easy, inexpensive, and something you can absolutely do too!

The materials I started off with were:

6′ x 9′ Canvas drop cloth (from Lowe’s)
Stencil – I used the same design from Cutting Edge Stencils that I used in the foyer
Paint – Valspar Pantone Emerald – #PN9055
Shower tension rod
Ball style shower curtain hooks
Foam roller
Tape measure
Scissors

Before I begin, here’s my beef with the typical store bought shower curtains…

They’re too short.

Every shower curtain on the market is 72″ x 72″. I like my shower curtains to sit just slightly above the floor, but then there is SO much space left above the curtain area, so it looks strange and you can see the showerhead. You know how I feel about window panels being placed as high as they can go, well I feel the same with shower curtains. When I redid my master bathroom, I ended up using two curtain panels to create a shower curtain. It was an awesome solution! Since the panels were taller than a typical shower curtain, they heightened the space allowing the room to feel much larger.

That being said, this DIY drop cloth shower curtain is 7′ tall; much higher than the norm and there is only about 12″ from the top of the panel to the ceiling plane versus 24″+.

NOW, let’s begin. Here’s how I made this dynamic shower curtain…

1. The canvas drop cloth size I found at Lowe’s was the perfect size (6′ x 9′), so there was essentially no trimming needed. I started off by laying out the large panel on a flat surface – my kitchen /dining area is a large open space and is the ideal spot for big projects.

I placed the stencil in the upper corner of the drop cloth and secured it with painters tape.

2. Using the vibrant Emerald color and a foam roller, I carefully rolled the color over the stencil putting enough pressure on the roller so the paint adhered to the fabric, but not too much so the paint seeped under the stencil. Believe me, up close it’s not perfect.

3. Once the first section was done, I waited about 1-2 minutes and then carefully lifted the stencil and positioned it in the right place next to the previously painted area. The Cutting Edge Stencils designs are awesome because they create each of the stencils so it easily matches up as you move it along your painting surface.

4. I worked my way across and down. And then…

…realized I made a huge boo-boo! At first, I didn’t put anything under the drop cloth and when I went to reposition it, I realized the paint seeped through. UGH! Thankfully it was still damp and the steamer took the paint right off.

Lesson Learned: Put something under your drop cloth before painting!

You live and learn!

5. After the debacle, I was back on track! Once all the stenciling was done, it was time to make the large panel into a shower curtain. With the 6 end, I took the top edge and rolled it over about 4″ (alittle more or less is fine), and ironed a crease. This edge will create the top part of the shower curtain.

6. Once the crease was created, I took it over to the sewing machine and sewed the edge. Take a look at the graphic for the specific spot to sew – this is important!

7. Once the edge was sewn, I layed the large panel out on the floor again. I took the 12 ball style shower hooks and equally positioned them along the newly created hemmed edge.

8. I marked the locations of where the ball style hooks layed. Again, make sure they are equally spaced.

9. Then it was time to create the hole for the ball style hook to fit into. Only trim through the first layer, not through the finished side of the panel.

10. Slip the hook into the hole. If you decide to tackle this project, you could create a true button opening so the fabric doesn’t fray, but I took the easy way out and didn’t, hehe.

It’s almost finished!

11. Once the hooks were in place, I put the curtain on the shower curtain rod. This was the part of the project where I decided the exact length of my newly created shower curtain. If you remember before, I mentioned I purchased a 9′ long piece of canvas drop cloth, so it definitely needed to be trimmed a bit. Once hung, I put a few pins in to mark the finished length that I wanted.

12. Leaving about 4″ extra to create a bottom hem, I trimmed the excess fabric.

13. Lastly, I ironed and sewed the bottom hem so the crease was at the exact spot that I marked with the pins.

And then it was done! Trimmed, sewn, and sitting high on the wall. Perfecto.

The kids bathroom is right at the top of the stairs so this is the first sight you see. (another reason why I wanted something taller than the typical too-low shower curtains).

It surely is dynamic, fun, and unexpected!

What a breathe of fresh air! Don’t ya think?! Canvas drop cloth is a favorite of mine to work with and I’m thrilled with the outcome of the project.

Here are more DIY projects I created using canvas drop cloth:
Placemats with Decorative Top Stitch
Drop Cloth Table Runner
Faux Roman Shade using Drop Cloth
Christmas Stockings
Simple Lined Window Panels with Drop Cloth Lining
Personalized Envelope Pillow

Powder Room Remodel: The Plan of Action

Written by Jenna on March 27, 2013. Posted in DIY. 12 Comments on Powder Room Remodel: The Plan of Action

Happy Hump Day, y’all!

You may have noticed a lack of DIY creations around here lately. To be honest, I have been knee deep in so many other projects that my personal projects have had to take a back burner. From E-Design clients, to local clients, to getting the house ready for the BHG crew to come soon, I have been non-stop on the go. Plus I was away last week on a little vacay, so getting back into the groove of things has been a bit rough.

Powder Room Renovation_SASinteriors.net ANYWAY, enough of the chit-chat, I am psyched to share with you that I have decided to spice-up one of my bathrooms. The powder room to be exact.

It’s pretty.

It’s fine.

But I want it to be dynamite! So a new (hopefully quick) reno is in store.

Before that, a ‘before‘ shot is a must.

The current space has an orange focal wall – same paint color (glidden crisp autumn leaves) as the family room. The toilet, pedestal sink, and faucet are original to the house (about 15 years old), but the light and door hardware got a switch-aroo since we’ve lived here… hence why they are oil rubbed bronze and the faucet is chrome. The tile floor is new – used to be blue ceramic – so that will be staying.

I’m pretty psyched about what I have planned for the new space. After much thinking about how to create a WOW impact in a 4′ x 4′ box, I think I’ve come up with a pretty awesome solution.

So on to the plan of action…

The fixture placement will remain – there’s no need to move them, the cost would be way too much, and I couldn’t even think of a better configuration than the existing. So basically, the fixtures will be replaced, a new vibrant wallpaper will be introduced, and some major awesome accessories will complete the look.

The concept for the powder room reno started with this beautiful wallpaper by Amy Butler.

Amy Butler Graham & Brown Wallpaper _ Powder Room Reno _ SASinteriors.net

Continuing my love for navy, it will be the perfect addition to the powder room which can be seen from my home office / family room that dons deep blue walls.

The repeat is fairly large, so this space is going to be dynamic. Here’s a picture of the wallpaper used in a foyer setting.

amy-butler-lacework-midnight-blue-wallpaper_1320679302

Once I found the wallpaper, I started to become really excited about the rest of the space, but was still at a loss on what style sink would be ideal. Pedestal? Cabinet? And then I found this wash sink at Lowe’s and literally gasped when I saw it.

Powder Room Remodel_SASinteriors.net

I’ll be honest, I think it looks better in person than in this picture. And I think it’ll look even more fabulous against that hot modern floral Amy Butler wallpaper. Don’t you think?

To complete the bathroom, a few new other details will be added. Here is a quick Creative Vision Board I put together.

Major gorgeousness, don’t you think? It will absolutely be epic, and continue the classic eclectic style of my home.

So here is the bummer part. I have the wallpaper. I have the wash basin (sink). But I have not started any of the actual remodel yet. Like I said, I’ve been super busy over the past few weeks, but by mid-April I hope to start tackling all of this DIY goodness. I hope you’ll follow along for the before-and-after.

Stay Tuned…

Have you tackled a DIY bathroom makeover? How did you make it WOW and dynamic?

DIY: Modern to Industrial-Style Coffee Table

Written by Jenna on March 7, 2013. Posted in DIY. 29 Comments on DIY: Modern to Industrial-Style Coffee Table

Since the home office / family room reveal, I’ve shared quite a few of the DIY projects that went into creating the room. One in particular that I’ve been excited to share because it is an upcycled piece is the coffee table.

When initially thinking about the aesthetic for the room, I wanted to bring in some darker tones. The walls are darker and rich, while all the white elements make a great layered contrast, but some texture, wood, and something deeper was still needed. At the same time, I’m a big fan of industrial-style furniture and have always adored the varying patterns and “rough”, but somewhat refined look. So…

Taking the modern glass-top table that has a dark metal frame, I updated it to create the industrial-style table that I was desiring.

Here’s a before shot…

Using something similar to this coffee table from Home Decorators, I decided to make my own using similar textured and stained wood.

Here’s what I did…

Using my mad-math skills, I determined how many planks I needed for the top surface (then doubled it for the bottom surface). After triple checking my numbers (yes, I’ve made mistakes in the past- hehe), I figured out that I needed (2) 1 x 4’s and (2) 1 x 4’s that needed to be trimmed (X2 – for the bottom surface). Thanks to Lowe’s, they made all the cuts so I was ready to start working right away once I brought the wood home.

To get the look similar to the inspirational table, I used dark walnut stain.

Using a lint-free rag (confession: I think I used a towel, but it wasn’t the best choice. lint-free it better), I added the stain and quickly (instantly) wiped it away. If I had left the stain on the wood longer, more would have seeped into the grain resulting in a darker stain finish, which was not what I wanted.

Within just a few minutes, the staining was done. Because the process was a simple ‘wipe-on wipe-off’, it went really fast. I let the planks fully dry for about 24 hours before bringing them into the house.

The next day, I took the glass out of the frame…

… and replaced it with the wood planks.

What a different look. I was loving it right away! Then it was time to style…

I just thought I’d add that the wood planks are only leaning on the metal frame. They aren’t attached at all so if some point in the future I want it to be glass again, the switch back is easy!

Gorgeous accessories on top always complete the look.

And a huge basket underneath was the perfect storage solution for magazines.

Thanks for checking out my DIY update project where I took my once modern coffee table and made it into an industrial-style piece. After having this coffee table for 10 years (originally purchased from Crate and Barrel), I’m thrilled that I was able to create a solution to continue using it instead of bringing in something new.

If you haven’t seen the rest of the space, it’s a must. Click {here} to see it all!

Do you like industrial style furniture? How have you upcycled a piece of furniture to change the look?

I link my projects to some of these parties: Skip to My Lou, Dittle Dattle, Between Naps on the Porch, Todayâ€™s Creative Blog, Stories of A to Z, All Things Heart & Home, House of Hepworths, Finding Fabulous, The Shabby Nest, Serenity Now, Tatertots and Jello, Thrifty Decor Chick, Tip Junkie

How-To Make a GIANT Inspiration Board

Written by Jenna on February 26, 2013. Posted in DIY. 12 Comments on How-To Make a GIANT Inspiration Board

Pinterest is a favorite for many (including me) who want to organize and keep their online inspiration in one place.

As a visual person though, I feel there is nothing like seeing and holding a picture in hand. I still buy and subscribe to magazines. I still tear out pictures and reference them when looking for inspiration.

Until recently, I didn’t have a “place”, a specific go-to spot, for all my collected loves.

I needed something! Thus the creation of my mega, giant, humongous, and amazing inspiration board…

I am in heaven. This newly created inspiration board is not only functional, but the pictures that are displayed are gorgeous and make the space colorful and fun.

Here’s how I made it.

I started with these supplies:

MDF board (I used MDF because I had a large leftover piece from an old upholstered headboard. A large thick piece of unwarped plywood could also be good for this project)
Fabric (I chose a neutral linen-like fabric which was $4/yd – I bought 3 yards)
Decorative Nailheads (I purchased them at Hobby Lobby for $2 for 50)
Sewing Machine
Screws and Anchors (I prefer plastic toggle drywall anchors – see below for a picture)
Painters Tape
Measuring Tape
Drill
Screwdriver
Level (optional, but very helpful)

1. I started off making sure the MDF board was the right size for the wall. The size was perfect, 3′-9″ X 4′-6″, and didn’t need to be cut. If you’re using this tutorial as inspiration, you can create any size inspiration board that fits your space.

One of the biggest obstacles with making this GIANT Inspiration Board was the difficulty of hanging it.

No doubt, this size board is HEAVY! Drilling through the board was out of the question because it is covered in fabric and hanging it from wire wouldn’t make the back flush with the wall, which is the look that I desired.

SOoooo… Onto a different solution. The basic idea that I came up with was to drill 3 holes into the back of the board that would hang on to 3 screws in the wall.

Let’s take a look at the step by step…

2. After determining and marking the height at which I wanted the board to hang, I layed the board face down so the back was exposed. I took a piece of painters tape and added it to the back of the board making sure it was completely level with the top of the board. The tape does not have to go from edge-to-edge, but I made sure each end was within 12″ of the side.

With a permanent marker, I marked three places on the tape – they do not have to be evenly spaced.

3. Using a drill, I carefully drilled about 3/4 of the way through the MDF back (I DID NOT go through to the front).

4. Once the 3 holes were drilled, I removed the piece of tape and put it on the wall at the height I had determined before. Also I made sure to hang the tape so it was placed horizontally correct – my board is centered on the wall, but that might not be the case for your creation. Be sure to hang it vertically (up and down) and horizontally (left and right) correct.

Something to watch out for…

A laser helps with this part, but if you don’t have one, measure down from the ceiling so that all 3 marks are at the same height.

Also, when the board was laying down, the marks went 1,2,3. Now the marks will be 3,2,1 because of how the board will fit onto the wall. It will make more sense once you’re in the midst of it.

5. Once the wall was marked with the three locations, I drilled the holes. Then added plastic toggle drywall anchors (which hold mega weight) and then the screws. These are like my all-time favorite anchors and screws!!

6. Once the screws were secure, it was time to put on the board. It takes alittle time figuring where the holes meet the screws, but if you measure right and take your time (which thankfully we did), it should work perfectly and be level!

Unfortunately I don’t have a picture of us hanging the board since it was a 2-man job and the kiddos were already asleep (they are my backup photographers), but here’s the result (and part of the next step)…

It’s hanging + straight – YES!

Before hanging this bad-boy on the wall, I covered it in fabric. I chose a loose natural linen-like cotton. Because of the width of the board, I needed to piece the fabric together to make one large piece. I ended up cutting and sewing 4 pieces of equal sized fabric. The result was fairly good, but my lines were slightly wavey. Toss it up to DIY, right?!

Anyway, to jazz up the board (and distract the eye from my wavy lines), I decided to use decorative nail head trim and follow the lines of the seams horizontally and vertically.

7. To start off, I used painters tape and made a level line from top to bottom and then from left to right following the seam.

8. On that edge of the tape, I hammered in the nails with a mallet (a hammer will do but sometimes the metal on metal ruins the nailheads), then removed the tape.

And now was the point of happiness!

I could finally fill up my inspiration board with all the things I love…

MDF board is not exactly like cork (obviously). Pushpins aren’t as easy to push in, but with a bit of muscle and oomph, it works fine. As an idea, a layer of cork could have been added to the front surface of the MDF before the fabric was wrapped around, to make it more “cushiony” and pinnable. For me though, it works fine.

If you know me, I LOVE COLOR, and I have a favorite article pinned on my handmade GIANT inspiration board that I ripped out a recent issue of HGTV Magazine…

I adore the glittery gold disco ball.

Now I have lots and lots and lots of room to fill up. I’m sure it won’t always look this clean. I actually am in love with some of these other GIANT Inspiration Boards!

I hope you’re inspired by my new HUMONGOUS Inspiration Board! I’m loving my new home office / family room. Not only is it inspiring to work in this new space, but I really enjoy flipping through my favorite magazines and actually pinning them I.R.L.

Aside from Pinterest, how do you collect and organize inspirational things?

DIY: How-To Hem (no sew) and Add Stripes to Curtains Using Paint

Written by Jenna on February 19, 2013. Posted in DIY. 20 Comments on DIY: How-To Hem (no sew) and Add Stripes to Curtains Using Paint

I hope you had a great weekend! I know it’s Tuesday, but since my husband and kids had off yesterday for President’s Day, it feels like the first day of the week for me. In spite of having a no-plan weekend, the 3 days flew by and we were majorly busy (new projects, photographing others, food shopping, car buying, etc.). How does 36 hours fly by that fast? Anyway, since showing you my newly created home office / family room last week, I’ve got a slew of DIY projects to share. First up…

A ‘how-to’ on how I hemmed and created the thin-striped curtain panels (I know a few of you have excitedly been awaiting this tutorial). I was surprised how easy they were to create and they look like they cost alot of $$$ (but they totally didn’t).

When the royal blue walls were complete last Summer, I knew white curtains would be a great, striking complement. Thankfully, I had an extra pair of panels from my son’s room that were purchased from Ikea 5+ years ago.

I wanted to jazz up the white panels a bit though, and at first thought of a leading edge similar to what I created for my daughter’s room. As more ideas developed, I had seen this living room and pinned it a while back. The thin-striped lines stuck in my head and I knew they would be just the touch to add interest to the stark white panels, yet not overwhelm the room. I’ve seen many striped fabrics in window panels lately, but I wanted something softer and thought thick horizontal lines would be too heavy for the space since the dark blue walls are dramatic enough.

The area for where the new curtain panels were to go, started out like this…

To begin, I hung the white panels on the dark wood rods that were already in place.

Nope they didn’t work.

The dark rod blended in too much with the wall, and the panels looked so low and squat. It totally went against my rule of thumb on how best to hang a curtain.

Onto the idea #2.

Because of the window height, I couldn’t put a decorative rod above (there wasn’t enough room), so instead I bought a $3 basic metal pocket curtain rod.

I created the “pocket” at the top of the curtain (fold over top edge, sew or use fusible tape to create a pocket of about 2″ for the rod to slip through). Then the panels had to be hemmed at the bottom because they were too long.

Here’s my quick tutorial on How-To Hem a Curtain ~

1. With your curtain hung on the rod, loosely pull the bottom of the panel and add 2-3 pins at the spot where the panel hits the floor plane.

Hint: Don’t pull the panel tawt because if you pin and sew at that point, your panels will result too short. You want to leave the panel(s) loose, so it just grazes the floor (this is how I feel a curtain panel looks professional. It’s not a must, but it’s my opinion).

2. With the 2-3 pins indicating the line for which to hem the panel, I used a measuring tape to keep the same length and added more pins all the way across the width of the panel.

O, and did I tell you the good part about this project – I didn’t use a sewing machine. I was totally feeling lazy that day! You can of course, but it’s not a must. That’s a major plus for my non-sewing friends!

3. Using fusible tape, I folded the bottom edge underneath and hemmed at the line of the pins.

Here’s the result…

Yes, much better!

A perfectly tailored window curtain panel that just grazes the floor. Super easy!

Ok, so now on to the 2nd part of this tutorial…

How-To Add Stripes Using Paint ~

FYI – you could totally skip step one if you have already have the perfect length curtain and you can skip this step if you have no interest in adding stripes. Just thought I’d share that tid-bit 😉

For this part of the project, I used the following materials:

Painters Tape
Wall Paint that is the same color as the wall
Paint Brush
Measuring Tape

1. To start off, I determined how many stripes I wanted and the width of the stripes.

4 stripes and 1″ wide.

I layed my curtain panel on the floor and using a little math (big UGH), I determined my stripe placement. Using painters tape (because it’s easy to remove), I marked the 4 stripe locations.

2. Then I added the painters tape and my measuring tape to create the 1″ wide stripe.

3. * Important part!

Once the tape is in position, it’s important to press hard on it like you’re burnishing it into the fabric. You want to make sure the tape is sealed so the paint doesn’t seep underneath. I ‘burnished’ the edge with my nail.

4. Then using the wall paint that I used in the room (Benjamin Moore Van Deusen Blue), I painted on the stripes using a craft brush. I did not add anything to the paint to make the medium different. It’s straight paint on fabric!

Once all four stripes were done, I took off the tape. Some of the areas weren’t completely dry, and that’s okay.

5. When setting up the stripes for the second panel, I layed both curtains side by side so they were perfectly aligned. Then, by eye, I created the stripes on panel #2.

Once they were completely dry, they were ready to hang, and admire! #happygal

The bamboo shades (which I got from Payless Decor) are a fantastic compliment to the stark white window panels and white moulding trim. You may have seen the bamboo shades in other parts of my home (check this post out) and I adore them! They are of great quality (and an awesome price). The darker hue and texture (which is kind of difficult to tell in the picture because of the natural light coming through) are just gorgeous. On my windows you’ll find the tibet color.

O, and if you like it, would you pin it or share it? Thanks a bunch!

Have questions? Don’t be afraid to ask – I’d be happy to help!

Want to see more drapery projects?

Then you might want to check out this post on Adding Decorative Leading Edge Trim to Curtains ~

Or this project on How-To Make Curtains from Scratch and Line them with Drop Cloth~

Of course you’ll want to know How-To Best Hang Window Drapery Panels, right?

Thanks for checking out my 2-in-1 tutorial! What a great Tuesday!

Have you ever tried painting on fabric? What about embellishing window treatments? Or even making your own curtains? Share your creations with me – would love to see them!