DIY – Page 4 – Jenna Burger Design LLC – Interior Design & Architectural Consulting

Living Room Makeover {Reveal}

Written by Jenna on April 16, 2015. Posted in DIY. 15 Comments on Living Room Makeover {Reveal}

I hope you are having a wonderful week. I am in pure bliss at the moment. Between the amazing 60 degree sunny days we’ve been having + finishing the living room, I am incredibly delighted. plus my little guy is going to be turning 9 in a few days and that just makes my heart happy…

So yes, the living room makeover that I’ve been working on for the past 4 months is FINISHED and I am overly joyed to finally share details of the makeover + the big reveal!

The evolution of this space has been quite long + slow. And I am perfectly content with that because we’ve gotten the chance to “live” in it to know what works + what doesn’t.

When we moved in to our home about 5 years ago, it started out like this…

welcome to our new home – ugh, ok not so pretty.

We needed color right away, so we painted the fireplace wall a deep burnt orange hue, while the other walls were covered in a warm-beige, cardboard brown tone. Furniture from our previous home went into place and we were happy to have a space for our family of 4 (at the time).

With some minor updates + layers, eventually the space started to feel like “us”…

That’s how our living room looked until this makeover started.

Over the years, I knew the furniture didn’t work “right” for the room, but because of the emotional connection/attachment to our beloved sofa + the lil’ budget we had, it stayed as is.

Then late last year we got the bug. Even the Mister who hates change & is content with most any ole’ space, was thinking the room needed some new life. And it all started with the TV…

Here’s a quick storyline: The Mister wanted a larger flatscreen, which the TV cabinet wouldn’t be large enough for. That got the ball rolling to get rid of the oversized TV cabinet [you can see what it looks like in this post].

Once the cabinet was gone, the sofa followed along with it, and rearranging the furniture so the TV would no longer be opposite of the windows because of the sun glare made the most sense. it was near impossible to watch tv during the day because of the sun filtering in. In the end, a friend bought most of the furniture and we were left with a big empty shell!

This was the new layout I created for the space…

My creative juices started to flow and this was what I envisioned for the room. [click to read my original plan of action for this space]

After some project fails & loss of momentum along the way, here is the result of our new living room…

That is the main view of the room from the kitchen & dining space.

To the right is a desk nook where the kids do their homework & keep their art supplies. I made some styling edits when I photographed the space, but typically there is rolling cart next to the desk that holds their coloring books, notebooks, and art supplies.

Last Fall a local photographer took family photos of us, which we get to treasure in window panes (that I found on the side of the road) turned photo frames.

Above the desk is a recent handmade sign creation that I shared about the other day. No stencil or silhouette was used to create it, but instead I used chalk to “transfer” the letters. It was a fairly easy process and the “chalk transfer” technique can ultimately be used for any design onto any hard surface.

Continuing around the room, I decided to put the TV stand + new flat screen TV (the element that sparked the redesign) in front of the window.

When I shared my original plan for this makeover, I got some comments about the TV location – “you’re putting the TV in front of the window?” – but honestly it really works in this room. The windows are really large + there are skylights above that bring in lots of light. The location of this space is also in the back of our home, so no one from the outside is looking in. I questioned the placement at first too, but we are really enjoy seeing the outdoors (ie: many snowfalls) at the same time we watch TV.

The TV cabinet is from Ikea and to make it unique, I added similar knobs to the china cabinet (that I transformed last year) + ‘L’ brackets to make it like a campaign-style cabinet.

The window panels are the same as those previously in the room, but they too got spiced up with new fabric on the leading edge [the material is drop cloth and here is original the tutorial]. Layered behind the window panels are bamboo roman shades – same as they were before. When I painted the mouldings wood to white a few years back, this window with the layered window treatments took on an entirely new life!

Isn’t that new chair fabulous?! It’s new and it’s daring and I love it. I’m going to share all the sources for the new room in another post, but I have to spill the beans. This fabulous emerald chair (yes, it’s a true emerald green color) is from World Market and it’s really a great bang-for-the-buck. At first, I had another chair in it’s place and it wasn’t dynamic enough. I nervously ordered this chair unsure if it would be too bold for the room. It arrived and there was no other green like it in the room. I thought about it and lived with it for a few days and fell in love. Now I feel it truly makes the room!

The new black focal wall is a show stopper. Many people thought I was crazy when I said I was going to paint this huge wall black, but it really works. The black is a soft, charcoal hue, so it’s not harsh. The walls flanking the fireplace were always tricky to style and since we never have enough bookcases, we built these beauties – more on that in another post.

The shelves of these new bookcases hold lots of our books, magazines, and accessories + some of the kids toys. This is a living room for our family of 5. This is the #1 space we hang out in, so when designing the new layout, it HAD to be kid-friendly. The older 2 kids have a lot of their toys in their rooms or in the basement, but some of their smaller things are now in baskets on the shelves and are easily accessible.

I have a few more stylish baskets in the living room that also hold the baby toys. I love baskets and when they’re pretty, it doesn’t matter what’s inside. [Here are more savvy storage solutions using baskets]

As you continue around the room, there is a second bookcase to match the other, which holds more books, family photo albums, CDs (yes, we still listen to CDs even though it seems archaic to some), and a large basket that houses a few comfy blankets.

As you make your way around the space, the sofa now sits opposite of the window and a blank canvas above was turned into a beautiful art wall with a bit of old and touches of new.

The new deep charcoal sofa is heavenly. It’s beautiful against the light blue wall + picks up the tones of the black focal wall. It was hard to see our other sofa go (but I still see it often because a good friend of mine is now enjoying it), but this new one really fits the room so much better. We chose a sofa with a chaise on the end, which gives extra seating + a spot to put your feet up and lounge.

The rug really is the statement element in the room and that was the one piece that started the design. I was drawn to it because it has so many colors from other rooms in our home. This space now truly feels cohesive with the rest of the house! The coffee table is another piece that I love. It’s there, but at the same time, totally disappears, allowing the rug to “speak” it’s beauty.

Creating the art gallery wall was fun, but challenging. This wall is almost 20′ of open canvas, so it definitely took some planning [read more about the planning + creating of the art wall] but the extra steps to get it right was worth the effort.

One of the issues with the old space was the lack of lighting. We have a decorative ceiling fixture in this space, but it’s somewhat harsh on the eyes. Personally, I like soft light from table lamps and floor lamps.

I didn’t want to go matchy-matchy on the sides of the sofa, so instead I chose to use a table lamp between the chair & sofa that sits on a side table and an arched floor lamp (which provides a lot of soft light) to the right of the sofa. Now when the lights are turned on in the evening, the 2 fixtures provide the perfect ambiance.

It was very important to continue colors from other areas of the house into this new space. Because our first floor is all open where each room flows from one to the next, bringing in elements to make it feel cohesive was the only way this room would work and feel like an extension of what’s been created elsewhere.

From this view, you can see how the china cabinet painted in a deep raspberry color is in the adjacent dining area. It now all flows and feels like one.

And just so you know we are a real family who absolutely use this space. Here’s my crazy clan of 3 in action…

From sunrise to sunset (and beyond) we are 100% enjoying this new living room space. Even though there were a few ups and downs to creating this new haven in our home, we are overjoyed with how fresh it feels & how much it reflects our vibrant family!

I’m sure you are interested in knowing where I found all the awesome pieces for our new living room. Next post will be details on all the sources.

Getting Organized in the Garage: Ideas for Organization & Storage

Written by Jenna on April 9, 2015. Posted in DIY, Organization. 1 Comment on Getting Organized in the Garage: Ideas for Organization & Storage

As the days are getting warmer, time spent outdoors is about to increase – finally, right?! It’s been a loooong winter. And lots of fun in the sun, comes months ahead with the garage door open and hours a day playing various sports activities + time spent on the lawn & garden.

While cooped up all Winter, we barely stepped foot in the garage other than to throw out the garbage + recycling. From remodeling the bathroom to receiving many large packages for the living room makeover (which is almost complete), the garage was totally neglected and got piled high with a lot of stuff. It was in desperate need of an overhaul + organization!

A few weekends ago we got our hands on the mess and started the process of whipping it into shape…

The temps were still a wee bit chilly, but the Mister and I set forth to start taking back our garage space. It’s definitely going to take time (we are not at all finished – yet), but we had to start someplace and that someplace was the kids stuff + lawn & gardening supplies.

Garage Takeover Step 1, in action…

We chose to use a product by Rubbermaid called FastTrack Garage Organization System. This system is similar to the closet organizational products that Rubbermaid also offers (we have similar systems in the coat closet/pantry + the kids bedroom closets) where there is one track at the top and brackets mount to it to easily add/adjust shelving for storage. It’s ideal because you only need to screw in the one rail and everything hangs off of it making the install time much quicker + easier.

The FastTrack System has a huge range of products that gets the most out of your vertical wall space to achieve an organized garage. I shopped at Home Depot for the items and they have a wide selection + a nice display set up. If there is something you are looking for specifically that they don’t have in the store, I discovered there are even more accessory options for purchase on the website.

Here are the accessories that I chose for our garage space…

the vertical ball rack

the wire basket which holds up to 50lbs.

the cooler hook (which is holding the scooter) and the multi-purpose hook (holding the lacrosse sticks)

Similar to a closet system, the Fast Track offers uprights + brackets + shelving options to get the most out of a vertical surface. Being able to have a shelf for storage is a must in the garage. I’ve loaded this shelf with our fishing tackle boxes, skates, bike helmets, etc.

Last, but not least we used the track system to hold all of the lawn + gardening supplies…

(left to right) the power tool holder, the cooler hook, the multi-purpose hook, the utility hook

Once I came up with my plan of action for how the organizational components would work best on the wall, the install was very easy & took about 20 minutes – I swear. It doesn’t take long because all that needs to be installed are the rails. Once those were up, I was able to hang everything off of them + make adjustments as needed.

We chose (3) 4′ long rails (they also come in an 8′ length), determined where the studs were located, then installed the rails using the FastTrack hardware. For one rail, we couldn’t locate the stud, so we used the anchors that came with the hardware package. After the rail was in place & level, we slid on the black cover. Per the FastTrack website, each rail holds 1750 lbs – wow!

After that, the accessories easily attached to create a truly customized garage storage system.

You simply attach, snap, and hang!

Oh and I never showed you the ‘before’ of the garage – yikes, it looked horrible and SO UNORGANIZED. Now it’s a completely organized + tidy spot…

Staying Organized

Organizing takes a bit of time + energy, but really isn’t difficult. What is DIFFICULT though is staying organized… that is always the challenge. Since this section of the garage is a lot about the kids, I really need them to stay on top of keeping it organized. I don’t have the time to clean up after them each day AND I want them too take responsibility for putting back what they take out.

Call me crazy, but I snapped a picture, printed it, and put it in a clear sheet protector. I added a few hand-written labels – nothing fancy – and pinned it to the wall. Now there is no excuse or wonder as to where things are supposed to go.

We shall see if it works…

I’m still making my way around the house, room by room, to get organized using my foolproof steps to home organization! I realized those same steps can pertain to the garage space too…

> make a list write down a plan of action for what you want to organize and what you need to lose

> get moving now once your plan of action is in place, itâ€™s time to get moving. Donâ€™t analyze (which Iâ€™m known to do) Just start.

> purge. toss. donate. start by sorting through the items you no longer need, use, and/or want. Set up 3 boxes or bags (I typically use large heavy-duty garbage bags) to purge, toss, and/or donate.

> organize using shelving with baskets, bins, and other storage caddies are a great way to organize items you want to keep.

> go vertical maximize your storage capabilities by using more wall space – just like I did with the FastTrack system

> commit getting organized is one thing, but staying organized is truly a commitment. Once youâ€™re organized, take the extra few minutes to maintain it.

I am so happy with how this section of the garage turned out. We have lots more cleanup to do in this neglected space + a whole lotta work outdoors once the snow completely melts, but with warmer days on the horizon, we’ll make our way one day at a time.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post by Rubbermaid FastTrack. I chose to work with them because I knew it would help organize my dreaded garage space. I have been provided with product, but as always I was not told what to write and I only feature companies on my blog that I truly love and believe in 100%.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Newell Rubbermaid. The opinions and text are all mine.

DIY Hand Painted Wood Sign (using chalk transfer) #LOVEYOURHOMECHALLENGE

Written by Jenna on March 31, 2015. Posted in DIY. 2 Comments on DIY Hand Painted Wood Sign (using chalk transfer) #LOVEYOURHOMECHALLENGE

Hi there! Today is a very exciting day. Not only am I going to share an awesome, easy-peasy DIY project + tutorial, but I also have news about an incredible + talented person you might happen to know.

First to the latter… my sweet + uber-talented friend Melissa of The Inspired Room wrote a book which is being released today called Love the Home You Have (< affiliate link).

It is the first of many that she’s got lined up and it’s less about decorating and more about falling in love with your home & what you have now… today. Some of the topics include: taking care of your home, finding beautiful in the simple things, finding balance between beauty and mess, using what you have to decorate, arranging furniture, decorating with things that mean something to you, finding contentment, and so much more.

If you recall back to last years Creating a Meaningful Home blog series: Year 2, Melissa started off the series with a bang and shared her poetic + inspirational words. There is not a person more deserving to share thoughts of such meaning and beauty.

To kick off the launch of her first book, Melissa has put me to a challenge along with a bunch of other Blogger friends and has asked us to showcase a project using the 31-day LOVE YOUR HOME CHALLENGE section in the back of her book. So fun!

Similar to Melissa, I feel that our belongings should honor and reflect who we are, where we are from, and what we love. A house is the shell, but it’s what we create in the shell that makes it a home. For my home and the homes that I work on with clients, I always strive to create something that is a reflection of who resides there.

As I am slowly making progress on my living room makeover, I want to adorn the walls with not only prints that I love & have special meaning, but also DIY art that I create. When this ‘challenge’ came up, I knew it would be the perfect time + opportunity to share with you a recent creation…

The previous owners that resided in our home, had a pool table in the basement. While making some changes to create a basement that works + functions for us, I came across a cue stick holder that was tucked away in a closet. Aside from a few cobwebs in the corners & screws hanging out, it looked like something I could totally make into something else. An upcycling project was calling my name! I left it in it’s place, but never forgot about it. DIY ideas flurried through my head over the months and then I had an ah-ha moment while creating the new room. It would be perfect for a big ole’ sign & with the 3″ lip, when hung it would create a ‘ledge’… almost like a knick-knack / chachka shelf to display collectibles from trips… we always grab a little something from places we visit to remember our experience – something cute to continue ‘our story’.

I thought and thought about the perfect quote to create on the cue stick holder-turned-DIY art and then Good Morning SUNSHINE came to mind!

Every morning when the kids wake, I always say “Good Morning Sunshine” in this over-the-top, probably annoying-to-them voice. But it’s just what I do and it’s become a ritual. I just feel like it’s a great, cheery way to start the day.

how to make a HAND PAINTED SIGN USING CHALK

1. To start, I used a new Word doc and created the words to a size I desired (about 4.5″ high), then printed them (I used gray scale on a fast printing setting so I didn’t waste too much ink)

These are the fonts I used:

> GOOD – Pottery Barn font

> MORNING – Honey Script font

> SUNSHINE – Century Gothic font

Once printed the words, I cut around the edges…

2. Before placing the paper on the wood, I flipped it over to the back and rolled on the chalk from edge to edge so the letters on the other side would be covered. A colored chalk, like red, works best!

3. Then I positioned the paper on the wood and taped down the edges so it stayed in place.

3. Using a pen (I found it was better than a pencil because of the hard tip), I traced over the letters.

And voila, when you lift the paper, the outline of the letter (or design) can be seen…

Here’s the overall design embossed on the wood…

After that, it was time to paint.

Because each word was a different font, I didn’t want to go crazy with different colors as well, but at the same time I didn’t want all one color, so I chose to create an ombre effect with the words starting with a very pale yellow for GOOD, then a light yellow hue for MORNING, followed by a vibrant yellow for SUNSHINE.

I used basic, inexpensive craft paint – wall paint or anything similar would also do just fine – along with a thin brush to be sure to stay within the lines (as much as possible).

Perfectly in the lines wasn’t important… Imperfect actually is perfect!

From start to finish, the overall project took about 2 hours to create. This is who it looks done & hung on the wall…

Keepsakes from our travels sit on the ledge of this once cue stick holder, now hand painted sign.

I love how it came out and it truly makes my day a bit sunnier, right SUNSHINE?!

Along with the cute wood sign on this wall, I also added a few of Melissa’s illustrated quotes from her new book + website, and hung them with colorful washi tape.

If you’re interested in seeing what other Bloggers created for the #LOVEYOURHOMEchallenge, here is everyone that is included and if you head over to visit Melissa there will be links to all the projects.

If you’re interested in joining in on the fun too, Melissa would love to have you share your own Home Love challenges on her new community site Home Love Stories. If you’d lik, use the hashtag #LoveYourHomeChallenge to follow along and/or share your story.

The new revamped living room is really coming together – finally – and I can’t wait to share the reveal with you very soon!

BHG Kitchen + Bath Makeovers COVER Feature: Year 2

Written by Jenna on March 18, 2015. Posted in DIY, Kitchen, Magazine Feature. 4 Comments on BHG Kitchen + Bath Makeovers COVER Feature: Year 2

I am so excited to share that for the second year in a row, a kitchen project that I designed is on the Spring cover of the Better Homes & Gardens Special Interest Publication, Kitchen + Bath Makeovers.

How is this possible?! Even though I’ve had over a dozen features in various BHG magazines, the thrill never diminishes. It truly is a pinch-me-moment ever time!

My last experience collaborating with BHG on a kitchen makeover was fantastic and to see the result on the cover was incredible. From having a project featured in that magnitude, so many doors + new opportunities opened for me. That magazine hit newsstands just about a year ago and shortly after that, I was asked back to do it all again, for this years Spring magazine – magazines work long in advance. If you remember back a year ago, I was about 5 months pregnant at the time. The editors new that and were overly accommodating. I said, as long as we can wrap it up by early June, I’m on board. They were on board too and the ball started rolling from there…

Upon finding the right kitchen that was in desperate need for a makeover, Donna Talley – stylist + producer for BHG – and I partnered to create a makeover that was not only beautiful, but also budget-friendly and had many strategic storage options + ‘look for less’ details.

I love seeing + sharing behind the scenes footage and what goes into the end result, so let’s dissect…

The ‘before’

The ‘before’ kitchen was cramped & completely not functional. The space was of an okay size but with very limited cabinet space, a refrigerator wrongly positioned, and traffic flow problems, a lot needed to change. Here are a few before pictures…

Not only were the cabinets dated, but functionally there was a lot of unused space above the upper cabinets. The base cabinets weren’t much better. After working with an architect on a few structural questions, we decided to remove the walls @ the pantry and open up the pass through space to join the kitchen + dining space.

Here was the Creative Vision Board I created for the kitchen + dining room…

In the end we went in a slightly different direction for the fabrics & layers, but the general aesthetic + style remained. Here are a few outtakes on the options discussed…

In the end, this is what was chosen & is what is seen in the magazine feature…

At the same time as the materials + selections were being finalized, I was also working on the architectural drawings of the design, which included the floor plan and the various room elevations needed to execute the fabrication of the cabinetry. This is pretty much the same steps I take for all clients that I work with on a kitchen makeover.

Architectural Drawings…

Once the drawings were finished & everyone was on board, about 2 months later construction started and the makeover transformation was in process.

Progress pictures of the makeover…

In the end, this was the result captured through my lens.

The Result…

The new cabinets were fabricated by MasterBrands – the island is a teal hue, while the upper + base cabinets are a soft gray, and the “pantry” is the same soft gray with a glaze overlay.

Here’s a detail of the “pantry” that we created using stock cabinets…

The island is quartz an I was pleasantly surprised by it’s beauty. Before seeing the overall slab, I was planning for it to be faux looking (a knock-off granite or marble), but it wasn’t at all. The veining & movement of the slab was gorgeous. It’s a material I will definitely use again, especially as an alternative to marble since that can be difficult in a kitchen.

The transformation was incredible and I loved every step of the 1.5-month construction process leading up to photoshoot day which was in mid-June (and less than 2 weeks before I gave birth to baby #3 – thankfully we finished in the nick of time).

As always photoshoot day is typically mayhem, but Oh SO EXCITING. On the pages of the magazine, all looks calm & serene, but most of the nooks & crannies around the main shot are just the opposite.

Photoshoot day…

All the props + styling are credited to Donna Talley who produced & put the story together. Michael Partenio was the photographer for the shoot.

As I mentioned last year when sharing behind the scenes details, I find it incredible how much work goes into creating each shot. The space is overall beautiful, but the added pop layered in through accessories makes the room on the pages of the magazine come alive.

My pictures don’t honestly do a justice. The magazine shares much more beautiful angles + details, along with more of the story about the homeowner & the space. It’s an issue you will absolutely want to pick up. Plus a few of my blogger friends are also featured including Rhoda of Southern Hospitality, Brittany of Pretty Handy Girl, and Marian of Miss Mustard Seed.

Last, but not at all least, I couldn’t design a kitchen without a central command center and this one does not fail!

From my CCC (that was featured in BHG), to last years kitchen with a CCC, and now this one – all of them are so different.

Also in the magazine, a few tips are shared on how to clear the clutter and how it’s stated, “Jenna is on a mission to replace those piles with command centers”…

So fun! I hope you enjoyed a bit of the behind the scenes details of a kitchen makeover for a magazine. Fingers crossed more opportunities will come about in the future!

5 Surfaces to Spray Paint

Written by Jenna on March 5, 2015. Posted in DIY.

Warmer days are upon us – I just saw mid-40s for next week – and that means the start of spray painting season!

As an avid DIYer, I have spray painted just about everything and anything. From baskets to fabric, from lamps (like this one) to furniture, nothing in my home is safe from being revamped with a new coat of color.

When it comes to spray painting, there are a few tricks-of-the-trade to achieve a successful result, but with some practice & patience (and a few tips from my blogger friends), you’ll want to revamp every surface in sight!

Not sure what to spray paint? Here are tips for 5 types of surfaces to tackle using spray paint.

Wood Furniture

Whether a dresser, chair, desk, or armoire, most all furniture can be revamped and livened up with a few fresh coats of spray paint. You’ll be amazed how a new color can completely change the look and feel of something that was old and drear. After a quick sanding, it’s always best to first apply a primer coat, then you choice of color.

Diane of In My Own Style refinished her dining chairs and chose to use a 5 different colors – orange, yellow, blue, pink, and turquoise. What a fresh, happy update!

This is a before & after chair I restored after finding it on the side of the road a few years back…

Upholstery

From an ottoman to a wing back chair, another project to tackle using spray paint is upholstery. Crazy sounding, but it’s true. Recovering an upholstered piece of furniture can be costly (a typical wing back chair could cost about $600+), but for many who are on a budget, it’s an affordable and fairly easy way to get the result at a fraction of the cost.

If the fabric covered piece is in good condition, well built, and has good lines, then spray painting to change the upholstery color should be a fairly manageable task. Here is a beautiful side chair makeover using spray paint – the pop of color with the bold blue is an incredible update.

Ceramics

Because of the slick surface, ceramics can be challenging to spray paint. To achieve a great result, it’s key to use multiple thin coats and lightly sand the surface between coats using sandpaper or very fine steel wool. Wipe the surface clean again and spray another coat. A glossy finish is most durable when spray painting ceramics.

Jennifer of Dimples and Tangle achieved a great result with her spray painting revamp after scooping up an inexpensive garden stool and totally changing the look to a desired white.

Fabric (curtains)

Custom curtains can be expensive, but that shouldn’t stop you from getting the look you want. DIY curtain panels (all of my window treatments are do it yourself creations) can be achieved on a tight budget and spray paint can often help with getting the desired look for less.

Stripes (any size, horizontal or vertical) are the easiest and most manageable style curtain to make when using spray paint. Maury of Life on Mars chose to create a wide horizontal striped curtain panel for her bedroom in a vibrant, yellow hue. The result is gorgeous.

Metal

Despite dirt and rust, if a piece has good bones and is well built, it most likely can be rejuvenated with a few coats of spray paint. With the array of color choices, you can truly take something from blah to beautiful with a little elbow grease and a few dollars. When spray painting a metal surface, it’s important to sand down the surface and then use a primer. The more your sand and smooth, the better the result. If your style is more rustic / vintage, then sanding less and showing the “chippy” side of a piece is great, but for a modern aethestic, a slick / shiny surface is best.

From a bar cart that most people would steer clear of to a chandelier ready for the curb, these are two amazing metal pieces transformed with spray paint.

Bar Cart redo by Monica of Living in Vogue featured on Design Sponge

Spray painted brass chandelier by The Little Green Notebook

You can truly spray paint anything! If youâ€™ve never spray painted before, give it a try – here’s a tutorial. With the arrival of Spring in only a few short weeks, now is the time to get thinking about what you want to revamp first. From furniture to home decor, using spray painting is an affordable and fairly easy way to update anything!

Easy-To-Make Instagram Photo Collage

Written by Jenna on February 16, 2015. Posted in DIY. 4 Comments on Easy-To-Make Instagram Photo Collage

With the 2000+ pictures I took & shared on Instagram (follow me if you’d like) last year, somehow + someway I wanted to enjoy them more than viewing them on the 2.5″ x 2.5″ screen of my phone.

As the new year rolled around and I was reflecting on 2014 and looking towards 2015, I got to reminiscing on all the personal + professional pictures I’ve showcased on my Instagram account and thought creating a photo collage would be the best way to enjoy those precious moments of my life from the years past. There are plenty of sites out there where you can create posters and/or other fun creations using Instagram pics (or digital pictures too), but they’re pricey and spending bucks just doesn’t jive with me when I know I could make something comparable (or better) for mere dollars.

I got to thinking & creating and with a bit time, I created a 4 photo collages that captured some truly great moments from 2014…

The best part about this 80 picture photo collage is that it cost about $5. How much better does it get?! more details on the $$$ below…

So obviously this photo collage doesn’t have to be created using only photos from Instagram. Images from your phone or digital pictures from a snap & go camera can also be used to create a similar photo collage. Since there are multiple ways to make this collage, I am sharing tutorials for all…

Creating a Photo Collage using Instagram Images

1. Go to your Instagram page.

2. Choose a picture and take a screenshot of the image. If you are unfamiliar with what a screenshot is (as I was only a few years ago), you can capture a “shot” of your screen with a click of a button. On my computer the button is towards the top right corner and it says PrintScreen (your computer might be different, but with all computers it’s possible).

3. Using a photo editing program – I use the free program, Picasa – crop your screenshot image so it is square.

if you don’t have an instagram account and want to create a similar photo collage using images from your phone or camera, follow this tutorial…

Creating a Photo Collage using a picture from your phone or Digital Image from your computer

Phone: Download the picture to your computer and crop it to a square size. Then save a copy.

Computer: Crop your picture of choice to a square size and save a copy.

The reason for cropping? An image downloaded from your phone or a digital image on your computer doesn’t have to be cropped as showed above, but be sure that the image is fairly close up or “cropped” close so it shows detail. Because the pictures on the final collage are small, a close-up/detailed image is best.

Next up… Creating the photo collage.

For the collage, I used the free program of PicMonkey. They offer different collage layouts, one specifically being a square template. When you go to PicMonkey, click collage.

After clicking collage, you’ll be able to open & choose the 20 images (I think 20 images per 8 x 10 looks best) you want to use to create the photo collage. After choosing the images, click layouts (2nd button down on the left) and choose the template with 5 across & 5 down. Then remove (by clicking “X” on the box) the boxes on the end row so you are left with 4 boxes across and 5 boxes down.

First go to the bottom and set the size of your image to 2700 x 3379, which creates an 8 x 10 image. Then click Autofill at the top and the 20 images will be inserted into the boxes. If you want to move the images around to different locations, you can.

Save the collage to your computer. Depending on the amount of collages you want to create, follow the steps over and over again.

I chose 80 of my favorite images (out of 2k instagram images, it was very difficult to pair down and choose, but I did it) and then created (4) 8 x 10 collages – each collage has 20 pictures with 4 across and 5 down. It was trial and error figuring out how many pictures would be best on each page so each image wouldn’t look too big or too small. In the end, I am happy that I chose 20 images per page and the size of each image is about 2″ high x 2″ wide. The images are not exactly square, but almost.

The result of my 4 photo collages which cost about $5…

Once the 8 x 10 photos were created, I uploaded them to Snapfish to have them printed. Typically an 8 x 10 image is $2.99 but they’re often on sale (right now there is a 50% coupon). Other online retailers or local stores where you can print pictures works too.

A photo collage like this is also a great way for capturing and enjoying kids artwork. Kiddos come home with SO MANY beautiful creations, but it’s impossible to keep everything. Instead of ~~tossing them~~ putting them in a box, snap a picture and then create a collage like this using the same steps. Your child(ren) will feel so proud that their work can be displayed on the walls of your home!

The new photo collages that I created now deck the walls of my office / living room and replaced the travel subway art, which I moved to another spot.

The frames that I used for the collages are a simple white style that I picked up at AC Moore for $6/per frame. Inexpensive frames from Ikea would also make this project creation super inexpensive.

The walls of our home are adorned with pictures & meaningful art. These new photo gallery creations just add another layer to our family’s story…

DIY: Kids Fingerprint ART

Written by Jenna on February 5, 2015. Posted in Bathroom Makeover, DIY. 1 Comment on DIY: Kids Fingerprint ART

Many of the walls in our home are filled with beautiful creations made by our kids. I just love their creative minds & the beautiful colors they use in their artwork. Plus everything they create is so meaningful & it’s incredible how prideful they are to have their beautiful work displayed so prominently.

When it came time to add artwork to the walls of the remodeled bathroom, it took me a few weeks to find just the right art. I wanted something that wouldn’t take away from the beauty of the wallpaper + it had to be meaningful.

As I was shopping in the local bookstore with my kids, I saw a book called Mix It Up by Herve Tullet (here is the book on amazon) and as soon as I opened it up, an idea came to me… fingerpaint art! You see, this book is captivating from the first to the last page. “Follow the artist’s simple instructions, and suddenly colors appear, mix, splatter, and vanish in a world powered only by the reader’s imagination.”

My inspiration…

My interpretation…

Not only does this fingerprint art look so beautiful, but it only took minutes to create! How much better does it get when it comes to kids?!

I purchased 2 frames with an 8 x 10 opening and used 8 x 11.5 white paper from a drawing/art pad to create the artwork.

Using a ruler + pencil, I made a small mark about every 1.5″ – 2″ across & down creating a grid.

The pencil marks are helpful to keep the fingerprints in a straight line…

Once the marks were made, it was time to get the kids involved. If they’re old enough, you can let them do their thing or you can assist to get their thumb prints on the mark.

We used craft paint in a mixture of colors and randomly added the colors…

Minutes later, the result…

Once they were dry by the next morning, each of the beautiful fingerprint creations were ready to hang…

So fun, right? Fast + Meaningful + Inexpensive = Major Score!

Thanks for following along on every tid bit of this bathroom makeover!

From start to finish, these are all the posts pertaining to this bathroom remodel
Plan of Action
Demo: Removal + Installation of the Tub & Walls
How-To Tile + Grout the Bathroom Walls
Installing Wallpaper
Adding a Tile Accent Border
Creating a Tiled Niche
DIY: Simple Painted Wood Shelf with Decorative Brackets
DIY: Kids Fingerprint Art
Bathroom Makeover Reveal
Resources

DIY: Simple Wood Shelf with Decorative Brackets

Written by Jenna on February 3, 2015. Posted in Bathroom Makeover, DIY. 4 Comments on DIY: Simple Wood Shelf with Decorative Brackets

As I am crazy busy painting and ordering furniture for the living room makeover, I want to rewind a bit and share a few details on the bathroom remodel that I revealed on the blog a few weeks back. Sometimes, I move from project to project so quickly and forgot to share the little details that truly make a space extraordinary!

One of the many projects that I created + adore in the new bathroom space is the simple wood shelf with decorative brackets that I created for above the toilet.

Here’s a peek…

My original plan for the wall space above the toilet was to create a multi-tier shelf using metal piping which would have given the space a more industrial aesthetic. (Here is the original plan of action + mood board)

As the new space evolved and the wallpaper went up, I wasn’t feeling the look of the shelving unit that I had planned on. Instead I opted to create a simple painted shelf which allowed for the addition of a few accessories, but truly allowed for the statement of the space – the wallpaper – to shine through. Where the tiered shelf would have covered much of the wall, the one wood shelf enhances the overall bathroom + it makes the space feel larger especially since there is no window (only a skylight above)

Here’s how I made the simple wood shelf >>>

The area above the toilet looked like this before I did anything…

Supplies

> Decorative wood brackets ($3-5 at Lowe’s)

> 1″ x 8″ piece of wood cut to desired length

> screws + anchors

> primer + paint

> general tools

1. Starting off, I measured & determined the middle point of the toilet to center the shelf.

Then using a pencil, I marked on the wall the height placement for the shelf and where I wanted to place the wood brackets. I first hammered my screw into the wall to make the hole, then input the anchor. Once it was popped through, I installed the screw…

Then I repeated the same steps for bracket #2.

2. Once the screws were in place, I attached both brackets, and laid the 1″ x 8″ (which is actually 7-1/4″ wide) across the top.

Thankfully it was level – phew…

3. Next up was to cut the board to the right length.

By eye, no measuring tape, I made a mark and cut the board with the miter saw (my recommendation for one here). If you don’t have a miter saw, you can have your local Lowe’s make the cut in their lumber department.

4. Once the shelf was cut, hung, & done, it was time to paint it.

I first primed all the wood pieces with Zinsser Primer, then gave all the surfaces 2 coats of plain ole’ white.

After a day of drying, it was complete and ready to hang. Typically the longer the paint dries the better, but I was excited to get it in place. Paint often takes 2-3 weeks to fully cure.

And this is what the new simple-to-make + inexpensive wood shelf looks like in place…

And the overall space…

I am very happy with the change of plan from a more detailed shelving system to a simpler white style.

Sometimes… the simpler, the better. At least when it comes to design. A simple wood shelf like this is an inexpensive and fairly easy project for anyone to tackle. And it’s not just for the bathroom either. Any space in the home can use an extra shelf here or there, right?! Think the kitchen perfect for those cute teacups or for the living room ideal for accessory styling + books. Or how about in the hallway to display photos. Yes, a shelf like this would be perfect for a photo gallery wall! The ideas + uses are endless.

I have another fun + easy project that I created for the bathroom which I will be sharing later this week. Stay tuned…

Bathroom Makeover: Resources

Written by Jenna on January 15, 2015. Posted in DIY. 1 Comment on Bathroom Makeover: Resources

So you guys really like the bathroom makeover??? I am thrilled! Those of you who left comments about the transformation on the blog or on facebook + instagram – thank you so much. Your kind, sweet words mean the world to me!

As promised, I am back today to share the specific resources for the bathroom revamp. The other day my post went on and on with pictures of the newly finished space and today’s post is all about the details…

As I’ve mentioned throughout the process of renovating this bathroom, my design approach was to create a space with neutral, classic basics and layer in the bold + unexpected. The main items in the bathroom – tub, vanity, toilet, etc. – are basic bath elements typical of many homes. What makes it above and beyond the norm are the details & layers – the wallpaper, towels, shower curtain, etc. Those layered elements give the sophisticated wow-punch! At the end of the day, it’s all about the layered colors + patterns and how they work together to create an overall beautiful composition.

On to the resources…

Starting with the original mood board – some of the elements changed, but the overall idea/aesthetic stayed the same…

From wall to wall, these are the specifics…

Resources

1. Wallpaper – Serena and Lily

2. Framed prints – frames from AC Moore and prints were a DIY project

3. Decorative tile border – Lowe’s

4. Herringbone accent tile – Lowe’s

5. 3×6 Subway tile – Lowe’s

6. Showerhead – Lowe’s

7. Tub fittings (replacement fittings for the old Moen fittings) – Lowe’s

8. Tub – Lowe’s

9. Shower curtain – Target

10. Towels – Homegoods

11. Metal Allen & Roth baseboard vent – Lowe’s

12. Toilet – Lowe’s

13. Shelf – DIY project; materials from Lowe’s – tutorial coming soon

14. Light – Lowe’s

15. Mirror – Lowe’s

16. Accessories: soap dispenser, toothbrush holder, cup – Lowe’s

17. Faucet – Lowe’s

18. Vanity – Lowe’s

19. Toilet paper holder – Lowe’s

20. Tiled Niche – DIY project >>> click for tutorial

21. Hand towel holder by Moen – Lowe’s

22. Burlap baskets – Lowe’s

Bathroom Makeover: Reveal

Written by Jenna on January 13, 2015. Posted in Bathroom Makeover, DIY. 10 Comments on Bathroom Makeover: Reveal

The day is finally here… reveal day of the Bathroom Makeover. The project that I challenged myself to do in 30 days. Keeping reading (till the end) to see if I accomplished the goal…

The finished space has taken a wee bit longer than planned to share, but with the holiday high, I got a bit sidetracked. Good news, Good news… the bathroom is done and has been for a few weeks. I was planning on sharing the reveal sooner, but thought it would be best to wait till after the Christmas craze.

Without further ado, here it is…

As always, I love partnering with Lowe’s on projects and this bathroom makeover wasn’t any different. I have worked with Lowe’s on so many projects over the years and not only am I thrilled to be apart of their Creative Team, but I truly love their product line. Minus a few elements, this entire space was pretty much created using in-stock items that can be found in most of their stores. How great is it not to have to order and wait 8 weeks for something to arrive?! Grab & go today – that’s a bonus in my book. (I wasn’t paid to say any of that and am sharing my true, honest thoughts!)

Before sharing more of the ‘after’, I have to state that bathrooms – in my opinion – are so difficult to photograph because of the limited size of the space. I’m not a pro photog, so I tried capturing it the best I could. That being said, let’s get to it.

You can’t appreciate the after, without seeing the before. This bathroom has had quite the evolution. It was pretty sad when we moved in…

Within a year, it was painted & got a little refresh…

Since it’s heavily used by 2 young kiddos it got + gets quite the abuse on a daily basis. After a while, the exposed walls (sheetrock) + the builder-grade melamine cabinet just wasn’t fitting the bill anymore.

If you missed following along from the beginning, this was the mood board I created for the new space…

A few changes had to be made along the way, but the main elements & more so, the main aesthetic / feel of the space, was absolutely achieved.

My goal was to create an updated, modern bathroom with a classic (live-a-long-time) background + lots of eye-popping, unexpected layers. I am thrilled with the result not only because it’s super functional for the kids (with tile going half way up the walls), but it’s really a dynamic + fun space!

Come on in…

Many have asked, “why did you choose to do the kids bath instead of the Master?”, and the reason for that is I see this bathroom much more throughout the day (plus it seemed more of a manageable DIY project because it’s a smaller space).

This bathroom is right at the top of the stairs and since I am up & down a lot on a daily basis, I wanted it to look & feel new, updated, and fresh. I’ll get to the Master bath someday. Even though it was featured in a national magazine, it does need some fixin’ up!

This is what I see each & every time I walk up the stairs…

snapshot from my phone

Let’s explore the new bath space more…

The space is a typical standard 5′ x 8′ bathroom with a sink, toilet, tub layout on one wall & then a straight wall on the other side.

I installed 3×6 subway tile from the tub deck to the ceiling in the tub space and continued the tile about 3′ up the wall in the main part of the bathroom. Above the tile, I installed a dynamic wallpaper in a beautiful damask pattern with colors of navy, beige, and orange. It really is the art of the space so I didn’t add much more to the walls.

On the left side, above the towel bar, I hung two framed custom art pieces (created by my 2 older kiddos) which I will be sharing more details on soon. The frames + matting are white & simple, the perfect contrast to the bold background.

tutorial for >>> how to install wallpaper

As you continue around the revamped bathroom, you round the corner to the tub space. This area is drastically different with new floor to ceiling tile (all installed by me – thank goodness my hands aren’t cracked anymore).

3×6 subway tile was used as the main tile material, which frames an accent tile of natural stone in a small herringbone pattern

tutorial for >>> how to install tile + grout

Where the wall meets the ceiling, I added a small decorative moulding, which really gave the space a finished, tailored look. I am not very good with moulding (remember my troubles in the powder room), so this time I chose a moulding that had a 90 degree angle and it was much more manageable + easy to install since the cut was a simple 45.

Adding the moulding not only provides a finished look, but it allowed the install of the wallpaper to be easier – the wallpaper didn’t have to be perfect at the top because the moulding covered it. Additionally, the moulding continues in the tub area where I was left with a 1/2″ gap between the last tile and the ceiling – a space too small to install tile.

Here I am installing it…

On the other side of the bathroom were more big changes… a new toilet, vanity, lighting + a new shelf and medicine cabinet turned tiled niche.

The shelf is a simple DIY project that I will share more about soon. The original thought / plan was to add an industrial-style shelf above the toilet, but after the wallpaper went up, I just couldn’t bring myself to cover it + with the new vanity there was ample storage.

A simple white shelf along with a few layered accessories and a framed print seemed to be the perfect addition.

To the vanity…

The vanity is a beauty and I love the openness it brings to the space. This vanity compared to the previous one is about 6″ longer. There was enough room at the side of the toilet to go a bit wider and the additional inches really makes a difference. Even though it’s minimal, there seems to be a lot more countertop space.

Also having drawers with this vanity, the amount of storage has tripled versus having 1 large open cavity with the last cabinet. There looks to be 5 drawers, but the center drawer under the sink is a faux panel. The 2 smaller side drawers + the 2 larger drawers provide so much room. As the kids get older & accumulate more stuff, I am sure the drawers will definitely fill up. For now, they’re fairly unused.

Underneath the closed part of the cabinet is an open shelf perfect for towels, baskets, etc. I chose these cute burlap bins at Lowe’s and revamped them a bit (of course, how could I not…?)

I loved the texture of the burlap, but the rope pull was slightly too nautical, so I swapped them out for a chalkboard label that I found in the dollar bin at Target. Using jute rope, I attached them through the holes and in 30 seconds gave these pretty bins a whole new look…

I love how easy & simple something like this can change a space & be unique to your personal aesthetic + style.

Back up above, the countertop is adorned with a few simple, but must-need items. I found these really cute accessories – liquid soap holder, toothbrush holder, and cup – that were super inexpensive at Lowe’s. They are clear (plastic), but look very modern and $$$. The look of lucite is hot right now.

I chose a minimalist-style, frameless, rectangular tilt mirror and an industrial-style oversized outdoor light that is centered above (because of the longer vanity, the light had to move over a few inches – my contractor did that since it’s above & beyond my skillset).

On the wall to the right of the vanity was a medicine cabinet (which I had painted with chalkpaint + added a frame a few years ago) and is now an open tiled niche…

A niche is really so much easier for the kids and tiling it makes cleanup so simple. I was originally going to create the niche using wood and that would have been a big mistake. wood + water = disaster.

tutorial for >>> creating a tiled niche

A few more detail shots…

And of course a look at a few before & afters…

I will admit, I am so happy this bathroom is done. It was a bit tiring, but in all honesty, it was 100% worth ~~the blood + sweat + tears~~ the effort! This post was chock full of info on the final stages + reveal of the space, but you really might be wanting where I got it all & the actual resources. No worries… that post will be coming up later this week – pinky promise.

In all, from start to finish, this bathroom makeover took just around 30 days to complete (95% DIY and mostly all by myself – the mister helped when he could). So I guess I can say, I met my challenge… which I really only set for myself so I would finish it 100% and not slack off. 10 days, 30 days, 60 days, who cares. It’s done! This makeover was a big accomplishment for me as tackling the removal & install of a tub + such a HUGE tile project was nothing that I had done before. The challenge scared me, but I did it! That’s the beauty of DIY!

Lastly, I want to give a big shout out to Lowe’s for believing in my talents & choicing to partner with me on this project. They never tell me what to do, what to buy, or what to write, but instead they always say do what you do best… create something good & inspire!

Thanks for following along with me on this bathroom makeover journey! Cheers to another successful (but tiring) before & after makeover!

Resources for all the items in this bathroom makeover coming later this week.