DIY Garden Obelisks

I've always thought Obelisks were so cool!  But buying one just seemed silly when making one is pretty straight forward.  For less than the cost of one, we built two! 

We used pine wood and a good outdoor stain to keep them from rotting.  

Equipment / Tools needed
Electric miter saw or circular saw
Drill
Drill bits and drivers
Paint brush
Pencil
Tape measure

Materials
8 two-by-two lumber, each 8-foot

2 one x two 8 foot pieces
Wood glue
Paint or stain
1 box 3-inch exterior screws

 

We didn't follow some formula online, but there are plenty of DIY websites out there describing the process.

I used a solid rose colored outdoor stain by Cabot. I thought it would be fun to have a pop of color in the garden and not a use a traditional color. 

I love the height and structure they give to this bed and I can't wait to plant Clematis and Roses inside. Will have to update soon!

 xo

Cathleen

DIY Graveyard Sign

Every year we try to add something to our yard for Halloween. This year I wanted to make a sign for our graveyard.  I pretty much lucked out when I found this twin headboard for $5 at my local Habitat for Humanity Restore. It was already painted like this with teal paint and some light black wash.  

I measured the space on the sign and got to work finding the perfect font to create the words I wanted on my sign. Once I printed the words I used Modge Podge to glue the letters onto the headboard.

We used our Bosch Plunge Router to then trace out all the letters. We had to buy a special bit to create the depth that we wanted also one strong enough to cut out wood.  This process was quite different than the lettering I made on my foam gravestones.  Be sure to use protective eye wear and a face mask when drilling into wood. 

After the letters were etched I used my indoor/outdoor cabinet paint to give it two coats of paint.  It turned out that I could still see a bit of the teal color which gives in a nice weathered look. I used gold acrylic craft paint and a small paint brush to do the letters.  I found these cute light up jack-o-lanterns at the At Home Store and used velcro command strips to attach them. 

I gave it a coat of waterproof spray paint to further protect it from the elements.

In order to prop it up I bought two Christmas tree stands with Pentagram feet on Amazon.  I honestly think they are perfect for this so we could anchor both legs. I added two solar lanterns on the ground with shepard hooks to illuminate it at night. 

I hope you like this little Halloween DIY. We have another project in the works so stay tuned!

Cathleen

 

DIY Arcade

Last Christmas was pretty well spent at home making stuff.  The boys had a good time working on one of their Christmas presents with Dad.  A custom Arcade.  It was a pretty long project as far as DIY projects go.  The first step was ordering the electronic parts, including the Monitor.  We gifted our teen with these items for Christmas. Then after Christmas they went to work building it.  The wood came from our local hardware store.  The computer inside is a RasberryPi. The instructions we used to make it came from Medium.com. 

After the cabinet was built we stained it with Black Wood stain and sealed it with Polycrylic.  

Electronics

20 Hikig LED Push Buttons & 2 Joysticks
2x Easyget Zero-Delay USB Encoder
27” Acer Monitor
Raspberry Pi 3
USB Speaker
Keyboard
Mouse
Hardware

2x MDF wood 3/4” x 49 x 97”
2x Inset overlay clip hinges
8 x 5/8-inch Particle board screws
L-brackets for support
3” Caster wheels w/ brakes
Mailbox lock for the cabinet
1 1/2” Nails
Wood glue
10” x 18” Sheet of Plexiglas
5 cans of flat black primer
5 cans of black gloss paint
3 cans of pink spray paint
1 can of fluorescent yellow spray paint
Tools 

Circular saw

Jigsaw
Drill press with varying Forstner bits
Router
Orbital sander
Milling machine
Cordless drill
Wood clamps

My son did most of the electrical work.

We can honestly say the whole family enjoyed this cool gift!

Will reference this link as we pretty much followed it to a T. 
 Arcade Marque Decal

Laundry Sink Addition +Makeover

I was at the thrift store about a month ago and found the cutest hanging chandelier for only $15.  I googled it and found that it was selling online for around $400.  I mean come on.  I didn't have a place for it, but after careful consideration decided that I should put it in the laundry room.  Well, then it tail spinned into a complete laundry makeover. Isn't that always the case. You never know when inspiration will hit so these projects are hardly ever planned.  At the bottom I detail sources for items. But overall, I painted everything, including the ceiling, added beadboard wallpaper, wall storage, a new laundry sink and faucet, rug, window trim, custom cafe curtains, and accessories.   

AFTER

BEFORE

BEFORE

AFTER

The sink is a kitchen/laundry sink found at the Restore for a steal! We added a beautiful English inspired faucet and we custom made a counter and backsplash using birch wood with a faux Soapstone finish, tutorial I followed below.    We changed the undermount rod to a brass one and added acrylic clear hangers.

I took down the peel and stick wallpaper and put up beadboard traditional paintable wallpaper.  The cabinets and upper trim were all painted in the same color.  I am in love with the traditional English Brass faucet.  It was originally designed for a bathroom sink so we had to purchase a larger drain size when we hooked it up.

The upper cabinet door handles got a fresh coat of gold spray paint as well. Much cheaper than replacing them.

We added craftsman trim around the window which made a huge difference. I mounted a brass cafe curtain rod outside on the frame and sewed curtains with a french pleat in a Waverly french toile fabric.

I didn't spend a lot on accessories since I planned to pull blue delft or pottery from around the house.  I gave the chandelier a good cleaning and painted it champagne gold. Originally it was silver. We added LED candelabra lights and installed a dimmer switch. It turns out six light bulbs in a laundry room can be quite bright!

The light switch is Vintage Delft and it fits the new dimmer. 

I was pretty happy to find a runner rug that fit the space and brought a richness to it. It's a Vintage looking Scandinavian design in a flat weave. 

A great feature of the laundry room is now the freed up floor space. We found a wall mount Ironing Board rack to get that off the ground and also a wall mounted drying rack. Before both were on the ground and used up quite a bit of space.

Okay now back to our regularly scheduled laundry program!

Here is breakdown of room items, plus cost.

Paint on Cupboards and beadboard - Sherwin Williams Semigloss in color Rock Bottom - $45/gallon

Wall and Ceiling Color - Eggshell Valspar in Reserved White $45/gallon

Wood Trim for Windows -$100 Sherwin Williams in color Celedon (already owned)

Sink - Elkay Quartz Classic 25" x 22" Single Bowl Drop in Greystone Color, I paid $60 new

Bottom Cabinet Used from Habitat for Humanity Restore $75

Cabinet Pulls -From trip to Korea

Painted Upper Handles with Krylon Gold Spray Paint $7 x 3 =$21

Wallpaper Beadboard from Lowes $25

Vintage Ornate Porcelain Putter 6 ARM Candle Stick Light Fixture, Made in Spain $15

Vintage Painting $40

Glass Bowl with dryer balls Home Goods $12

Baskets from Home Goods Large $25, Medium $20 Wall Basket $14 

Rug- Garnet Hill $245

Faucet - English Vintage Style Single Handle Centerset $233

Wall Mount Iron Rack - Wayfair $18

Birch Wood for countertop $40

Faux Soapstone Paint Supplies $40 Followed this tutorial

Towel Bar Lowes $30

Curtain Fabric - Waverly Toile Ebay $60

Brass Cafe Curtain Rod from Rejuvenation $75

Brass Cafe Curtain Clip Rings Ebay $15

Delft Vintage Switch Plate Ebay $25

Plumbing for Sink plus tools $230

Acrylic Hangers $75

Grand Total Makeover - $2,176 (and cue the frown from Joe after I said the whole thing would only cost a couple hundred dollars.  Although if I put a positive spin on it, I saved tons on the sink, light fixture, and art! 

P.S. Make a budget beforehand.

 

Guest Room Makeover

Sometimes literally the only reason I start making over a room is because I get a silly idea in my head like "Let's make a Murphy Bed! It will be fun!"  Haha No. It was a lot of work.  But the results came out pretty fun and the guest room became a whole lot more functional. I can put the bed up and when I save enough money I can throw a pretty rug and desk in the middle and it can also function as a work space.  Before we got started some may remember this room had beige carpet, beige walls and some furniture that we either sold or repainted.  The only thing that stayed was the dresser that also got a makeover. 

A reminder of how the room looked when we moved in:

 Now we have this beautiful room that can be a guest room or an office. 

To start out this room makeover I found this beautiful wall and bookcase color called "Sulking Room Pink" by Farrow and Ball.  I loved that it was a sophisticated and warm pink. It feels grown up. We added picture frame molding to the walls and I painted the walls with an Estate Emulsion and the Trim and bookcase Modern Eggshell.  That way there was a sheen to the trim work that stood out from the walls. 

The bookcases were thrift store finds that were scratched and damaged but were a score at $20 each. They have working lights which is great. I gave them a makeover with pretty wallpaper called Ferrandi  Blue by Christiane Lemieux for York Wallcoverings. 

The Murphy Bed kit was from Amazon and came with very detailed instructions.  You buy all of the lumber separately and I can do a blog post on the details of how we built it. All of the bedding we had on hand but the sheet set is new from Lands End. It is the softest flannel I have ever felt! It's 400 count Supima Cotton and I highly recommend it. 

A touch of gold monogramming never hurt anyone. 

It definitely feels more modern and gives the ceiling a taller look when you paint the crown molding and base molding the same color as the walls. Just use that shinier paint so you can clean it more easily. 

We replaced the hollow core door with a solid wood door and it makes all the difference when opening and closing. It feels sturdy and keeps the sound out. I used the same crystal door knob from Nostalgic Warehouse. 

I kept the original chandelier but removed the crystals. I'm still unsure of whether I will keep it long term. But it works in here for the most part.  The drapes are double wide linen curtains from Pottery Barn. They used to hang at our patio door but work better in here. 

The vintage french dresser got a makeover as well. It used to be white but I thought it would look more grown up in black.  The color is called Paean Black by Farrow and Ball. It pairs so nicely with the wall color. I've had these crystal lamps forever and they are really suited to this space. The mirror adds a bit of coastal whimsy and the contrast is nice. 

Depending on the light the dresser can take on a purple or black color. 

An old painting of sail boats that I had fit so perfectly in here. And the two vintage suitcases plays nicely with the stain on the murphy bed.

The outside of the door was stained with four coats of Minwax Polyshades Oil Based stain in Slate.  I can honestly say I wouldn't use this product again. I would use a regular stain next time with Poly on top.  It was splotchy and dried unevenly every time. Thus the four coats.  Sometimes you live and learn. 

The Brass Peacock door knocker was sort of a last minute touch. Getting a solid wood door means you can have heavy pieces like this.  

And a brass modern robe hook on the inside let's guests hang their coats, robes, or purses easily. 

Here is the murphy bed closed! This blog post is getting very long so I can do a separate post on just this, but we love how it turned out. We even added picture frame, crown, and base molding to the outside. 

The handles are made of iron and brass from Anthropologie and give it such a built in armoire feel.

And I can't forget that we added new Herringbone Laminate Flooring from Lumber Liquidators.   We had a few issues of damage to some of the pieces so had to go back and get more which was kind of frustrating but we are happy with the way it turned out. 

Now that the pandemic is coming to an end (fingers crossed!) we hope to have some guests stay with us. 

xo

Cathleen