Statement walls using art

One area that I've found I've worked with clients is that many people are lost when it comes to hanging art and photos. A few things happen.


DON'T's

1. Gunshot style: this is where you place frames that are too similar in style and size in spot on a wall and it looks like a huge bullet went through your wall. It looks like you didn't know where or why you put them there. There is nothing for the eye to follow and there is no variation and in color, size, etc.

2. Splat: this is where large framed art is just randomly put in your home without any thought of framing the large art with either smaller pieces or furniture.

3. Overload: this is where you just generally have too many things on your walls. It's ok to have some empty spaces :) You don't need a gallery on every wall.



Here is a link that has some excellent ideas when working with wall decor. Little House of Four is a great resource for ideas and inexpensive ways to do things for your home.

Here is a picture of my "gallery" I'm working on, still have a few more things to add to it. These are vintage photos of my relatives and I've included a clock since they all have to do with time past which is my theme for this wall. I've also included a coat of arms in my gallery that my grandmother use to have hanging on her wall. In the photo at the top of this post is when I was able to pull a few more things out of storage and start to add something that would help frame the chair I have to the side. I added a small ceramic plant stand and put some antique books and a candle.

Part 1 Concrete Countertops using Concrete Countertop Solutions and Z Counterforms

Concrete = Awesome!

Initial Planning:

When I began the process of designing our kitchen durability was top priority for the counter tops. Next priority of course was budget :-)  I was initially looking at Carrara Marble. Loved the look for BUT.... The draw back was the problem of staining. 4 young kids and marble probably wouldn't fair well over the years. I loved the thought of some wear and tear but didn't know if I would panic when grape juice got left out and made a ring on the marble ;/

Concrete: I had seen other people do concrete and read lots of reviews. It appeared durable but those who tried it with out a professional seemed to have issues. Many people create moulds, pour and then set the pieces in place. That looked a little too overwhelming to me(too many variables that could all go very wrong!).

I came across Concrete Countertop Solutions in my research. The reviews were good and the youtube videos they had were excellent and very helpful to see how easy it might be for the DIY'er.

Their customer service is AWESOME! They respond to questions normally within a day by email.

Tools:

Screeds: A screed is important for the first initial pouring and smoothing of the concrete. You can get a screed at your local hardware store. We purchased their Island Screed  for our 10Ft x 3ft Island. This was not needed and since the screed was only 40in wide we only had 2 inches on either side of the Island to move it back and forth(watch Concrete Countertop Solution videos on how to do this). We had the problem of the screed falling back into the concrete. I would recommend creating your own screed with a 2x4 for larger areas and don't waste your money on this one. My Island ended up having a little more rustic look to it than I had anticipated.

Drill: Make sure you have a drill that can be used to mix concrete. We burned up the first drilled we used :(  We ended buying a Bosch that is made for mixing and then bought a mixer bit. If you have a friend you can borrow one from that is even better!

Trowels:

A Magnesium Trowel is needed for the first troweling step. PLEASE watch Concrete Countertop Solutions videos on troweling. I watched them probably at least 25 times before attempting this. This float can be purchased at Home Depot as well.

Steel Trowel is much cheaper at Home Depot than through this company. I steel troweled too early on my countertop and had some issues with my stain and sealer sticking. So please make sure you watch the videos and don't do it too early.

FORMS:

We chose the square edge form since I wanted a more basic and simple style. Forms were very simple to take off. Had to give it a little muscle to get it off but overall very pleased with the forms. We had some bubbling holes where we didn't get all the air out of the concrete with tapping as they suggested in their videos. We liked the more natural look so we kept them.

The sink form video was helpful except that it was for a sink with slightly rounded corners. Our sink was a 42" sink(see review on the sink we chose) with tighter corners it was a little more challenging to get the work to stick to our sink. We used a broom handle to help bend the plastic so it would fit tighter in the corners.

In this picture you can see where the side of the cabinets on the ends touches the walls(not the back)

Side walls: Here is where we couldn't find any info on what to do with this wall whether to use the back forms or whether to put the concert right up to the wall. If you're putting backsplash on then you can use the back wall forms but if you're leaving it just drywall don't use the forms. I'll need to get creative now on the sides of my counter top edges because I have a black form showing :/



I'll be posting about these tools in part 2
Reinforcement
Sanding
Stains
Sealers

Backsplash and Range Hood Coming soon!

Review: DIY Shanty 2 Chic Farmhouse table

Finally got my farmhouse table and bench done from Shanty 2 Chic . One more bench coming that will be used in our mudroom and then pulled out in case we have extra company. 

Size:

A few thoughts on the plan. I opted to make mine a bit longer by not cutting the 1x6x8's that are used for the top of the table and benches. This gave me a few extra inches which I wanted for my dining room. This is a very large table so make sure you double check your dining room space. Since I made mine larger we figured we can probably fit 12 people at a minimum at this table, with children you could fit a lot more. 

 
A few suggestions:

I didn't use standard 1x6 for the top of the table since I wanted a nice smooth surface for cleaning. Four young children and food don't mix well with cracks and crevices in a table. Using standard boards will look more rustic but is terrible to clean with kids. I opted to use Menards' Select boards. The price is significantly more(about $8 a board). You can see the price difference by clicking here

Total cost:

Total cost for table and two benches(including all the pocket screws is around $300). This price doesn't include needing to buy a Kreg Pocket Jig. I needed the smaller K3 for my 1x6 and the larger Kreg Jig for the 4x4's and 2x4's

I used 1x3's on the sides of the table instead of 2x4's that are in the plan. I wanted to avoid gaps on the edges since there is a lot of food in this area with kids. Another option would be to find a high quality 2x4 which would give it a more chuncky appearance but that would add a lot more cost to the table. 

You can see the 1x3 on the table edge

This is the side of the table from another angle

For the benches I used 2x4s for the edge rather than the 1x3 like I did on the table. It made the bench very sturdy and it would take a lot for a kid to turn this bench on its side(I've had that happen before with other benches :) 

The picture below is of the bench. You can see the difference of using a 2x4 for the edge.

Final finish for the tops of the table and benches: I stained and used 6 coats of tung oil. Loved the matte finish, very smooth and the grain of the wood still pops through. It's also waterproof. We accidentally tried this out when my kids left a wet cloth on the table over night....no damage :)

Legs: I Chose a distressed look. This takes a few more steps

Step 1: Sand and fill all the holes. I used a combination of caulk and wood filler. Since the 4x4 and 2x4 for the legs are not the best quality wood there is a lot of filling. If you're planning to stain them then you'd have to use some type of filler that can be stained or leave the gaps and have it look a lot more rustic. 

Step 2: Stand with any kind of dark stain. This is the color that will pop through your paint

Step 3: Paint( I used a flat paint since I wanted a more matte finish)

Step 4: After paint dries use sand paper to distress the areas you want the color to pop through.

Step 5: use polyacrylic or wax paste for sealing the wood. This will enable you to clean and wipe off the legs when you need to

Slight distressing on the main beam on the bottom of the table.

House projects + little people = creative planning

I love doing projects but the comment I always hear from moms is "I could never do that, I don't have the time".

Reality is that with a busy schedule like mine it would appear that I don't have time either. But with a little creativity and some willingness to go slowly on a project you can do some pretty amazing things. I hate posting things on facebook or instagram when I complete a project because it gives the illusion that I just popped out another "quick" project. The fact is that it may take me weeks to finish something or even months depending on the project.

I thought I'd jot down a day-by-day schedule of how I work on a project. These things don't happen over night and I wish I had an entire day to work on stuff like this but that is not the season of life I am in right now.

Those who accomplish great feats are normally those who are willing to work on a small portion of their project each day. I break down a project by starting with a list of things I would like to get done on the project that week and determine which days I have time to spend on it. Some weeks I have more time than others. The next time I do this I'm hoping to write the actual amount of time I spent(setting up, doing the project and the clean up)

Project: Benches from Shanty 2 Chic. By the way, love their plan. I used their table plan as well.  I made a few tweaks to mine. Love how easy their plans are to follow. 

MONDAY:

I began cutting all the pieces for both benches. I didn't complete all the bench pieces. I had one angled piece I wasn't completely sure how to cut and wanted to ask my husband before I kept chopping up wood :) Maybe worked for an hour before needing to put all the tools away.

TUESDAY:

I cut the small pieces that are pictured on the floor. This took a lot of time because I needed 12 of them and the angles took me longer to cut. Plus, I only had about an hour to set up, cut, and clean up before heading out to instruct a water aerobics class and get my oldest two kiddos to swim team practice.

 WEDNESDAY:

I had a little more time. I was able to get all the pocket holes drilled for the top of the benches. Started to assemble the legs and then promptly broke my drill bit. Had to wait until I could pick up another one to complete the legs. Worked about 2 hours that day. I kept the kids busy using leftover wood to make their own projects for their tree house :) 

Here my daughter was measure to make her own table for her tree house

THURSDAY:

TOO MANY ACTIVITIES. NOTHING DONE :)

FRIDAY:

Worked on assembling more of the legs since I picked up a new drill bit. I opted to caulk the legs since I wanted a more finished look. Since I'm planning to paint them caulk worked really well.

I found that wood filler worked better for the actual screw holes since I could sand filler better than caulk. 

SATURDAY:

Completed assembling the top of the first bench. Trying out the idea of using 2x4's on the side(as the plan shows) rather than using the high quality 1x3's I used on my table. Also, sanded the legs and put a coat of stain on the legs so when I distress the paint I have a nice color coming through. 

UPCOMING WEEK:

My list:

2 coats of paint on bench legs

Distress bench legs

Seal bench legs

Fine grit sand bench top

Stain bench top

Tung oil bench tops

screw legs onto bench

assemble leg pieces for second bench

assemble top of 2nd bench

Caulk 2nd bench legs

Sand 2nd bench legs

Stain 2nd bench legs

paint 2nd bench legs

I may or may not get through this list. As any mom knows you just never know what your week may hold :) My ultimate goal for the month of June is to have both benches completed.  Now when you see my completed benches and table you'll really know that this wasn't some "quick" project. Even though the plan is quite simple and could be completed in a few days, my reality is that I don't have enough time. I take the time I do have and make the best of it :) 

Hanging Bunk Beds

We needed to utilize every square inch of the space in this bedroom. Due to the fact that the half walls limited the types of beds we could put in this room we decided to try Ana White's Hanging Bed plans. 

We couldn't completely hang them from the ceiling. We opted to bolt the beds to the wall on two sides. Then used the rope ladder we created to help give it a bit more support. The rope attached to the wall is merely decorative :)

I wanted to give the wood an aged appearance. I used steep tea as my first step. Then I used a vinegar and steel wool combination(steeped for a few hours). Applied it with a spray bottle and let it sit. You can find various recipes online for aging wood

Small Laundry Room Solutions

Our laundry room is very narrow and long and connected to our mudroom. Room size is approximately 5ft wide by 14ft long.

I have very little space to have laundry baskets of dirty laundry sitting in this room unless we want to be tripping over them as we're running out the door for swim lessons, music lessons, art class, playdates, and whatever else we sign ourselves up to do.

I decided to utilize the wall next to the washer by taking a piece of scrape wood(from another project) 1x10. I distressed the board by hitting the edges with a hammer and crow bar...the kids had fun watching me do this :) I then used some leftover stain and put a matte finish polyacrylic to seal the wood. Wax would work well too.

Handles/Hooks we're 50% off at Hobby Lobby and they run this sale quite frequently. I spent about $10 in hooks($2.50 each). I opted to have a set of dark for the dark clothes, and white hooks for the light clothing. I thought about using actual cabinet handles but those often go all the way through and you attach the back with a nut and washer. I wanted this piece to hang flat on the wall and the nut and washer would have gotten in the way.

Bags: I went to Menards and purchased a 9' x 13' drop cloth for $15. I cut 4 rectangles, about the size I wanted the bags to be. The leftover cloth I folded and sewed to make strips that I attached to the bags to make the hooks. This is my first set of bags and the seam on the one bag is in the center of the bag, I don't like the way it turned out. I'll probably rip it open and re-sew it so the seam is on the side of the bad and not the front.. I opted to sew the bottom of the bag straight across. The top of the bag I folded down and sewed down so it would have an nice clean finish and then attached the loops.

I'm planning on putting another one of these laundry hook bags on our 2nd floor for the kids. So much easier than trying to store laundry baskets in a small house!

Why I'll Never Go Back to a Standard 36" Sink

In our recent kitchen remodel I knew with 4 kids and constantly entertaining people I wanted a large sink. The only problem is that most large sinks are farmhouse sinks. I love the look of a farmhouse sink but I don't like the practicality of them. They are often difficult to use because when you're cooking you need to be able to wash veggies, straining noodles and need somewhere to put dirty dishes. If you need your sink to do all of these things AVOID a farmhouse sink(unless you have room to put another sink somewhere in your kitchen).  If you never cook and you just want the look, definitely go for a farmhouse sink.


We chose the Ariel 42" Stainless Steel 60/40 Zero Radius Under Mount sink which we purchased through EModernDecor online. We were able to purchase it on sale and a promo code for $342 out the door.


Pros:
Zero radius: I love having that little bit of extra space

Size: LOVE,LOVE, LOVE! Out of the things in our kitchen I think is one of the best decisions we made in the design

Deluxe Strainers: These little babies are the best strainers. Super easy to dump. They catch everything and you don't have to worry whether it's seated in the drain correctly. Wish every sink had these little baskets.

Steel: the steel is very sturdy. It's not super loud which is what I was concerned about. It sounds like a standard sink. No loud banging sounds


Cons:

Faucet: You will have to do extra research to find a faucet that has a long enough reach. A lot of standard sinks will not have a pull out that is long enough. Do your research!

We purchased our faucet through ATG Stores(owned by Lowe's). The Vigo faucet was the only one we could find that was black/oil rubbed bronze that had a long enough reach. ATG Stores had a sale and a first purchase discount of  15% off. Total was $132 with shipping and tax!

Reading Hammock

My goal for the girls room was to make it a fun and creative environment for them. Our farm house is a story and a half so we have a lot of half walls in the second story. We decided to do floating bunk beds(post coming soon) from Ana White's Hanging Bed Plan.

We wanted to use the space under the beds as well and decided a hammock would be a great place to read and play. Here is the plan I used at A Beautiful Mess. I had to make some changes since I was attaching it to the under side of the bunk with large eye screws. It's also much shorter so the size of the material had to be altered. I made it the size she suggested and then just cut and sewed until it looked like it would fit correctly under the bed. This was a huge hit for the girls and a great place to rock baby dolls :)