Half Bathroom Design
I’m excited to announce that I’m participating in the Fall 2024 One Room Challenge! I’m even more excited to share that a total half-bathroom makeover will be the focus this time. In this post, I’m sharing the current state of the bathroom, the design plans, and the inspiration!
Half Bathroom Mood Board - Fall ‘23 ORC Week 1
I’m excited to announce that I’m participating in the Fall 2024 One Room Challenge! I’m even more excited to share that a total half-bathroom makeover will be the focus this time. In this post, I’m sharing the current state of the bathroom, the design plans, and the inspiration!
What’s the One Room Challenge?
If you’re unfamiliar, here’s what the One Room Challenge is (straight from the official site): The One Room Challenge™ will provide participants with a supportive, enthusiastic forum in which to share the process of transforming a room. The ORC is not a competition, but rather a celebration of creativity, inspiration, and original ideas.
The Challenge lasts for 8 weeks, where I’ll be sharing a new post each Wednesday until the final reveal on November 15, 2024.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I receive commissions for purchases made through those links at no cost to you.
Current Half Bathroom
I am not a fan of our current half-bathroom. There. I said it. And I don’t care who knows it!
The half bathroom is the only bathroom on the first floor. It’s right off the foyer and is the primary bathroom for guests… and it never ceases to surprise me how many perplexing things are happening in this small space. Let’s take a closer look.
For starters, let’s chat about the vanity. Or, as we (JOKINGLY) call it, the urinal because it’s so ridiculously short men could pee in it.
Sure, it’s great for the kids to easily reach, but it’s constantly an awkward point of discussion among our taller guests.
And let’s not forget about the outdated seashell sink and the bright pink detail on the front!
Next, we have the textured walls.
Having textured walls is one thing… but these were pretty obviously made by someone swirling a finger in joint compound. On top of wallpaper, no less!
My last major point of confusion is the outdoor lantern that’s being used as a sconce… on a dimmer!
I assume it’s in case you want to use the facilities with some ambiance? But in the time we’ve lived here, it’s never been utilized for that, so I think it’s safe to remove.
While those are just a few examples of items I’d like to change, I actually plan on gutting the entire thing and starting from scratch. In fact, I first started designing this room TWO YEARS ago. Here are some rooms that really got my wheels turning.
Half Bathroom Inspiration
Are you sensing a theme here!?
I first fell in love with the funky, modern wallpaper mixed with some more classic elements in the picture on the top left. From there, I went down a dark and moody bathroom rabbit hole that I don’t regret one bit.
A Case for Dramatic Bathrooms
People tend to think small spaces are the last place you want to use dark colors or busy patterns, but it’s actually the complete opposite! Here’s why you should go dramatic with your next bathroom renovation:
Encompassing an entire room (especially a small one) in dark tones actually makes the room look bigger by tricking your eye into eliminating boundaries.
The smaller scale of bathrooms allows space to splurge a little, play with different design elements, and try things you may not have had the budget for otherwise.
Creating a dramatic feel in a small space is an opportunity to surprise people with a tiny room that packs a punch.
Half Bathroom Design Plans
Now that you know where my thoughts are headed, let’s dive into my bathroom design.
The Walls
If you didn’t pick it up from my inspo photos, I want to go dark with this room. I spent countless hours scouring sites for the perfect wallpaper. There were SO MANY that I considered using, but ultimately, I chose this one from Lionheart Wallpaper.
I love the organic feel of the design and the tones in this wallpaper. Of course, I like that the primary tone is black, but the ferns are actually a subtle dark green, and the birds have some interesting, yet subtle, colors going on, too.
On the bottom half of the wall, I’ll be installing either beadboard or tongue-in-groove paneling for two reasons: 1) to break up the wallpaper and add some visual interest and 2) to save money. Wallpaper is expensive, ya’ll!
The bottom half of the walls, trim, and ceiling will all be painted a soft black or charcoal gray to coordinate with the wallpaper.
The Floor
I’m so excited to try my hand at installing black and white penny tile in this bathroom - and adding a fun border and pattern!
I have yet to decide on the exact pattern I’ll be doing, but I’ve definitely been inspired by the picture above. I look forward to experimenting and trying a few designs to see what works in my space.
The Vanity
When I originally started designing this space, I jumped on Facebook Marketplace and began searching for something I could retrofit to use as a new vanity (a project I’ve always wanted to tackle)… and I found something almost immediately!
Unfortunately, plans shifted (over and over again), and this renovation was put on the backburner. Now with this project back at the forefront, I recently unburied my future vanity from under its mound of random tools and spare wood in the garage and fell back in love with it all over again!
It might not look like much in its current state, but this baby has potential! Trust me.
My mock-up shows the vanity painted green, which I chose based on my memory of the vanity being in worse shape than it is. We’ll see how she fares during the refinishing process, but there’s a possibility I’ll be able to salvage the wood.
The Faucet
Paired with the vanity, I purchased this gorgeous hardware that was just delivered, and I’m super impressed by the quality so far.
I can’t wait to see it in action!
The Mirror
Of course, every vanity needs a mirror. I immediately spotted this mirror the first time I walked into Charlie Foursquare and was drawn to it the minute I laid eyes on it.
I love everything about it - the details on the wood, the shape, the slight bevel in the glass, even the subtle aging of the glass! (This gal is OLD.)
I didn’t consider using it anywhere in my house until recently when I got curious and brought it home to try on for size in the bathroom. It fits the space PERFECTLY! I can’t wait to add a little bit of antique flair to this room.
The Lighting
To really add dramatic flair to the bathroom, I knew I needed dramatic lighting. Enter: these Art Deco-esque sconces on either side of the mirror.
And fot the ceiling, I love the look of this light fixture (and the beautiful patterns the glass makes on the walls!)
Final Thoughts
I’m so excited to get started on this project and to see the ideas that I’ve come up with come to life. But first, I have to do the dirty work: gutting the entire room. Be sure to follow along here for weekly updates and on Instagram and Facebook to watch the project come to life in real time!
Follow along with this year’s One Room Challenge:
Powder Room Design
Overdue Office Renovation Updates
It definitely wasn’t my intention to take the summer off of blogging, but the office renovation needed as much attention as it could get - so that’s where I’ve been just about every day. While I’m not officially ready to reveal any of the rooms, you’ll get plenty of updates and sneak peeks in this post. Keep scrolling!
Holy accidental summer break!
It definitely wasn’t my intention to take the summer off of blogging, but the office renovation needed as much attention as it could get - so that’s where I’ve been just about every day.
But all that time spent at the office was well worth it. We’ve made an insane amount of progress! While I’m not officially ready to reveal any of the rooms, you’ll get plenty of updates and sneak peeks in this post. Keep scrolling!
Refinished Floors
In my last post about the office, I shared that the months-long saga of demo was complete, and drywall was being installed. Shortly after that post, our floor guys started making headway, too. And let me tell you, it was a game-changer! Just look at the difference between the next two photos!
Considering the state of this building when we bought it, we didn’t think the floors could be salvaged. We weren’t even a little bit kind to them during demo. Even after all the debris we ruthlessly dropped on the floor, chucked down the stairs, and scooped up with shovels, these floors amazingly came back to life!
Once drywall and flooring were finished, I spent a few weeks priming and painting (with a little bit of help) every single wall and ceiling so I could move on to the more fun projects. (Though let’s be honest, I actually really love painting too!)
Here’s a quick rundown of what’s been happening in each room in the building - without giving too much away! I’ll share more detailed posts and tutorials once each room is completed.
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Lobby
This room is pretty far along. The showstopper here is the stone veneer accent wall and wood-clad fireplace. There’s still some styling left to do (as there is in every room in this building), finishing the trim, and replacing the three smaller windows with one big picture window.
On the other side of the room, I have plans for a reception desk that I originally wanted to be clad in wood very similar to the fireplace. Now I’m worried it’ll be too much, so I’m rethinking the design.
Conference Room
This room is the furthest along out of all the rooms, and I’m in love with how it’s coming together.
Can you even believe this before and after view from the same angle!?
There are still a couple of things left to do in here, like swapping the two smaller windows out for one large picture window (not pictured). We also plan on adding (DIYing, perhaps??) a sliding door for privacy when needed.
Agent Office
This room looks a little empty right now, but it’s actually farther along than it may seem. The largest project of installing the desks (made out of IKEA Havstorp cabinets and butcher block countertops) around the perimeter of the room is complete.
Now it’s a matter of building/installing the corner pieces between the cabinets, installing hardware, building bookshelves on either side of the windows, waiting for the center window to arrive, and styling the space.
Bathroom
This bathroom has been a labor of love for me. What started as a grimy little bathroom now has tall board and batten, hexagon tile, and a toilet! (which we went a surprisingly long time without)
A little bit of art (and fixing the board and batten around the new window) is all that’s needed to complete this space.
(Pst, you can see how I frosted the window in this tutorial!)
Media Room
This room has gone through a bit of an identity crisis. For a long time, we didn’t know what it would be used for, so we just called it the back room or the kitchen (because apparently, it was a kitchen at one point?). It’s now been deemed the Media Room.
It feels good to have a direction for this room and definitely helped narrow down the design. So far, it’s been painted a really pretty dark grayish-blue color (Past and Present by Sherwin Williams), and we’ve replaced the flooring.
On the wall you see in the picture above, we’ll be installing acoustic panels in some sort of design to help with the echo and add an aesthetic backdrop. We'll also be replacing the door and adding trim, and painting it all the same color as the walls.
Upstairs
The main room upstairs is a long, lofted room that will be rented out for use by other businesses.
There’s still a little work to do up here including installing doors on either side of the staircase and, oh yeah, a railing around the staircase. Important stuff. But I’m already loving the open space, the hanging lanterns, and, of course, the exposed brick chimney!
Robb’s Office
The only other room upstairs is Robb’s office, which has new flooring and a fun accent wall. Aside from missing a door and trim, this room is thisclose to being finished.
Exterior
Along with the interior updates, the exterior of the building has seen its own share of changes. We removed most of the stucco and all the siding, rebuilt all the rotted exterior walls, wrapped the building in a protective barrier, and installed board and batten siding.
We also recently got copper-colored gutters, which are going to pop once the nude-colored siding is painted. I can only guess what people are thinking as they’ve been driving by a nude building all summer. Any guesses on what color we’re going with!?
There’s also landscaping in the works, which will bring it all together.
Final Thoughts
All in all, we’ve been working on this office for about nine months so far. It’s been a wild ride! I’m blown away by the transformation this building has undergone in that short amount of time and that we’ve done most of it ourselves. I can’t wait to share the spaces with you as we finish them up. Keep checking back here for those posts, and follow along in real-time on Instagram!
Catch up on the rest of the office renovation by visiting the posts below:
Office Reno - Bathroom and Loft Design
Recently I’ve been busy sharing the designs for most of the spaces in our office building, like the lobby and reception area, the kitchenette and conference room, and the agent office. Today I’m wrapping up this series with the bathroom, loft, and remaining spaces.
Half Bathroom Mood Board
Recently I’ve been busy sharing the designs for most of the spaces in our office building, like the lobby and reception area, the kitchenette and conference room, and the agent office. Today I’m wrapping up this series with the bathroom, loft, and remaining spaces.
Bathroom Design
Let’s jump in by talking about the bathroom. This building has a half bath on the first floor that once looked like this:
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During demo, we decided to take out the closet from the adjoining room that juts into the space on the left-hand side to make this bathroom ADA-Accessible.
Right now, it’s more or less a blank box. But when I came across this bathroom by styleitprettyhome, I knew this was the design I had to run with for the office bathroom - with my own spin, of course.
The first thing that drew me in was the walls. I love the tall board and batten with the earthy green and white above to keep it light. Paired with the wood vanity and hexagon tile? So. Much. Yes!
So I got to sourcing and shopping and came up with this design:
I love making small spaces into little surprises to walk into. I’m really looking forward to making this bathroom something special.
Related: Check out this post sharing the half-bathroom mood board for our own home!
Loft Design
While the entire office has undoubtedly gone through a lot of changes, the second floor is the most changed. Long story short, there used to be two rooms up here. During demo, we knocked down some walls and ended up with this one long glorious space.
We don’t even have all the windows installed yet, and this space already feels so light and airy. As good as I think the agent office will look, I’ll honestly be surprised if people aren’t fighting to work up here.
While my plans for this space are fairly loose, there are some design elements already set in motion.
To keep the space light, I’ll be painting the walls (and ceiling) Agreeable Gray by Sherwin Williams. The hallway downstairs and the stairwell will also be painted this color, which will lead to a seamless transition between the spaces.
We’ll be installing five of these pendant lanterns down the length of the room. I think they’ll look amazing in the space.
Obviously, we have the beautiful character added from the exposed chimney. But you know what would be even better? More character!
When I shared the design for the kitchenette, one of my designs included the built-in that came with the building.
In that post mentioned that it didn’t make the final cut for that design but that we had other plans for it. Well… we’re turning it into a secret door that will take you to the closet on the right of the staircase!
I think it’ll be such a cool addition to this space. In fact, we already put it on casters! Plus, who doesn’t love a secret door!?
It needs a little love, but I’m absolutely willing to refinish it if I have to. To balance out the view from the top of the stairs, I’d love to install a wood door stained to match on the other doorway. And maybe even add some faux beams on the ceiling down the line….
We don’t have any specific plans for furniture for this room, but that’s okay! Not everything has to be figured out 100% at once.
Remaining Spaces
While I have a good idea of how most of the spaces in the office will look, there are a couple of spaces that are still fairly blank slates.
Robb’s Office
Our office building used to have a full bathroom on the second floor (see the doorway to the left of the staircase above). Not anymore!
With this renovation, we decided we only need the half bath downstairs, and the space that was once the full bathroom upstairs will now be an office. It’s a fairly long and skinny space, but here’s what it looks like from either end:
Robb is my husband’s business partner. Since Lucius didn’t want a dedicated office space, this room will be Robb’s little haven to design… sort of.
I’ve already picked out this light fixture.
Since there was tile in here, we’ll have to install new flooring. We haven’t 100% decided what flooring we’ll install yet, but I’m looking at some cost-efficient options.
Robb and I are in negotiations on the paint color.
Back Room
There’s one more room on the first floor that I haven’t covered. It used to look like this:
But nowadays looks more like this:
As with the other rooms, we demoed this one down to the studs and got all new drywall. We’ll be installing new windows along that back wall down the line too.
We’ve discussed using this room for additional workspace, but I think everyone needs to work in the building for a while to see if this room would serve a better purpose for something else before jumping in with a whole design plan.
For now, I’ll paint it to match the rest of the color scheme for the office and let it be until we have a better idea of what we want.
Unfortunately, this room didn’t have hardwood that we could refinish. I’ll likely install the same flooring we use in Robb’s office space once we have that hammered out.
Final Thoughts
We’re on the cusp of putting these designs into action. The drywall and floors were just completed last week, and we’re already almost finished priming. The transition this building has already seen since we bought it is overwhelming - in the best way. I can’t wait to put my designs into action!
Don’t miss out! Read about the rest of this project in the posts below:
We Bought a Hair Salon! (Office Building Reno Intro)
Loft Design with Vaulted Ceilings
Office Reno - Agent Office Design
I’ve shared the designs for the lobby and reception area, as well as the conference room and kitchenette in the office building we’ve been renovating. Let’s keep that trend going. Today, I’m sharing the design for the agent office!
Built-in Desk Design
I’ve shared the designs for the lobby and reception area, and the conference room and kitchenette in the office building we’re renovating. Let’s keep that trend going. Today, I’m sharing the design for the agent office!
As a reminder, my husband is part-owner of a real estate brokerage. We, along with several other investors, bought this building to renovate as the office for the brokerage. So, naturally, we need places for the agents to actually do their thang. That’s what this room is for.
The Floor Plan
When Lucius told me I needed to figure out how to fit six workspaces into this 13x13-foot room, I probably looked at him like he had three heads. The picture below was after we started demo, but it’s the best picture I have to give you a good idea of the room size.
While it took some brainstorming and research, I finally came across a few examples of other spaces that made me realize that built-in desks around the perimeter of the room would make this possible.
Here’s a little floor plan I threw together to help visualize my plans.
And here are the preliminary sketches of the three “desk walls” I drew to run the idea past the hubs and get his seal of approval.
As you can see, I’m imagining three out of the four walls of the room with desk space. Each opening will have enough room for two people to work, allowing for cabinetry on either end of the desk for storage.
The Design
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Let’s break those sketches down, eh?
Walking through the door, you’ll see windows above the desk area straight ahead. Flanking either side of this desk, I’d love to add built-in bookshelves. We don’t really need them, but I think it’d look good.
Above each desk area, there will be two pendant lights hanging down. These are the pendants I’m leaning toward, along with the flush mount that will be centered in the room:
On the left-hand wall will be another desk, with the same concept minus the windows. I think a beautiful piece of artwork or a mirror would make sense in their place. I really like the vibe of this mirror.
I’m undecided on the bookshelves in this desk area as of right now.
This sketch shows sconces above the desks. I was still playing around with light fixtures when I made these sketches, so I was trying out some different looks. Since then, we’ve officially had the room wired for pendants.
Lastly, the right-hand wall follows the same general idea, except we have another window and a chimney. We’ve exposed the brick on the chimney, and I’m so excited to leave it just like that. It adds so much character!
After I made sure Lucius was on board, I put my plan on graph paper to get exact measurements and headed over to the IKEA site to use their kitchen planner again since, as with the kitchenette, we’ll be using IKEA cabinetry.
This is the rendering I put together using the kitchen planner for the cabinets and added additional elements using Canva.
Because we’ll need so much counter space for this design, I think butcherblock is the route to go so the seams are a little less noticeable.
Color Scheme
I don’t know what came first here - me imagining blue cabinets and built-ins on my own or because that’s primarily what I’ve come across when looking for inspiration (classic chicken or the egg, amirite?). Either way, that’s the route I’m going!
I ping-ponged back and forth a lot about whether I wanted to go with blue since I’m not 100% sure what shade of blue the “Havstorp Turquoise” IKEA cabinets are. After doing as much research as I possibly could without driving an hour to the nearest IKEA, I decided to just go for it.
I’d like to use a blue color for the walls in the lobby and reception area. My hope is that these cabinets are a nice call-back to that room.
Once the cabinets are installed, I think we’ll have to custom-build the bookshelves and color-match them to the cabinets since I can’t find the exact sizes I’m looking for.
As for the walls, I’m leaning toward a light neutral that will probably be repeated throughout several rooms - Agreeable Gray by Sherwin Williams.
I’m holding off on my final decision for the color of the butcherblock countertops until the floors are refinished (they’re currently in progress!) to avoid any clashing in the wood tones. They’ll likely be either of the extremes - walnut or ash. I used the ash finish in my rendering and am really digging the look.
Final Thoughts
Once I nailed down the floor plan, my vision for this room was pretty clear. I’m so excited to see it come to life, which will be happening very soon!
Drywall will be completed this week, and the floors have already been patched and are well underway for refinishing. Follow along on Instagram and Facebook to see all the progress in real-time!
Catch up on the full office renovation with these posts:
We Bought a Hair Salon! (Office Building Reno Intro)
Office Layout Plans
Office Reno - Conference Room Design
Last week I shared that drywall is finally being installed at the office! And as exciting as that is, I’m even more excited for what’s to come. I’ve been working hard behind the scenes on the design of this building. Today we’re diving into the conference room!
Meeting Room Design Plans
Last week I shared that drywall is finally being installed at the office! And as exciting as that is, I’m even more excited for what’s to come. I’ve been working hard behind the scenes on the design of this building. I’ve already shared the lobby and reception design. Today we’re diving into the conference room!
But before we jump into the design, let’s remind ourselves what it looked like before.
The view into the conference room (after a little bit of demo had already begun) used to look like this:
These days, this view is looking more like this:
I mentioned in last week’s post that we shifted some walls around during this renovation. Well, that wall you see below with the built-in is one of those walls. And we decided to remove it completely.
The plan was always to turn the space behind the wall into a kitchenette. By removing the wall this room is much more spacious, and the kitchenette plan is still in full swing.
In fact, we actually gained some room by removing the built-in and the closet that used to be behind it, too. (Don’t worry - we’ll be repurposing the built-in elsewhere.) Actually, I’ve had a blast designing the kitchenette.
The Kitchenette Design
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The whole feeling I’m going for in this building is a cozy/rustic/Nordic vibe with a twist of modern. Think: earthy colors and natural textures paired with clean lines.
When I was searching for inspiration for the kitchenette, this image immediately got my wheels turning.
There’s so much about this image that I love, but I was specifically attracted to the color scheme and the sleekness of the design. I honestly really love the tile, too, but it just wasn’t right for our space. Enter inspiration photo number 2.
This image gave me my “ah-ha” moment for the backsplash. If you read the post where I shared the lobby design, you know I planned on installing stone around the fireplace. Once I saw this image, it became abundantly clear that I should carry the stone to the backsplash of the kitchenette too.
Once I smooshed my two inspiration pictures together (and had way too much fun in the IKEA kitchen planner + Canva), the design came together pretty quickly.
For the backsplash, I considered using these panels from Amazon, but I’m actually going to try my hand at installing stone veneer instead. I’m hoping to over-grout them and end up with something that looks similar to the inspo picture.
We had a really good experience installing IKEA cabinets during our loft renovation. We’re planning to use those again here. The Bodarp green/gray door color is right in line with my color palette for this building.
I love the look of the pendants in front of the backsplash in the inspo pictures above, so that was a must. These are the pendants I’ve picked for this space.
Lastly, I’m toeing a fine line with some of the elements I’ve included in the overall design, so I’m worried butcher block countertops might lean too farmhouse. To combat this, I’m thinking of using a budget-friendly white laminate (stone is expensive, ya’ll!) and building a looooooong wood floating shelf (13’6” to be exact) to go above the counters.
Conference Room Design
As for the rest of the room, we’ll have a large conference table with a chandelier above and a TV along the back wall. The layout will look something kind of like this….
…except imagine that picture is a TV.
I would love to add a special element to the TV wall too, like box molding or building something to make it stand off the wall a little. This idea really caught my eye.
Subtle, yet visually interesting.
As for the rest of the details, I haven’t worked out the exact furnishings yet, but I know we plan on using this chandelier.
I’m picturing a lighter-toned color on the wall. Not a stark white, but maybe an off-white, light taupe, or greige. And I’d love to have a big, chunky wood table. I’m divided on whether to add an area rug just yet.
The doorway to this room is large (around 4 feet), so we plan on building a sliding barn door.
As I mentioned above, I’m trying to not lean TOO farmhouse chic. That being said, a more modern door design might be a good option. I really love the look of the one below!
Final Thoughts
While there are still some details to work out, I’m really excited about the direction this room (and the whole building, honestly) is headed. Stay tuned for next week’s post, where I’ll be sharing the design for the agent workspace!
Catch up! Check out these other posts about this project:
We Bought a Hair Salon! (Office Building Reno Intro)
Office Building Design
Office Reno - Project Status Updates
It’s hard to believe, but the last post I wrote about our new office building was four months ago! In that post, I shared the design for the lobby and reception area. In real life, we were deep in the demo phase. We’ve made a lot of progress since then, so in this post, I’m sharing what the building looks like today!
Renovation Progress Report
It’s hard to believe, but the last post I wrote about our new office building was four months ago! In that post, I shared the design for the lobby and reception area. In real life, we were deep in the demo phase. We’ve made a lot of progress since then, so in this post, I’m sharing what the building looks like today!
I know it doesn’t look like much yet, but this is a huge improvement from where we started!
How we got here…
When I first shared that we bought a new office building, I made lots of naive statements such as, “demo will be minimal in <insert random room here>” and “we’re going to focus on <insert different room here> for now so we can get back in the building quickly.”
Ha! What a fool I was!
Over the past four months, we actually ended up taking everything down to the studs. And I mean EVERYTHING.
It seemed like everywhere we turned, we found more and more rotted wood or problematic areas that needed to be addressed. We were scared of what we weren’t seeing, so we took it all out.
At the time, it honestly kind of sucked. Every single wall had at least two layers of drywall and one layer of sheetrock. Hours upon hours of hauling buckets, shovel-fulls, and trash cans filled with debris in the freezing cold still haunt my dreams.
But honestly, it was the right call. See Exhibit A, where we discovered there was no flooring left underneath the toilet:
Exhibit A
And while it pains me to lose any bit of character from the building (here’s looking at you, arched doorways), demoing everything allowed us to shift and remove some (non-structural) walls to really make this building our own.
Finally, after months of demo and EIGHT 30-foot dumpsters of rubble, I’m thrilled to say we’re deep in the process of installing drywall. And better yet - we’re not doing it ourselves! Woop!
How it looks today
I know a building full of unfinished drywall doesn’t look very exciting. But for all of us who have been working on this project, it feels like a huge accomplishment.
As soon as the first sheets of drywall started going up, I think it really hit everyone just how far we’ve come. Obviously, there’s still work to do before we can officially call it “done”, but it feels so much closer to the finish line now!
What’s Next
Once the drywall is complete, we’ll jump back in to prime, paint, install trim, and do all those finishing touches. Somewhere in there, we’ll also have the floors refinished.
We assumed they were too far gone, but our flooring guy thinks they’re salvageable. We forgot what they looked like without all the crud on them and even mopped a spot so we could daydream about what they’ll look like in the end.
In the meantime, I’ve been staying busy with our other renovation project (Charlie Foursquare) and working on the designs for the rest of the rooms here. I can’t wait to share them with you. Stay tuned for those posts coming up soon!
Project List for Charlie Foursquare
We’re already about five weeks into having possession of Charlie Foursquare and are moving full steam ahead! So, I figured now would be a good time to share what needs to happen to prepare this property for the next steps.
American Foursquare Renovation Project Plans
We’re already about five weeks into having possession of Charlie Foursquare and are moving full steam ahead! So, I figured now would be a good time to share what needs to happen to prepare this property for the next steps.
As a reminder, our goal is to turn Charlie Foursquare into an Airbnb. But if things go sideways and that doesn’t work out, we’ll sell. Either way, many (maybe even all) of the items below need to take place to get the most bang for our buck. Let’s dive in!
Clean
Status: Complete
If you read my last post or have been following along on Instagram, you know that the previous owners left a ton of stuff behind.
To most people, this would be a huge inconvenience. But luckily for me, amongst all the dust and garbage, I’ve actually been having a blast finding treasures in every room. Most of these items suit the house really well, and I plan to keep them in the house to use as decor.
As of right now, all the rooms (except the sunroom and basement) have been cleaned out completely because we had to get them prepped for…
Refinish Floors
Status: In Progress
One of the best parts about old Charlie Foursquare is that the original hardwood floors are intact throughout! When this house was flipped years ago, all those gorgeous floors were covered up with carpets (and in the case of the kitchen and foyer - linoleum). But they aren’t anymore!
Lucius, I, and a couple of our incredibly selfless friends spent hours ripping up carpet, pulling staples, and scraping linoleum to prep the floors for refinishing. We also had to remove everything from the house. It was a ton of work, but I think it’ll prove to be totally worth it after we see the finished result.
In fact, the floor refinishers are doing their magic right now! It’s taking everything in me not to stop by to check it out.
Repairs
Status: Unfinished
Compared to the hot mess we’re dealing with in our office building, Charlie Foursquare has surprisingly little repair work. Here are the items that absolutely need to be fixed no matter what happens with this property:
Ceiling Patching
There are three rooms (the kitchen, den, and one of the bedrooms) where large chunks of the ceiling are missing. Fortunately, this is a pretty easy fix and won’t take much time.
Half Bathroom
Luckily, the room that is the most in need of help is also the smallest - the half bathroom. In fact, it’s so small this is the best picture we could get of it.
I’m thinking this room might need to be gutted simply because the beadboard that currently exists is falling off the walls. I would love to transform this little bathroom into a bite-sized design surprise with some cool wallpaper and floor tile.
HVAC
Before it got super cold out, the boiler in the house broke. We planned to install HVAC throughout the home anyway, but we had to do it quicker than planned on the first floor to prevent pipes from freezing.
To finish the job, we’ll need another system installed in the attic for the second floor.
Additional Tasks
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Lastly, here are the items that don’t necessarily HAVE to be done to make the house functional but will go a long way.
Treat Woodwork
Not only are the floors original to the house, but so is the rest of the woodwork throughout. Most of it has just been stained, but there are a couple of rooms where it’s been painted. I’d like to strip the wood down in these rooms to restore it.
As for the other wood, it really just needs a good cleaning, and I’m going to apply some Restor-A-Finish to see if it can bring the wood back to its best self.
Lastly, I’ll need to install quarter-round throughout the home to cover up the gaps between the baseboards and floors.
Remove Paneling
There’s a small amount of paneling that isn’t original to the house (some in the den and some in the stairwell that you can see in the picture below) that we’d like to remove.
The paneling in the den doesn’t bother me much, but the paneling in the stairwell draws too much focus since it’s practically the first thing you see when you enter the home. I can’t wait to tear it out and paint that area a lighter color!
Paint/Wallpaper
A fresh coat of paint can go such a long way. After I give the whole house a good deep clean, I’ll start removing wallpaper and repainting.
I’ve already been working on the overall design for this house, and I’d actually like to add some new wallpaper - likely in the dining room, foyer, and half bathroom. I’m excited to continue working on the design and watch it come together.
Replace Light Fixtures
We’re fortunate that there are several original light fixtures left in the house.
But there are still quite a few that are newer and don’t exactly fit the style of the home, so we’ll be swapping those out.
Furnish
Lastly, if the Airbnb plan works out, we’ll load it with furniture (and I’ll style it to my little heart’s desire). I’m thinking a mixture of old and new throughout the home.
I’d love to find some second-hand items (like dressers, nightstands, coffee tables, maybe a hutch) and have been keeping close tabs on Facebook Marketplace. Once it gets closer to time to start furnishing, I’ll be scoping out thrift and antique stores too. But I plan to buy area rugs, couches, chairs, and most likely bedframes new.
Final Thoughts
While this list may seem long, it actually feels completely manageable - especially considering everything we’ve had to do on our office building renovation (hopefully, I’ll be able to give an update about that project in the next few weeks!)
I can’t wait to see the finished flooring and start checking things off of this to-do list. Keep following along to see how this project progresses!
For related content, visit the posts below
Historic Home Renovation
Oops, we did it again
If you’ve been following along, you’ll know that we recently purchased a dilapidated hair salon that we’re renovating into an office space. While that property is still very much a work in progress, we like to keep ourselves on our toes - so we added another one to the mix!
Meet Charlie, the 1904 American Foursquare
If you’ve been following along, you’ll know that we recently purchased a dilapidated hair salon that we’re renovating into an office space. While that property is still very much a work in progress, we like to keep ourselves on our toes - so we added another one to the mix!
We bought this house, which we've been calling “Charlie Foursquare” as an investment property, with plans to turn it into an Airbnb. It was built in 1904 in the American Foursquare style, and MAN, is it a beauty! Boasting 10-foot ceilings and incredible original woodwork, I can’t wait to bring it back to life.
But before we jump in, here’s a little bit of background for ya…
What’s an American Foursquare?
The American Foursquare style was popularized between the 1890s and the 1930s as a reaction to the highly ornate Victorian houses that predated them. The typical layout of an American Foursquare is… well… a square with four rooms on each of the two floors.
Typically, there’s a large front porch with a centered doorway where you’ll enter into the foyer. While the downstairs layout isn’t always four distinct rooms (sometimes the living room footprint spans an entire half of the first floor), two of the rooms usually contain the dining room and kitchen. Each corner of the second floor holds a bedroom. The staircase and bathroom (sometimes the only bathroom in the home) are located in the center.
Our house follows the standard to a T. So, come on in. Let me show you around!
Forewarning - the previous owners left a ton of stuff to clean up so the house is looking a little rough. I challenge you to look past all the trash and clutter to see the potential though because there’s. so. much!
Downstairs
Foyer
Upon entering through the front door, you’re greeted with a large foyer. While I love the woodwork throughout the whole house, this room really showcases its beauty.
To the left, you see the columns leading to the living room, and to the right are pocket doors leading into a den. And then, straight ahead, you get your first look at one of the many gorgeous 6-paneled wood doors.
My only disappointment here is that the staircase is a lot less grand than many homes from this era, but obviously, that isn’t a deal-breaker.
I kind of like the wallpaper in the foyer and may end up keeping it, along with the radiators simply for aesthetics (they no longer work). The flooring, however, is cheap linoleum that I can’t wait to replace. I’m thinking tile would look amazing here and really elevate the space.
Den
As I mentioned above, this room is to the right of the foyer and repeats the amazing columns that lead to the living room. I especially love the built-ins surrounding the fireplace and their leaded glass.
You can see that this room has a little bit of repair work needed to the ceiling, and the light fixture will be replaced with something more period-appropriate. We’re fortunate that many of the original light fixtures are still with the house, but not all of them.
On top of that, we’ve already started removing the carpets throughout the whole house, and the hardwoods underneath are all salvageable. Refinishing will begin in a couple of weeks!
Living Room
On the opposite side of the foyer is the living room, where you get your first real glimpse of the super tall ceilings (they’re just as tall in the foyer and den but it’s hard to tell in photos).
As with the den, plans for this room are paint, a new light fixture, and refinishing the floors.
Dining Room
This picture doesn’t do it justice, but this room is actually pretty large - 18x13 feet to be exact.
I can’t wait to fill this space with a large table and a beautiful area rug. (Actually, all the rooms will be getting new area rugs.) Again, paint, a new light fixture, and floor refinishing are on the list, but I would also love to add wallpaper to this room to really make a statement.
Butler’s Pantry
Between the dining room and kitchen is a passthrough with a small butler’s pantry.
While it’s not large, this pantry extends from the floor all the way to the 10-foot ceiling, so it still feels grand. To the right of the pantry is the basement - which actually has 10-foot ceilings, too!
Half Bath
Opposite the pantry is a small half-bathroom.
This room will likely need the most work out of any throughout the house as the beadboard is in really rough shape. But hey - at least it’s tiny!
Kitchen
The kitchen is a good size but was left in a disgusting state. That being said, the cabinets are still in good shape and just need a really really thorough cleaning.
Our hit list for this room is to repair the ceiling, swap out the light fixture, paint, and peel up the linoleum. I was able to get a little bit of the flooring up pretty easily just to see what we were working with, and there’s hardwood under there. If at all possible, we’d love to restore them.
Upstairs
The second-floor houses all the bedrooms and a full bathroom.
Bedroom 1
This bedroom is by far the messiest in the house, but look past that at all the potential!
Nursery
Next to the bedroom above is a small room (less than 8x8 feet) that would have originally been used as a nursery. In fact, the door to the right connects to the room next door.
Bedroom 2
On the other side of the nursery is this bedroom that has a cool surprise. That bookcase on the left-hand side is actually secret storage! It swivels open!
Right now it holds a gun rack, but we’ll remove that and repurpose it for something more our speed.
Bedroom 3
This is the one room in the house without carpet. Unfortunately, it’s also the only one with painted trim. I may try my hand at stripping it back to the original woodwork.
Full Bathroom
Bathrooms back in the day weren’t quite the hot commodity they are now - so they weren’t typically very large. This is no exception.
Opposite the toilet is a walk-in shower which seriously makes me wonder what was there originally because there’s no way there’s enough space to hold a clawfoot tub.
Bedroom 4
This is the master bedroom, which coincidentally is the furthest away from the nursery. (They really knew what they were doing in 1900!) It’s a good size at 18x14 feet!
Final Thoughts
If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you know that we actually lived in an American Foursquare before we moved into our current home. I’ll always have a soft spot for this style of house.
Looking back at it, if we lived there now I would do so many things differently design-wise. And now I kind of have the chance!
For Charles, I’d like to make sure the design reflects the home’s history while mixing in some modern elements.
I absolutely plan on keeping the woodwork intact and reusing the original light fixtures that are still here. I can’t wait to take advantage of all the picture rails and add some wallpaper strategically throughout.
I’ve been deep in searching for inspiration and have come across some images that have really gotten my wheels turning… but you’ll have to wait a bit for me to finish clearing out all the mess so I can see the house without the clutter and really let my imagination run wild.
Keep following along here and on my Instagram to watch this house return to its former glory. I can’t wait to share it with you!
If you love old houses you may also enjoy these posts…
American Foursquare Home Tour
How to DIY Shaker Cabinet Doors
When I finished up the 2022 fall One Room Challenge (ORC) a few months ago I mentioned that there were a couple of outstanding items I didn't get to before it ended. One of those items was building doors for the cabinet above the washer and dryer. Well, I'm excited to say that they're now complete!
Easy Shaker Cabinet Door Tutorial
When I finished up the 2022 fall One Room Challenge (ORC) a few months ago, I mentioned that there were a couple of outstanding items I didn't get to before it ended. One of those items was building doors for the cabinet above the washer and dryer. Well, I'm excited to say that they're now complete!
In this post, I'm sharing how I, a novice woodworker, built my own custom shaker cabinet doors. (And how you can, too!)
I admit I procrastinated on this project because I was nervous. I'm really new to woodworking, and I wasn't sure I could actually pull it off. I mean, the open cabinet didn't look that bad, right?
But I knew it would look better and more finished with doors to match the rest of the cabinets. Plus, the feeling I had every time I finished a piece of the puzzle for this room during the ORC was so empowering - I kinda wanted to feel it again.
I do want to mention that I really took my time with this project and did dry-fits every step of the way, which I found really helpful to catch any mistakes before it was too late.
Here's how you (even if you're a beginner) can DIY your own shaker cabinet doors.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I receive commissions for purchases made through those links at no cost to you.
Materials for Door Build
- 1x3 wood (I used Poplar)
- 1/4" plywood (I used Birch)
- Miter saw (or miter box)
- Table saw
- Drill
- Drill bits
- Clamps
- Speed square
- Kreg Pocket Jig*
- Screws (The instruction manual for the Kreg Jig will guide you to what size screw you should be using for your wood depth.)
- Wood glue
- Tape measure
- Pencil
Additional Materials (optional)
- Concealed hinges (the size of your hinges will vary depending on how much the doors overlay the cabinet)
- Kreg Concealed Hinge Jig*
- Bondo
- Orbital sander
- Sandpaper discs
- Caulk
- Primer
- Paint
- Paintbrush
- Foam roller
Take Measurements
I started my project by taking measurements of the interior and exterior of my cabinet box to determine the size my doors needed to be. Since each project is unique, I won’t reference my exact measurements throughout this tutorial.
However, I’m a very visual person, so I sketched out my doors with my measurements which helped me verify my math. Quick tip: note that 1x3 boards are actually only 2.5” wide.
Cut Rails and Stiles
A shaker cabinet is made up of stiles (the vertical boards on the sides) and rails (the horizontal boards on the top and bottom) with thin wood (in this case, plywood) as the interior panel. My stiles and rails are made of 1x3 Poplar.
One benefit of shaker cabinets is that there are no mitered corners. The stiles run the entire length of the door while the rails span the distance in between.
You could make these cuts with a table saw, but if you have a miter saw handy, it’s a little easier. I highly suggest saving any extra pieces of wood to use in future steps!
At this point, I did a quick dry-fit by holding my boards up to the cabinet. Once I was sure everything looked good, I numbered my pieces clockwise 1-4 to make sure I used the same placement of each piece for future steps.
Drill Pocket Holes*
I’ll preface this step by saying you can build shaker doors without drilling pocket holes and instead using mortise-and-tenon joints, but I didn’t feel ready to add another new thing to an already new-to-me process. Maybe next time!
Using my Kreg Jig, a drill, and a strong clamp, I drilled two pocket holes into each end of each rail. The Kreg Jig comes with instructions for how to set up the jig depending on the width of your wood, so I won’t get into specifics here.
Before I drilled into the wood I cut for the doors, I drilled a couple of pocket holes into my test pieces. This helped me realize I needed a stronger clamp so my wood wouldn’t shift while drilling. (Slow and steady, people!)
Cut Notch for Plywood
On the inside edge of your stiles and rails, you’ll cut a small notch that will hold the plywood in the center of the cabinet door. Here’s where your scrap pieces of wood really come in handy.
First, make sure the blade on your table saw is set low - mine was a little less than 1/4” inch.
Next, mark the center of a piece of scrap wood and set the fence of the table saw so the blade is on one side of your mark.
Then, run the scrap wood through the table saw. Flip the board end-to-end and run it through the table saw again on the other side of your mark.
Now check to see if your plywood fits in the notch.
You’ll likely have to make adjustments and test it again on another piece of scrap wood - and that’s okay! Make sure you get this step right before cutting your good pieces.
Cut Plywood
Once my notches were cut, I measured the distance between the rails and the distance between the stiles. I added 1/4” to each of these measurements.
Again, I did this step slowly. I purposely cut my plywood a little big, knowing I could always make it smaller until it fit perfectly.
Put It All Together
Using a speed square and plenty of clamps, screw the rails to one stile.
From here, slide your plywood into the notches. If everything fits well, run a bead of glue along the notches and add the other stile to secure it all together.
You’ve officially built a door! But there’s still more work to do…
Fill, Caulk, Prime, Paint
Even though they’d be on the inside of the cabinets, I chose to fill my pocket holes with Bondo. Once dry, I sanded it down with 80-grit sandpaper. I also caulked around the inside frame of my doors (where the 1x3s meet the plywood).
Lastly, I primed and painted my doors with a foam roller to match the rest of the laundry room.
Install Hinges*
Because the other cabinets in the laundry room have concealed hinges, I wanted to add them to these doors, too.
To install a concealed hinge, I used a Kreg Concealed Hinge Jig. However, it is possible to do this without a jig if you don’t want to buy one - but you’ll need other tools. OR, you could use an entirely different type of hinge.
As with the Pocket Jig, I followed the instructions provided for my door measurements and watched a YouTube video or two. I was really nervous I’d mess them up, which is why I chose to drill my hinge holes before painting.
Install Cabinet Doors
And now, the moment you’ve been working towards - installation!
Since your hinges are already installed on your doors, you just need to figure out where you want your doors to hit on the cabinet box.
Mark on your cabinet box where to drill, and pre-drill the holes to prevent your wood from splitting. Then screw them in!
Add Handles or Knobs
Stand Back and Admire
Now take the time to be impressed by your newfound skills. You built a friggin’ door! How cool is that!?
Final Thoughts
Building these doors 100% gave me the feeling of empowerment I was looking for and made me really look forward to expanding my skills with my next project. It’s so easy to look at something and think, “I could never do that.” but I’m learning every time I try something new that if I just take it step-by-step, I’m capable of way more than I realize.
Be sure to Pin the image below for later so you can build your own shaker cabinet doors!
Check out the rest of the projects I tackled during the One Room Challenge
Shaker Cabinet Door Tutorial for Beginners
How I Got Rid of Fungus Gnats
Everyone has been bothered by the occasional gnat flying around their face. But if you have houseplants, that little gnat could actually be a big problem. In this post, I’m breaking down how I eliminated my fungus gnat infestation, and how to prevent it from happening again in the future.
Fungus Gnat Infestation? Here’s How to Get Rid of Them
Everyone has been bothered by the occasional gnat flying around their face at some point. But if you have houseplants, that little gnat could actually be a big problem. In this post, I’m breaking down how I eliminated my fungus gnat infestation and how to prevent it from happening again in the future.
A good while ago (longer than I'd like to admit), I started noticing gnats flying around my house. I'd squish them and move on, but the problem persisted - and then multiplied.
It got to a point where I couldn't sit and watch a show in the living room anymore because I was constantly distracted by these obnoxious little insects. Then I realized it wasn't just a few summer bugs that made their way inside - it was coming from my plants!
After some research, I quickly discovered that I had a *gulp* fungus gnat infestation.
What Are Fungus Gnats?
Source: Empress of Dirt
Fungus gnats are tiny flies that survive off the fungus in your plant soil. They're dark gray in color and only about 1/8" long. They don't bite and are harmless to humans.
Will Fungus Gnats Hurt My Plants?
Aside from being unbearably annoying, adult fungus gnats won't directly harm your plants. I say "directly" because their offspring most definitely can.
Fungus gnat larvae survive by eating fungi, organic matter in the soil, and the roots of plants, which can cause damage.
How to Get Rid of Fungus Gnats
I tried several methods to kill my herd of intruders before I finally found a solution. But first, here are some frequently-mentioned remedies that didn't work for me or were just too inconvenient to try:
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I receive commissions for purchases made through those links at no cost to you.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Every time I’ve looked up a method to get rid of fungus gnats or fruit flies, the mixture of apple cider vinegar, dish soap, and water is always at the top of the list - and it has NEVER worked for me. This time was no exception.
It seems like the smell is just as obnoxious to the bugs as it is to my nose, and no one wants to go near the stuff.
Neem Oil & Other Sprays
Neem oil is a naturally occurring pesticide and came up frequently as an option to rid my life of fungus gnats, so I gave it a whirl. But I had some issues with it.
First of all, the suggested application was to drench my plants in neem oil - including the tops AND bottoms of leaves as well as the stems. This proved to be a really messy endeavor, especially when dealing with an oily substance.
On top of that, although the smell isn’t super strong, I definitely wasn’t a fan. Needless to say, this method didn’t work either.
I also tried other sprays that claimed to kill fungus gnats but to no avail.
Waiting Longer Between Waterings
Because fungus gnats thrive off the decaying material in soil, which is exacerbated by dampness, the idea behind this method makes sense. This seemed to work in the short term, but I ended up needing to water my plants before they died and the gnat problem picked right back up.
Drench in Water
I realize this remedy seems counterintuitive to the recommendation above. Let me explain.
The idea isn’t to just water your plants into oblivion, but rather to either put them in the shower and give them a good spray or dunk them in a bath to wash away the pests.
The problem here is that A) not all of my pots have drainage holes or nursery pots (something I’m working on switching out, don’t @ me), and B) it’s unlikely that this would wash ALL the larvae away. I didn’t even bother giving this idea a try.
Repotting
I have A LOT of plants, so it would have been wildly inconvenient to repot them all, but if you only have a couple this would be a viable option. Just make sure you throw out the old soil and maybe give your plant a good rinse before repotting.
Here's what finally worked:
Sticky Traps
I actually started using sticky traps while I was trying other methods of eradication. They work really well to capture adult fungus gnats as they’re flying past, but they don’t get to the root (pun intended) of the problem - the larvae.
The sticky traps can’t possibly catch ALL of the adults, so the gnats continue to reproduce, and the problem persists.
Mosquito Dunks
In the depths of the interwebs, after reading about oh-so-many solutions that didn’t work, I came across an article that recommended using mosquito dunks.
Mosquito dunks are small beige discs that are typically used for standing water (i.e. birdbaths). As they dissolve, they release a bacteria that is poisonous to mosquitos - and apparently to fungus gnats!
For the next couple of months (yes, you read that right), every time I watered my plants, I would break off a quarter of a disc, crumble it into my watering can (which holds about a gallon of water), and let it sit in water overnight to give it time to release the bacteria. I would then water my plants the next day.
While the sticky traps stopped the adult gnats in their tracks, the mosquito dunks killed them early in their lifecycle. I started noticing a difference after the first watering, but it took about 8 tries to completely get rid of the gnats.
During that time, I kept a close eye on the sticky traps and switched them out as needed. This helped me gauge how many gnats were still reaching adulthood and whether I needed to continue the mosquito dunk treatment.
And now, I’m so happy to say that I’m gnat free! I’d really prefer not to deal with this little problem ever again (and I bet you feel the same!), so below are some tips to avoid a gnat relapse.
How to Prevent a Fungus Gnat Infestation
Thoroughly Check, Clean, and Isolate New Plants
Before you even hit the check-out line, look closely for any small bugs flying around the leaves of your new buddy. Also, check the soil for larvae - which will be clear or whitish in color with a black head.
Once you bring your new plant home, give it a good shower to wash away any potential hitchhikers. And although it may not be the most effective in entirely ridding your plants of gnats, wiping down the leaves with neem oil will help prevent bugs from sticking around (and it adds a nice shine!).
Lastly, isolate your new plant for the first month before you introduce it to the rest of the gang. This will give you time to identify any critters you may have missed and treat the individual plant before the problem can spread.
Provide Drainage & Don’t Overwater
As I mentioned above, fungus gnats LOOOVE damp soil. To make your plants less appealing, make sure to only water when the top couple of inches of soil is dry and make sure any extra water has somewhere to go. Overwatering can also lead to root rot in plants, so consider this an extra important tip!
Final Thoughts
In the grand scheme of things, I’m a relatively new plant owner - and I’m learning new things about their care all the time! This experience was definitely a lesson learned for me, and hopefully, you found it helpful if you’re dealing with the same pesky problem. If you enjoyed this post, please consider sharing!
For more plant-related content, check out these posts:
Looking for the latest posts and projects? I gotchu!
Indoor Plant Gnats
New Office - Lobby and Reception Design
Last week I shared that we bought a new building that will be used as my husband’s real estate brokerage - and it needs a LOT of work. Today I'm sharing the design of the first room we'll be tackling: the lobby and reception area!
Office Lobby Mood Board
Last week I shared that we bought a new building that will be used as my husband’s real estate brokerage - and it needs a LOT of work. While we still have some demo to do, we're actually not too far off from a major turning point: putting it all back together!
That being said, I've been working hard designing the interior so that when the time comes, we're ready to jump right in. Today I'm sharing the design of the first room we'll be tackling: the lobby and reception area!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I receive commissions for purchases made through those links at no cost to you.
The Inspiration
In talking with my husband and his business partner about their vision for the office, they expressed that they wanted this front room to feel inviting and comfortable - somewhere people would want to come and hang out or bring their laptops and work together.
I was immediately inspired by the fireplace to the left of the entryway as an obvious gathering space.
I know it doesn’t look like much right now, but picture the fireplace clad in reclaimed wood. Now imagine it surrounded by floor-to-ceiling stone on either side. Can you picture it!? No? Here’s the image that got my design wheels turning:
Can you see it now!?
As much as I love the fireplace wall in that image, the rest of the room isn’t doing it for me - it’s way too woodsy for what I imagine. I picture a room that’s a little more formal without being stuffy. Once I came across this image, it all started to come together:
I love how this room feels cozy but still inviting. I could easily see someone curling up in one of those chairs with their laptop and a hot cup of coffee just working away. (Pssst - it’s me. I’m “someone”.)
The only problem? The color. As much as I love black, I don’t think this room is the right place for it. But a mid-toned blue might just do the trick.
I really like this color palette for this building. I likely won’t use these exact colors, but the tones are in the right family (especially that blue/gray) and they’ve proved to be a good jumping-off point.
Lobby Details
Once I got my initial direction nailed down, I started to put my ideas down on paper. Like, actual paper. For the first time in forever, I sketched out my design old-school style and had a blast doing it! It’s been soooo long since I’ve felt that spark. (It felt pretty great!)
As you can see above, we have the fireplace wall as the focal point with matching barrel chairs surrounding a coffee table. I really like the lived-in look of the chairs below paired with a round dark-toned coffee table in the center.
To define this space, I love the idea of using one of these Loloi rugs from the Chris Loves Julia Humphrey line. I think the tones are neutral enough not to draw too much attention but will tie in nicely with the other colors throughout the room and add a little pattern.
We originally wanted to salvage the flooring in here (and the conference room), but it’s looking less and less likely that’s going to happen. Instead, we’ll probably replace the flooring throughout the main building with a light-to-mid-tone laminate.
And I don’t think we’ll have enough space for a console table as I’ve drawn in the sketch. Instead, we could put a couple of black end tables between the chairs on either side of the fireplace.
As for lighting, we’re planning to install 6 recessed lights in this front room - 4 will be over the lobby and 2 in the reception area. Additionally, I think a wagon wheel chandelier over the coffee table would look phenomenal and really be the cherry on top.
To top it all off, I’m picturing wood blinds or linen roman shades on the windows and a big piece of art on the opposing wall. Maybe with a picture light above it!?
Reception Design
While the reception area is in the same room as the lobby, it’ll have the same blue/gray walls but will be defined as its own space. When you walk in, this is the first thing you see. We’re planning to put a small reception desk facing the front door of the building.
Obviously, the finished product will have walls. Here’s what I’m thinking:
To repeat some of the design elements from the lobby, I’d like to cover the front of the reception desk in the same wood we’ll use on the fireplace surround. I also think that a metal back-lit sign with the company name would look stunning directly behind the reception desk and tie in some of the black elements from the lobby.
I picture something like this, except with the correct company name:
For other design plans, visit these posts:
New Office Design Plans
We Bought a Hair Salon!
Yes, folks, you read that right. We bought a hair salon! Are we getting into the hair styling business? Nope! Let me give you the skinny.
New Renovation Project
Yes, folks, you read that right. We bought a hair salon! Are we getting into the hair styling business? Nope! Let me give you the skinny.
My husband is part owner of a local real estate brokerage. Previously the brokerage rented office space out of a local co-op building. But as the brokerage grew, things were feeling a little tight. So we started looking for a building and snagged this beauty:
Now, you may be wondering why, of all the possible buildings, we bought one in such bad shape. Well, as they say in real estate (and, considering who bought it, they should know better than anyone): location, location, location.
While this building most definitely needs some serious renovations, the location is excellent. On top of that, because the building was for sale for so long, we bought it for a pretty great price. Of course that comes with drawbacks: there are lots of repairs needed before we can even start using it.
We closed on the building at the beginning of December, and my husband, Lucius, and some of the agents at the brokerage started working on it right away. I didn’t actually get to visit or start helping until the beginning of this month and man, a LOT has happened since we took possession. Let me take you on a little tour as I catch you up on the progress so far.
The Exterior
As you can clearly see from the pictures above, there’s significant termite and water damage to the wood on the exterior walls. On top of that, the stucco is falling off in sheets, sometimes with barely even the tap of a hammer (whoever thought stucco in the Midwest was a good idea?). You can see in this picture where it’s already buckled and separated from the wall.
So, we’ve been busy removing the stucco and replacing any damaged wood - which, in many cases, requires rebuilding entire walls. Or sometimes the entire corner of the building!
We’ve also had part of the roof replaced. Unfortunately, the flat section of the roof can’t be done until it’s consistently 60 degrees for several days in a row. In the meantime, we’re trying to seal up the building as best as we can and keep water, drafts, and pests out.
And if you think the exterior looks bad… just wait!
Almost every wall inside is covered in flaking texture, all of which has to be removed. On top of that, none of the exterior walls are insulated. Needless to say, there’s been quite a bit of wall removal, nail pulling, and reinsulating.
Front Room
When we bought the building, you’d walk through that cool arched front door you see in the picture above and enter this dreamy space:
Pretty much everything in this room had to be demoed…
But luckily the fireplace is staying! I already have so much design inspiration for this room, and I can’t wait to start putting my thoughts together. (update: you can find the plans for this room here!)
What I can say definitively so far is that this will be an inviting waiting room/casual work area with plenty of cozy seating. Can you picture it!?
Conference Room
To the right of the front entrance is what will be the future conference room.
This room also had to be demoed down to the studs.
But again, we still get to keep some of the character - like this built-in cabinet! I’m hoping to rebuild some of the arched doorways as well.
The little room you see straight ahead will become a small kitchenette area with a counter and appliances spanning across the wall with the hair-washing sinks.
Office
There are also a couple of rooms in the back half of the building, one of which will be the future agent office.
Although it may not look like it, demo has actually been kept to a minimum in this room (we have plenty to repair elsewhere!)
Our main focus for the time being is to finish the front room, conference room, and office so we can at least move in and make use of the building. The other rooms will be tackled at a later date. Nevertheless, here’s what else we have to look forward to.
Everything Else
TBD Room
We’re not sure what this other room on the first floor will become just yet, which is fine for now! We’ll obviously have to remove the sinks, but I think for the most part demo will be minimal when the time comes (this is one of the few rooms without textured walls!)
As we start to utilize the building, I’m sure it’ll become more apparent what the best use for this room will be.
Downstairs Bathroom
Not much to see here, just a grubby little half-bath!
The toilet has already been replaced. We’ll obviously clean this bathroom up and replace the vanity in the short term, but may make more significant changes down the line (here’s looking at you, textured walls).
Upstairs Rooms
There are two rooms on the second floor that will become office spaces. One will be used by Hoola Managed IT (you can see the office I originally designed for them right here), and the other will be for Lucius and his business partner.
As with many of the other rooms in the building, there will likely need to be some decent repairs needed in these rooms - like removing the textured walls and insulating them.
But, again, these rooms aren’t the priority, and we’ll loop back around to them later.
Upstairs Bathroom
Lastly, we have the upstairs bathroom.
Other than a thorough cleaning (and a toilet) this space will remain as-is for a while, but I do have an interesting story about this room for you!
When some of the plaster near the bottom of the stairs (which shares a wall with the bathroom) was demoed, we were faced with this scene:
That’s not your average demo debris - its hundreds of razor blades!
In houses built before 1970, oftentimes there would be a slot in the medicine cabinet for men to drop their used razor blades. This slot simply opened to a hole in the wall for the razor blades to pile up for all of eternity - or at least until some unsuspecting DIYer came along.
I’d heard about this before, but this was my first real-life encounter, and although it’s kind of gross, it’s also fascinating! This article by Apartment Therapy gives a little more background on why this was even a thing in houses back in the day.
Final Thoughts
And that, my friends, concludes the tour of our very own hair salon real estate office!
So what do you think? Would you take on this project or run for the hills screaming? Let me know in the comments!
We’re all very excited about what this building can be and are absolutely up for the challenge of making it happen.
Keep following along to see how we transform this dilapidated building into a badass office space anyone would be lucky to work out of!
Follow along with this journey - check out these related posts:
Looking for more dramatic makeovers? Check out these posts:
Office Building Renovation
2022 Project Recap, 2023 Plans
When you’re always working on a home project, sometimes it feels like you never actually accomplished anything. That’s why I like to pause at the beginning of each year and reflect on the projects we tackled the previous year to get some perspective. This is that post!
Before and Afters of 2022
When you’re always working on a home project, sometimes it feels like you never actually accomplished anything. That’s why I like to pause at the beginning of each year and reflect on the projects we tackled the previous year to get some perspective. This is that post!
Giant, Expensive, Low-Visual Impact Projects
Last year we had two big home projects that we talked very little about - replacing all the windows throughout the house and getting a new roof.
While we don’t regret moving forward with either of these projects (energy efficiency, anyone?), they weren’t exactly blog or social media-worthy content. Windows aren’t that exciting in itself. And since we have a flat roof that you can’t even see, the new roof adventure would have been pretty underwhelming to share too. While we tackled these updates quietly, if you have questions about something related to either of these projects feel free to ask!
Now on to the much more visually exciting projects…
Toddler Bedroom Makeover
After nearly three years of living in this house, our younger daughter’s room finally got a makeover! I loved getting the chance to try out a new design concept in this space and I’m really happy with how her “dipped” room turned out. It’s so much brighter and more cheerful from where it started!
Upstairs Laundry Room Renovation
This was my first year taking part in the One Room Challenge, and it was a blast! I decided to finally finish my laundry room. I loved sharing weekly updates and trying some new techniques. I really pushed myself with this project and gained a lot of confidence doing things I didn’t believe I could do on my own.
Plus, I got a pretty sweet laundry room out of it!
Loft/Bonus Room Overhaul
We started our loft renovation on a whim late in 2021. By the end of the year, we had gutted the room and hung new drywall. In 2022 we really made the space come to life with new floors, paint, and tons of finishing touches.
And while there are still little changes I’d like to make throughout the room (heck, since this picture was taken, we’ve already fixed the ceiling and swapped out the table!), it’s safe to say it’s mostly complete - especially the kitchenette!
Partial Progress: Mudroom
We haven’t talked (or shown) much about the mudroom over the last year, but some changes have actually happened in there. This is where it started:
This is where we left off last summer after we removed the staircase (temporarily!) and the closet:
And here’s where we are today:
The wallpaper is no more! And when we had the laundry room drywalled, we went ahead and had the drywall finished in this room at the same time.
While the space obviously isn’t in its finished state, we’re ever so slowly heading in the right direction. Once we’re ready to officially work on this room, I’ll be sure to share all the steps along the way! I have PLANS (peep the paint samples I’ve been testing on the wall).
Looking Ahead
I usually take the time to write a separate post about our project plans for the new year, but this year is a little different. If you’ve been following along on Facebook and Instagram, you might already know that I quit my day job!
I'm excited, terrified, grateful, anxious, and so many more emotions all wrapped into one. At this point, I’m not really sure what my home improvement goals will look like this year. But I do have some other goals for this year…
I'm really looking forward to slowing down next year and taking my time to learn new skills without leaning on Lucius to help (but I’m admittedly a little nervous too!). I'm so excited to not feel rushed to pack everything into the weekend because now I’ll have time during the week to work on projects!
What's interesting is that with my new work/life balance, slowing down is actually going to mean better and more frequent content for you! Plus, it won't be so disjointed, which makes my type-A brain very content.
I'm SO looking forward to learning how to relax and spend the weekends with my kids and with friends. I can't wait to practice being in the present moment instead of always planning 5 steps ahead.
All that being said, there are, of course, projects I’ve been giving the side-eye recently:
Tying up loose ends
Last year I officially declared 2022 the year of getting ish done! Which meant leaving the 95% club.
Have you ever heard anyone talk about being in the 95% club? If you're not familiar with DIY, that's where you get 95% done in a room and move on without finishing the last piece.
We have several rooms that have just that little 5% before we can call them complete, and I would LOVE to stop noticing all the loose ends around the house - a piece of trim here, some paint that needs to be touched up there. Finishing these small tasks will feel just like crossing something off a list, which is oh so satisfying.
Loose Plans
I'm resisting the anxious thoughts that are telling me to plan all my projects for the next year out right now, but it’s a struggle!
I have to be honest, I don't entirely believe in my own abilities. I want so badly to build out the mudroom of my dreams and finally finish my closet, but I don't feel confident that I can do those projects on my own just yet.
To ease myself into those projects, I'll probably be starting with something smaller like renovating the old laundry room into a functional storage closet (it’s a wreck!) or building out Lucius' closet (which is pretty pathetic right now).
I'm also looking forward to flipping some furniture and spending time painting pictures instead of just walls. Oh, and we may or may not have some other properties we've purchased that I'll be working on…
Keep following along to see all that I have in store for this year!
Want more? Check out these posts!
New Year, New Projects
How to Hang Shelves on Tile Backsplash
Last week I shared the reveal of our loft kitchenette - but how the heck did we hang shelves on the brick veneer? While hanging shelves on any sort of tile is terrifying - it’s totally doable! In this post, I’ll teach you the step-by-step process of how to hang shelves on a tile backsplash.
How to Hang Open Shelving on Tile
Last week I shared the reveal of our loft kitchenette - but how the heck did we hang shelves on the brick veneer? While hanging shelves on any sort of tile is terrifying - it’s totally doable! In this post, I’ll teach you the step-by-step process of how to hang shelves on a tile backsplash.
Although the shelves in the loft are hung on brick veneer, the process is exactly the same as hanging shelves on tile. One of the final steps to completing our master bathroom renovation was hanging shelves on the tile wall there, too.
Needless to say, this isn’t our first rodeo! Let’s jump in! Here’s what you’ll need to get the job done:
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Materials
- Drill
- Diamond/Carbide Drill Bit (for glass/tile) OR Masonry Drill Bit (for brick veneers)
- Water (in either a cup or a spray bottle)
- Drywall Anchors
- Painters Tape
- Writing utensil
- Laser Level
- Stud Finder
- Measuring Tape
Step 1: Find Your Studs
If you haven’t tiled yet, I highly recommend using a stud finder to mark your studs before you start tiling.
In this picture from our brick veneer installation how-to, you can see on the ceiling where we put tape where each stud was located. Since we were working with unfinished drywall, we just followed the line of screws (no stud finder needed!).
If you didn’t think to mark your studs ahead of time, and you’re fortunate enough to have pictures of the wall-less room to reference, you can use those as a guide.
Step 2: Mark Your Bracket Locations
Before I made any commitments, I put up some painters tape to figure out where I wanted my shelves. As you can see in the original design, I knew I wanted the shelves to be staggered. Using tape beforehand allowed me to fiddle with them until I got them to the exact placement I wanted.
In a perfect world, you’ll be able to screw your brackets directly into the studs. Buuuut because of the “special” shelves I wanted, putting the brackets on the studs didn’t make sense aesthetically. (Of course, I had to make it difficult.) I’ll show you what to do in that scenario a little later.
For now, using a laser level, make sure your tape is, well, level. Then mark on the painters tape where your brackets will be installed.
Since my shelves weren’t all the same length, we measured how far from the wall I wanted the brackets (about 4ish inches). Then used that same distance on the other end of the shelves for the other bracket.
Here’s a sneak peek of the finished product just to illustrate my point. You can see on the right-hand side how the laser level is vertically lining up the brackets by the wall, but the brackets on the other sides of the shelves aren’t aligned vertically.
Step 3: Drill, Baby, Drill
I’ll warn you upfront - drilling through tile is a slooooow process. Like, it took several minutes to drill each hole. But it’s really important to take your time so you don’t crack a tile or wear out your drill bit (both of which would suck). Here are a few tips to make sure neither of those scenarios happens:
Use the right type of drill bit
It’s incredibly important to use the correct drill bit for your specific type of tile for this process. For our bathroom tile, we used carbide-tipped drill bits. And for the brick veneer in the loft, we used masonry bits.
It’s also never a bad idea to start with a smaller drill bit and work your way up!
Keep your drill bits cool
Drill bits tend to get really hot when drilling into tile. To make sure you don’t wear them out, you can either dip the tip of the drill bit into a cup of water every 10-15 seconds or have someone spray water on the bit as you’re working.
Step 4: Insert Drywall Anchors & Screw in Your Brackets
If you run into a scenario, like mine, where some (or all) of your brackets won’t be screwed into a stud, you’ll need drywall anchors. Before you screw in your brackets, gently(!) tap a drywall anchor into the hole. Sometimes you can just push them into place, but you might need to break out a rubber mallet for assistance.
Then, you can screw your brackets in place.
Step 5: Hang Your Shelves
The last step is to hang your shelves!
Luckily, my shelves are as easy as they come and just lay on top of the brackets, but this process would work with trickier scenarios (like floating shelves, for instance), too!
Final Thoughts
I’m really happy with how these simple shelves turned out. I love the unexpected staggered pattern and the extra character they add to the kitchenette area. I especially love that no tiles were cracked in the hanging of them! What do you think!? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
To catch up on the loft renovation, check out these posts
Mount Shelves to a Tile Wall
Loft Kitchenette Reveal
Before I created an entirely new laundry room for the One Room Challenge, my focus was finishing up projects around the house. One of those projects was the outstanding items in the loft. And while I’ve looped back around to working on it, I’m not ready to call the whole loft complete just yet. But I am excited to say that the kitchenette is finished!
Bonus Room Kitchenette Makeover
Before I created an entirely new laundry room for the One Room Challenge, my focus was finishing up projects around the house. One of those projects was the outstanding items in the loft. And while I’ve looped back around to working on it, I’m not ready to call the whole loft complete just yet. But I am excited to say that the kitchenette is finished!
It’s hard to believe that we started renovating the loft a full year ago. Where has the time gone!? But today, I’m only focusing on this small section.
As a refresher, this is the view of the kitchenette from the listing photos:
For perspective, that doorway behind the kitchenette is the laundry room, and the bookshelves straight ahead now open to a hallway that didn’t exist when we moved in. You can read more about that renovation here.
The idea of a kitchenette in the loft made a lot of sense, but this one just wasn’t working for us.
First of all, we had no use for all those cabinets. Secondly, there were so many layers of paint on them the finish looked pretty bad. And don’t even get me started on the old (most likely original) electric stove and intercom inserted into the countertop - which, as the cherry on top, had an old-timey newspaper pattern printed on it.
So, we did what we do and we tore it out!
And then we started putting it back together.
Of course, before we got too far ahead of ourselves I put together my design.
Since we use this as a rec room/hangout spot, we wanted it to feel relaxed and carefree. We decided to go with a semi-industrial look. The images below were a big inspiration for the final look.
Image Sources: Unknown
I went more in-depth about my design in this post, but here’s the final mock-up.
And here’s the finished product!
Now, let’s break it down!
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Cabinets and Countertops
Clearly, the one thing we liked about the original kitchenette was the fact that the cabinets were black. We ended up giving IKEA Sektion cabinets a whirl, and Lucius was really impressed with their installation system.
Of course, since they’re IKEA we had to assemble them ourselves, which is never particularly fun. But instead of the standard cabinet-installation process of shimming, leveling, shimming, and leveling, Lucius was able to make sure the bracket provided was level and secure to the wall and just hang the cabinets on that. Then they come with little legs that you tighten until they touch the floor.
We planned the layout to have a cabinet for trash and recycling and another to store a microwave (which is pretty much strictly used for popcorn). And of course, we left a space for the mini-fridge (gotta keep that La Croix cold!).
To go with the design, I also chose an affordable white laminate countertop, a black sink, and a matte black faucet all from IKEA.
Backsplash
While the dark cabinets ground the kitchenette, the real star is the brick tile veneer backsplash we installed. I chose a combination of two different colored veneers and mixed the darker color strategically with the lighter color.
I love how much character, warmth, and texture the backsplash adds to this room. And it was a pretty simple DIY! All the sources for that project (and the step-by-step instructions) can be found in this post.
Shelves
As you can see from my mock-up, staggered shelves were part of the plan all along. And I’m so happy with the visual interest they add!
I don’t remember exactly what type of wood I used for these (sorry!) but there’s nothing complicated about the shelves themselves. They’re simply boards of wood that I stained, sealed, and hung on some brackets.
Speaking of the brackets, to go with the whole look, I used these cool pipe brackets that I got online.
Lights
Lastly, I finished this nook off with a couple of sconces. These sconces come in a pack of three, and while I originally planned to use all three in my design, in person it seemed too cluttered.
I’m really happy with how it looks with just two lights, and it’s plenty illuminated. Plus, I was able to make use of the leftover light in the laundry room as a last-minute addition!
Final Thoughts
While I love the process of working on projects, there’s a certain satisfaction in knowing one is complete. I’m happy to finally check this one off my list and shift my attention to the last 10% that still needs to be finished in the loft.
If you’ve been following along on Instagram, I’ve already repainted the ceiling, and it looks SO MUCH BETTER! Next up: switching out that table by the kitchenette for a proper game table that Lucius and a friend are building, plus a whole bunch of loose ends throughout the room.
Stay tuned to see how the rest of this room shapes up!
To catch up on the loft renovation, check out these posts
Rec Room Bar Renovation
2022 Holiday Gift Guides
Are you a late shopper? Me too! But there’s no need to panic - I’ve got you covered with these last-minute gift guides filled with items that you can still have delivered by the holidays!
Last-minute Gift Ideas
Are you a late shopper? Me too! But there’s no need to panic - I’ve got you covered with these last-minute gift guides filled with items that you can still have delivered by the holidays!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I receive commissions for purchases made through those links at no cost to you.
Gift Guide for Him
First up is the gift guide for the lucky fella in your life (but heck, there are even some items on this list I wouldn’t mind for myself!)
- Crep Protect Ultimate Sneaker Care Pack | $40 If your guy is anything like mine, he likes his shoes crisp and clean. This would be a great gift for anyone obsessed with their kicks.
- Manscaped Tool Box 4.0 | $139.99 My husband is a big fan of Manscaped. This is a perfect all-in-one kit - and it even comes with a bag!
- The Purple Pillow | $100.50 I’ve heard such rave reviews about The Purple Pillow this is actually one of those gifts that I would like to try for myself, but I guess it’d make a good gift for someone else, too.
- Bombas | $59.99 My family is OBSESSED with these socks - and for every pair you purchase, they donate a pair!
- Virtual Reality Headset | $349.99 For the nerd in your life you can’t help but love, make their day by letting them escape to a different world for a bit with this VR headset.
- Italian Leather Charging Station | $129.99 Tired of dealing with a different charger for every device? Maybe you need a sleek leather charging station. AND it comes in a variety of colors!
- Tech Organizer Bag | $12.99 Now that you’ve gotten rid of all those chargers, here’s a handy place to store them!
- Traeger Wood Pellett Grill and Smoker | $599.95 Treat the cook in your life (and yourself, too) with a grill and smoker.
- Gourmet BBQ Sauce Sampler | $46.99 Obviously, you need BBQ sauce for all that delicious food cooked on the Traeger grill and smoker. This BBQ sauce sampler would be the perfect pairing!
- Minimalist Wallet | $25.97 My husband got a slim wallet a couple of years ago and loves it. This wallet would be a great gift for anyone looking to downsize a bit.
- Temperature Control Smart Mug | $99.95 Have someone in your life who takes forever to get through their cup of coffee? This smart mug is a game-changer! No more cold coffee for the win!
Gift Guide For Her
This list is filled with items that I’m eyeballing right now, I’ve already bought for myself and love, and even some things I may or may not have on my Christmas list.
- Faux Fur Throw Blanket | $32.97 Who wouldn’t love a super fuzzy throw blanket? This one has a ton of reviews and comes in so many colors! I have my eye on the taupe (hint hint).
- Crossbody Purse | $32.89 I love a crossbody purse for more casual events - and the woven pattern of this one is perfection.
- Hanging Toiletry Bag | $23.99 I bought this toiletry bag for myself a couple of years ago, and I’m in love. It’s a great size to hold the surprisingly large amount of junk I take when I travel, and the pattern is way more appealing than plain old black.
- Ceramic Ring Dish | $14.99 I spotted this ring dish while I was searching for a jewelry organizer and was immediately smitten. I started justifying why I should buy it for myself right away.
- Marble Bookends | $49.99 Ah, form and function. Now we’re speaking my language. For the book lover in your life, some stylish bookends might be the perfect gift to tame their stacks of reading material.
- Luxury Bathtub Tray | $50.97 This tray truly has everything to create the most epic bath you’ve ever had. Sign me up!
- Bouquet Subscription | $48.99 per box I’ve never considered a bouquet subscription - until now! The thought of getting fresh flowers every month without even thinking about it sounds like a dream come true.
- Makeup Brush Set | $16.99 A new set of makeup brushes would be a great gift for just about anyone who wears makeup. Who couldn’t use new brushes!? And if you don’t wear makeup, I’ve heard they work really well for painting crafts.
- Ankle Bootie | $39.95 I had to replace my favorite pair of boots this year and bought some more expensive ones. I returned them and got these instead and I’m in love! These are understated yet still classy. And comfortable! They also come in loads of colors.
- Jade Roller & Gua Sha | $16.99 I’m really bad about self-care, but I’ve heard such good things about this jade roller I’m on the brink of buying one for myself.
- The Adventure Challenge | $59.99 A book for couples full of date ideas where you scratch off a square to reveal what your date entails. This sounds like a great option to make sure you don’t fall into the dating slump!
Gift Guide for Kids
Aaaand of course, I had to include a gift guide for the kids to round it all out! While I have two little girls, I tried to include gifts everyone would love at a variety of ages.
- Bracelet Making Kit | $13.99 I used to love making jewelry for myself and my friends. This kit would keep a kid busy for hours coming up with new, creative patterns for all their BFFs.
- Create This Book | $13.78 If my daughter were just a little older she would go bananas for this book. It’s filled with prompts to spur creativity as you fill in each page. I’ll have to keep this one in mind!
- Shower Wireless Bluetooth Speakers | $29.99 Why not make bathtime more fun with some tunes? Give your kid a chance to discover the awesome acoustics of the bathroom with these Bluetooth speakers!
- Glow in the Dark Dinosaur Puzzle | $19.99 Puzzles are fun, but when they glow in the dark they’re EXTRA fun. Bonus: if dinosaurs aren’t your kid’s thing, there’s a unicorn version, too!
- Walkie-Talkies | $24.99 My kids have a cheap-o set of walkie-talkies that barely span the length of our house. These work up to 3 miles! I could even see my older daughter giving one to her friend down the street to plan a playdate.
- Crystal Growing Kit | $39.99 Spark a love of science with this neat crystal growing kit. It even comes with a light-up display base so once your crystals are done growing, you can continue to enjoy them!
- The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors | $9.49 I recently read this book with my kids (ages 3 and 6), and they LOVED it. The story is incredibly silly, the illustrations are awesome, and there’s even a line that says, “You, sir, look like a fuzzy little butt!” which continues to be a fan favorite. What more could you want!?
- Star Projector Light | $16.99 Wouldn’t it be nice to fall asleep under the stars? Well, you can with this star projector! This one has tons of reviews, and you have the option to change the projection colors or even make the stars spin.
- Shaved Ice Maker | $39.99 I don’t know a single kid who wouldn’t want shaved ice (or slushies!) on demand. Plus, let’s be honest, adults can reap the benefits of this gift, too! (Margaritas, anyone?)
- Lego Table | $62.29 Everyone knows the horrible feeling of stepping on a Lego with bare feet. With this table, your kids can store their legos right inside! (Hopefully, they get them all in there.)
- Gel Pens Set | $19.99 I bought this gel pens set for my older daughter last year, and it has gotten so much use! There are a bajillion colors (some have multi-colored ink and some are sparkly), there are refills for every pen, and it even comes with a cool little coloring book. This would be a great gift to pair with the “Create this Book” book up above!
Happy holidays!
Need more ideas? Check out this post!
Gift Guides for Everyone
House Tour! - 2022
t’s been a good three years since we moved into this house and A LOT has changed. Although I share bits and pieces of various rooms as we’re working on them, I’d say it’s about time for a good old house tour! Complete with lots of before and after comparisons, because those are just so dang fun - let’s jump in!
It’s been a good three years since we moved into this house, and A LOT has changed since I last showed you around. Although I share bits and pieces of various rooms as we’re working on them, I’d say it’s about time for a good old house tour! Complete with lots of before and after comparisons because those are just so dang fun - let’s jump in!
The Foyer
A few things have changed in the foyer since our last house tour - most notably, we opened up the doorway to the living room, which added SO much more light to this space. It’s still darker than I prefer. We have plans to upgrade the solid front door to a glass door down the road, but I think that might actually turn into an entire foyer overhaul.
I also still have plans to paint the railing and the stairs black and add a runner. Oh, and replace the flooring throughout the entire downstairs so it’s cohesive. You know, just a few things.
Related: Painting Our Stairs / Do Painted Stairs Actually Hold Up?
The Half Bath
You’ll notice a theme in this house that while some rooms look wildly different, others look exactly the same, or worse than when we moved in. The half bath off the foyer is no exception. Aside from a few pieces of drywall we had to cut out to reach the plumbing during our master bathroom remodel, this room hasn’t changed one bit.
While I have a design mocked up and am ITCHING to get my hands on this room, I’m impatiently holding off until we finish up the various other projects we have in flight.
The Living Room
The living room has undergone slight changes over the last couple of years, like swapping out some decor, repainting, and greatly improving the view out the windows.
While I’d love to replace the couches and remove the textured ceiling, those items are low on our list compared to everything else we still want to tackle in this house. Besides, when it comes to kids, these couches have been close to impenetrable, so I’m a little hesitant to replace them until the kids are older.
Related Posts: How to Assemble a Gallery Wall in 4 Steps
The Mudroom
Oh boy, the lovingly nicknamed “Frankenstein” room of the house. This room undoubtedly looks worse than it did during our last house tour - but for good reason!
What we’ve realized is that typically when renovating one room, the surrounding rooms tend to take a hit. In this case, the mudroom room took a BIG hit when we renovated our master bathroom, master bedroom, and loft. Project creep is real, y’all.
Not to mention that we recently removed the two closets in this room because we have ideas for what this room will look like long-term - but I’m not ready to share them just yet!
Oh, but don’t worry, those plans DO include adding the spiral staircase back in. (And I feel that I should mention the door at the top of where the staircase once was is locked from this side so no one can accidentally fall out of there.)
The Kitchen
Unlike the mudroom, the kitchen has seen a little improvement over the last couple of years that can simply be attributed to the power of paint! And new hardware.
I shared a post a while back about the green cabinet trend I was noticing and I hopped right on it! I actually painted the cabinets (and walls) about two years ago and NEVER shared the tutorial. That being said, I wrote a new tutorial when I painted the laundry room cabinets recently.
Obviously, opening up the doorway to the dining room was a huge improvement to this space. But aside from that, we haven’t done any construction in the kitchen area.
While this is the best layout I’ve ever had in a kitchen, it still has its faults. The magical “kitchen triangle” was poorly thought out, and we do laps around the island while cooking. Plus, I hate that you can see the trash cans.
If we stay here long-term, we’ll likely gut this space and start from scratch. In the meantime, I’d be happy swapping out the light over the island and centering (and replacing) the fan over the eat-in kitchen area.
Related: Green Kitchen Cabinet Inspiration
The Dining Room
The dining room has seen the biggest change out of any room on the first floor of our house.
I couldn’t wait to tackle this room when we moved in, so we hit it really early on, and it was absolutely worth all the painstaking effort. The accent wall was even featured on The Spruce, which was so.freakin’.cool!
Related: Dining Room Renovation Kick-Off / Dining Room Renovation Progress / Dining Room Mood Boards / DIY Geometric Wood Accent Wall / Modern Dining Room Reveal
The Playroom
Ooof, this poor conundrum of a room.
We’ve put zero effort into updating this room so far. Other than holding the overflow of toys, it’s rarely used. Plus, the layout makes furniture placement really tricky, so we’ve honestly been kind of stuck with what to do with it.
But we’re starting to get inspiration! I have a good idea of what I’d like to do with the fireplace and bookshelves, and we’ve even brainstormed about maybe turning it into an office for me down the road. Speaking of which…
The Spare Room
Since we moved in, I’ve been using the spare bedroom as my home office/wardrobe.
While I really love this room (especially my DIY Sharpie Wall), I’d also like to have a dedicated guest bedroom for when friends and family stay with us. Or an extra place to sleep when Lucius’ snoring keeps me awake…
Besides, when we finally finish my walk-in closet in our bedroom, I’ll use this room less frequently.
Related Posts: Designing a Home Office / DIY Sharpie Wall Tutorial
Our Oldest Daughter’s Bedroom
One of the first things I did when we moved into this house was tackle our oldest daughter’s bedroom to make this house feel comfortable for her right away. Aside from adding items here and there, not a lot has changed in this room since then.
Related Posts: Unicorn Room Makeover / Ombre Wall Tutorial
Our Youngest Daughter’s Room
Last summer our younger daughter’s room (finally) got a makeover. At that time, I shared a big ‘ol blog post, but here’s a before/after shot anyway…
Related Posts: Toddler Bedroom Makeover
The Master Bedroom
Our master suite went through a total reconfiguration after we bought this house. I never actually did an official “reveal” of the bedroom so…. here’s your reveal? (Cue anticlimactic “Ta-da!”)
I still don’t necessarily consider it done (new furniture is definitely on my list!), but we had a blast taking pictures from the same angles we took them from originally to show how the footprint changed (honestly though, pictures just don’t do it justice).
As you can see, allll those glorious windows that are now in our current master suite (and master bath) were once hidden in that long, narrow sunroom. Aside from a little bit that came through the sliding glass doors in the first picture above, most of the light was blocked in the original layout.
This angle shows the change in footprint from the other side of the room. In the “after” picture from left to right, the doors lead to: my closet, the hallway, Lucius’ closet, and the master bathroom.
On the flip side, this is what our former journey to our closets and master bathroom looked like.
Lucius’ closet was on the left, mine was on the right, and beyond that was the vanity (left), water closet (right), and shower (through the doorway straight ahead - which is now our laundry room!).
Aaaaand now that view is slightly different since we created a hallway and scooted our entire master suite footprint over.
Those four angles were pretty much the extent of our master bedroom previously. Here’s a better picture of the bedroom today in its entirety.
I’ll never get tired of all the light in this room now, especially at sunset.
And like I mentioned before - I still don’t consider this room done. The bed and bench are on my shortlist of items to replace. And the chair and ottoman are just stand-in pieces for now that I pulled from the nursery (making room for more toy storage - IYKYK). They will also eventually be swapped out for something more in line with what I envision for this space. They’re looking very… nursery-ish to me.
Related Posts: Master Suite Remodel Kick-Off / Master Suite Floor Plans / Mid-Century Master Bedroom Mood Board
The Master Bathroom
One of the most exciting transformations in our house so far has been the complete renovation of our master bathroom.
The layout originally felt very much like a hotel (and not a super nice one) - where the vanity is separate from the shower.
These days, it’s looking quite a bit different.
I wrote a whole master bathroom reveal post when we finished it last summer so I won’t dive in too deep in this post, but here are some pictures for the sake of comparison.
Related Posts: Master Bathroom Mood Board / DIY Frosted Windows / Master Bathroom Reveal
The Laundry Room
The most recent addition to the “renovated room” club is the laundry room - which I just wrapped up for the One Room Challenge!
When we moved in, our laundry room was actually downstairs in the mudroom.
But when we renovated the master suite, we turned the former “shower room” into an upstairs laundry room with allll the bells and whistles.
And can I just say how glorious it is to have a laundry room on the same floor as the bedrooms!? The old laundry room is now a makeshift storage closet, but I have plans to make it much more functional than its current state.
The Loft
If you’ve been here for a while, you know a lot of changes have happened with the loft. Here’s what it looked like after our phase I update.
And here’s what it looks like today!
Disregard the racing stripes on the ceiling. We’re in the process of repairing the drywall that was poorly installed when we renovated.
Here’s a peek from the opposite side of the room, complete with the brick veneer we just installed in the kitchenette!
Although we still have some work to do, I’d say it’s looking quite a bit different from where it started:
Related Posts: Loft Renovation Kick-Off / Kitchenette Design Plans / Loft Renovation Updates / How to Install Brick Veneer
Now let’s take this party outside, shall we?
The Exterior
The front of the house hasn’t changed drastically, but you’ll notice the windows on the second story are now white. As I mentioned in our project plans for 2022, we had new windows installed throughout the house last winter!
Also, I’ve spent a TON of time cleaning out the flower beds around the house, so you’ll notice the flower bed on the right is looking a little clearer. I’m slowly working on adding plants back in.
The backyard is where our efforts really shine because WE HAVE GRASS!
When we moved in, the backyard was just dirt and weeds, which the kids loved (mudpies, anyone?), but I wasn’t a fan. It feels so good to have some luscious green grass back here.
Aside from the grass, the other big transformation in the backyard has been the deck. While we made do before, the stain badly needed redoing, we were lacking sufficient outdoor furniture, and there was a giant hole for a hot tub at the far end of the deck.
I’ve since jazzed it up by creating “zones” with seating, repainting the deck, and…
Boarding up the hot tub hole!
I really love our backyard now and spend as much time as I can out here in the warm months.
Here’s one more space that’s seen some improvements in the backyard…
How could I forget my Clematis vine trellis!?
But seriously, considering the sorry state of the grass on this side of the yard when we moved in, I wasn’t so sure we’d get anything to grow. I’m happy to report how wrong I was!
And that wraps up the tour!
Final Thoughts
We get asked all the time if this is our forever home, and I can confidently say… I have no idea!
As cool as it is to design a space and get to enjoy it day in and day out, for me part of the fun is the journey. If we finish this house and run out of projects we’ll HAVE to find something else to renovate, right?
I guess only time will tell what’s next for us. In the meantime, we have plenty of rooms in this house to keep us busy still! So tell me - what project are you looking forward to us completing next?
ORC Week 8 - Laundry Room Reveal
It’s hard to believe it, but we’ve reached the end of the One Room Challenge and the laundry room is done! Well… almost. I’ll get into that later.
Laundry Room Before and After
It’s hard to believe it, but we’ve reached the end of the One Room Challenge, and the laundry room is done!
Well… almost. I’ll get into that later. But here she is in all her 95% complete glory!
What’s the One Room Challenge?
I know I’ve explained the One Room Challenge in every post, but let’s do it one more time for the people in the back!
The One Room Challenge is an event where DIYers from all around encourage and motivate one another to makeover one room in their homes over a period of 8 weeks. In my case, I finally tackled our laundry room remodel.
Each week I’ve shared my progress here with a blog post and over on Instagram, and now we’ve reached the end!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I receive commissions for purchases made through those links at no cost to you.
The Before
It always blows my mind to look at where a room started, so let’s go into the way way back machine to a time when I was doing laundry in this glamorous space:
Certainly nothing to write home about.
And as a reminder… before we turned it into a laundry room of any sort, it was the old master bathroom shower room! (Yes, apparently the builders of our house thought they needed an entirely separate room for the shower.)
Needless to say, this room has come a long way.
One of my favorite parts about the design process is looking back at the beginning and realizing that I made a room I dreamed up out of nothing come to life.
This is the design I came up with in the beginning. And while some things changed for one reason or another (as they often do), the room is more or less the same as my original vision.
The After
This little room packs a punch! Let’s take a tour, shall we?
When I was thinking of what I'd like this finished space to look like, I really let myself go wild. Since it's such a small space, I knew I could push the limits and still make it an affordable project, so I let myself dream.
After living with the washer and dryer side-by-side for over a year in the unfinished room, it was clear the layout needed to change, so that’s where I started. Although this required us to move the water lines and dryer venting, it was well worth it.
The new layout also made it clear that we could now fit some cabinetry, a good chunk of counter space, and a sink! I even managed to build a custom cabinet above the washer and dryer for extra storage and a truly built-in look!
As for the design, after I saw the inspo picture below I couldn't get the idea of a warm, terracotta wall color mixed with natural tones and textures and black accents out of my head. So I ran with it.
The terracotta walls were admittedly a bold choice, but I love the color so much. And although beige can easily be considered dated, I think the cabinets pair incredibly well with the wall color. The walls are Kitchen Terracotta by Valspar, and the cabinets are Kilim Beige by Sherwin Williams.
To tone down the walls and brighten the room, I knew I wanted to incorporate white countertops. I didn't realize when I was designing this room that I would end up pouring my own concrete countertops!
They turned out perfectly imperfect (bubbles, inconsistencies, and all) and pair amazingly well with these 4x4 handmade-look square tiles I had been eyeballing for A WHILE. I was stoked to be able to use them as the backsplash for this space.
As originally planned, I added additional functionality with floating shelves along the back wall. And while I don't necessarily need them for storage, they sure do provide a good place for décor to make this laundry room inviting.
I had a blast styling this room with thrifted items, curated prints, and dried flowers from my backyard. I even DIYed an antiqued mirror for this space using a thrifted frame. And do you spot one of the vases from another DIY project?
Also, I can't get enough of this thrifted spittoon and badass print.
Below the countertop, I left the perfect little nook to hide laundry baskets. The kids have also discovered that it's a great cubby to play in.
I covered up the opening with some adorable cafe curtains that are hung on a simple tension rod.
On the opposite end of the counter, we installed a small sink with a matte black faucet to tie into the black stainless steel washer and dryer.
Over the sink, I hung a cute bird print from Etsy in this gorgeous thrifted frame. And I got EXTRA bougie when I installed this leftover sconce from our loft kitchenette (they come in a 3-pack!). It was a bit of an afterthought - we didn’t think to run electrical for a light there. To make it functional I screwed in a remote-controlled puck light.
I found these pretty brass frames while thrifting too. While I was initially drawn in by the frames I kinda fell in love with the two creepy little girls that came in them.
What's Left
As for the last 5% that needs finishing…
Plumbing
While the sink is plumbed, the drain line isn't hooked up yet. There's no problem with it, just something we couldn't finish in time.
While that's the only "must-have" left to do, there are a couple of things I want to do just for me.
Cabinet doors
I'm so proud of myself for building the cabinet above the washer and dryer - but I'll be even more proud if I can build shaker doors to finish it off. (Pssst - I did! You can see how in this post.) So that's the plan! I'll be sure to keep you in the loop as I tackle that project.
Under-Cabinet Shelves
This is a super duper "nice-to-have" that I'm not 100% sold on yet - building a shelf so I can store more laundry baskets in the nook under the counter. I don't necessarily need it, but this laundry room is already so over the top, so why not?
Final Thoughts
I think my favorite part about this room is how much of it I renovated by myself.
Please enjoy this picture of me with the longest arms in the world
Honestly, I've been on a journey to find my confidence and self-worth for a really long time, and with every project I complete the more I feel myself grow. I've learned that I am capable and can do more than I think I can. I can't even describe how happy that makes me.
And let’s be real, with every project I do by myself I can be as perfectionistic as I want, and I don't have the fear of annoying anyone, which is pretty great.
Catch up on my other posts from the Fall 2022 One Room Challenge:
Laundry Room Inspiration
ORC Week 7 - DIY Floating Shelves Tutorial
Floating shelves are pretty stinkin’ cool. I mean, how are they even attached to the wall!? Looks like magic, if you ask me. Well, I uncovered the mystery this week when I made some for my laundry room renovation for the One Room Challenge. In this post, I’m sharing the step-by-step process I used to build my floating shelves!
Make Your Own Custom Floating Shelves
Floating shelves are pretty stinkin’ cool. I mean, how are they even attached to the wall!? Looks like magic, if you ask me. Well, I uncovered the mystery this week when I made some for my laundry room renovation for the One Room Challenge. In this post, I’m sharing the step-by-step process I used to build my floating shelves!
What’s the One Room Challenge?
I know I’ve explained what the One Room Challenge is in every post, but let’s do it again for the people in the back!
The One Room Challenge is an event where DIYers from all around encourage and motivate one another to makeover one room in their homes over a period of 8 weeks. In my case, I’m finally tackling our laundry room remodel.
Each Wednesday, I’ve shared my progress with a blog post, and now we’re in the home stretch with the reveal coming next week!
DIY Custom Floating Shelves
As a nervous novice woodworker, and in true Erika fashion, I did plenty of research before I dove into this project. I found several different ways to make floating shelves, but this one seemed the most straightforward. Maybe down the line I’ll try another way and see which I like better. Long story short: there’s more than one way to skin a cat. This is just one of those ways. (Of all the sayings I could have picked…)
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I receive commissions for purchases made through those links at no cost to you.
Supplies for Floating Shelves
2”x2”x8’ boards - I knew I didn’t want my shelves to be super duper thick, so instead of 2x4s for the supports, I chose 2x2s.
1/4” birch plywood
Stain (this is the one I used)
Tools Used
Drill (impact drill recommended)
Rag (for stain)
Paintbrush (for poly)
Draw Out Your Plans
Here are my initial plans for my shelves as if you’re looking at them from the top down.
Super simple, right? Just a ladder frame that will be covered in plywood.
I’m not going to throw a ton of measurements at you in this tutorial because your shelves will have unique measurements for your space. The more important aspect to take from this step is that sketching out your plans beforehand will help you determine how much material you need.
I was able to determine that one 2’x4’ piece of plywood would give me enough for the tops and bottoms of one shelf, so I would need at least 3 pieces of plywood for my whole project (can’t forget about that little sliver of plywood needed for the front!).
Cut the Supports
Because my shelves were going in the nook between the faux wall and the actual wall in the picture below, the long boards of my frames needed to be the exact width of the space. I cut 4 of these (2 for each shelf front/back).
Quick note: measure your shelves independently because drywall is rarely exactly square, and your measurements could vary.
Next, I determined the measurement I needed to cut the small supports so my shelves would be 12” deep like I wanted. I cut 4 small supports for each shelf (you can see them in the sketch above) - 2 for each end and two in the middle. However long your shelf is, I would plan to add a support about every 12 inches.
Mark the Studs
Before you assemble anything, take the time to find the studs on your wall. I put my frames together first and lucked out that nothing was in the way of my studs. They were close though!
Assemble the Supports
Now that everything is cut, you can start to assemble your first frame!
Start by putting wood glue on the ends of the supports.
Then, line up your wood, making sure it’s square. It’s advised to use an actual square to do this, but I have no idea where I put mine, so I used the next best thing: a trowel. It’s also advised to flip your head upside down and take a picture at the most opportune time.
Clamp everything in place and check to make sure it’s square once again for good measure.
Next, make your life way easier (and prevent your wood from splitting) by pre-drilling a hole with a countersink bit. Then, using your 3” screws, screw it all together.
Rinse and repeat until everything is connected.
Now you can dry-fit your frames to make sure they’re everything you dreamed of before you officially attach them to the wall.
Look, Mom! No hands! Or Screws! That picture was taken moments after the bottom frame fell down. I’d say they’re a pretty good fit!
Install the Supports
Now that you’ve determined where the studs are and that your frames fit, it’s time to officially install them.
I started by measuring where the studs would hit on my frames and pre-drilling holes. Then, I nudged them in place with a rubber mallet (it was tight!) and made sure they were level side-to-side and front-to-back.
I secured the frames by screwing them to the studs with 3” screws.
Add the Faces
Now it’s time to add the faces of the shelves - this is what really makes them.
The more I work with wood, the more I realize how important it is to measure things individually, so that’s what I did here. It took way longer, and there were lots of trips up and down the stairs, but I didn’t make any bad cuts! (Note to self - make sure the next project I work on is closer to the power tools.)
Quick tip: when cutting plywood, use painter’s tape to avoid splintering your wood.
Using a nail gun, I installed the top and bottom of each shelf face first, then installed the front piece so you don’t see the raw edge of the plywood as easily.
Finishing Touches
After I put in all that work to build my own shelves, I wanted them to look their absolute best. I started by using wood filler to fill in the nail holes. Then I sanded everything down with 220 grit sandpaper, wiped it clean, and applied wood conditioner.
The wood conditioner really seemed to bring out the red in the wood, which I didn’t love (it made the shelves blend into the wall too much). You can see for yourselves in the picture below where the top shelf has wood conditioner and the bottom doesn’t.
So I tested a few different stains to tone them down. I ended up using Minwax Simply White semi-transparent stain. One coat did the job perfectly!
I finished my shelves off with a couple of coats of Polycrylic, and I’m absolutely in LOVE! I can’t wait to style them.
Built-in Cabinet
Did you catch the other addition to the laundry room this week? The cabinet above the washer and dryer has been built and installed!
`Who knew you could build a cabinet with just some plywood and a Kreg pocket jig? Not me! But now that I have these two projects under my belt I feel unstoppable! You can watch this process in my Instagram highlights.
But seriously, the cabinet up there makes this room feel 10 feet tall, and I can’t wait to build doors for it. I’m already researching how…
Update: after the One Room Challenge wrapped up, I DID build doors! You can check out the tutorial here.
Final Thoughts
In writing this tutorial, I took out a lot of fluff about my struggles with building my shelves so I could get to the point and provide a concise tutorial. However, I want to mention that I definitely had my challenges. (I was SWEATING while hanging the supports - both from nerves and lack of strength.) BUT, I didn’t give up when I started to doubt myself, and that makes this project that much sweeter.
There have been so many projects I wanted to tackle over the years that I shrugged off because I didn’t think I could. But with every little project I complete, I gain a little more confidence in myself and I can’t express how good that feels. I have the bad habit of thinking about eating the whole elephant at once and getting so overwhelmed I don’t even try - when really I just need to eat it one bite at a time… (What is with me and these sayings today!?)
All that is to say - if you’re anything like me, just start somewhere, and you’ll be amazed at how far those little steps can take you.
I can’t wait until next week when I get to share this room in all its glory in the One Room Challenge reveal!
Don’t miss out! Catch up on my other One Room Challenge Posts:
How to Build Easy Floating Shelves
ORC Week 6 - How to Tile Backsplash
There’s a first time for everything - and this week of the One Room Challenge marked my first time at tiling! And you know what? It’s a super beginner-friendly project that makes a really big impact! In this post, I’m sharing the steps I took to tile my laundry room backsplash.
DIY Tile Backsplash
There’s a first time for everything - and this week of the One Room Challenge marked my first time at tiling! And you know what? It’s a super beginner-friendly project that makes a really big impact! In this post, I’m sharing the steps I took to tile my laundry room backsplash.
What’s the One Room Challenge?
If you’re new here, the One Room Challenge is an event where DIYers from all around encourage and motivate one another to makeover one room in their homes over a period of 8 weeks. In my case, I’m finally tackling our laundry room remodel.
Each Wednesday during the challenge I'll share a post with the previous week's progress until the final reveal on November 16th!
The Tile I Chose
I’ve been fangirling over the look of handmade 4x4 tiles in a staggered (technically called running bond) pattern for A WHILE. The tile in the image below is exactly what I had in mind.
When I realized I had an opportunity to use them in the laundry room I was pumped!
My initial design called for these tiles, which are almost exactly what I was looking for - the right size and texture - but I didn’t love the iridescent finish. And once I read some reviews, I learned that there was little variation in color from tile to tile (something I wanted in my design!)
BUT they were the closest tiles I could find in my price range. As I was on the brink of buying them, I came across a close cousin that checked all my boxes.
I purchased them immediately!
If you were here for our master bathroom reveal, you’ll know we tiled the bejeezus out of that space.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I receive commissions for purchases made through those links at no cost to you.
But in reality Lucius and a friend tiled the whole thing while I peeked in between work meetings and grouted on the weekend. So in the grand scheme of things, this was my first foray into the tiling abyss. Here’s what you need for your own tiling adventures:
Materials
Note: These are the materials I used for my tile so please just use them as a guide. Depending on the type and size of your tile, you may need slightly different materials.
Tiling
- Your tile of choice
- Mortar Thin Set
- Drill
- Mixing paddle
- Water
- 5-gallon bucket
- Trowel
- Shims and/or Tile Spacers
- Plastic sheeting (optional)
- Painter's tape (optional)
- Laser Level or Standard Level
- Tile Saw, Tile Snap Cutter, or Handheld Tile Snipper
Grouting
Grouting
Prep
Yeah, yeah, yeah, always with the prep. Before you bust out your mortar and get to mixing, start with these steps!
First, I laid down some plastic sheeting (the kind with tape attached) on my countertops. There's NO WAY I was going to mess those babies up! I even added extra painter’s tape to get my grout line where it would meet the countertop nice and straight.
I ended up with 4 boxes of tiles, so I started by mixing them together to make sure I had a good variation of coloring. Then, I started to figure out my design.
I knew the pattern I wanted to use, but I still had to determine where to start and end my rows. I decided to start in the corner where the walls meet and install a whole tile. Then move out from there.
That left me with enough at the ends that I didn't have any awkwardly weird slivers to deal with. I even laid out my first row along the countertop to make sure the different shades of tile were nicely mixed.
This is important because sometimes you'll have tiles that have coloring that's just a little bit off and it can be really obvious when installed. Not laying out the tiles and looking them over beforehand is my one regret in our master bathroom (see the group of darker tiles in the top left corner of the shower in the picture above? Ugh).
Next, I set up my laser level at the same height as the top of my first row of tiles.
Installing Whole Tiles
Once everything was prepped, I was ready to mix up some mortar. Using COLD water (as I mentioned when we installed brick veneer in the loft, hot water will speed up drying time) and the mixing attachment on my drill, I added a little mortar at a time until it was a peanut buttery consistency. Because mortar only has a workable time of a couple of hours, I only mixed up a small amount.
Did you know there are different colors of mortar? There aren't a TON - just basic shades. It's recommended that with light-colored or glass tiles you use white mortar. So that's what I did.
You're also apparently supposed to start your tile in the middle of the row, but because I knew I wanted a full tile on a certain end, that's where I started.
Using my trowel, I spread mortar on the wall in small sections. I realized my tiles weren't picking up as much mortar as I needed by just putting it on the walls, so I also back-buttered the tiles (a fancy term for "spreading mortar on the back of the tile").
There are lots of different shapes and sizes of trowels, which can be confusing. If you're not sure what to use for your specific tile, check on the manufacturer's website.
Then, I smooshed the tile to the wall and wiggled it back and forth a little. I finished up by adding shims where needed to make sure the top of my tile was touching the laser level line.
As you can see above, the shims definitely came in handy as my countertops weren't quite as level as I'd hoped.
The manufacturer of my tile suggested using 1/16" spacers, but I found that the inconsistencies in the tile created spaces about that wide on their own and the spacers just fell out. I opted not to use them and I’m super happy with how it ended up looking.
The first row was definitely the hardest, but after it was installed, the other rows were a breeze. I still had to use shims here and there to make sure the tiles were staying level where I didn't get them quite level enough on the first row.
Cutting Tile
After I had all the whole tiles installed, I started making my cuts!
Using a crayon, I made marks on my tiles approximately where they needed cut. Then, set the guide on the tile saw and ran them through. If you don’t have a tile saw, you can use a tile snap cutter for basic cuts, but some cuts won’t be possible without a tile saw.
A couple of tips for using a wet saw:
Make sure water is running off the saw blade before you start cutting.
Don't be like me - wear protective glasses! (whoops)
Corner cuts are a bit tricky. I found it easiest to cut through as far as I could on the front side of the tile, then flip it over and do the same on the back. This didn't always cut clean through so occasionally I had to snap the piece off. Luckily, all my corner cuts are hidden under the thingy that holds the washing machine hoses (I’m sure that’s the technical name for it).
Grout
Once you're done installing the tile, you need to give it at least 24 hours to dry before you grout.
Picking a grout color is easy to overlook, but it can make a big impact on the look of the finished product. There are lots of grout colors to choose from - the chart below doesn’t even cover all of them!
In my case, I knew I wanted something on the lighter side to go with the overall feel of my room. I debated using the color biscuit but opted for white to hide the imperfections in my tile installation (specifically that big ol’ gap between the countertop and tile).
You’ll also need to determine if you need sanded or unsanded grout. Sanded grout is typically recommended for tiles that are spaced greater than 1/8” apart. It has better adhesion and is less likely to crack.
But for tiles with smaller spacing, you’ll need unsanded grout. Unsanded grout is also recommended for certain types of tile that would be easily scratched by sanded grout. Make sure you read the tile manufacturer’s installation instructions before you start to determine which type to use!
As with mortar, grout only has a certain amount of time that it’s workable - so gather your materials before you mix it up.
Mixing grout is similar to mixing mortar - you’ll want it thin enough to spread but not so thin that it falls off the grout float. And since grout is only being applied between the cracks, you’ll need to mix up less grout than mortar so keep that in mind.
Start by scooping some grout onto your float and spreading it on the gaps between the tiles. The goal isn’t to cover the tiles, but the smaller your tiles are, the more likely this is to happen and it’s no big deal (see exhibit A).
Exhibit A
Work in small sections because after the grout sets up for 15-30 minutes, you’ll have to come back with a sponge and wipe it off. If you wait too long the grout will dry and be much more difficult to remove.
To wipe off the grout, dip a big grout sponge in water and wring it out really well. Then, wipe in a circular motion. This process not only removes the grout from the surface of the tiles but helps smoosh it into any spaces that need a little more.
You’ll need to rinse your sponge (and probably change out your water) frequently. You can see in the picture below where I’ve wiped the grout off the top right-hand side.
Get as much grout off the surface of the tiles as you can, but it’s completely normal (and okay) to have a little bit of a film - aka grout haze - left over.
After the grout has had plenty of time to dry (at least several hours or overnight), come back with a cloth (I used a microfiber cloth) and buff off the grout haze “wax on/wax off” style and watch those babies sparkle! Unless you have matte tile… then they won’t necessarily sparkle.
Finishing Touches
It’s worth noting that some tiles need finish pieces for the edges, but I didn’t love the options I had for my tiles. I decided not to use any to help maintain the handmade look and instead finish my edges with a bead of caulk. If my tiles didn’t terminate into the walls I probably would have installed edging but since the only exposed edge of my tile is the top I’m okay with leaving it as-is.
Most tile and/or grout needs to be sealed after they’re installed. There are lots of sealers available to use. In our master bathroom, we used this spray-on sealer, and it has worked well so far, so I used it again in this space. Though I'll warn you - it's smelly!
Final Thoughts
I’m absolutely enamored with my backsplash and knowing that I did it completely on my own makes me love it even more! I’ve really been trying to push myself to step out of my comfort zone and work on projects on my own during the One Room Challenge.
It’s slower and tough at times, but the confidence boost when I tackle a project feels amazing! Plus, I can be as nit-picky as I want without the worry of annoying anyone else with my perfectionistic tendencies. I see a whole wide world in front of me.
Dare I say I'm almost looking forward to the projects I have in store for myself next week: building out the cabinet above the washer and dryer and the floating shelves for the back wall. Be sure to follow along here and on Instagram to see all the step-by-step progress of this laundry room renovation!
