built-ins on a budget

I am working with two different clients right now who would like to have built-in shelving on the media walls in their living rooms. There is no better way to create a focal point in a room than by creating a spectacular wall of shelving around a fireplace and/or TV. In addition to the fantastic storage it provides, it allows our big modern TV sets to blend better into the room and it draws the eye to the whole wall and not just the big black box. 

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Custom built-ins, however, are expensive. But with a little creativity and a weekend of getting your hands dirty, you can do it yourself and create a custom look using inexpensive materials.

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First, figure out your storage needs, and whether you need room for junk that you want behind closed doors, or if all-open shelving will be ok.

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 Second, try reusing what you already have. Can you incorporate existing freestanding bookcases, dressers, or sideboards into the design? One of my clients is using an antique dresser/hutch as the centerpiece that the TV sits on, and will build shelving around it. 

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Third, measure your wall and sketch out what your shelving would look like. Then measure each section and use in-stock cabinetry and shelving units from the hardware store. Often these can work perfectly size-wise. 

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Finally, use trim to tie all of the pieces together to create a seamless and custom look.  

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Or, who says they need to be joined together? Freestanding bookshelves on either side can also look amazing. 

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For detailed instructions, check out this page at HGTV.com or this one from ehow.com.

Shelving around your media wall or fireplace adds warmth and functionality to the room. It takes some work, but I think it is worth it. Do you?

green idea: painting old kitchen cabinets

                                                                       Source: papernstitchblog.com via refresheddesigns. on Pinterest

One of the most economical and environmentally friendly ways of remodeling a kitchen is to paint your existing cabinets. And yes, you can achieve professional looking results yourself if you take the time to do it right. 

                                                        Source: kitchenbacksplashes.blogspot.com via refresheddesigns. on Pinterest

1. Clean the cabinets. Preparation is the most important step in the process of painting your cabinets, and it is very important to make sure that all of the surfaces you are going to paint are completely free of all grease, grime, food residue and whatever else may be stuck to them.When doing this remove the doors and hardware and lay them out flat. Use an all purpose cleaner and a rag and then allow them to dry thoroughly.

2. Sand the cabinets. Once dry, use a piece of fine grit sandpaper - 150 or finer - and make a few passes over all the flat surfaces of the doors. Don't forget to do the thin facing pieces on the cabinet boxes themselves. The slightly sanded surface will allow the primer to better hold onto the surface and greatly increase longevity of the paint job. 

3. Apply primer. After sanding, it's time to prime the cabinets. Primer forms a better bond with the surface than paint alone would.  If your cabinets are already painted and you are re-painting them the same color, it is OK to skip this step and go ahead and apply the paint. If, however, your cabinets are stained and you are trying to cover up the natural wood grain with paint, you must prime them first. The paint will not stick to the varnished surface and the color of the stain will most likely bleed right through your paint.

There are several types of primer that you can use, and which one you choose is largely based on what kind of paint you want to use over the top. If you are using an oil-based paint, an interior oil based primer is recommended. These products tend to have a very strong odor and they are best used when you can properly ventilate the room. 

If you are planning to use a latex paint for your top coat, then a shellac based primer is recommended. This product tends to dry fairly quickly, so make sure that you are ready to go before you begin applying it. The shellac based primers, just like the oil based, carry a very strong odor and caution should be used.

4. Paint the cabinets. There are a couple of ways to apply the paint. A pneumatic sprayer is the best way to get a smooth and glossy finish. If you don't have access to one, however, you can still get a great finish by using a high quality paint brush - 2 1/2" to 3" would be ideal.

The key to achieving a professional finish with a brush is to use very thin coats. It may be tempting to try to coat the paint on as thick as possible just so you can be finished, but DON'T. The best and most durable paint jobs are built up by consecutive thin layers of paint.

5. Sand and add additional coats. In between coats, take some 320 grit sandpaper and very lightly sand the flat surfaces again so that you have the smoothest possible surface for your next coat. Use a tack cloth to wipe away all the dust, and go on to your next coat. You will likely need 2-4 coats. 

Let dry 24 hours and then hang the doors and install the hardware. Viola- new kitchen without consuming new materials.

                                                                            Source: google.ca via refresheddesigns. on Pinterest

                                                         Source: caitlinwilsondesign.blogspot.com via refresheddesigns. on Pinterest

                                                                           Source: google.ca via refresheddesigns. on Pinterest

                                                                    Source: housebeautiful.com via refresheddesigns. on Pinterest

Check out my posts on green backsplashes and countertops as well. 

Well...she has moved out now the work starts!

So as I have said before, my eldest has moved out (by the way it is her 23rd birthday today, Happy Birthday Dom!!!), now it is time to get to work on her bedroom! Well she hasn't totally cleared it out yet, so I need to get in there and get the last bits and pieces out. She has left her old iron bed soooo....time for a makeover!!

Looks like I will be getting on to ebay again!!! Too much stuff to keep!

Though I do have plans for these old wicker bedside tables.... I have had them for over 20 years.... I think some white spray paint will transform them and they will last another 20 years!!!!

Olivia will be moving into the larger room (and her room will become a spare room come study for me!)Her sister's old black iron bed was not working for me.... time for something a little bit more fun....go turquoise paint!!!

Well first I undercoated it with Zinser bulls eye, my go to undercoat that works on just about everything!!!

Here comes the turquoise!!!

I couldn't find turquoise spray paint so I had to buy a tin of oil based paint....hmpfff.... a lot more work! But worth it! Though I dont think Olivia is over the moon about it yet....she just has to wait and see the big picture.

So stay tuned and see how the room transforms.... I might even keep the room colour, it was only painted a year ago and I quite like the colour and it seems to work well with the turquoise....there is a lot of other work to do, for some reason I didn't paint the windows in Dom's room when we first moved in so it is time to do that but of course it will be a lot harder now that I have had shutters installed....groan.... plus the skirting boards and door somehow missed painting....funny what you notice when most of the furniture has been removed!!

Well there is a lot of work to do ... I will keep you posted on how I am going!!!!

D.I.Y : Altered Cardigan

Blessings and love beauties and gents!!

I pray all is well with you all and that you have started the week wonderfully.

Today's post is a bit different from the other posts, in fact, it's about a little D.I.Y. I mentioned a few posts earlier that I had taught myself how to sow over the Summer and had therefore been doing some experimenting.

This first D.I.Y post is about my beloved cardigan. I actually only wore this once this winter because on the very first day I wore I decided to start wearing it again, I noticed it it had two holes on one of the arms. I later realized they had been caused by carelessly hanging them in my wardrobe. Initially, I had planned on throwing it out but then I decided to play around with it.

By the end of this tutorial, you're going to go from a damaged long sleeved cardigan to a sleeveless one with a stylish twist.

For this D.I.Y project, you're going to need :  a cardigan //  a pair of scissors // a tape //  some pins // a sewing machine // a matching thread // at least 30 minutes

Step one. You're going to cut the arms of your cardigan to the new desired length but be sure to leave at least a bit less than an inch. Be careful to use the same measurements for both arms or else you're going to end up with two arms with two different lengths and believe me it's annoying ( I should know cause I've been there)

Step two. You're going to fold the sleeve you have cut inwardly and then secure with pins. Be sure to fold according to the final desired length.

Step three. Sew the folded parts part of fabric, making sure the right side (outside in).

Step four. By now, you've pretty much got yourself a cardigan with a new type of sleeves and you can stop there but if you want a sleevless cardigan like me then you can add a little strip of the fabric from the arms and tie it around the shoulder of the cardigan then sow the two ends of the strip of fabric together after fitting it as desired.

Quite frankly, I came up with this idea because one of the sleeves was a little bit longer than the other and I also thought it was a great way to add some funk to the cardigan.

To get the two strips for each shoulder, just cut the desired width (making sure to add less than an inch more) from the sleeves you first cut off then fold a bit of each side of the width and sew on each side to make them look neat. After that, place the strips around the shoulder and tighten as you like then sew the two free ends together.

And you're done!

I hope you found the instructions clear and straightforward.

Have fun D.I.Ying!

What else do you do with a damaged cardigan?

♥♥

DIY Mirrors

Finally.... I talked about it a couple of times but it was a project I kept getting side tracked on.... my DIY mirrors for my bedroom! They are actually very simple and didn't take long to make.....once I started! So give it a try, they look great and are very cost effective.

I used 12mm mdf and framed the top edge in 6mm DAR (not sure what DAR stands for but it is straight edge timber cut square all around). I bought 30cm bevel edge mirrors from the local hardware store. Measure carefully and have the mdf cut to size, remembering to add the extra for the DAR around the edge and a little bit more for a space between the mirrors.

I decided to make my finished size mirrors 2 across and 3 up.

I mitre cut the DAR and used wood glue to attach it to the top edge of the boards ( I made 2 mirrors) I then clamped the edges and allowed them to dry overnight. Once that was done I stained and varnished the frame and edges plus the area on the board that would show up between the mirrors.

The mirrors were then attached to the backing board with glazing silicon. Now these mirrors are very heavy I made sure that the hanging hooks on the back were heavy duty ones that could take the weight!

So what do you think....was it worth waiting for? Now, I know you are going to say it.....where is the padded headboard..... it's coming.....well its on the list, you cant rush a girl! The bedroom is almost complete!!!

Ahhh......I love my bedroom!

green idea: diy wood counter and table top

Yesterday I showed you the lovely vacation home that my uncle and aunt renovated. They did all of the work themselves, and my uncle is quite the handyman. He hand-made the polished wood counter top for the bathroom instead of buying new.

He was kind enough to give me instructions on how he managed to get that rich, dark, ultra-smooth finish, and so I'm sharing his secret with all of you.

1.  Top is made from 2' x 4' x 3/4" knotty pine plywood (you can purchase from hardware stores in 1/4 sheet size).

2.  Edge is made from 1" x 2" x 4' pine.

3.  Cut plywood to size and draw and cut out the hole for your sink.

4. Attach edging with water-based carpenter's glue and by countersinking a finish nail on each end. Make sure to wipe up any excess glue with a damp cloth right away. Use a non-shrinking and stain-able wood filler to fill in the holes - he likes LePage.

5. After drying for 24 hours, sand with 320 grit sandpaper.

6. Apply wood sealer as per manufacturer's instructions.

7. Apply 3 coats of stain (waiting 6 hours between each coat) in your choice of colour- he used Flecto Varathan Diamond Wood Stain in Dark Walnut. But here's the trick- DO NOT wipe off excess stain when applying the coats. It allows it to sink into the wood for a darker finish.

8.Once dry, apply 5 coats of latex polyurethane - he used Flecto Varathane Diamond Wood Finish in satin. Sand with 320 grit paper in between each coat until smooth to the touch. Make sure to use tack cloth to wipe the counter down after each sanding.

He also made this side table from scratch, with the same kind of smooth wood top, but painted instead of stained.

1. Made from 3 knotty pine 2" x 6" boards, cut to 24" lengths (an old butcher block would also work well).

2. Ideally, use biscuits to join the boards together; alternatively use wood glue and clamps and let dry for 24 hours.

3. Sand and prime.

4. Apply 3-5 coats of black satin paint, lightly sanding with 320-400 grit between each coat.

5. He never mentioned a protective coat on the top, so don't think he used one here, but you could use a latex polyurethane if you want, sanding after each coat.

Don't these look amazing? What a great way to be eco-friendly and not over-spend or over-consume. Sustainable design that is within reach for all of us!

PS- I have the full instructions on how to build the rest of the table if anyone is interested- just ask.

I'm linked up here. Check out some other great projects!

Thinking outside of the square

Next time you need a new light and you want something a little unusual.... think outside of the square. In fact have a look around your house and you might find something sitting there waiting for your inspiration to fire!!

When grouped together the singular becomes extraordinary!

Tea for 2 or 3,4,5 .... very cute tea cups make a very sweet light fitting

 Mason jars - we don't have these in Australia maybe we could use large vegemite jars!

 Very appropriate a wooden peg light in the laundry...if you are running a bit short on washing day you could borrow some from above!

I love these... a new take on a crystal chanderlier and if you decide to give up the drink you now know what you can do with all those decanters you have lying around!

This one made me laugh when I realised that they were all wooden coat hangers!

This one left me awestruck...door plates from old locks. It has a great industrial feel and the mix of colours are wonderful with their time warn appearance.

And last but by no means least is a new take on the world...how wonderful in a kids room an old globe chopped in half....light and enlightment in one!

All of these images can be found on my Pinterest.