This little outdoor side table is a great project to attempt for beginning builders! (That’s me!) My daughter found these plans from rogueengineer.com and they were simple to follow! This was the second table like this and I learned something each time. For this table, I used cedar. It’s a bit more expensive, but I wanted something more durable for outdoors. I worked my way through the cut list. The only thing I would do differently, would be to cut the planks for the top and bottom shelves after the frame of the table is built for an exact measurement....
DIY Projects
Free Little Library
This Free Little Library came to life with 13 cedar pickets and a stained glass window. This project was the brain child of my friend, Chris, who is an avid reader with an adorable lake cottage in Michigan. I am not an experienced builder and have only done a couple of “build” projects – using plans. For this build, I was working around the leaded glass and cedar pickets that were warped (#lumbersupplyduetoCovid). I was able to work with this, especially at 50% off. I began with the door and then built the library to work with the dimensions of...
Baby Quilt with Family Ties
I have gifted many baby quilts throughout the decades, but this one is extra special. My nephew and his wife brought a beautiful baby boy into the world bringing so much joy and the first in a new generation for our side of the family. What better time to carry on memories and from previous generations than with a baby quilt? I am not a professional seamstress, but I can sew squares together and watch YouTube for “how to’s” with the best of them. But, it was the creative journey of assembling this quilt that was the most meaningful. This...
Laundry Room Refresh for $60
This project started with my ambition to put left over DIY supplies to good use and de-clutter my garage! A free cabinet and a buffet top were the beginnings of this laundry room re-fresh! And, this laundry room needed some storage and a little personality. Buffet Top Turned Shelving This piece of wood is the top to a buffet that I turned into my master bath vanity. It’s been sitting in my garage for 2 years and I am happy to give it another purpose! The piece was covered in veneer and fortunately in good shape. I gently sanded the...
Standing Window Flower Box Planter
Really wanting a window flower box but can’t attach one directly under the window? This was my challenge! I live in a townhouse in a HOA community – which means I cannot attach anything to the building. But, window boxes have a certain charm and always look so pretty when overflowing with colorful flowers. I really wanted one! So, a few cedar pickets, flower box liners, nails and some stain were all it took to build a charming, free-standing window, flower box. Materials: Flower box liners Cedar pickets Nailer/nails Mitre saw Rymar Wood Sealer (my son had this on hand,...
Black and White Bathroom Design
Classic black and white design is timeless and always a great option for a bathroom renovation. On this project, my daughter made all the design selections. Check out the “before”picture of her townhouse, master bath! VANITY Double bowl vanities are a great feature in any master bath, if space permits. Each master bath renovation we’ve done in this sub-division, was plumbed for a second sink, and this one was no exception. This bathroom is long and allowed for a 72 inch vanity with 2 sinks and tons of storage. My daughter selected a classic white vanity with black and white...
Sidelight window coverings made in 10 minutes!
While there are several alternatives to covering a sidelight, I needed a simple solution in my investment properties and I wanted to use a curtain. For me, “simple” means minimal effort to hang and little sewing. CURTAIN RODS I found out the sidelight panel is actual metal — who knew?? This means magnetic rods will adhere to the frame. This also means there is no need for a drill to screw in the brackets. And, there is no worry about the placement of the brackets because you can slide them easily for perfect placement. These adjustable magnetic rods were an...
Sourcing Affordable Lighting at Goodwill and Liquidators?
Great lighting is key to the aesthetic of a property and can be a big expense when doing a renovation. I replaced 9-11 fixtures in each of the last three properties I renovated and liquidators were my main source of inventory! I found these liquidators on Facebook Marketplace and eBay and saved more than 80%. Liquidators buy a truckload or a pallet of distressed or returned inventory from large retailers such as Wayfair, Home Depot, Amazon or Lowe’s, as examples, and resell the merchandise on Facebook, Amazon, eBay or even at a storefront, at lower prices. In one instance, I...
Reflections on 2019
Looking through the photos from 2019, it was fun to see an accumulation of projects that was new for me. I was reminded of a few things — to leverage experience from previous projects, to optimize available resources and to have comfort that everything is “fixable”, if you make a mistake. New colors and new patterns seem to fill my photo collection this year. Let’s take a look back! COLORS Paint is such an easy and affordable way to experiment with color. While I am not particularly bold in my color choices on rental properties as the properties need to...
Kitchen Cabinet Update
Paint and hardware can simply transform the look of 1990’s oak cabinets. And, this was my plan for the galley style kitchen in my investment property. While the kitchen had some great features (new appliances, huge pantry), the oak cabinets looked dated. PAINT COLOR For these cabinets, I wanted to try a couple of new (for me) ideas to add some interest. I used a less traditional blue (Magnolia Under the Stars) for the base cabinets and Alabaster for the uppers. I used Sherwin Williams paint products for both. The blue was a color match. Painting this time was a...
Fireplace Refresh
The fireplace is a great feature for this investment property but needed a bit of an update. With a little paint, stain and spray paint, the oak mantel, brick and fireplace doors took on a new look. This is the fireplace before any updates. FIREPLACE DOOR There are no other brass or gold features in the property, so the brass on this fireplace door was not in keeping with the rest of the metal features. I taped off the brick and glass and painted the brass frame with Krylon High Heat Max in matte black. BRICK This brick is in...
Interior Doors as a Design Feature!
Paint color, door design and hardware can transform the look of a plain door into something really eye catching. In a recent investment property renovation, I needed to replace the wood grain, brown interior doors with brass door knobs. And, there were a lot — 6 handicap assessable, 2 bi-pass and 4 bifold. I haven’t had to do replace doors before, so I decided to have a little fun with it. DOORS I really liked the two panel door with a straight top edge. I checked Menards, Lowe’s and Home Depot and this style and the door sizes I needed...