A few months ago I asked which DIY topics y'all would like me to cover, and the most popular answer was a post on how to paint cabinets. That surprised me a bit, because I've actually written quite a few posts on the subject. The information is scattered and not easy to find though, so the obvious answer was to write one big post containing everything I've learned so far. So here it is, my ultimate guide to painting cabinets!
The first thing you need to know about painting …
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Entry Refresh and a Wooden Doormat Update
Today I have the most well-tested follow-up post for you ever. Not a year, or two years like most of my follow-up posts, but SEVEN years. So what project are we talking about today? These babies...
I made these wooden doormats back in 2012, when my blog was just a year old and I only had two kids. It feels like yesterday, but it wasn't. It's crazy how quickly time goes.
In the original post I said that I had no idea how these mats were going to work out...if they would catch dirt and …
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Hot Tub Patio – Our 2019 Surprise Project
At the beginning of this year I wrote a post outlining our house goals for 2019. It had projects we for sure wanted to finish, along with projects we may or may not get to (you can read that list here). So as soon as Adam and I scratched the RV remodel off that list we started talking about what project we wanted to conquer next.
My suggestion was to finish the laundry room. We started it about a year and a half ago, and it is probably 70% finished. I would love to wrap that up, check another …
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Our DIY Epoxy Garage Floor – One Year Later
Alright, time for another follow-up post! Today we are talking about the DIY epoxy floor coating Adam and I did in the garage a little over a year ago. We used the RockSolid kit from RustOleum. and applying it was simple but fairly labor intensive.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE ORIGINAL POST AND TUTORIAL
Before -
After -
Here is a quick video about the process of applying the epoxy floor coating -
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So our garage is really large, a four car. The front half is where we park …
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A Review of our Brick Flooring – One Year Later
Almost exactly a year ago we installed the brick flooring in the mudroom, laundry room, and half bathroom. When we installed it I knew I loved the look, but had no idea how it would actually function and hold up in real life. Would it be easy to clean? Catch all the dirt? Can you mop it? Will it hurt to walk on with bare feet? Will it stain easily? Adam and I didn't know the answers to any of these questions, but we decided to install it anyway and see how it …
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Lightweight Rustic Wood RV Walls
*Thank you to Stikwood for sponsoring this post!*
I'm so excited to finally be at this point in the RV remodel! This entire time I have been schlepping away at this remodel....painting cabinets, painting walls, and painting countertops, and that whole time all I wanted to do was get to the part where Adam and I got to install the rustic wood walls. I knew it would be my favorite part, and I am not disappointed. Just look at the difference!
Bedroom before (WAY before) -
Bedroom, …
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Painting Laminate Countertops with Chalkboard Paint
Adam and I considered lots of different things for the laminate countertops in the RV (we were this close to skimming it with concrete). It's a tiny amount of surface space, so we could pretty much do anything without it being expensive. In the end we decided just to paint them, since neither of us wanted to put in the time or effort to rip out and replace the counters (or risk the concrete layer cracking and flaking off). There are a ton of kits and products out there for painting countertops, …
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DIY Electric Fireplace
So I know we said the bedroom was finished, but that was a lie. We still needed to add wood flooring and a fireplace, but neither one was going to happen for a few years (since my four sons are now eating our house projects budget. Literally eating it...they never stop eating. I'm screwed when they're teenagers.)
Adam and I found a way to add a fireplace and not break the bank though, and now this exists in our bedroom...
I'm so glad we didn't wait, because having a fireplace in …
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How to Build a TV Frame
Today I have a very simple and practical project for you. It's something that you 100% can do yourself....even if you are new to DIY and your tool collection is nearly nonexistent.
Why would you want to frame your TV? Well because of this...
This giant gap full of cords isn't exactly the prettiest sight, and I'm going to assume that if you have a flatscreen TV hung on the wall then you have the same issue. Fortunately there is a simple solution, and it only requires is a few …
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Painting RV Walls (it’s actually really easy!)
When Adam and I first started planning the RV remodel I was very against painting the walls. For some reason, I thought they would be a giant pain and require lots of prep, plus the spongy brown was fairly neutral and inoffensive.
In hindsight, that was stupid. Adam told me that was stupid, and he was right. It hurts just to admit it, but he was.
We painted the walls, it was super easy (unlike the cabinets) and it looks so much better. It looks less like an outdated travel trailer and more …
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Our Rustic Master Bedroom Retreat – The Reveal!
Thank you to Modsy for sponsoring this post. Want to try Modsy for yourself? Use code ASHLEY20 to get 20% off a design package!
It's here! Master bedroom reveal day!
Adam and I have been chipping away at the bedroom for the last couple of years, and slowly but surely it went from a mostly empty mishmash of random items to a relaxing retreat where we can escape at the end of the day. It's amazing.
So just to tide you over before we get to the guts of the blog post, here are a few pictures …
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Painting RV Cabinets (and what I did wrong)
Y'all...I did it. I finished painting the cabinets in the RV. Somebody get me a drink.
I'd love to tell you a wonderful, uplifting tale about how it was an easy project and I enjoyed every second of it, but that would be a lie. This project sucked and I'm really glad its over. I CAN tell you it was worth it though, so at least this story has a happy ending.I mean, just look at how much brighter and less depressing the kitchen looks with bright white cabinets. Worth it.
Alright, let's …
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A Bedroom Ceiling (Un) Update
A few weeks ago I blogged about our wooden bedroom ceiling, and I finished that post by saying I was pretty sure I was going to stain it.
My issue with the ceiling was that it looked very fresh and new, not rustic and old like I had hoped. Adding to that feel was the fact that the wooden window headers are old and gray, and the two just didn't look like they belonged in the same room.
Staining it seemed like the best solution. Nothing too dramatic, just something to add age. After …
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Vaulted Wood Ceiling (from cedar fence pickets)
In the process of building our house, Adam and I messed up. We knew that we only wanted the builder to build the "shell" of the house and leave the rest for us to DIY, but what we didn't realize (no one along the way did... I'm guessing people don't finance half-built houses very often) is that in order to close on a construction loan, the house has to be 100% finished. This led to a giant, stressful, drawn-out mess when we tried to convert the construction loan to a mortgage. Our solution was …
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Our NBI Drainboard Sink – Two Years Later
It was exactly two years ago now that we started using our NBI Drainboard sink, which means its received enough use and abuse to give it a fair review. A lot of you will have no interest in this, but ever since my initial post about the sink I've received a slow but steady flow of emails asking how it is holding up, so I know there is some interest out there.
When we chose this sink I was skeptical about its durability and functionality. All I knew is that it fit with my vision for the …
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Installing Our Highback Drainboard Sink
The first draft of this post was titled "Installing our Highback, Double Drainboard, Faux Vintage Kitchen Sink", which is quite a big description for a simple sink. That title is like when they introduce Kahaleesi on Game of Thrones, and they're all "Daenerys of the House Targaryen, The First of Her Name, The Unburnt.... eight more super long descriptive tiles...and Mother of Dragons." It's the longest title ever, and I'm over here rolling my eyes at the TV and thinking "just call her the queen …
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Mudroom Reveal – Where Form Meets Function
IT'S MUDROOM REVEAL DAY!! Let's just skip the forced introductory paragraph and get right to the good stuff. Here she is!
I don't think I could love it more. It's so satisfying to have a blank space and a vision, and then watch that vision actually come to life!
From start to finish the mudroom remodel (makeover/finish out/whatever you want to call it) took us almost exactly six months. That definitely isn't a short amount of time, but I think it's realistic for a DIY family …
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Simple Farmhouse Window Trim
The mudroom is so incredibly close to being finished, and I can't wait to get the reveal post up on the blog (thinking it will be next week). It's been way too long since we've had a reveal post around here. In the meantime though, let's take a detour and talk about window trim.
So all of the window and door frames were finished with drywall returns during the building process. Adam and I knew we wanted trim eventually, but figured we would do that later (plus they weren't going to make the …
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All About Our Painted Lockers
Despite what you may have been thinking, we have not abandoned working on the mudroom. In fact, we now have lockers...painted lockers. Beautiful, functional painted lockers.
I love them, and the room is so close to being finished I can taste it. We pretty much just have to build them in and add decor, and it this room will look just like the plan!
So let's talk about these lockers.
The original plan called for six 78 x 15 single tier lockers, and I wanted to buy used ones to …
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Herringbone Brick Paver Floor
Y'all. The brick paver floor is finished and it turned out AMAZING.
It is exactly what I wanted, which is impressive considering my list demands was pretty specific. I've seen plenty of brick floors that aren't my favorite, so I was only interested in installing a brick paver floor if three things were involved....lots of earthy color variation, light colored grout, and a herringbone pattern. Oh, and not shiny. So four things. Knowing exactly what you want is a good thing, …
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Everything I’ve Learned About Painting Shiplap
I logged onto my website this morning to publish this post and saw that it has been a month since my last one. I would have sworn it was only a week or two....time is flying. Flying. Anyway, progress is still happening around here despite my blog neglect, and the shiplap in the laundry and mudroom is painted and officially checked off the list. So here it is!
Before
and after!
I love it, it's so fresh and clean and just a great starting point for the …
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