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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RV Remodel – Dark and Dated to Bright and Inviting!
It's finally RV reveal time! Are you ready for some serious before and after pictures?! In case you haven't been following along, here are all the posts about the RV remodel.
RV Remodel Posts
Buying the RV
RV remodel design plan
Painting the cabinets
Painting the walls
Painting the countertops
Rustic wood accent wall
Reupholstering the banquette
When Adam and I were RV shopping we had a list of must-haves. We wanted a pull behind camper that could sleep all six of us …
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Reupholster RV Cushions…Without Sewing!
This is it, the last project of the RV remodel! Admittedly, reupholstering the banquette cushions is the project I've been dreading most... which is why I saved it for last. It's always a good idea to save the worst for last, right? I've been putting it off was becuase I thought that I was going to have to sew actual cushions, which for me would be a terrible project. I can sew, but I really only flat square things like curtains and throw pillows. Thankfully I ended up conquering this project …
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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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Bed Shopping on a Budget
I've been bed shopping lately. "Lately" being a relative term, because it feels like much, much longer than that. It started off innocently enough, with Adam and I on our floor mattress, dreaming about what bed would be the one to finally lift us up off the concrete. Our bedroom is rustic and fairly masculine, and it has all the traditional elements you need for a great room - wood, stone, metal, white, some color, and plants. The only thing it was missing was leather. A leather bed would be …
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Master Bedroom Reading Nook
It's been a quiet two weeks around here, but I have a good excuse...Adam and I have been in Costa Rica! With no kids! And other adults! It was an amazing trip and just the break we needed. I'll write up a post about it when I'm finished with this bedroom makeover (so two weeks...I have a deadline) and share all the details.
Speaking of the bedroom makeover, we've finished a small section of it...the reading nook!
I love it so much, I just sit in bed at night and smile at it until I …
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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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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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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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Rustic Wooden Blanket Ladder (for free!)
There is this empty wall in our living room that has been begging me to put something on it, something large but with a slim profile. A framed picture would be too small, furniture would be too big, but a wooden blanket ladder....well that would be just right. So I decided to make one myself, and the best part is that is was an easy project that I did for free using branches scrounged up from the yard.
Materials needed:
branches - two large ones, 3-4 smaller ones
using …
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