Tag: DIY

KITCHEN: Prime + Paint

Written by Jenna on January 5, 2018. Posted in Brick Ranch Fixer Upper, DIY, Kitchen. 1 Comment on KITCHEN: Prime + Paint

Happy 2018! It’s been a few weeks since I shared about the progress of the DIY Kitchen Remodel in the Brick Ranch Fixer Upper. Last I left off, I finished prepping the existing wood stained cabinets and I shared the design vision for the space. Now that the cabinets are prepped, it’s time to get them painted so we can call this kitchen FINISHED!

Before sharing the progress of the cabinets, lets walk down memory lane with a preview of how the kitchen looked before and where it started…

BEFORE

After the cabinets were removed from the face frame and sanded, they were ready for primer. With most furniture projects that I’ve painted, I always start with using a high-quality stainblocking primer and sealer to give a solid base to the paint color. For this project, I used KILZ 2 Latex (so it’s waterbased for easy cleanup) Multi-Surface Stainblocker.

On a clean, flat, protected surface, I started off by using a paint brush to apply the paint in all the grooves and crevices. After smoothing it out, I followed with using a brush on all the flat areas. See the 2 pictures below for more visual detail…

PRIMER PAINT, STEP 1

PRIMER PAINT, STEP 2

Cabinet primer complete. 22 more doors to go…

As I was priming the doors (on late nights + early mornings), I also painted the face frames of the kitchen.

Eek, this is a disastrous picture. Much of our furniture was stored in the kitchen during the renovation, so it was a challenging area to work! You gotta do, what you gotta do, right?!?

Using similar steps as with the doors, I used a small foam roller brush to apply the primer to the face frames of the cabinets. At the edges and in difficult spots, I used an angled brush.

A few hours later, here was the result.

Thankfully, with the primer coat, it does not have to be applied thick and only one coat is needed. As long as the surface it covered, it’s good to move forward with PAINT!

Continuing with the face frames, I applied the semi-gloss paint in the same way… Roller brush for flat surfaces and an angled brush at edges and corners. To get a brushless look, it’s important to have a continuous stroke instead of starting and stopping partially on the surface. Start at one end and continue the brush or roller to the other end.

I decided that two of the cabinets – the space above the hood and above the refrigerator – would be open cabinets that I wouldn’t install the doors back on to. I chose to make these cabinets open display with cookbooks and baskets to bring some color and depth to the space.

This is the open cabinet that I painted inside. For the cabinets with doors, I did not paint the interiors, I left them the clear maple.

Once the face frames were complete, this was the result…

It’s starting to look like something – I think. I hope.

Check out this quick 13 seconds video I created of me painting one of the cabinet door fronts. This will give you a thorough look into how and when I use the brush and the roller on the face of the door.

And this is the completed cabinet. Again, 22 more to go…

Aside from the cabinet doors and face frames, the soffit above the cabinets also needed major attention. I removed the wallpaper border above the cabinets and found that the soffit was made using wood instead of sheetrock, which is typical. Repair to the damaged areas wouldn’t be as easy as just adding spackle. Ugh.

After sanding and trying to create a smooth surface (as much as possible), I first primed the soffit bulkhead.

Then I painted the soffit using a semi-gloss white. In hindsight, I should have used a flat sheen since the semi-gloss finish shows every imperfection, but it’s fine and I’ve learned to live with it.

I also chose to reuse the exposed door hinges instead of buying new. Using spray paint in a brushed chrome finish, I layed out the hinges on a protective surface (outside before the snow) and gave them a few coats. Voila, new hinges and only a few dollars spent!

Once the face frames and doors were complete, they were ready to go back into place. In many of the images above, the paint color looked so dark, but in natural light the deep blue hue can really be appreciated.

The paint color of the cabinets is: Valspar Mystified 4011-8

After many hours of love + attention, the cabinets were finished and ready to be hung with new hardware and repurposed hinges.

This is the result…

That’s a wrap for now… I have a few more details for the DIY Kitchen Remodel coming up. Stay tuned for the reveal of the overall space!

DISCLAIMER: THIS KITCHEN REMODEL IS A COLLABORATION WITH LOWEâ€™S. ALL OPINIONS + SELECTIONS ARE MY OWN.

Faux Stacked Log Fireplace Screen

Written by Jenna on December 10, 2015. Posted in DIY.

2 weeks till Christmas, WHAT?!

How can it be?

Last week was so great with the Holiday Housewalk! Thank you to those who toured my home and left such sweet comments – I can not tell you how much your kind words + thoughts mean.

One part of the tour that I received a lot of happy comments on was the fireplace, specifically how I stacked all the logs so perfectly.

Fooled ya!

They’re not stacked at all, but instead it’s a FAUX stacked log screen that sits in front of the fireplace. Not only does it look fabulous & hides the not-so-pretty-that-we’ve-wanted-to-replace-for-years fireplace, but it also is a barrier to keep the cold air from filtrating through.

Whether for aesthetic purposes or for heat conservation, if you love it, here’s how to make it…

MATERIALS

> 1/4″ thick plywood cut to desired size

> Black Paint + Paint Brush

> Fallen Trees / Logs

> Powered Miter Saw (check out my favorites here)

> Liquid nails

> Magnetic Strips (optional, if needed)

HOW-TO

For Christmas and beyond, this is a great project to jazz up the fireplace.

Whether you are fitting the faux ‘screen’ into a fireplace opening or covering part of the fireplace (like I did), cut a piece of plywood to your desired size.

I measured beforehand and had Lowe’s cut my piece so I didn’t have to do it at home.

Paint one side of the plywood using black paint. I used leftover paint from the black wall in the living room.

The black paint allows the eye to be fooled that the space behind the logs is a lot further back than it actually is…

Let it dry and in the meantime, head to step 2…

While the paint is drying, start gathering fallen trees + logs. Look for logs in various diameters between 1/2″ to 3″.

Here’s my lumberjack in our woods cutting a few trees that had just fallen. Be sure to gather logs that are solid inside, holes = bugs (yuck)!

What a guy…

When you have a collection of various sized logs, it’s time to cut them into discs.

Imperfect is better! When have you ever heard that before…

Cut the wood in to discs that are about 1/2″ to 2″ thick. This will make the “screen” look 3-dimensional like real stacked wood.

In all, we cut about 125 discs in varying sizes and as the Mister was cutting, I was putting this jigsaw puzzle together…

The key is to start with the bigger pieces and fill in with the medium sizes, then the smallest.

In no time, the puzzle was complete and it was time to glue. No picture for this part, but one-by-one I used liquid nails to attach each wood disc to the painted plywood. Don’t skimp out on good glue… if you do, the discs WILL FALL OFF!

Once the discs were in place, the board was heavy. The screen is fairly thin, but with 125 +/- wood discs there is a lot of weight! I had to be sure to secure it so it wouldn’t topple forward.

For my fireplace, the “screen” lays on top of the glass doors instead of being inset into an opening. To secure it to the fireplace, I added heavy-duty magnetic strips to the back of the plywood + I have it leaning on the fireplace handles.

In place and complete…

If you missed my Christmas Home Tour that I shared last week, here it is with the faux stacked log fireplace, front & center… What a focal point…

RECAP

Do it now or save it for later…

Demo Day: Steps for Demolishing the Kitchen

Written by Jenna on November 9, 2015. Posted in DIY, Kitchen, Kitchen Makeover, Kitchen Renovation. 4 Comments on Demo Day: Steps for Demolishing the Kitchen

Demo Day means one thing… construction has begun!

Last week demolition of the existing kitchen started and I was full of emotions from excitement to nervousness. After months of planning, I just couldn’t believe the day had come.

After spending the weekend clearing + cleaning out the kitchen and adjacent areas, the kitchen was ready to be teared down.

I was anticipating DEMO DAY to be rugged & raw with sledgehammers flying and earsplitting noise of walls being tore down. Like this…

via

Yay, not so much. Guess it’s a good thing with a baby in the house who typically naps for 3+ hours…

I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t get the days anxieties out with a haul of a hammer, but I got over it quickly.

A few hours in to demo day, the window treatments were down, the cabinets were out, and the contractors were well on their way to clearing out the kitchen area.

The kitchen cabinets came out first, followed by the soffit above the existing cabinets. The new upper cabinets will continue to the ceiling with decorative moulding, which will really heighten the space+ provide more storage space inside.

The ‘soffit’ in front of the window (above the sink) we discovered is a beam, which will need to remain. Can’t take out what is holding up the house!

Beyond the beam though, we will be able to heighten the soffit, which will allow new tile to continue up and around all sides of the window. A pretty new pendant over the sink will also be installed.

Over the coming days once demo is complete, other areas of focus will be the plumbing + electrical. The electrical changes will include relocating + adding outlets, repositioning the recessed lights in the ceiling, and adding pendant lights over the island.

All the wiring for the electrical will take place now during the demo + repair phase, then when the cabinets are in, the contractor will be able to cut the exact locations in the sheetrock, so they are in the exact position that I’d like. Not too shabby…

See that ugly tile? That was the original floor for the kitchen + dining space. I couldn’t imagine… The hardwood flooring was installed by the previous owners and since the kitchen was already in place, they followed the footprint perimeter of the cabinets.

The challenging part that we’re going to encounter with our proposed plan is weaving new flooring into this area where the dishwasher once was because we are eliminating the footprint of this “peninsula” and instead creating a big ole’ island.

Once the new floor is installed, ALL the first floor hardwood floors will be sanded & restained. By weaving in new floor with the old though, it’s unknown how the stain will take and the new floor boards might be obvious & stand out. I was told, the darker the floor, the higher probability that it’ll be apparent. It’s an unknown at the moment, so we shall see what happens…

By days end, just the shell of the space was left.

I couldn’t believe how everything was out & already how different the kitchen space felt. And all I kept thinking was, it’s really happening…

It’s amazing how a room can look + feel so different when everything is removed. Your eye isn’t drawn to what it sees anymore, but instead with a clear palette a world of new thoughts + ideas come flurrying in.

For months (maybe even years in my head), I planned + designed every nook & cranny of the new kitchen, but having it actually go from a dream to reality is mind-boggling.

As my kitchen adventure continues, I plan to share the good, the bad, and all the steps in between with hopes to inspire + educate if you ever decide to renovate the kitchen in your home.

Next up for this kitchen renovation… finishing repairing the walls & then the patching + staining of the hardwood floors. After that, cabinets will be delivered.

Thanks for following along!

If you want to see all the posts documenting the kitchen renovation, here they are from start to finish:
Wonderful White Kitchen Inspiration
Kitchen Remodel: Before + Plan of Action
Demo Day: Steps for Demolishing the Kitchen
Kitchen Progress: Staining Hardwood Floors
The Cabinets Arrive + Get Installed
Natural Quartz Countertops in the Kitchen
10 Countertop Materials to Consider for the Kitchen
Subway Tile Installation + Choosing the RIGHT Subway
Kitchen Backsplash Tile Options + Inspiration
Choosing a Paint Color + Wallpaper for the Kitchen and Dining Room
Kitchen Renovation: The Appliances
Dissecting the Details
Kitchen Renovation: REVEAL + RESOURCES

DISCLAIMER: THIS KITCHEN RENOVATION IS A COLLABORATION WITH LOWEâ€™S. ALL OPINIONS + SELECTIONS ARE MY OWN WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE LOWEâ€™S DESIGN TEAM.

Pegboard Baseball Cap Organizer

Written by Jenna on October 27, 2015. Posted in Decorating, Organization. 1 Comment on Pegboard Baseball Cap Organizer

99.98% of men + boys I know have an extensive collection of baseball caps. From teams they follow, to giveaways, to a gift shop purchase as a momento, baseball caps are a stable for most guys wardrobes.

So then the big question arises… Where do all those caps go? How does one organize the growing collection of baseball caps?

MY SOLUTION? A pegboard baseball cap organizer…

I made this a couple months ago and it’s been a life saver. Or should I say a hat saver, lol…

Honestly though, the collection of caps that my boy has acquired has gotten out of control and now they all finally have a happy home!

The best part of all, this organizer was easy to make.

MATERIALS

> (4) 1â€³ x 2â€³ x 4â€² long wood pieces – cut to size

> 2â€² x 4â€² piece of pegboard (I purchased a 4â€² x 4â€² piece @ Loweâ€™s and they cut it to my desired size)

> â€œLâ€ brackets

> Paint

Some pegboard already comes primed or white, but my local Loweâ€™s only had the brown, unfinished version. Similar to painting walls or furniture, itâ€™s important to use primer first. So first I gave the face of my pegboard a quick coat of Zinsser Primer.

Once it was primed, I painted the pegboard with 2 fresh coats of color with a roller – a taupe-y hue was created by mixing a few leftover colors together

For the frame, I layed the 2′ x 4′ pegboard on the wood strips allowing 1″ of exposed frame around, and marked them with a pencil.

Using a miter saw (my recommendation for a good one) I cut the wood pieces as needed. If you donâ€™t have a miter saw or tool to cut the wood, Lowes will cut it to your desired length.

Then I painted the wood pieces using more leftover paint. Since this pegboard was slated for my sons room, I coordinated the blue hue with the color I used for painting his closet door

/ Color: Benjamin Moore Van Deusen Blue

Once the wood pieces were painted + dried, I arranged them on the floor…

…and layed the pegboard on top. Then I aligned the 4 “L” brackets at the corners and fastened them through the pegboard and wood frame surround.

This is a view of the front and back when all 4 corners were complete.

I installed 2 screws + anchors into the wall and hung the framed pegboard.

I quickly + excitedly added these curved hooks. I attempted to create a pattern to maximize the amount of hats that could hang, but it only kinda worked, so the hooks are hung part pattern / part random.

This 2′ x 4′ pegboard can hold a lot of hats. About 25 total. And it looks pretty!

This is the finished pegboard baseball cap organizer.

It fits perfectly behind my little guys door…

A similar pegboard organizer would be perfect for a slew of other things like jewelry, crafts, pantry items, kitchen essentials, etc.

The potential is endless… Let the ideas start to flow!

His room is such an awesome space! If you want to see the entire room, click on over for a full tour.

Since creating a similar pegboard project for my office, I’ve been hooked on this amazing element to organize with. To “house” all of my office supplies, I also made a frame, but used a different technique + I stenciled a pretty design on the front.

Take a look > an organized office using pegboard

I’m on to my next organizational project using pegboard. I can’t get enough!!

Burlap Candy Corn Pennant

Written by Jenna on October 14, 2015. Posted in Craft, Decorating.

One day I’m writing about upcoming trends for the coming year, the next day I’m sharing a cutesy Halloween craft. You truly never know what you’re going to read next or what I’ll be in the mood to inspire you with… always new + interesting!

Halloween is just a couple weeks away and upon being inspired by the fun festive decor in the Target Dollar Bin, I spruced up my Fall porch with a simple, inexpensive, and fun burlap pennant to look like candy corn… so yummy, don’t you just want to eat it?!

I really am not a crafty gal but I just couldn’t resist making this pennant. I could have spent the few dollars to buy it, but since I had all the materials on hand from past projects, I decided to DIY it!

MATERIALS

>1/4 yard burlap
>cardstock / heavy paper – I used a manila folder (for pennant template)
>craft paint in the colors of white, orange, and yellow
>sponge brush
>twine
>scissors
>toothpick + tape

Using cardstock or heavy paper (I used a manila folder), cut out a template for the pennant ‘flag’. Size is up to you. My template is about 5.5″ x 8″. In all, I created (8) pennants, then cut them out with sharp scissors, and ironed them flat.

Dividing each pennant in 3 sections, I used a sponge brush to paint on the orange in the middle section first, then followed it with the white and yellow paint at the top and bottom.

To create a straight line, I cut out a piece of cardstock (I used a manila folder again) and painted up to the line.

When they were complete & dry (the next day), I was ready to create the pennant.

They look so good, I could eat them… #yum

For this part of the project, I used the twine, scissors, tape, and a toothpick.

I lined up the end of the twine with the end of the toothpick and wrapped it tight with tape. Then starting at one end of the pennant ‘flag’ top, I poked through the burlap with the toothpick and pulled through the twine.

At the other end of the ‘flag’ top, I poked through the burlap again and pulled the twine through to the backside.

I continued this step for all the ‘flags’.

The spacing between each ‘flag’ is subjective but I chose about 3″ and left about 2′ of extra twine at each end to hang and adjust.

And this is the result.

It really was so easy to make and it dresses up the front porch so pretty!

Inside the house or out, this simple + inexpensive burlap candy corn pennant was so fun + fast to make – 20 minutes total!

Can you believe I got crafty?! Kinda Crazy, but it really was enjoyable to step back from the big projects + big decisions and just have fun. This crafty-business has me thinking…

HAPPY HALLOWEEN.

If you like this festive project, you might like this Halloween pillow I made a few years back which is also on my porch.

Turquoise Table with Wood Top

Written by Jenna on September 28, 2015. Posted in DIY.

Howdy there friends! Happy Monday!!

I was brought many smiles last week from all the praises I received on my Fall front porch. It’s fun to know that so many of you love color too.

Today’s post is going to be short, but good!

As I mentioned during the Fall front porch tour, I introduced a few new elements including the recently painted coral wicker chairs + the turquoise table, both of which were garage sale finds.

It’s amazing what paint can do.

For the wicker chairs, I used my new Homeright hand spray painter but for the table that I turned turquoise, I used good ole’ spray paint in a can.

Here it is on the Fall front porch…

It didn’t always look like that.

This is a quick pic I snapped and shared on Instagram of my finds a few weeks back…

3 items that were desperate for attention.

The table was rusted.

It’s paint was peeling + chipping off.

And it didn’t even have a top.

THE TRANSFORMATION.

I started off by scraping off the chipping paint and sanding some of the edges. To be honest, I didn’t go crazy with that. I knew it would never be perfectly smooth and I was okay with that. After I cleaned it up a bit, I whipped out a new can of turquoise spray paint.

A few coats later, it was complete.

THE WOOD TOP.

A few days later when the paint was completely dry, it was time to add a top.

My neighbor had recently finished a pallet project (per my recommendation – wink, wink) and had a bunch of pallet boards left over. They were already disassembled, cleaned, AND sanded, so all I had to do was cut them to size.

I measured the length of the table and using the powered miter saw (see my recommendation + favorite tools), I cut them to the correct length so the boards would set in to the existing lip around the edge of the table top.

Once cut, I set them into place.

The boards took no time at all to cut and place in the lip – maybe 10 minutes.

And transformed table that was once garbage-bound now sits beautifully on my front porch.

The turquoise hue gives the front porch such a vibrant pop of color, especially along with the coral chairs + the green door.

It’s amazing what spray paint + a bit of TLC can do!

>>> If you haven’t seen it, don’t miss out on taking a tour of this years Fall Front Porch

Fall Front Porch… with COLOR

Written by Jenna on September 23, 2015. Posted in Decorating, Fall.

Welcome!

It’s officially Fall – HAPPY FALL Y’ALL!

This might look more like a Spring porch than an entry decorated for Fall, but you know me…

I love color. When color-opportunity knocks… I quickly answer.

I’ve been wanting to spruce up the front porch for a while with a few new elements, but of course didn’t want to spend a lot of $$$.

With my newly painted coral wicker chairs + a newly spray painted vibrant turquoise table, our front porch has taken on a new life + a whole new look.

Our front porch is certainly not a big space, but it’s cozy & Oh So Inviting; The perfect welcoming into our home.

The front door is the center point of this quaint outdoor space. It took me a while to choose a color for the door, but I went with my tried & true favorite apple green hue, Valspar Crushed Oregano.

When the time came to paint the new front door this past Spring, I knew I wanted to introduce the color of coral, but the door wasn’t the right place – it was quite the dilemma choosing a color. In the end green was the right choice and I have loved it ever since + this door which is 3/4 glass allows so much light to filter into our foyer.

I’m not a big proponent of seasonal decorating (I don’t have a huge amount of extra time + money for it), but I do enjoy adding a few touches by layering in elements amongst my everyday decor. Layers are key!

For this revamped front porch for Fall, the main elements were adorned with simple seasonal favorites.

I added mums to the vertical pallet hanging on the siding.

I tied cornstalks to the face of the pillars.

I adorned my door with a festive wreath.

And I layered in pumpkins & gourds in varying shapes and sizes.

All of which I got at Lowe’s – not only my go to for building items, but seasonal needs.

That is pretty much it for specific decor for the season. But even just those easy + simple touches layered in have a created a festive setting.

Many of the other elements for the porch were either in the same place as before or repurposed from someplace else in my house. I also rotate items in and out throughout the year or season to keep things fresh and interesting. When I find something I love, and especially if it’s affordable, I snag it. I may use it immediately or hold on to it until the time comes when I have the ideal ‘home’.

Lanterns are a favorite to fill with Fall favorites…

Some (keyword is, some) plants I started growing in the Spring are still going strong – surprising, I know. This beauty is great for shaded spots and it actually ‘died’ soon after I got it. I never got around to throwing it away after all the leaves curled up and fell off. But guess what, it came back to life and has been doing great ever since.

Adding in a few pumpkins at it’s base has instantly brought it from Summer to Fall.

I love the burst of color that the pumpkins + gourds have brought to the porch. They mix in beautifully with the turquoise lutchens bench & other elements like the orange birdhouse & yellow planted fern.

This side of the porch got a revamp with 2 new chairs & a table. The cedar chairs from before had lived long enough. I wanted to bring in a splash of color to which 2 new chairs, specifically wicker, were the perfect spot.

It’s amazing that these 2 chairs were falling apart & completely different colors. Even though they are differing styles, they are unified by the vibrant coral hue.

Using the HomeRight Finish Max hand sprayer to paint them made my life so much easier (TUTORIAL FOR > PAINTING WICKER)

I adore how the turquoise table with the rustic wood planks that I added looks great with the coral. This table is the same turquoise as the lutchens bench so it’s the perfect extension of color.

Our family are definitely front porch sitters (versus back deck loungers) and we spend a lot of time here. From watching the kids ride bikes to enjoying a cup of coffee + book, many hours are spent enjoying this front porch.

Along with spots for sitting, I also needed a place to rest our drinks or play a card game. Along with the turquoise table, I repurposed the round wire spool as a “coffee table” in front of the chairs.

That wood spool for winding large wire + cable was found on the side of the road years ago. I still love it. What I do for ‘treasures’ would amaze you. Or freak you out…

The wood spool “table” is about 24″ round so it’s the perfect size for a pretty vignette of lanterns + gourds.

An overall view.

SHOP MY SPACE.

Create a front porch like mine by shopping your home or purchasing similar items.

front door color -Valspar Crushed Oregano 6000-6C, semi-gloss finish
wreath – DIY tutorial
white garden stool – Lowe’s
turquoise lutyens bench
vertical pallet garden – DIY tutorial
bird pillow – Lowe’s
blue / turquoise ceramic pot -Lowe’s
two toned blue planter (on step) – Lowe’s
coral chairs – DIY tutorial
chevron rug – Five Below
tall yellow lantern – Homegoods
turquoise lanterns – Target
white lanterns – Lowe’s
pumpkins + gourds + cornstalks + mums – Lowe’s

Lastly, I have to show a before & after of where this front porch started years ago and how it looks now…

The stone base that we added this past Summer has really “dressed” up the foundation of the house so much. Tutorial for > Adding Stone Veneer to a House Foundation

Thanks for stopping by and taking the tour of my Fall front porch! I wish you could stay a while…

DISCLOSURE: THIS IS A SPONSORED POST WITH LOWE’S. ALL WORDS + OPINIONS ARE 100% MY OWN. AFFILIATE LINKS ARE ALSO INCLUDED IN THIS POST.

WOW to Painting Wicker

Written by Jenna on September 21, 2015. Posted in DIY. 1 Comment on WOW to Painting Wicker

I’ve been excited all weekend to share an amazing WOW, Ah-Ha moment!

For the past few weeks, I’ve slowly been transitioning my decor to Fall by adding in seasonal favorites. NO huge updates or changes, but a few touches here and there around the home to welcome the season. One main focus has been the front porch – I even shared a peek at it last week on Instagram when my prop assistant ran away with my gourds. I feel like the entry of the home is a good place to put the most effort since it’s the first area you & your guests see as they enter the home AND a little effort can make a big impact.

I bought mums (some of which died – my black thumb has returned) and I have a few new trash-to-treasure items that I’ve slowly been introducing. You got a peek of them a few weeks back – remember?

One new-to-me item was a wicker chair. I was looking for a sister, and I found “her”. They needed a bit of sprucin’ up, but I wasn’t in the mood to paint them. Who wants to paint wicker? NOT ME! So they sat.

BUT THEN, I decided to finally use my hand paint sprayer that has been sitting in the garage for months and voila, no joke, 20 minutes total THEY. WERE. DONE.

THE RESULT.

And guess what I didn’t do most of the work. WHAT? Why?

Yup, my 9 year old took over the job. Literally we had so much fun spraying these 2 wicker chairs that we were battling who got the sprayer. #hewon

Seriously though, this hand spray painter by HomeRight is amazing. It is incredible. I am just mad at myself that I have not used it sooner.

REWIND.

Before I get ahead of myself with excitement, let’s rewind… A few weeks back I had major success at a garage sale and snagged a bunch of new-to-me ‘trash treasures’.

I had shared this picture on Instagram…

I transformed the planter with the most gorgeous green hue…

…And now it was time to finally paint the wicker chair (plus another one I found) a fun coral color.

It took a few days to choose a color, but I decided on Sherwin Williams HGTV Home (available @ Lowe’s) Lei Flower – SW6613.

I was ready to GO!

I didn’t want the paint to spray everything in sight, so the Spray Shelter by HomeRight really came in handy. It too was my first time using it, but set-up took about 5 minutes and I had my son helping me a bit. Assembly was just like putting a tent or beach shelter together.

The instructions are attached directly to the bag that the shelter comes in, which is genius!

Right when I was done erecting the shelter, it started to rain. Just my luck, ha. So I moved it to the garage…

NOW, I was ready!

Being totally honest, I was nervous to use this ‘machine’, but there really was no learning curve and there was little set-up / clean-up. I hate reading directions, but HomeRight has made it so easy with a one-page Fast Start Quick Reference Guide. Within 3 minutes of opening the box, I was ready!

With the paint in the canister (read my helpful tips below before starting), I was ready to start. I pushed the trigger and the paint started to flow.

Details on the HomeRight Finish Max Fine Sprayer

VIDEO

I never take videos, but I couldn’t resist. I had to show you how quick + easy the paint covered the chair.

On to the next chair…

In about 10 minutes, both chairs were covered with coat #1. A bit later I sprayed them again with a second coat and they were done.

TIPS + TRICKS

Here are some tips + tricks I learned along the way (plus my friends Jaime & Ashley shared a few tips with me on Instagram) so you too can ditch the nervousness of using this sprayer…

> Get full coverage of all nooks & crannies by moving the piece of furniture to spray at different angles – I especially had to do this with wicker!

> Paints & Stains need to be watered down so they flow through the sprayer properly. With the sprayer comes a handy gadget to determine the appropriate water needed + there is a helpful chart in the instruction booklet.

> The Finish Max can spray horizontal, vertical, or in a cone pattern. You can easily choose the direction by turning the dial on the front of the sprayer.

> There is no need to clean the sprayer between coats. Leave the paint or stain in the container (of course if time between coats is days long, then clean it).

My new coral chairs looks Ah-Mazing on my front porch and it’s almost complete for Fall.

Want a peek?

Enjoy.

More to come later this week…

Want to save this tutorial for a later date – you know you want to try this sprayer 😉

PIN IT!

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A Green Planter + A Turquoise Table + A Coral Chair

Written by Jenna on August 24, 2015. Posted in DIY. 2 Comments on A Green Planter + A Turquoise Table + A Coral Chair

— a before shot of my garage sale finds that I shared on my instagram page last week —

This Summer I have been in complete survival mode. Simply surviving, making sure to create memories each day with the kids so they have the Best Summer Ever. BUT as each night falls, this mama is just d-o-n-e. It’s been a blast, but it’s been tiring. And we still have 2+ more weeks till school starts…

Packed days have left little time for personal creating, but after a quick stop at a garage sale last week where I picked up some ‘trash treasures’, I found myself with a few spare minutes + 2 cans of spray paint. And that makes this gal gitty with excitement!

First up, Green Citrus (by Rustoleum)…

Isn’t that such a vibrant, unexpected, fun color?! For $10 I made out well after stopping on a whim at a garage sale last Wednesday…

I picked up a wicker chair, a planter, and a table. ALL need a bit of TLC, but I am confident that ALL will look great with a splash of color!

THE PLANTER.

The planter update is complete. I chose to spray paint it a lime green hue called Green Citrus in a glossy finish…

A few coats later, it was complete.

And ready to fill with a pretty plant.

Now it sits beautifully on the front porch and looks awesome with the green front door.

Definitely one of the best + EASIEST before and afters ever…

THE TABLE.

A splash of turquoise spray paint gave this falling-apart-table new life. It’s still rusty but I find that beautiful. The new color is complete, but there is still work to be done – it needs a top. I’ve got some ideas, but still need to put it together…

Want to know how to spray paint like a PRO? Need Tips?
Check out these 2 helpful posts:

Simple Steps to Spray Painting Success

5 Surfaces to Spray Paint

THE CHAIR.

The chair hasn’t been touched, but I have a plan. CORAL is the COLOR that is going to make this chair shine again. I first need to prime it, then I’m going to paint it. I think I’m going to skip spray painting this one and instead try a hand sprayer. I’ve had one sitting in the garage forever and I think this is just the project to try it on… Wish me luck 😉

I’m looking for a wicker sibling to go along with this beauty. Not a twin, but a something alike. Have a wicker chair? Share details.

I’ve got plans for these new green + turquoise + coral additions.

You’ll see them finished soon. AND all together.

Somewhere around the homestead.

Before I let you go, here is another great score from the weekend. The fam & I were up & out early on Saturday at a ‘biggest yard sale’ event & I found these 2 headboards for the girls room (in a couple years). Oh the potential! Here is a picture I shared on my Instagram page…

Adding Stone Veneer to a Concrete Foundation Wall

Written by Jenna on June 2, 2015. Posted in Outdoor Ideas. 3 Comments on Adding Stone Veneer to a Concrete Foundation Wall

May was A-MAY-zing (hehe, corny but true)! Really though, it was a wonderful month of sunshine + warmer temps for us in the North Country of New York – June not so much as of yet…

Anyway, with the warm, beautiful days last month we were able to tackle most of our yearly outdoor maintenance work + had some time to fit in a few new projects. While the Mister worked on the grass, I spruced up the front porch (which I shared last week), then we both came together to tackle the new stone garden border + the DIY project featured today of adding stone veneer to the concrete foundation wall...

It’s typically for many homes – new and old – to have a bare, “naked” foundation wall at the gap between where the siding stops and the ground starts. Depending on the grade of the land, as little as a few inches or as much as 2’+ may be exposed giving an unattractive, unfinished appearance.

One way to make the plain wall look more finished is to add stone veneer to the foundation walls surface.

Stone veneer products, which are made from concrete, come in a range of colors + shapes and can be used for a variety of projects. Their ‘pro’ is that they are lighter weight than real stone, less expensive, and only about 1″ – 2″ thick. And the best part of all… You really don’t need ANY EXPERIENCE to apply / install them.

Check out the before & after on the far side of our front facade where over 2 feet of bare foundation wall was previously exposed. What a difference!

The stone veneer I chose is StoneCraft Pennsylvania Ledgestone Flats from Lowe’s. The coloring has touches of grays & blues, with a medium-range stone size in a horizontal, linear pattern.

MATERIALS + COST

For the front facade only, I calculated about 45 square feet would be needed. All the stone veneers at Lowe’s are special order and I ordered 6 boxes (@ 9 sq.ft. /per box), which gave me quite a bit extra for mistakes. In the end, I had a full box and a half leftover. Additionally, I ordered one box with corner pieces only. Each of those boxes covers 7 linear feet, but I only needed about 3′-4′ linear feet.

Each box (which covered 9 sq. ft. + the corners which covered 7 linear ft.) was about $72, so the total was about $630

Other materials needed:

> Circular Saw

> Masonry Blade

> Trowel (same as when tiling)

> Large bucket (to mix mortar)

> Type S mortar (this is similar to what I purchased)

> Water (to mix mortar)

CREATING A PATTERN

The most ~~difficult~~ challenging part of this entire project wasn’t the actual install, but instead creating a pattern with an even mix of sizes & colors. There was no tutorial or “how-to” for this so it took some thinking, looking, and analyzing along the way.

It’s important to vary the colors (in our case there was a mix of grays, taupes, blues, and blacks) and to vary the size + shapes of the stones. With the pattern we chose, we stuck with a linear, horizontal direction, but it was kind of like a jigsaw puzzle.

As we worked along from one end to the other, we would “dry install” a few stones, confirm we liked how it looked, then removed them to add the mortar.

Important note: If you have corners, start with them first, then work your way over!

MIXING MORTAR

Using a large bucket (I used a 5 gallon bucket), add the mortar “powder”, then the water to make a mix that is pasty and that stays on the trowel without falling off when vertical. If there is not enough water in the mix, the mortar will not join the stone to the wall, but if it’s too watery, the mix will run right off.

Sorry that I can’t be more specific or share an exact ratio, but it’ really trial and error. There is a mixing ratio on the back of the bag, but it’s for the entire bag at one time and I don’t recommend doing that unless you work fast, have a large area to cover, and plan on using it all at one time.

This is a picture of the mortar mix just as I was about to begin the install of the stone…

Once the mortar mix is ready, take a trowel and add a good amount to the back of the stone (the beauty of veneer is that the back is completely flat).

Spread out the mortar so the entire stones back is covered, then run the grooved section of the trowel over the mortar to create “ridges” which gives the stone a better adhesion to the foundation wall.

Then stick the stone in place…

If you’ve ever tiled before, it’s a very similar process! [tutorial on How-To Tile + Grout a Bathroom]

CUTTING STONE VENEER

Just as with tiling a bathroom, it’s inevitable that some stones will need to be altered / cut.

We used a Circular Saw (see my favorites tools) with a new Masonry Blade (it has an abrasive edge with no teeth) to cut the stones. It was fairly easy to do and took little time to make cuts. Be sure to clamp the stone down so it’s secure and slowly make the cut.

A Masons Chisel also comes in handy to cut small edges and/or make minor alternations.

Check out the difference with part of the stone installed & the other side with the bare foundation wall…

The total project took about 6 hours. At times it was tiring being on the ground so long + our backs and knees were quite sore the next day, but it was really all worth the effort!

THE RESULT

This was a 2 thumbs up project in our book. Curb appeal is so important to how it ‘speaks’ to those visiting your home (and of course to those that live there). Yes for many, $700 is a lot of money, but in the long term the addition of the stone veneer to the front of our home has made a big impact on the overall look.

The new stone veneer absolutely enhances the front facade of our home and looks like it’s always been there. It’s a beautiful complimentary addition to the other changes we’ve made!

BEFORE + AFTER

In just a few years, here’s the progress…

one more…

Can I say, ‘I think we’re done outdoors?’… Not quite yet. All the big + more involved outdoor projects we wanted to tackle this year are finished, but I do have a few ideas that I want to focus on for the deck in the back of our house. That will be a in a few weeks. For now, I just need to put my feet up & take a breather so I can truly enjoy what’s been accomplished.

I hope I’ve inspired you to look at what you have and enhance it to make it even more beautiful! Curb appeal at it’s finest…