Large, Padded, #DIY Ottoman

My friends Abbey and Rahul recently moved into a new house.

Their living room is pretty big, so they wanted a 48x48 padded ottoman.

However, they were having a difficult time finding one in stores. 

So, they asked my dad to build them one!

  

The ottoman is large and in charge!

48"W x 48" D x 18.5" H

The nice thing about building your own ottoman is being able to pick out fabric.

The top and the sides are padded. 

When we delivered the ottoman, Abbey and Rahul's son was 

BEYOND excited to play with his new "toy."

His parents were happy to finally have somewhere to rest their feet! 

Rustic Dining Room Table

 My dad just finished tackling his first REALLY BIG project.

A beautiful dining room table for my cousin Holly.

(FYI - She designs gorgeous jewelry pieces. Check out her Facebook page.)

Holly and her family just moved into a new house. 

They wanted a rustic dining room table that would seat six people.

So, they asked my dad to build them one. 

This is a photo of the look they were going for:

 I think my dad did a really great job!

It took him about a month to build. 

When Holly saw the finished product, her exact words were, 

"Oh. My. Goodness. This looks beyond amazing. Exactly what we were looking for - only better!"

He used two different stains to get the color they were looking for. 

The measurements ended up being 78 inches long, 44 inches wide and 31 inches tall. 

It's a beautiful piece that Holly's family can enjoy for many years to come!

DIY Furniture and Wall Accessories

I recently moved into a new apartment.

When I went furniture shopping, I couldn't find EXACTLY what I was looking for.

So, I enlisted the help of my awesome dad.

He recently started his own woodworking business, 

and was more than happy to help.

Here are a few of the items we made together!

TV STAND

I wanted something unique and rustic that could also act as a book shelf. 

My dad and I came up with this rustic design, featuring "X's" on the sides. 

COFFEE TABLE

I searched high and low for a coffee table I liked.  

But, everything in the store either looked "cheap" or was WAYYYY out of my price range.

So, my dad decided to make one to match the TV stand.

It has an upholstered top which I LOVE.

The fabric is nice and sturdy.

The "X" pattern is featured on the sides too. 

I use a tray to set my drinks on. 

WALL ART

I was looking for a BIG piece of artwork for the living room.

When I couldn't find anything I liked, I decided to make my own.

The wood is from old fence posts that my dad found on Craigslist.

I did a "white wash" technique (but with gray paint) on the the boards.

Then, I used roofing nails and white string to make the heart.

I HEART IT.

PHOTO DISPLAY

I have soooo many photos, and I like to change them out. 

This photo display lets me do just that!

I cleaned three fence posts, then painted them gray.

I attached eyebolts to the ends of each board, then strung twine between each eyebolt.

The photos were hung with tiny clothespins that I bought at Hobby Lobby. 

ARTWORK ABOVE THE TV

My dad had some extra scraps of fence post, so we decided to build a BIG picture frame.

I painted the boards gray.

Then, I stapled cream-colored burlap to the back of the frame. 

I also put this yellow/flower fabric INSIDE the white picture frame.

I love how rustic the frame turned out. 

JEWELRY HOLDER

I wanted an easy (yet decorative) way to display my jewelry.

We built a frame, painted the boards gray, then added roofing nails and string. 

The decorative knobs (for the necklaces) are from Hobby Lobby. 

WALL HOOKS

I always like to have a space for my purse and keys.

This does the trick!

Plus, the vase on the end is adorable. 

My dad used a hose clamp to secure the Ball jar onto the board. 

HEAD BOARD

If you've followed my blog, you know that I LOVE making my own headboards.

Example #1 - Master bedroom

Example #2 - Guest bedroom

My bed is a queen, so I used 2.5 yards of fabric. 

I bought 4 yards of batting (because I do two layers.)

I only used 1 package of nailhead trim.

FULL LENGTH MIRROR

When I was looking for a mirror, I couldn't find anything I liked.

The mirrors were either cheap, plastic ones... or they cost a lot of money.

So, my dad and I built our own!

I decided to do a "white wash" technique with yellow paint, 

(since yellow is the accent color in my living room.) 

 

ARTWORK IN BATHROOM

The space above the toilet is so long and narrow.

I hung another fence post on the wall, then hung a picture frame on the board.

The "heart photo" inside the frame was taken at my parents' old farm. 

Thanks for all your hard work, Dad!

I love everything about my new space.

And, it means even more that we built everything together.

If you're interested in having my dad build you something,

send me a message! 

Painting Bedroom Furniture Gray

I am always up for a design challenge.

But, let me tell you... I had NO IDEA how much work it would take to 

transform these old, wooden dressers into gray, modern pieces. 

My parents bought these dressers back in 1982 when they were newlyweds.

(Fast forward 30-years)...
My dad is very sentimental, and didn't want to give the old dressers away. 

So, my mom convinced him to let me paint them for the guest bedroom.

BEFORE

AFTER

To start...

I removed all the old hardware.

(Just use a screw driver.)

Make sure you KEEP the old hardware.

Don't throw it away just yet!

(You may need to use the old screws for your new hardware pieces.)

After the hardware was taken off, I took the dressers outside.

Removed all the drawers.... 

... and began SANDING the dressers. 

I used a "100 Grit" (Medium) sandpaper. 

Give the entire wood surface a nice sanding. 

You don't need to get ALL of the stain off. 

This is what the pieces looked like when I was done sanding. 

(My mom couldn't resist taking a photo of me working!)

Once you're done sanding...

Wipe the dressers off with a Tack Cloth.  

You can buy them at any hardware store.

They help remove excess dust particles from the furniture. 

Then... 

TAPE OFF YOUR DRAWERS!

I love Frog Tape.

(But, Blue Painter Tape is fine too.)

I taped off the edges so the paint wouldn't bleed onto the sides and bottoms of the drawers. 

Time to prime!

Because my pieces are made of DARK WOOD, I needed a primer.

I decided to use a standard, interior primer made by Behr. 

As far as paint rollers go... you WANT to use a FOAM roller.

It will give you a smoother finish!

For brushes, find something decent that will also give you a smooth finish. 

Give the dressers and FRONTS of the drawers a nice, even coat. 

Let them dry.

Once the primer is dry...

It's time to SAND again!

But, this time you'll want to use a "Fine" or "Very Fine" sandpaper. 

Gently sand the areas covered in primer. 

Then, use the TACK CLOTH (once again) to wipe off any paint/dust particles. 

Now it's time to PAINT!

I used two different Behr paint colors for the dressers:

"Sparrow" (lighter color) and "Gray Area" (darker color.)

The paint was purchased at The Home Depot.

Since I was doing a "two-toned" paint job on the dressers, 

I started with the inside color first.

I chose "Sparrow" (the lighter shade of gray.)

To apply the paint, I used a small, foam roller.

I let the paint dry...

And then gave each drawer front a quick sanding with "Very Fine" sandpaper. 

After sanding, I wiped it down AGAIN with the tack cloth... 

... and put on a SECOND coat of the "Sparrow" (lighter) paint color.

Let the paint dry. 

Time to tackle the OUTER portion of the drawers. 

First, I taped off the inside part.

(I didn't want the two paint colors to bleed together.)

Using my FOAM roller...

I rolled on a layer of the "Gray Area" (darker) paint.

Remember - don't paint INSIDE the tape!  That portion is already done!

Let the "Gray Area" paint dry. 

Once the outer part is dry...

You'll want to SAND it (with the "Very Fine" sandpaper)

and then wipe off the surface with your tack cloth.

Brush on coat #2 of the "Gray Area" paint.

Remember - don't paint INSIDE the tape! Just the outside. 

Let the paint dry for a few hours...

and then take the Frog Tape off.

Whew, almost done with the drawers!

Time to start painting the rest of the dresser.

First... 

I taped off the insides of the dressers with Frog Tape.

I used my FOAM roller to roll on coat #1 of the "Gray Area" (darker) paint color. 

Let this dry!

Then...

Get out that "Very Fine" sandpaper and rub down each dresser!

Wipe them off with a tack cloth.

And, roll on coat #2 of the "Gray Area" paint color.

Let the pieces dry overnight. 

The next day...

You'll want to apply a protective finish to the dressers and drawers.

Make sure it's a WATER BASED polycrylic that is CLEAR SEMI-GLOSS. 

(I used the "Minwax" brand - but there are others out there too.) 

Apply one layer with a brush.

Let the protective finish dry overnight. 

Then, remove any additional Frog Tape that remains on the dressers. 

You're almost done!

To give the dressers a more "antique" finish...

 I decided to use the "Very Fine" sandpaper ONE LAST TIME. 

But, I only sanded the area where the two paint colors meet. 

You can see where it has a little bit of a "worn" look. 

Finally...

Put your new hardware on your drawers!

I ended up using the old screws (from the old hardware) to keep the new ones in place. 

 

BEFORE and AFTER

The pieces ended up blending very nicely with the rest of the room.

To learn more about that transformation, click here. 

I just love how the "two toned" dressers turned out.

I'm glad I put in the extra work to make it happen.

P.S. If you want to paint furniture WHITE, check out a previous blog post.