Projects

"A Stylish Home Office Nook for the Everyday Homeowner."

The Before

Before we get into the details of this home office nook, it wouldn't be a true transformation without a good look at the before photos.

As you can see, this office nook space was really blah. Super plain and it really didn't look pleasing to the eye because I had taken down some previous wall boards and never did anything with it. But don't fret, it's time to make this space come to life.

The Transformation

When I first started this project, I knew I wanted it to be really simplistic , yet stylish. Surprisingly, I only used a few products on this makeover but the results were amazing. Let's dive into the details.

If you are more of a visual person, don't fret, I was able to catch the whole process on video!

Painting 

I first started off with painting the adjoining walls. I knew I wanted the space to feel bigger and brighter so I opted to go with white. 

To create contrast, I decided to use two different whites; Swiss Coffee on the adjoining wall, which is more of an off-white, and Ultra Pure White on the the back wall; a pure white.

Luckily, there wasn't mush guess work when determining how much paint I would need. I was able to use The Paint Calculator right in Home Depot's mobile app to determine the amount of paint needed for this project.

Once you pull up the paint calculator, on The Home Depot's website, you enter in all the dimensions for the room and then it calculates the amount of paint needed.

I absolutely love this calculator because it prevents me from buying excess paint. The Home Depot's mobile app is full of all sorts of great calculators and tips and tricks to help with your projects.

I also decided to mix it up a bit and throw in a beige color (Behr Sandy Clay) for the built ins to give the home office nook a more warm feel. Paint is always a great way to transform a space on a budget and it really went a long way on this project. 

Shiplap

I always love working with shiplap because its the quickest way to cover up a wall quick and easy, while remaining fun and stylish. I also wanted to use the shiplap because I knew the vertical lines would make the space feel a lot bigger.

I started from top to bottom and started placing the shiplap into place. Once I cut the boards down to size, I attached the shiplap to the wall with my brad nailer and 2" brad nails.

Now during the shiplap install, I had a little bit of a mishap and accidentally broke off a piece of my outlet plate, but luckily I was able to recover quickly with The Home Depot's Image Search feature on the mobile app. This is a great feature if you are looking for items quickly or if you can't remember the exact name of the product you're looking for.

When you open up the Home Depot App, you have an option to either snap a picture or search the product by voice and The Home Depot App will find product options for you. Even better, the "Product Locator" feature will show you exactly where you can find the item. It's like having a GPS for your shopping.

Once I got to the end of installing the shiplap, I realized that I would need to cut down the last piece of shiplap down to fit into the remaining hole. So I used my Kreg Adaptive Track Saw Cutting System to cut the shiplap down. This tool made it really easy and simple to cut those smaller pieces down safely.

Once the shiplap was into place, I went back with wood filler and filled all of the nail holes. Once that was dry, I used some sandpaper to gently sand all of the excess wood filler off of the shiplap to prep it for paint.

Butcher Block Desktop

Now on to my favorite part; the butcher block! I recently used butcher block in a Kitchen Reno project and I fell in love, so I new I had to incorporate into this project somehow.

I love that The Home Depot has a "Buy Online, Pick up in Store" Service, where you can purchase your items online and they are ready to go when you get there.

When you order online, be sure to select the "Store Pickup" option and once you purchase your items, you will get an email notice when your items are ready for pickup.

If you're store is anything like mine, then they offer Curbside Service as well, so you don't even have to leave your car! When I arrived to the store, I text the Curbside Pickup line and my butcher block was brought out right to my car and loaded in the back of my SUV. Sounds like a win to me.

Adding this butcher block to the desk was such a great design element and it gave the home office space a sleek look. Its also really durable and a great addition to the space. 

I secured the butcher block down with four screws from underneath and she sits nice and sturdy into place.

Once everything was painted and sealed, I knew this transformation was one I was going to absolutely love.

The Reveal

Now enough talking, let's get into the final reveal. I am so happy with how the nook turned out and I'm even happier that it was an inexpensive project.

Of course, I had to add some goodies. I was able to grab this amazing office chair and a few decor items, like these decorative vases and wire baskets.

Luckily, they qualified for free shipping, so it was delivered right to my doorstep while I was working away on the DIY Home Office Space. 

I mean this couldn't have turned out any better than it did. I really love the look of the butcher block with the warm tones. I can definitely get used to this home office space.

The transformation is just WOW! I mean look at these before and afters. Amazing what a little paint can do right?

You can really see all of the differences clearly when you look at the before and after side by side. This transformation really opened up this space and I can't wait to start working in my new office space.

With a little paint, shiplap and elbow grease, this DIY home office nook really feels like a brand new space and I couldn't be more happier with how it turned out.

Welp, that about wraps up the DIY Home Office Nook Makeover. I hope you enjoyed this project and I can't wait to see how you transform your spaces. How about one more look before we go?

Now I know most of you want a recap of all of the products featured, so here's a list:

• Office chair
• Shiplap
• Butcher Block
• Ceramic Decorative Vases
• Wire Baskets

 As always, thanks for reading guys, XOXO Ashley.

"A Kitchen Renovation for someone deserving."

If there was ever a project I was excited for, this is it! I am so excited to finally be sharing the Kitchen Renovation Reveal. If you missed the news, I have been working on a Kitchen Renovation for M'Kaylah Woods, a nurse here in OKC.

"This post is sponsored by The Home Depot."

With all the craziness going on in the world right now, I figured why not give back to someone who gives themselves to people daily, so here we are and it was all made possible by The Home Depot.

The Why?

I was super excited to announce that I would be doing this Kitchen Renovation. I met M'Kaylah through one of my really good friends and they were in need of a new kitchen; so I thought it would be a great idea to give them a brand new kitchen space they would love. Let's take a look at the before.

Even with a small budget to work with, I knew I could totally transform this space with a few familiar products from The Home Depot. Luckily, M'Kaylah's kitchen was on the smaller side, so I knew the money could go a little longer. But I was able to totally transform the space with $3200! Crazy right!? If you're wondering how I pulled it off, keep reading on to see just how I tackled M'Kaylahs kitchen.

The Demo

Being that this was my first Kitchen Reno, I was super excited about the Demolition. I always see home renovation shows and think "How cool would it be to tear down a kitchen." Well my demo dreams have come to life, because I now have my first Kitchen Demo under my belt and it was just as fun as it imagined. 

Here is the order in which I tackled the Demo:

1. Taking Down Cabinetry - The cabinets were really simple to take down. All of the cabinets were secured to the wall with four screws. I simply took out the screws with my drill, tugged on the cabinets and they came right down.
2. Removing Backsplash - I removed the backsplash with a hammer and crowbar. Luckily, the backsplash was a thin laminate materiel. It was barely stuck to the wall and came right off.
3. Removing the Sink - In order to remove the sink, I first had to disconnect all of the drainage and appliances. First, I had to turn off the water valves, and then I disconnected the drainage tubes for the garbage disposal and dish washer. This was a lot easier than I had originally anticipated. Once the drainage was unhooked, I removed the undermount screws underneath the sink (screws holding the sink in place). Once the screws were off, I took a crowbar and a knife to break the sealant around the sink and tugged on it a bit and it came right out.
4. Removing Counter Tops - To remove the countertops, I un-screwed the screws underneath that were holding the countertop to the bottom cabinets and then used my strong girl arms to break it into half. Now that I've demo'd a kitchen I feel like I can do anything. HA!
5. Removing Cabinet Doors - After all that hard work, my friend Kim removed the cabinet doors to complete the demolition.

After I completed the demo, the Kitchen looked an absolute mess, but I was excited to continue on and turn a drab space into a fabulous one. Now with the demolition out of the way, it was time to get started with the makeover.

For all of you visual folks, luckily I was able to video the process and cram it into a 15-min video. Check it out and then read on for all of the juicy details. 

Refinishing the Cabinets 

I decided to tackle the bottom cabinets first and work my way up. Being that I was on a budget, I decided to purchase new upper cabinets and just refinish the old existing cabinets. I knew with a little love and elbow grease, I could get the bottom cabinets looking new again. This is how I tackled the cabinet refinish:

1. Sanding - First, I sanded the cabinets down with my orbital sander and used 80-grit sandpaper to remove the existing cabinetry paint. Once the paint was removed, I went back around and sanded it with 120-grit sandpaper to smooth it out. 

1. Prep for Paint - Once the cabinetry was sanded down, I filled all of the holes and imperfections with patch and paint, let that dry and then sanded down the cabinets again to get it nice and smooth.
2. Prime the Cabinetry - Once the cabinets were ready for paint, I painted them with a primer, to ensure good coverage. I used a regular paint roller to roll it on. I did around two coats.
3. Painted the Cabinets - After the primer was dry, I went back and painted the bottom cabinets with this amazing Behr Marquee Paint. This time with three coats. I painted the upper cabinets with Behr “Sandy Clay”

It was really easy to pick out the type of paint and sheen. When you go to The Home Depot website and choose a color, they make it easy for you to find the right type and sheen of paint. This really made picking out paint a breeze.

I really love that The Home Depot breaks down each option and what's best for your project on their site. If you are having trouble picking out which paint to use and what sheen you want, The Home Depot has got you covered.

Installing the Butcher Block Countertop

Now with the bottom cabinetry out of the way, it was time to move on to the countertops. I was most excited about this part of the project because I have always loved the butcher block look and have been wanting to try it out.

I was so surprised to find this butcher block just hanging out in The Home Depot aisles, normally you would think this is the type of materiel you can only get online but I was happy to find it right at my local Home Depot. Now let's get into how I tackled the countertop.

1. Cut to Size - The first thing I did was cut the end off of my butcher block to make sure it would fit in the kitchen spaces. To cut the butcher block down I used my track saw and man was I never happier to have gotten that tool. This was the perfect tool for this counter job. The saw cut through it like butter and the track helped make sure everything was nice and even.
2. Secure in Place- Once the butcher block was cut to size, we placed it in it's appropriate space and secured it down by drilling 2 1/2" wood screws from underneath the cabinet up into the butcher block to secure it down into place. I decided to use screws with a star head because they are a lot harder to strip and its easy to strip screws on a step like this. If you don't hold the drill evenly, it can be harder to try and drill those screws in.
3. Cutting the Sink Hole - This step probably gave me the most anxiety because I knew if we messed this up, the whole piece would basically be ruined. So to eliminate the guess work, I first made a sink hole template to make sure I cut the hole exactly where it needed to be. 

After creating the template, I traced the hole line on the countertop and then begin making four plunge cuts in the counter top with my track saw. I did not go all the way around the corners with my track saw, I left just enough space to go back around with my jigsaw to curve the corners. P.S Someone get my brother a mask!

4. Sealing the Countertops - This was one of the most popular questions on my Instagram. How are you sealing the counter tops. First, I went and filled the little small holes in the butcher block with epoxy. This was my first time trying this particular epoxy and it worked fairly well, but I may try another product next time just to see the differences.

After that dried, I sanded the butcher block down. First with 120-grit and then 220-grit sandpaper to get it nice and smooth.

Then to seal it, I applied tung oil to the surface using a bristle brush. I put on three coats to make sure the butcher block was fully saturated, with a light sanding in between each coat. I just love how the tung oil makes the butcher block stand out. With butcher block, there is some follow on maintenance, being that its wood, but a fresh coat of tung oil is always an easy step to tackle when needed.

Upper Kitchen Cabinets

Even though I had a pretty tight budget, I knew I wanted to splurge on some new cabinets for the upper cabinets because the older cabinets weren't salvageable. So I ordered two sets of frameless unfinished cabinets through The Home Depot Delivery Service. Luckily, they were amongst the many items eligible for free delivery and were delivered right to my door step. I was able to un-package them and get right to work. Now let's get into the details. 

1. Painting the Upper Cabinets - I painted the upper cabinets with a cream color and painted the cabinets using my paint sprayer. If you are debating whether to refinish your kitchen cabinets, I would highly suggest using a paint sprayer. It makes the paint go on evenly and saves a bunch of time. I used my Home Right Sprayer and I absolutely love this sprayer, its the best one I've tried for the price. These cabinets really took the paint well and were super easy to work with.
2. Hanging the 2x4 - Now if you are someone who has been wondering if you can hang kitchen cabinets, this is a step you definitely down want to miss. So the first thing I did was find all of the studs with a stud finder to hang the cabinets. Once I found the studs, I screwed in a 2x4 into the wall and used my level to make sure the 2x4 was level. You don't want to skip this step because this 2x4 is what helps hold the cabinets into place and keeps it level while screwing the cabinets to the wall.

Once the 2x4 was secure, I placed the cabinet on top and screwed the cabinets into the wall using wood screws, these were the suggested screws that came listed with the cabinets instructions. The cabinets looked so good on the wall and I knew early on that I wanted to lift the cabinets up to make the room feel larger. What I didn't anticipate was how it would look raised.

When I saw the raised cabinets, I loved the height of them, but I knew that it didn't look proportionate, so I had to do some quick on the job troubleshooting. I quickly decided to add some little fun open storage cubbies and I am so glad I did. They look like they are a part of the existing cabinets and it created more storage for the Woods. Yay for thinking on your feet.

I built them using select pine wood, which is a better grade than regular pine, because I wanted them to look really sleek.

I added the little cubbies by using my right angle attachment to screw them directly into the upper cabinets while clamped into place.

Installing the Sink/ Faucet

Originally the Woods had a regular double stainless steel sink but I decided to splurge on this huge Blanco Sink. I was able to get it delivered right to my door step and a fun service I learned that The Home Depot has is the "free delivery & haul away on appliance purchases $396 or more", where they will haul away your old appliances for you. Technically a sink doesn't count but if you have a kitchen renovation in mind and you're worried about where those old appliances will go, The Home Depot has got you covered.  

This sink really changed the whole look of the kitchen and I absolutely love how it coupled with the butcher block counter tops. Unfortunately, because of the way the counter was shaped, we had a little bit of a hard time getting the sink in, only because it was an uncomfortable position to put it in there, but with the help of my friend Michael, we were able to get it into place.

1. Set up Clamp - The first thing I did was get my clamp ready to go. I set a long 2x4 on top of the sink so I could clamp the sink into place. You want to have this ready to go, so when it's time to clamp it into place, you can do so quickly.
2. Add Sealant to Sink - In order to hold the sink into place you want to make sure to add a silicon sealant to the top first. While my friend held the sink down, I used my battery powered caulk gun to apply the sealant to the top of the sink. Once the sealant was added, we lined up the sink with the sink hole and pushed it onto the countertop and I clamped it into place. I let the clamp sit for 24 hours so the sealant could fully cure.
3. Add Undercount Sink Clips - Once the sealant had dried, I went back around and added undermount sink clips underneath the sink to make sure the sink was securely in place.
4. Add Quick Lock Mount - This step was one of those figure it out during the process steps. Because I removed the old sink I hadn't realized that the lock mount for the garbage disposal was attached to the old sink. So I got a new quick lock mount for the garbage disposal and installed it into the new sink and placed some plumbers putty around it to make sure it was sealed and secure.

Once the sink was in place, I begin to add the faucet. Like the sink, I decided to splurge on a nice gold faucet to match the new Blanco sink and I definitely don't regret my decision.

Installing the Faucet

This kitchen faucet was the perfect combo for this kitchen and the pictures definitely don't do it justice. First, I had to drill three holes for the kitchen faucet. The directions for the faucet were pretty straight forward and I just followed them to install the faucet. 

Once the faucet was installed, I hooked up the sink and garbage disposal and all of the drainage pipes underneath and turned on the water to test out the new faucet. Turning on the sink was one of those moment were you realize "wow! I really just installed a sink." There were a lot of firsts in this project and I was super proud of myself all throughout this reno.

Installing and Grouting Tile

Now on to the tile and grouting. I was super anxious to try this portion of the project out because I've never actually tiled before. My brick wall is the closest I've come to it, so I was super excited to learn and be able to experience actually doing it for the first time. Now I must rave about this amazing tile.

I really like that it has that subway feel but with a modern twist. I used one and a half cases for this particular project but if you need some help figuring out just how much tile you need, Home Depot has you covered with their tile project calculator.

Luckily, once I had chosen the tile I wanted. The tile calculator was embedded right there in the product page. If you are worried about how much tile you will need, The Home Depot's tile calculator will eliminate all of the guesswork.

Tilling

Instead of spreading the mortar on the wall first like you'd normally see, I decided to just back butter the tile one by one with my trowel. My reasons for this was because it was my first time and I felt it would be easier to manage the tile that way and also, I knew that I would be splitting the tiling into two sessions because I was waiting on the cabinets to arrive. This way worked out for me but I'm excited to try it the other way next time.

I opted not to replace the existing drywall because the laminate backsplash didn't mess it up too much and we were on a tight budget, I think each reno is different and you just have to kind of play it by ear, but for this particular project I just decided to go ahead and put the new tile on the existing drywall and it worked out fine.

I used spacers in between the tiles to ensure I had the correct spacing all the way around and utilized my tile saw to cut the tiles on the ends and top. After I laid the tile, I let it sit for 48 hours and then removed the spacers to prep for grouting.

Grouting

For the grouting portion, I decided to go with a pre-mixed grout to make the process easier. I went with a grey color to bring out those white tiles and it matched perfectly. 

I first started by using my float to push grout into the tile in small sections. You want to make sure you do small sections because the grout will dry fast and its hard to get the grout off the tile once its dry. After doing a small section, I would take my sponge and clean off the excess grout and then use a damp rag to wipe it completely clean and continue the same steps all along the wall.

This process was fairly easy, just a little time consuming with the cleanup. Two people would definitely come in handy here. To my surprise, this only took one quart of grout to complete.

Installing the Flooring

Now on to the flooring. The old kitchen had a darker tile but I wanted to add some flooring that would brighten up the space a little bit. Knowing the budget, I knew that this Lifeproof flooring would be the perfect addition to the new kitchen.

I put this flooring in my laundry room a few years back and absolutely love it. Its also supposed to be pet friendly, which was perfect for this project being that the Woods have two little dogs.

The thing I love the most about this flooring is that it can go right over your existing tile and doesn't take long to install. With the help of this flooring kit, I was able to install this floor in less than an hour. Crazy right!? I cut the flooring down with my miter saw and just placed it right over the existing floor and man does it look good. Just don't forget to wear those knee pads!

Installing the Shiplap

 Being that the Woods house was older, the walls really weren't as appealing as I would like, so I decided to add shiplap all across the walls. I knew this would be a little pricey, but worth it in the end.

I opted to go with a ready made shiplap to speed up the process and it was really great to work with. I ended up using nine boxes for the whole kitchen. I secured the boards to the wall using my brad nailer and went back and filled the holes with wood filler. This shiplap also made the kitchen feel much bigger.

Once all the holes were filled, I went back and painted the shiplap with a muted white.

Finishing Touches

Once everything was all in place, I went back around and adding gold knobs to all of the door handles.

Budget Breakdown

The Final Reveal

Now let's get to the moment you all have been waiting for, The FINAL Reveal. I think  I surprised myself with this project, because I couldn't have imagined this project turning out any better.

I'm simply amazed with how I was able to completely transform this kitchen with $3200, and I hope you guys love it just as much as I do.

All of the materials tied in so nicely and it really made it look like a brand new space. I'm so glad with the design choices I made.

I was super happy to get the approval from Chewy and Major, they absolutely love their new sink. If they are happy then I think my job here is complete.

and who doesn't love a few good before and after photos?

Seeing the two pictures side by side really makes you realize just how much the kitchen changed with the small changes.

If you are a little scared to tackle your kitchen Reno, this is proof that it can be done. This was my first kitchen renovation project and I think I knocked it out of the park.

Welp, that wraps up the Kitchen Renovation, I hope you guys enjoyed this project just as much as I did and as always, thanks for stopping by guys, XOXO Ashley.

"A Master Bedroom refresh that will make you take a second look."

"There are some affiliate links in this post, meaning I get a small commission if you purchase through these links, at no cost to you. Click Here to read my full disclosure."

The Room Design

So, let's dive right in. First I planned out the style for my living room; I wanted it to be a little mix of rustic, industrial and glam. Sounds crazy right? But I knew it would all come together. Here is my room mood board with my initial plan.

Once I got the design on paper, it really started to come together in my head. Let's look at the before. My room was super plain Jane. I hadn't really done much since to my master bedroom since buying my house, so I was excited to tackle it.

 Now that we've got that out of the way, let's jump into the creative process.

The Accent Wall

One of the main things I knew I needed to elevate my bedroom was a grand accent wall; and it doesn't get any grander than laying hundreds of bricks. I knew these bricks would bring the rustic and industrial feel I was looking for.

This is probably one of my favorite accent walls to date and I absolutely love how it came out. It completely changed the look of the room and made it feel grand. Exactly the look I was going for.

Lucky for you, I documented the whole process if you're interested in re-creating it. Check out my full blog post on that wall here for more details.

Once the brick accent wall was up, I painted my existing grey walls white and it really made the brick wall stand out.

Staging the Room

Outside of the brick wall, choosing the furniture pieces for the room was probably the most exciting process. The furniture really brings the room together.

I knew that I wanted good contrast between the bed and the nightstand, so I decided to get a nice cream tufted bed and couple it with mirrored nightstands. I couldn't have picked a better match for the brick.

I also decided to add in a fun three drawer dresser that could serve as both a stylish and functional piece. There were so many choices to choose from, Wayfair's dresser options were endless, but I absolutely love how this particular walnut dresser plays off of the tufted cream headboard and brick wall.

Seeing it all come together just made me smile inside.

The Final Reveal

Once everything was put into place, it was time for the final reveal and man did it blow my expectations.

The warm tones of the bed and the brick wall really made my bedroom feel like a cozy oasis. All of the colors really came together nicely.

I am also absolutely in love with this walnut three drawer dresser. I needed some more storage space for some of my clothes, but it's such a stylish piece it doesn't even feel like a dresser, it feels more like a stylish piece of furniture. The modern legs brings a modern feel to the room as well.

and who doesn't love a good before and after? I am so blown away with how this room makeover came out.

The Brick wall coupled with the the beautiful furniture was a great call and I can't be happier with how it turned out.

Welp, that wraps it up for the bedroom master makeover. I hope you guys enjoyed the results just as much as I did.

As always, thanks for reading guys, XOXO Ashley.

"Diablo's metal cutting blade is on the cutting edge."

"This review is sponsored by the Home Depot as a part of The Home Depot's Pro-Spective Campaign."

Diablo has always been a brand that I've highly respected, and I don't foresee that changing anytime soon. Diablo's new steel cutting blade is redefining metal cutting with safer and new innovation and I can't wait to share more about it.

There are some affiliate links in this post, meaning I get a small commission if you purchase through these links, at no cost to you. Click Here to read my full disclosure.   

Testing out the Diablo Metal Cutting Blade

To test out the Diablo Steel Demon blade, I am coupling it with my DEWALT circular saw and I must say, they make a great team. One of the items I used to take this blade for a run was a metal flat bar. It cut like butter! Normally I use a jigsaw to make my metal cuts, but I am retiring the jigsaw because this blade can truly cut. 

This particular saw blade features Cermet teeth that provide a high heat tolerance and increased hardness for great cutting life, which allows the blade to last up to 40X longer than a regular carbide metal cutting blade. 

As you can see, the Diablo blade made clean cuts on the metal flat bar. With the advanced laser cut stabilizer vents, it traps noise and vibration for stability, which allows the the blade to remain cool for straight, accurate cuts.

The best part is that they have blades with all sizes and all types of features. So you if you don't have the bigger 7 1/4" circular saw, Diablo has blades to fit your needs.

Shown above is the 6 1/2" Steel Demon Saw blade in the Ryobi Circular saw, and the two 30-Teeth 5 3/8 in saw blade and 5 1/2" saw blade.  

The 6 1/2" Saw blade features trim-metal shock resistant brazing that allows the metal cutting carbide tips to withstand extreme impact. It cut through the metal so easily.

I remember doing some barn door projects and cutting through metal with a jigsaw. It was a complete nightmare. This metal cutting blade makes it so easy.

The 30-Teeth saw blades both have the laser cut stabilizer vents that traps noise and vibration as well as keeping the blade cool.

I actually didn't have this metal bar clamp down, I was holding it with my hadn't and the vibration was minimal, which for me was nice because I don't always like spending the time clamping things down (even though it's probably safer).

FAVORITE FEATURES

Tri-Metal Shock Resistant Brazing

Diablo's tri-metal shock resistant brazing is a three metal brazing system that allows cermet teeth to withstand extreme impact for maximum durability making this blade extremely efficient when cutting through metals.

Versatility of Cuts

I love that this blade has the ability to cut through so many things. I feel like I'm getting a bang for my buck. Check out the last below of what this blade can actually do.

- Cuts 1/16 in. to 1/4 in. wall thickness in steel studs, EMT conduit, angle iron, flat bar, and channel

-  Cuts 1/4 in. to 1 in. diameter threaded rod

- Cuts 1/16 in. to 1/4 in. wall thickness in plate and bar stock

Triple Chip Tooth Design

The Triple Chip Tooth Design provides burr-free finishes that eliminate rework, and allow for a longer cutting life.

Perma-SHIELD Coating

The Perma-SHIELD non-stick coating protects the blade against gumming and corrosion which resists heat build-up.

HOW COULD IT BE BETTER?

This seems to be a great blade but I question how long the blade would actually last after making an excessive amount of cuts.  I am anxious to see how the blade operates under wear and tear.

Get your Diablo Blades today at the Home Depot. 

"Who knew a thin brick wall could look so good."

This thin brick wall project has been quite the popular project and I am so glad to finally be sharing all of the details with you. I am so happy to be partnering up with my friends from Old Mill Brick to bring you this tutorial.

Today I will be sharing all of the fun details on how I completed this thin brick wall project; and I promise you won't be disappointed.

The crazy thing about this project is that I have never worked with brick before! Can you believe it? If you are wondering if you can tackle a project like this, you absolutely can, and I am sharing all of the details to get you started. I originally saw this idea on Remington Avenue's Instagram and knew I had to have it, so let's get into it!

Materiels

• Old Mill Brick - Thin Brick Singles (Castle Gate)
• 3/8" dowel
• Loctite Adhesive
• Sanded Grout - Bright White
• Sanded Grout - Platinum
• 3/8" Trowel
• Bristle Brush
• Grout Bag

Tools Used

• Tile Saw
• Battery Powered Caulk Gun
• Laser Level
• Level
• Angle Finde

If you are more of a visual person, check out this how-to video on my installation process.

Phase 1: Applying the Thin Brick Wall

Step 1: Taking Wall Measurements

Before getting started, I first had to take wall measurements to figure out how many materials I would need to tackle this brick wall project. My wall was 13' high and 10' wide, which is pretty big.

I used this sq. ft calculator to calculate my total square footage. You enter in the width and length of your wall and it will tell you exactly how many square footage of materiel you will need. I ended up getting 19 boxes of the thin brick singles, just to have a little extra for mistakes, but only used 18 of the boxes. 

Once I figured out the sq ft. , I also calculated I would need around 12 packs of Loctite Adhesive for this wall project and my math was perfect; I used all 12 tubes. Normally, you would see people using mortar for brick, but I am always one who likes to work harder and not smarter, so I decided to use this adhesive for an alternative. It's a lot less messier, cures faster, and holds the brick to the wall very well.

Step 2: Prepping the Wall for the Thin Brick

I had to do a little more wall prepping than normal because I had wall paneling on my bedroom wall. I added this paneling to my bedroom wall but I decided to go for something with a little more pizzaz. Let's take a look at the before.

A few people were bummed about me taking down my wall paneling, but I think after they saw the brick, they were just fine with me taking it down. Once I took the wall paneling down, I wiped the whole wall down with a damp rag and then went back and wiped off all of the dust with a dry cloth to make sure the wall was completely free of debris.

Once the wall was all dry, it was time to start applying the bricks; the fun part of the project.

Step 3: Applying Brick to the Wall

I begin applying the thin bricks on the wall and started at the top of the wall and worked my way down. It really doesn't matter where you start with these thin bricks because they aren't building on top of each other. I personally wanted to start at the top so if there were any imperfections or unevenness, it would fall at the bottom.

I decided to start applying the full singles first and then go back afterwards to cut the angles on the bricks. I decided to go with various designs for the wall, so I started laying the bricks straight across first. The first line is probably the most important because it needs to be 100% straight. My bedroom wall isn't all the way square so it was important to make sure the first line was completely level. 

I placed nine rows of bricks on the top of the wall to get me started and used a 3/8" dowel to make sure my spacing was correct. The dowel will definitely be your friend, so have a couple handy. I also used a level to make sure each brick was level. This can seem a little meticulous but I wanted to make sure my bricks looked as flawless as possible. If your first line is straight, the lines below should go on level, but some bricks were still off, so I checked each brick; I know , Im crazy.

I applied a decent amount of adhesive to each brick to make sure it sticks well. I was so impressed with this stuff, it is super strong. As soon as you place the brick on the wall it sticks. You do get around 10 minutes to move it freely before it starts to cure. Make sure you play close attention to your bricks once you place them; I found that after about 30 minutes, there's no budging them. I also found that it was better to apply adhesive to a bunch of bricks and then apply them to the wall rather than doing them one by one. 

Even though this was a one man job, if you can find help, use it. Don't be like me, I would have appreciated a helping hand with this portion.

Now take it from me, if you are doing this project alone or if you have help, you will want to get this battery powered caulk gun. I used a regular caulk gun for the first nine rows and man were my arms on fire! The battery powered gun made it go a lot faster and put less strain on my arm.

After I laid out the nine rows of singles, I switched over to the vertical pattern. This was probably the easiest part of the design. I laid these out pretty quickly and then on to the herringbone.

In order to make sure the herringbone pattern was straight, I used a laser level to make sure the bricks were laid down evenly and on square. This helped the middle portion go a lot faster.

It was interesting to see the pattern once the bricks were all done. I was amazed at how good it looked.

Let's check out the wall pattern once its done.

Phase 2: Grouting the Thin Brick 

Now on to the fun part; the grout. This was my first time grouting, so I was both excited and anxious to see how it would turn out, but I wasn't pleasantly surprised how easy it was. so if you are wondering how to grout thin brick, you're in luck.

Originally, I tried the Antique White, but discovered very quickly that the antique white wasn't the color I was looking for. I decided to try to try two other colors and they both weren't right. After trying those two, I decided to just mix them together and BOOM, I had found the right color for my wall. I did a 50/50 mix of the sanded grout in Bright White and Platinum.

I ended up using four bags for my project; it was just enough, like scrapping the bag enough. I used around six cups of grout each mix to make sure I didn't waste any grout.

I used a small bowl and spoon to mix the grout to the consistency that I wanted and then poured it and then let it sit for 10 minutes. After the ten minutes, I poured it into the grout bag and started to grout the brick. I really loved this grout bag because it was re-usable. I washed it out after every use and it was the perfect size to get my sections knocked out.

Grouting the brick was fairly easy, but time consuming. If you have extra hands available, you will definitely want to use them. One thing you want to make sure you do before grouting is laying down plastic. It will get super messy, so you don't want to mess up your floors.

Once I applied the grout, I used a trowel and a bristle brush to flatten and set the grout into place. It's amazing how the grout really brought out the brick.

I knew this project was going to bring my bedroom to life and there's nothing like a good before and after.

Now let's take one more last look at the wall. Let me know what you think in the comments below. I am absolutely in love!

Welp that wraps up the brick project! I hope you guys are inspired to tackle your own brick projects; I can't wait to see.

As always, thanks for reading guys, XOXO Ashley.

"A Sawhorse Craft Desk to get your supplies in order."

Who doesn't like to get crafty? I'm excited to be sharing this fun crafty desk today and even better, I am partnering with my friends at Build Something to provide you the free plans for this sawhorse desk.

"This post is sponsored by Build Something."

Being that this is a craft desk, I knew I had to do something fun with the legs, so I figured why not create a fun sawhorse design to make it interesting. I absolutely love how they came out!

"There are some affiliate links in this post, meaning I get a small commission if you purchase through these links, at no cost to you. Click Here to read my full disclosure."

Dimensions

Materiels List

• 1 - 2x4x8
• 6 - 2x2x6
• 3/4" piece of plywood
• 2 1/2 Pocket Hole Screws
• Wood Glue
• 2" Brad Nails
• Black Spray Paint
• Contact Paper
• 3M Adhesive Spray

Tools Used

• Miter Saw
• Kreg Jig
• Kreg Clamps
• Kreg Adaptive Cutting System
• Drill
• Brad Nailer

Step 1: Create Sawhorse Craft Desk Frame

First I started off with the sawhorse desk frame. You may need to plane down your 2x4s to make sure its straight. Once I had my 2x4s ready, I then used my handy dandy Kreg Jig to drill pocket holes into the sawhorse legs.

I made sure to drill the pocket holes on the inside of the legs to make sure the pocket holes were hidden.

I then attached the legs to the sawhorse using my impact drill and pocket hole screws. I made sure to add four legs to each sawhorse.

To make sure the legs sit straight on the floor, I had to make sure to angle the top and bottom of the legs. Once the legs were attached. I used my right Kreg Clamps to help add in the side pieces. I always rave about these clamps. If you build by yourself often, these clamps come in handy if you use pocket holes often. 

Step 2: Attach Middle Sawhorse Support

Once I got the frame all assembled, I added in the middle support. I attached the middle top support to the outer frame using pocket hole screws and used my right angle clamp here again to hold it into place while I drilled in the pocket hole screws.

I made sure to use a lot of wood glue on the places where I joined the wood together to make sure the desk had extra strength. You can never have enough wood glue!

The sawhorses were super simple to make, I knocked this out in about 30 minutes. If you are a beginner woodworker, this would be a great project for you to try.

Step 4: Cut out Sawhorse Desk Top

Once I had the sawhorses complete, I used my Kreg Adaptive Cutting System to cut the desktop down. I absolutely love this system; if you don't have a table saw this is a great alternative to have to cut down sheet goods.

I cut down a 3/4" piece of plywood for the desktop easily with this system. If you are debating whether to get this tool, let me save you some time, you should definitely invest.

Step 5: Prep and Paint Sawhorse Desk

I opted to go with all black for the legs because I wanted a more modern feel and Im so glad I did. For this particular project, I wanted to try out this COLORSHOT Spray Paint so I decided to coat the legs with it.

It did give it a good coat, but it took quite a bit of spray paint for the legs to look completely black. Next time, I think I may try painting it with a white primer first, but it still would likely equal the same amount of paint.

Another alternative could be using interior paint and a spray painter, either way there are many options to achieve this look, so are your pick.

Step 6: Apply Contact Paper 

For the desk top, I wanted the look of marble but the easy way, so I decided to add contact Paper to the top. I started adding the contact paper to the desktop. One of these rolls covered the desk but I had to cut the last row in half for it to fit.

If you want the second row to be completely seamless, you will likely need to get two of these contact paper rolls. I also decided to add a little 3M Adhesive to the sides for more stick. The adhesive is great on the top of the desk, but the adhesive allowed the contact paper to hold on to the sides a lot better than without.

This contact paper was a super easy way to give a modern marble feel. Once the contact paper was set, I screwed a few screws through the legs to attach the desk and WAA-LAAH, here we have it, a modern DIY Sawhorse Desk.

I can't wait to see you guys tackle this project. If you want to get the free plans for this desk head on over to build something for the free plans.

Click Here for Free Plans at Build Something!

Even better news, if you don't quite love this design, I've built a similar sawhorse desk to this one! If you like the alternative below, you can check that one out here.

But before you go, let's take one last look at this design!

As always, thanks for reading guys, XOXO Ashley.

"This DIY Sawhorse Desk is giving me all the modern feels."

I always love a good desk, so I am super excited to share this new desk I recently built. It's giving me so many good vibes. I have always loved the sawhorse desk trend, but never had the chance to build one, so of course I had to put a fun spin on it, and I am so excited with how it turned out. 

What I really love about this design are the desk legs; Im so in love with this design I can't contain my excitement. If you're looking for a fun desk to spruce up your craft room, look no more! I think you've found the one.

"There are some affiliate links in this post, meaning I get a small commission if you purchase through these links, at no cost to you. Click Here to read my full disclosure."

Dimensions

Materiels List

• 1 - 2x4x8
• 8 - 2x2x6
• 3/4" piece of plywood
• 2 1/2 Pocket Hole Screws
• Wood Glue
• 2" Brad Nails
• Black Spray Paint
• Contact Paper
• 3M Adhesive Spray

Cut List

* See Detailed Plans for Cut List

Tools Used

• Miter Saw
• Kreg Jig
• Kreg Clamps
• Kreg Adaptive Cutting System
• Drill
• Brad Nailer

Step 1: Create Sawhorse Desk Frame

First I started off with the sawhorse desk frame. You may need to plane don your 2x4 to make sure its nice and straight. Then I used my handy dandy Kreg Jig to drill pocket holes into the sawhorse legs.

I then attached the legs to the sawhorse using my impact drill and pocket hole screws. I made sure to add four legs to each sawhorse.

To make sure the legs sit straight on the floor, I had to make sure to angle the top and bottom of the legs. Once the legs were attached. I used my right Kreg Clamps to help add in the side pieces.

Step 2: Attach Middle Sawhorse Supports 

Once I got the frame all assembled, I began adding in the middle supports. I attached them to the outer frame using pocket hole screws and used my right angle clamp here again to hold it into place while I drilled in the pocket hole screws.

I added supports to both the top and bottom side supports. I made sure to use a lot of wood glue on the places where I was joined the wood together to make sure the desk has extra strength. You can never have enough wood glue!

Step 3: Attach Decorative Trim

Once the middle supports were all in, I began adding the decorative trim. I used brad nails and wood screws to make sure the supports were secured to the middle supports.

I really love how the trim add a decorative feel to the sawhorse legs. I think it gives it a modern, playful feel. I've seen a lot of sawhorse desk designs, but not one quite like this one.

Step 4: Prep and Paint Sawhorse Desk

I opted to go with all black for the legs because I wanted a more modern feel and Im so glad I did. For this particular project, I wanted to try out this COLORSHOT Spray Paint so I decided to coat the legs with it.

It did give it a good coat, but it took quite a bit of spray paint for the legs to look completely black. Next time, I think I may try painting it with a white primer first, but it still would likely equal the same amount of paint.

Another alternative could be using interior paint and a spray painter, either way there are many options to achieve this look, so are your pick.

Step 5: Apply Contact Paper 

For the desk top, I wanted the look of marble but the easy way, so I decided to add contact Paper to the top. Once I cut out the desk top, I started adding the contact paper to the desktop. One of these rolls covered the desk but I had to cut the last row in half for it to fit.

If you want the second row to be completely seamless, you will likely need to get two of these contact paper rolls. I also decided to add a little 3M Adhesive to the sides for more stick. The adhesive is great on the top of the desk, but the adhesive allowed the contact paper to hold on to the sides a lot better than without.

This contact paper was a super easy way to give a modern marble feel. Once the contact paper was set, I screwed a few screws through the legs to attach the desk and WAA-LAAH, here we have it, a modern DIY Sawhorse Desk.

I can't wait to see you guys tackle this project. Even better news, if you don't quite love this design, I've built a similar craft desk to this one! If you like the alternative below, you can check that one out here.

But before you go, let's take one last look at this design!

As always, thanks for reading guys, XOXO Ashley.

"This DIY Hall Tree Storage Bench is every modern girl's dream."

  

"A modern Coat Rack perfect for the weekend."

I am super excited to share today's project with you because it wasn't necessarily planned, but doesn't that make for the best projects? I had a bunch of scrap wood lying around and needed to get rid of it, so I figured, why not use some of that wood to create a fun project.

Let's just say that I made a good call. This DIY Modern Coat Rack was super fun and easy to make and a great addition to my small entryway. If you're like everyone else right now, you're spending a lot of time at home, so we might as well put our time to good use.

"There are some affiliate links in this post, meaning I get a small commission if you purchase through these links, at no cost to you. Click Here to read my full disclosure."   

Materials/Tools

• 3 - 1x2s @ 6"
• 1/4" Dowel
• Coat Hooks
• 1 1/2" Wood Screws
• Drill Bit
• Impact Drill
• Miter Saw

Step 1: Cut Down Wood to Size

First, I used my miter saw to cut all of my wood down to size. I cut my smaller 1x2s down to approximately 8" and I cut my longer 1x2s down to approx. 23".

Feel free to make this coat rack as long as you'd like to fit your needs. I personally think the wall rack would have looked a little better longer, but I had to make it small enough to fit my particular space.

Step 2: Attach 1x2s to Stretchers

Once the wood is all cut down to size, I begin attaching the 1x2s. First, I used a 5/32" bit to drill pilot holes into the two 1x2s.

Once the pilot holes were made, I screwed in the wood screws into the two 1x2s using my impact drill. 

To get the accurate spacing between the two, I used a 1/4" dowel and placed them between the boards while screwing in the wood screws.

Step 3: Attach Coat Hooks

Once the coat rack was complete, I added three coat hooks to finish the look. I used my Dremel Go screwdriver to drive in the screws since they were so small. This tool allows you to drive in screws by just pressing the tool into the screw.

Now let's take another look at the coat rack! I would say this was a successful Scrap DIY?

Let me know what you think in the comments below and as always thanks for reading guys, XOXO Ashley.

"This Ikea Stool Hack is one for the books"  

"This DIY Shoe Cabinet will solve all of your organization problems."

I don't think I've ever been more excited about a project than I am today. I am very happy to be sharing theses DIY shoe cabinet plans with you. I was originally sent a picture of a shoe cabinet and I instantly fell in love. 

I knew it would be a little bit of a challenge without having dimensions to reference, but I was up for the challenge.

Luckily, I went through all of the bumps and bruises to figure it all out so you wouldn't have to. Man was it worth it, this shoe cabinet is every girls dream.

I hope you enjoy this shoe storage just as much as I do. I built a smaller hidden storage shoe cabinet but I outgrew it fast. It held 16 pairs of shoes, but this baby can hold 36 pair of shoes. Now that is what I call an upgrade. Now let's get into the details.

"There are some affiliate links in this post, meaning I get a small commission if you purchase through these links, at no cost to you. Click Here to read my full disclosure."

Dimensions

Wood Materials

• 2 - 3/4" piece of plywood (4'x'8)
• 2 - 1/4" piece of plywood (4'x8')
• 4 - 1x12x8 (Select Pine)
• 2 - 1x12x6 (Select Pine)
• 4 - 1x2x6 (Select Pine)
• 4 - 1x3x8 (Select Pine)
• 1 - 1x3x6 (Select Pine)
• 1 - 1x4x8 (Select Pine)

Cut List

See Detailed Plans for Cut List

Materials

• 1 1/4" Pocket Hole Screws
• Hinges
• Gold Cabinet Pulls
• Spackling
• Wood Filler
• Wood Glue 
• Behr Paint - Spiced Potpourri
• Behr Paint - Rugged Tan

Tools Used

• Kreg Adaptive Cutting System
• Kreg Jig
• Jigsaw
• Kreg Right Angle Clamp
• Home Right Paint Sprayer
• Drill
• Kreg Foreman
• Staple Gun
• Brad Nailer
• Sander

Step 1: Cut Wood to Size 

I first started off by cutting the wood I needed to build the main frame of the shoe cabinet down to size. When I purchased my plywood, I got my plywood cut down so that I can manage it better and don't worry I'm sharing all of the measurement details in the printable plans.

Once I got the plywood home, I started cutting the plywood down to the sizes I needed to create the center shoe cabinet frame. I used my Kreg Adaptive Cutting System to cut everything down. If you're not a big fan of the table saw, this is a great alternative tool. It's a track saw, but on a guided track; allowing for ease and precision.

Step 2: Building the Shoe Cabinet Middle Frame

Once all of the plywood was cut down to size, I started building the frame. The first piece I needed to build with was the bottom plywood board. In order to make the board fit, I needed to cut out notches on the sides.

This will make more sense once you go through the shoe cabinet plans. I cut out the notches first by using my Kreg Adaptive Cutting System and then cutting off the end with my jigsaw.

After I cut the notches out of the bottom piece, I created pocket holes all around the board with my Kreg Jig to be able to attach it to the shoe cabinet sides. It should look like the photo below once you're done.

I didn't have any type of dimensions to reference while building this shoe cabinet but I was lucky to find this pantry build that had a similar bottom design tat I wanted, so I was able to use that to get me started. 

Now it's time to get the top main frame assembled. I used my Kreg right angle clamps to help me build the main frame and used pocket hole screws to assemble the frame together.

Once the top part of the center frame was assembled, I started attaching it to the bottom piece. I used my Kreg workbench to help me build this frame; it made it a lot easier to maneuver and this workbench can hold a lot of weight.

After the outer frame was all put together, I added in the top shelf and the center divider using pocket holes and pocket hole screws.

If you're not used to using a Kreg Jig, this project will surely get you acquainted. Theres enough pocket holing to go around. I usually use my Kreg Foreman for projects that require a ton of pocket holes, but a regular Kreg Jig will work just as good, I use my Kreg Jig Master system a ton.

The center frame of your shoe cabinet should look something like the above when you are complete.

Step 3: Adding in the Shoe Shelving 

With the center frame fully assembled, I began building the shoe shelving. The shoe shelves are made up of 3/4" plywood and 1x2 trim. I used pocket holes to secure the trim to the front of the 3/4" backing and used pocket holes on the bottom of the plywood sides to attach it to the shoe cabinet frame.

I decided to slant my shelves to give the shoe cabinet some character but feel free to make your shelves however you like.

I wear a size twelve, so I tested out how my shoe would look with this particular slant and it worked perfect for my size, but you may want a smaller slant or you may want your shelves to be straight. This part is totally up to you, just make sure you adjust your measurements as needed.

One thing to note about these shoe cabinet plans is that these slanted shelves weren't made to fully touch the shoe cabinet backing so there will be a small space behind the shelves once you're done.

If you don't want this space in the back, you will need to cut the back of the shelf at an angle so that it's completely flush with the backside. Again, this is the step where you can customize things how you want it.

Step 4: Adding the Shoe Cabinet Doors

Now on to the fun part. Even though I built this shoe storage on my own, it will be incredibly helpful if you can find help with this part.

I first assembled the outer frame of the doors using pocket holes and pocket hole screws and then attached them using these hinges. You want to make sure you get hinges that allow the door to fully wrap around. I used 1x12 select pine boards to build the doors, but feel free to use plywood here to make your shoe cabinet cheaper.

I started off attaching the doors with three hinges, but I will be adding two more hinges later for extra support for 5 in total on each doors, just waiting on the delivery man for the last two.

One thing to note here is that it's very important to leave enough space between the bottom of the doors and the shoe cabinet center frame so that there is enough room for the doors to freely swing open.

I ran into a little snag with this because I didn't have enough space underneath, but no worries, I will be making the correct changes in the plans so you don't run into the same issue.

These particular hinges should allow your doors to swing fully open and closed with no issues. So be sure to test your doors out after you attach them. The doors may not want to stay completely closed, but we will be attaching a magnetic catch later to help them stay closed.

Step 5: Adding Shoe Shelving to Doors

Once the doors are attached and you feel like they are functioning properly, you can start adding in the shelving. I added in these shelves the same way I adding the shelves to the center frame. I tried to match up the shelving as much as I could to the center frame shelving so that everything looked even.

Once I started adding in the shelving, I noticed that the door dropped slightly, so it may not be a bad idea to add the shelving before you attach the door, but adding the shelves after helped me make sure all of the shelving lined up, so I will leave that up to you.

I added some of my shoes just to see if the weight would affect the door and it didn't seem to affect it much, but adding in the shelves definitely did. If you want to make any changes to the doors, this is where you want to make those changes.

Your shoe cabinet should look a little something like the above and below picture when you are done adding in all of the shelving. This was a really fun build to make and it was exciting to see it take form.

Step 6: Adding Shoe Cabinet Door Fronts

This is the part where we can have a little more fun because we can customize the door fronts to look however we want. I first started off by attaching 1/4" sheets of plywood to the front of the doors using my staple gun. I also had these sheets cut down to size at The Home Depot and then made further cuts later using my Kreg Adaptive Cutting System.

In order to help keep the doors closed while attaching the door fronts, I added in the magnetic latch at the top of the center frame.

I leaned the shoe cabinet on my Kreg workbench to make it easier to apply the 1/4" backing. That workbench is a beast and I have loved using it ever since Kreg sent it to me.

You want to make sure that the 1/4" backing is the exact size of the door and that there is the same amount of space underneath the backing so that it doesn't snag underneath.

This shoe cabinet is giving me all the feels. After adding the 1/4" backing, I added on the outer trim. After going back and forth on designs, as you guys saw on my Instagram stories, I decided to go for a sleek door design. 

I first assembled the outer square of the trim with help from my right angle clamp and then I attached it to the cabinet with wood glue and brad nails, making sure I nailed into the outer parts of the shoe cabinet into the 3/4" boards.

Once the square trim was attached, I went back through and added the horizontal 1x3 trim pieces, also using wood glue and brad nails to attach.

I used 1x3 trim to create this design and attached the trim to the shoe cabinet with my brad nailer

Step 7: Add the Center Frame Backing

Once the door fronts were attached, I added the 1/4" backing to the shoe cabinet center frame using my staple gun and I was finally finished with the building process of the cabinet.

I am so excited with how well this build came out; this was probably one of the more satisfying builds that I've made to date. Now it's time to prep for paint!

Step 8: Prep for Paint

I first started off with filling all of the nail holes with wood filler I also, went around and spackled all of the 3/4" plywood edges and holes I created in the process on the cabinet and caulked the inside edges of the cabinet.

This was one of the main reasons I decided to use common boards instead of plywood on the doors, I knew it would give me a cleaner finish and require less prep work for paint.

Once, the caulk and wood filler was all dry, I sanded the shoe cabinet down really well and then went back through and caulked all of the edges of the cabinet so that I would have really clean lines after painting. I made sure to do the caulking after the sanding because I didn't want dust particles to stick to the caulk.

Step 9: Paint the Shoe Cabinet

After sanding, I started to use my Home Right Paint Sprayer to paint the shoe cabinet. I have used several sprayers over time and I really love this one. Mainly because it's so easy to set up and clean up.

The cleanup process is my least favorite thing, but this sprayer makes it easy. It's also not as expensive as other competitive models.

I decided to share one of my other little tips today. As you can see, I use sandwich bags in the paint container to hold my paint. This allows the cleanup process to go a lot quicker when switching between colors.

They actually make paint liners like this but they are a lot more expensive then sandwich bags and you get about 10 for $5. Sandwich bags come at 150 for a $1, so I guess I'm being a cheap-o. Either way, it works just as great for me.  

Originally, I thought maybe I could paint the whole cabinet pink bu tI quickly realized, that wouldn't be so great. So I decided to go for a two-tone look and I couldn't be more happier with how it turned out.

I usually like my furniture to be sleek and neat but I also have a very bold personality, so this cabinet was the perfect combination of sleek but fun.

I used about 3/4 of a gallon of paint for both colors. I did have to go back and use a roller for touch ups after spraying both colors. Unless you tape the cabinet, it's hard to not get paint on the other color when spraying so closely.

I did about three thin coats of each color and you're going to want to let the paint sit a little bit of time between coats to let it sink in, so you can see which spots need touch ups.

Step 10: Add Cabinet Pulls

The last step in the cabinet process was adding the cabinet pulls. I originally ordered some smaller pulls, but they were way too small for the cabinet, so I ordered some 17" gold cabinet pulls.

Originally, I was going to pace the pulls in the center of the cabinet, but it was really difficult to attach the pulls with the shoe shelves in place, so I had to make sure I placed the pulls in spots where it would be easy to screw in the screw from the back.

Shoe Cabinet Cost Breakdown

I'm sure everyone is wondering how much this baby cost. I spent roughly $550 on this project, which I know isn't super inexpensive but it was surely worth it.

I did utilize select pine for the shoe cabinet doors, which drove up the price quit a bit, so if you're looking for a way to cut costs, be sure to use plywood and regular pine for the cabinet doors and you can save a little over $150.

 Welp, that about wraps it up for the shoe cabinet, I hope these shoe cabinet plans help you create your own cool shoe oasis, but before we go let's take another look at how great the cabinet came out!.

Be sure to check out my Instagram stories under my highlight "shoe cabinet" to see my process of putting this shoe cabinet together and some helpful tips.

I couldn't be happier with the end result, I hope you guys enjoyed it too.

As always, thanks for reading guys.

"This DIY Vanity Desk will make you reconsider all of your other makeup vanity tables."

If you are looking for a solution for your messy makeup problems , man do I have a solution for you. I am a lover of all things makeup, so I wanted to create something that was both stylish and functional, luckily I succeeded at creating this fun DIY Makeup Vanity Desk.

“This post is sponsored by Build Something”

Even better news, I am partnering up with Build Something, Kreg's plan site, to bring you the free plans so you can recreate this unique vanity desk yourself. If you are a little intimidated about this build, don't be, I've got you covered with the step by step instructions. 

 There are some affiliate links in this post, meaning I get a small commission if you purchase through these links, at no cost to you. Click Here to read my full disclosure.

But first we must give recognition to this stenciled paint job. I am super proud about pulling this design off. I've seen a few makeup vanities in my day but not one that looks quite like this. I am sharing all of the details below on how I pulled this look off, so keep reading for all of the details.

Now let's get into it!

Dimensions

Materiels

• 5 - 2x2x6
• 1 - 3/4" piece of plywood 
• 2 - 1x6x6
• Priya Bone Stencil
• Chalk Paint - White
• Chalk Paint - Grey
• Chalked Clear Coat
• Gold Spray Paint
• Door Knobs
• Drawer Slides
• 2 1/2" Pocket Hole Screws
• 1 1/4" Pocket Hole Screws

Tools Used

• Kreg Jig
• Right Angle Clamp
• Miter Saw
• Drill

Step 1: Assemble the Vanity Desk Top

I first started off with creating the top for the makeup vanity desk. I used my Kreg Jig throughout this process to create pocket holes to be able to join my boards together. For the top, you will need to set your Kreg Jig on a 3/4" setting and use 1 1/4" pocket holes screws. 

After I created the pocket holes, I attached the 1x6 back board to the back of the bottom table top with the pocket holes facing forward. The back board should be flush with the end of the bottom desk board.

After, attaching the back 1x6, I attached the two side 1x6s, and the two middle 1x6s using pocket hole screws.

I then cut the top board down to size, but I waited to attach this later to make it easier to attach the drawer slides to the inside of the desk.

Step 2: Assemble the DIY Vanity Base

Once I had the top assembled, I started working on the base. I used 2x2s to create the desk base. I used my Kreg Jig to create pocket holes to join the boards together, but for the base I had to set my jig on a 1 1/2" setting. I used 2 1/2" pocket hole screws to join the boards together.

I used my two right angle clamps to hold the boards together, so I could drive in the pocket hole screws. These clamps really come in handy when you are working alone. Your two desk sides should look a little something like the picture below.

Once I assembled the two desk sides, I was able to start forming the vanity desk base. I also used my Kreg right angle clamps here to hold the boards in place while I drove in pocket hole screws

I made sure to face the pocket holes up for the 2x2s on the top, so they would be hidden by the desk top and I faced the pocket holes down on the 2x2s at the bottom part of the desk base.

Step 3: Add Drawer Slides 

If you are someone who is intimidated by drawer slides, don't be. This step is fairly easy and you should be able to get through this step in no time with the free plans on Build Something. I first started off by adding the drawer slides in between sections.

The first thing I did was inset the drawer slide back 3/4" to account for the drawer face. I marked that line and placed a scrap 1x3 under the drawer slides. The drawer slide will be marked with a L or R, so you will know which slide goes on which side.

Then I sat the drawer slide on top of the 1x3 and then used three screws to screw it into the topside. Just that simple. I then repeated the same steps for the remaining desk sides.

Step 4: Assemble Drawers

Once the drawer slides were in, I began building the drawers. I used 1x3 boards and a 1/4" piece of plywood to build them. I first built the main frame of the drawer using my Kreg Right angle clamp and pocket hole screws.

Once the drawer was assembled, I used my staple gun to attach the 1/4" drawer bottom to the assembled frame. After building the drawers, I attached the second piece of the drawer slide to the bottom of my drawers.

I then slid the drawers right into the drawer slides that were already placed and now we having working drawers; the sweet smell of victory.

Once the drawers were in place, I attached the top piece of the desk top to the remaining top using a countersink bit and wood screws and then set the desk top on top of the base to see how it would look.

Don't you just love when a build starts to form? I know I do.

Step 5: Paint the Base

Since this is going to be a makeup vanity, I figured a gold finish would make it sleek and trendy. I first spray painted the base with two coats of white primer. Once that dried, I sprayed the base with two coats of gold metallic spray paint.

Step 6: Paint the DIY Vanity Desk Top

Next was the really fun part, painting the vanity desk top. Before I started painting, I prepped the desk for paint. I filled in the plywood edges with spackle to make sure I would have a smooth paint finish. After I applied the spackle, I sanded down the desk top and then painted the outside of the vanity desk top with Rustoleum grey chalk paint.

I did two full coats to give it good coverage. Once that was dry, I started adding the Stencil. I was really excited to try this stencil out and I'm so glad my vision was able to come to life. I used the Priya Bone Inlay Stencil to create this design. 

I used a roller brush to roll over the stencil to create this design. My tip would be to make sure you have only a little bit of paint on your roller when stenciling, it creates a cleaner look when you remove the stencil. I also used white chalked paint for the stencil design. 

I went down the whole desk until I filled up the entire desk with the stencil. Once I finished the desk top, I applied the stencil to the three drawer fronts and that completed the desk top design.

Once the drawer fronts were dry, I sprayed the desk with a Chalked Clear Coat and then attached some fancy drawer knobs and the desk was complete. Let's take another look at my DIY Vanity Desk.

I couldn't be happier with how this vanity desk turned out and I hope that your desk is just as amazing.

This stencil couldn't have been a better option to pull off this desk design. Head on over to Build Something to get the free plans, so you can make a desk like this one. I can't wait to see wha you guys come up with.

As always, thanks for reading guy, XOXO Ashley.