Built in shelves (summer 2009)

Built-in shelves that fill a void in the family room

We moved into our house during the summer of 2009, right after our son was born. Throughout labor I had distracted myself by remembering what the rooms looked like and scheming about home improvements... this project was on the top of my list. The basement was the only real family room - and it was pretty depressing. There was a strange pressed wood platform along one wall, covering who knows what - I assumed wires or some duct work or something I would not want to expose. But it was warped and would not hold an off-the-shelf piece of furniture - a shelving unit would tip over, a sofa would not fit. Something had to be done or I was certain we would avoid this room altogether.

Ugly, warped particle board platform seemed to be a permanent fixture

A substantial portion of this fairly small space was hogged by this platform

My parents came to visit shortly after our move-in date. They are very handy and have carpentry experience from years in their own old home, so I asked if I could recruit them. We sketched out a few ideas then headed to the Home Depot. (Luckily my parents are as impatient as I am!)

We assumed we would  buy plywood and get it cut, but then we found planks of nicer wood that were about the right depth and would just about fit the length of the room, two across. We had a few of these boards cut into supports, picked up dowels and wood glue, and headed back home.

The shelves start to come together, as the three of us figure out how to work together

This was a real learning process for me - I had always wanted to build something but didn't know where to start. I was never sure how to actually fasten wood together securely - I could not believe that dowels and wood glue could be strong enough. (I was thinking bolts and screws, because metal seemed stronger...). I also hadn't realized how easy Home Depot, Lowe's, etc. can make this sort of project; what a relief that I did not need major power tools to cut the lumber.

First level of the shelves come together

My mother insisted that we have a toe kick, despite my instinct to try to make this flush. I hadn't realized the benefit of this slight overhang - it obscures the ugly platform underneath so it's almost unnoticeable.

The second level goes on, and trim is added along the edge of the wall. 

The wall was not completely flush with the shelves so we added strips of trim. I'm not sure the leaf pattern would have been everyone's choice but I had eyed it in the past and was glad for a chance to use it. The edges of the shelves probably could have used a full length of wood, but we were cutting corners (and avoiding another trip to the store, which eats so much time). Anyway, we figured that we could paint back there and that the shelves would be full more often than not.

Another angle of the finished product 

We left an opening for the cable and electric cords that stuck out of the wall, and cut a small notch out of the back corner of the shelf top so they could be threaded through to the TV eventually. This shelf was tall enough that my kids couldn't reach the TV - perfect. My mother insisted on another finishing touch, and again I should not have been dubious: the rounded trim along the edge of each shelf is attractive and makes the whole piece feel more friendly (my kids and I have certainly bumped into it and I appreciate the round rather than sharp edges).

We sanded the wood, then brushed on clear spar urethane. I had assumed this whole unit would be painted white, but my parents are morally opposed to painting wood and I had to trust them -- they had brought me this far. Anyway, in the back of my mind I assumed I'd be painting over the knotty pine paneling so two clashing woods would not abut (this never happened, as it turns out). As the urethane soaked into the wood, I was surprised how many little pointy fibers poked up. We sanded and applied another coat at least once more.

Finished product with toys and other odds and ends stowed away

My parents returned home now that the hard part was complete. Now for the last challenge: to find some way to keep the space looking organized. Each shelf was a large void that could have easily filled with the willy-nilly clutter that I was constantly battling. And I suspected that toys would be underfoot for quite a few years. I looked online for baskets with the dimensions I desired and suffered from sticker shock. Only now did it dawn on me that perhaps I could have planned better -- designing shelf openings that had standard-sized dimensions. 

I took a trip to the Container Store and again got discouraged. Finally I drove to IKEA and was ecstatic to find these collapsible fabric bins with lids. They were far less expensive than a woven basket, more attractive than a plastic bin, and just sturdy enough to hold cords, books, toys, etc. I also picked up two low, open baskets there that had the right dimensions -- good thing, as I've found I can toss toys into them from across the room.

Almost 2 years later and the chaos remains reasonably contained

This was truly the beginning of my obsession with home improvements. Never before had I had the guts to tackle a project of this size -- and I was so happy with the impact that was made with relatively little expense and time. Sure, we could have taken more time, measured more carefully, done a dozen things differently -- but we got results, the room is now so cozy, and I'm so proud of this. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Time to complete: 1 week

Estimated cost: $300

Quick wall art project (summer 2011)

4' x 6' wall art that came together quickly and relatively inexpensively

The wall in my kitchen between the front door and a window was a strange void. I tried hanging a large, framed print there for awhile but it looked puny in that wide space. I wanted more color, but with a big mural on the next wall, I didn't want to make the room too busy. And patterns kept catching my eye - I wondered if there was something I could do with an interesting fabric, like stretch it over some canvas strips.


Then I was walking through World Market one night and saw some cloth napkins on sale. They were so pretty and cheap, and I could not decide which pattern I liked best. Then I wondered - could I choose a bunch and then frame them? Next I headed to IKEA and picked up some of their frames, which are always a good deal.


I expected to space these out a bit, but liked the effect when they were pulled flush. It's clean, cheery and covers a lot of area.


Time to complete: 1 hr + shopping time
Approximate cost: $130

Butterfly wallpaper panel project (winter 2012)

Detail of butterfly and leaves on wallpaper

When my parents bought their house in 1973, they were told that the most valuable thing in it (among various antiques etc.) was this wallpaper. It has real butterfly wings and real leaves (not sure what type; possibly Japanese Maples?). I believe the fibers running horizontally are silk.

Four lengths of wallpaper were saved when it was removed 20 years ago

We're not sure how old it was at that time, but it graced our dining area for another twenty years. My mother eventually removed it and stored it in the basement. For years I've wondered what we could do with it - I kept coming back to the idea of screens to divide a room. When I was visiting over the holidays, we dug the paper out and I brought it home. Since then I've been mulling over how I might create these screens. 


I was worried about affixing this paper - which I presumed was delicate - to something that could ultimately warp or deteriorate. Then an idea struck - the doors sold at home improvement stores are not liable to warp, and a door has about the right dimensions... I went online and discovered that an unfinished interior hollow core door costs approx. $20. Bingo. After work last night I made a trip to Home Depot and picked up some wallpaper paste and a roller (warning: Home Depot does not sell wallpaper so their supplies for this project were sparse... their only paste came in a huge jug, for instance, and it was very dusty).

Raw materials: doors, wallpaper paste, roller and tray liner

As soon as I got home I decided to get started, before my energy faded. I have never wallpapered and was a bit intimidated... the nice thing is, this paste seemed sort of like the tubs of paste I used as a kid. Pretty innocuous. I rolled it on, laid down the paper, lined it up where I wanted it, then wondered if I should use a flat edge to remove any puckers. I didn't want to hurt the wallpaper, but after one swipe I realized this step was necessary. (Thank goodness, because later, with direct light on it, I saw a few ripples I missed... luckily very few). The paper was surprisingly durable -- I was expecting something that would rip or pucker easily, when I imagined this process. The big surprise was how much paste oozed out each time I smoothed the paper down, and then how many touch-ups I had to do along the edges. I suppose on a wall the overlap keeps the edges down? 

Knotty pine wall that I can't bear to paint over - but it's awfully dark

As I worked I got an idea where I could use this -- our family room is clad in knotty pine on 3 sides and I've been trying different ways to lighten it up without actually painting over the wood. I can't bear to paint over wood - something in my gut just won't let me. What if I hung the doors together behind the sofa? I was picturing each panel with a space between them, lined up along the wall.

Pulled the sofa out in anticipation of the new wall panels

When I cleaned up, I trimmed the edges of the wallpaper that overlapped the doors -- just a little bit on each end. They seemed ready to move, so I carried them downstairs and experimented with different positions. Spacing them out didn't work and the 4th panel did not fit, but finally I found a configuration that looked right. 

Three wallpapered panels now form a backdrop for the sofa

Right now they are propped up on risers but after I live with this for awhile, if it seems like the right placement I can attach it with small l-shaped cleats. If I ever want this to be a free-standing screen, I can attach hinges. The wood is untreated - I expected to varnish it but the light color really works with the wallpaper, so less work for now!

Another angle (I have since moved the light on the left so it will not hurt the paper)

I will probably give one of my siblings the 4th panel that did not quite fit into this space. Already it's a nice flashback to childhood - so many meals spent next to this wallpaper, so many times as a kid I inspected each butterfly.


Time to complete: 2 hours
Approximate cost: $100

Kitchen mural project (in progress)

4/5/2012: Made a lot of progress tonight

One of the luxuries I never had as a renter was painting my walls. Sure, I could have slapped on a coat of color but I always felt a bit ambivalent about that. What I really wanted to do was a big, unconstrained mural. But I could never bear the idea of painting it over when my lease was up. 

Shortly after buying this house, my parents visited and my father said that I should paint something on this barren wall. I was surprised; this was the guy who gave me a "starving artists" lecture in high school and insisted I focus more on math and science. Anyway, the more he spoke the more I could envision it. I have painted a few murals before but it had been a decade since the last one, a wedding gift to some friends. 


My initial idea was Italy - the vista from my grad school in an old monastery. The Dolomiti (Italian Alps) and a series of hills and valleys, dotted with one villa after another - it was a pinch-yourself view, and we had it every day. And conveniently, this is the place I met my husband, so I assumed he would not object.

It took several months before I acted on this idea. When "Snowmageddon" hit northern VA, and I was cooped up in the house for more than a week, and I couldn't shovel any more, I finally pulled out my pile of paints and brushes. (My biggest hurdle to painting is the tedium of setup and cleanup).

Sky went up quickly but is a yawn... needs to be addressed again someday

I started with the sky, just to make some headway and see where this would lead. It did not inspire me. Nor did the mountains. I tried some foothills. No good. But I was happy that at least I had broken ground that night -- seeing something dissatisfying is a better motivation for me than a blank slate.

I assumed this would be a natural landscape but then this building popped out one day

I'm not sure how many days or weeks went by before I started at it again. Somewhere along the line I started sketching out a building that looked a bit like the monastery that I lived in for a year in school. And as I fleshed it out, I wanted another building. And another. Soon I was trying to recall what building materials, colors, shapes, etc. I'd seen. I dug out some old photos, found some cookbooks that showed village scenes, and I was rolling.

When my son started walking so we drilled a baby gate through part of the mural

Then, as always happens, the rolling stops. Kids wake up, work beckons, etc. Sometimes months go by and I haven't touched it, then for a week I'll see clearly what I need to do next, work obsessively and make more headway than I have all year. I can't wait for the next time that happens - it's been awhile. 

Detail of the monastery building that changed this from a bunch of hills to a town

Iteration of the mural that has been taking form over the past 2 years on our kitchen wall

Since I started in December '09, there have been additions and deletions galore. I've let my daughter paint squiggles on the sky that I know I'll be painting over -- sort of a mistake, as the carpet is stained all around that area, but she was so happy. Her cousins added some graffiti recently as well. Luckily everyone seems to be able to live with the ambiguity for awhile longer. 

An olive tree that came and left

On its own canvas in our family room

It has become clear that this is going to be a city scene. And the great thing about buildings is, there is no end to their variety. And when you see them en masse, differences in style don't matter so much -- critical for me because I never know quite what is going to happen until I start.  

The building in front has completely changed since this was taken

Updated building in progress with stone walls & tile roof... felt like a better fit

Some days I futz with one building for hours, and other days I can sketch out a whole bunch of shapes. Sometimes my colors are all muddy, some days everything is vibrant. I wish I could predict these things, but I gave up that ghost years ago.

There's some water back there but I think it might need to go away

I'll continue to update this post as I make progress.

Update 2/17/12 : more buildings are creeping up the hillside

Starting to add some detail on the closer structures, as the mood strikes

Totally different style on some of the newer buildings in the distance (not intentional)

Yet another style... medieval monastery looking fortress looming on the hill

April 5, 2012: Made a lot of progress tonight. It's a great feeling when things finally click! I resolved a lot of things that have been bugging me every time I'm in the kitchen and glance at the wall: a roof that I forgot, a wall that is suspended in midair, the stripy mountains, a dome with strange contours, how to handle the section by the stairs.

Finally some height!

Mountains now meet the valley more logically

Mudroom wall project (in progress)

Progress as of May 20

Finally jumped back in November 2012

 

This winter, I finally got fed up with the slew of coats, umbrellas, etc. that collect in the corner by our front door. Because the front door opens right into our kitchen/dining area, and this is pretty small house, we could not cordon off an area for a proper mudroom. When I built the cubby benches (see previous post), I was at least able to give people a place to take off and stow their shoes when they come in. However, jackets and a plethora of bug sprays, sunblocks, keys, mail, etc. still collect inside the door -- and while I tried to put hooks on the wall, the crumbly 1940s plaster wall has not been cooperative. 

Front entry dumping ground that has been driving me nuts

Despite purchasing two stud finders I get haphazard readings, and the plaster crumbles even with mollies. One set of hooks ripped out several months ago and I decided we need a new solution.

I would have probably purchased one of those mudroom wall racks if we were not so space-constrained. I could really only justify taking up the depth behind the door, approx. 8". Nothing that is commercially available seemed like it would fit. And as usual I had sticker shock when thumbing through catalogs like Crate & Barrel and Pottery Barn.

Decent-grade plywood fit our 8' ceilings almost perfectly

My plan: affix a decent-looking piece of plywood to the wall and use it to build out the hooks, shelves, etc. that would give us the essentials of a mudroom. We discovered just how powerful construction adhesive is when we removed a bar last winter, so that is what I planned on using (I do not plan on moving this piece and it's going to occupy a dead area of the room so I doubt this will hurt resale value if we part with this home).

I snuck out to Lowe's one afternoon while my husband was napping with my kids. I asked their staff what thickness plywood would meet my needs, if my plan to use construction adhesive made sense, etc. The man who helped me suggested that I screw the board onto the wall in the center to keep the board tight while the glue cured, even if the screws didn't actually grip into a stud. Note: if you're making a solo trip to Lowe's, ask for help when it comes time to leave... it was a bit of a fiasco, hoisting this heavy sheet of plywood into my minivan. Thankfully I'm strong and, well, have a minivan.

I waited until the family was gone the next day, and thought I could quickly squeeze some of the adhesive out of the gun mechanism the guy at Lowe's told me to buy. This looked super-easy, but not one-handed! When I tried to pivot the board away from the wall so I could get in there, it hit an HVAC vent cover about 6" out and would not go further. It was all I could do to crank out blobs of that adhesive all over the back of that board, then shove it in. I had already drilled pilot holes for the screws (did not want to gunk up my drill bit with adhesive) and that part went fast, thankfully. Then off to work with just a few weird smudges on my hands. I planned to leave the windows cracked all day but the fumes didn't seem too bad.

Added a top piece of molding and a mirror so I could start to see how this will look

I figured that I could then affix a mirror. I bought one at Home Depot that was less than $20 and seemed about the right size. Using the same tube of adhesive, I squirted on some blobs and then leaned against it, expecting it to grab. It was not instantaneous, and as I held the mirror I kept re-measuring the distances from the edge (could not find a level and had not drawn a straight line, darn it). So I did a lot of adjusting and re-adjusting. When the family came home I was standing there, leaning against the wall... my husband rescued me with duct tape.

Even in its awkward state, the mirror has really opened up the room. It's going to be a change, seeing myself before rushing frantically out of the house with the kids and a smear or two of oatmeal on my shoulder.

Hose holder that has been sitting in our garage for a year seemed like a good catch-all

It had been a few days since I removed all of our hooks, and we were hurting for a place to hang this stuff again. February might not have been the best time to tackle this project. I started drilling the old hooks into the plywood. With my daughter passing them to me, this went quickly. I also decided to screw in a wrought iron hose holder (for one of those spiral hoses) that I bought a year or so ago because it was on sale for something like $40 (www.plowhearth.com) and fit with the hacienda look I wanted in our kitchen. The jury is still out on this one, but it might work for gloves and hats.

Mexican tile I got on sale for about $1.50 each last spring

Next I started attaching some tile to the wall, again using that tube of adhesive. I've never grouted anything before and for some reason am feeling nervous about that... I figured the adhesive would work fine just to get these pieces in place. I love all the colors and patterns. While I admire the calm, neutral colors of other people's houses, I prefer my own to be warm, vibrant, eclectic! My husband and I met in Italy, we honeymooned in Portugal, and our last trip was to Spain. And what captures those places better than hand-painted tiles with a slew of colors and patterns?

(I noticed later that something was not level - either the tiles or the iron hose holder. After trying to live with it for a day, I was so irked that finally I unscrewed one end of the iron piece and re-positioned it. WHEW, much better, and my mistake was large enough off that the new drill hole was sufficiently far from the old one).

Tiles held temporarily in place with duct tape while the adhesive dries

There is more work to go, but I hit the end of my patience for now. It's been almost two weeks but I know the next wave of desire to create something will overtake me again soon. Still to come:
- Trim out the mosaic area (already bought quarter round)
- Grout the tiles (I'm thinking a dark gray grout so it does not draw attention)
- Add a top shelf with wrought iron brackets, and add key hooks (scoured for a sale and found some I like on http://houseofantiquehardware.com)
- Build a little box at the base for umbrellas
- Finish all edges with molding or trim
- Stain all of the wood so it is consistent with the other wood in the room (cubbies, table)

Tiles around mirror and one piece of quarter round molding (this is where I've stalled)

I'll update this post when I get that second wind!

Update July 21, 2012: a week or so ago, after work, I got a second wind and tackled two aspects of this project that were driving me nuts. That's one thing about slacking on an unfinished project: you stare at it long enough, and you will see ways to improve it before it's too late.

For some reason I thought I should stain the edge of the trim first...

In my case, the top molding looked way too puny. And it did not come together in the corner well. I wasn't sure quite what to do when suddenly I came across a pair of small corbels I bought over the winter when I saw them on sale for a few dollars each (www.vandykes.com). They would provide more heft. I wanted the molding to be a bit more pronounced, as well, so I dug in our pile of scrap wood and found a 1x4 that could be inserted beneath it. It was almost the right length, just short a few inches. After prying off the molding that I nailed up months ago, I centered the scrap piece under it, and re-attached both. I had a tube of wood filler left over from another project. I wedged some scraps in the hole so the filler would not simply fall back into the void, and then I shaped the filler so it was uniform with the 1x4. It's a patchwork of colors but once stained it should work. If not, I'll paint it a dark color. It's pretty high over people's heads so I doubt this nuance will get a lot of attention.

From the average person's vantage point, once stained, my amateur putty work should not be evident 

I also worked on the shelf. I'd found iron brackets on sale months ago as well, and assumed I'd drill away and be done with this project. But I couldn't find the battery charger, then I couldn't find our corded drill, then I broke a drill bit, then I abandoned the whole idea in disgust. Some days things come together but that was not one of them.


This time, I drilled pilot holes and screwed the shelf (another piece of scrap wood) onto the brackets. We needed this shelf to hold the array of sun blocks and bug sprays that we seem to collect as a family. It needed to sit low enough to fit cans and bottles and tubes, but the mirror is already quite high (so we can see ourselves - at 6' tall it's a pet peeve to encounter a mirror that requires stooping). The end result: rather than positioning the brackets below the shelf, the shelf needed to hang off of them. I realized as I started drilling that there brackets only had one opening for a screw, on the outer edge. The shelf would only be hanging on by a thread, so to speak. So I will need to brace it with another piece of wood near the trim around the mirror's tile border. A project for another night. At least the thing is up there. 

Shelf is hanging on to the bracket only at the edge

   Update November 24, 2012: Decided to go in a different direction than stain!

Shelf after reinforcement and a coat of paint (in the process of drying in this photo)

After a coat of dark wax, the blue recedes and this blends with other wood furniture in the room

I can't believe it has taken 6 months to feel any sort of home improvement inspiration, but this weekend I took up the torch again and surprised myself. Last night I tackled the basics: reinforce the shelf's brackets, add trim around the mirror, grout the tiles, paint the whole thing.

I've been reading about a paint that is super-easy to apply, does not require primer, can go over almost any surface... and it doesn't give off fumes so I can use it after the kids are in bed: Annie Sloan's chalk paint. These are all opaque colors, not stains, but after thinking about it for the past 6 months matchy-matchy did not make sense in a room with 3 different stain varieties. So I stopped by the local distributor (ww.stifelandcapra.com/AnnieSloan.php). First I chose an orange, but when I got home I realized the terra cotta floor would look like it was creeping up the wall. So I went with its complement, blue ("Old Violet"). I also bought the dark wax and a brush to smoosh it on, so this would have an old-world look to it.

I hadn't thought about the nooks & crannies... a sock worked well to wipe after broadly applying paint

Last night I got started, happy to finally cover the patchy areas where I cobbled trim, scrap wood and other random items together. Stain would have been less forgiving.

Dark wax is dabbed on,  then blended with a thick, stumpy brush

Dab away the excess as desired

This process was pretty quick. Last night I got the entire unit painted in about an hour and a half - and this is with a lot of nooks and crannies. Strangely, the little pot of paint that seemed expensive ($38 for a quart) was barely dented.

Today after breakfast I realized I didn't need another coat so I started with the wax. I was able to do this while the kids messed around with Play Doh nearby, because I knew I could stow it quickly if need be. This part of the process was really cool on the detailed areas, but bo-ring on larger expanses.

Here's the basic blue (ok but a little more colonial Americana than I had in mind)

But after I started dabbing on the wax, it began to look much more interesting

Still to go: Create a footer that looks substantial, as if it was holding this up. I have the feet, just have to get the board... and then affix it, paint it, wax it.