Two Bedroom Updates That Made A Surprisingly Big Difference

It seems like every room in our house undergoes a gradual (and often never-ending) evolution, but our bedrooms seem especially prone to this slow-burn decorating process. Exhibit A: this old “Evolution Of A Bedroom” post that chronicled the meandering path of our last home’s master bedroom. Exhibit B: this more recent one about the winding evolution of our daughter’s current bedroom.

Well, if it pleases the court, I’d like to submit yet another bedroom into evidence: our current master bedroom. (I don’t know why I doubled-down on the legal metaphor guys. Consider your objection sustained).

bench / rug / plant / similar floor lamp, chair, pillow / garden stool / chandelier / art (top, bottom)

When we bought the house, the room looked like this. The walls, ceiling, trim, and even the carpet were basically the same off-white color.

But rather than drag you back through all of the tweaks that we’ve made in this room over the last 3.5 years (yes, it has been that long!), let’s just pick up where we left off. As in, after we laid hardwood floors, painted it dark blue, added a frame gallery, and repainted it greige.

Change #1 is the light fixture. As much as we were charmed by the brass & glass fixture that we added a couple of years ago, we knew pretty quickly that it was a little undersized for such a large room. But rather than race to replace it with something bigger (and hang the old one in our closet or bathroom where it’ll be better suited) we decided to just enjoy it for what it was until we found something that we were sure was IT. Because there’s nothing like rushing out to correct “the wrong thing” only to realize a few months later that your updated choice is also “the wrong thing.”

So we waited. And waited. And last December, not only did a certain capiz chandelier catch our eye, its holiday sale price ($250 marked down from $479) made all the right synapses fire in our brains, flooding our bodies with serotonin, and sending spasms directly to our online shopping fingers. In short, purchase made. (This particular fixture seems to go in and out of stock, but right now it’s in stock and $100 off!)

curtains / rug / bench / plant / garden stool / similar chair / chandelier / inlay dresser / night stands

We knew the size would be better suited for the room, and the shiny chrome finish would work well with similar finishes already in the room (the floor lamp, the night stand hardware, etc). We’re all about mixing metals in a room as long as each finish appears a few times so nothing looks like an accident – like how the dark curtain rods mimic the dark frames, our inlay dresser’s hardware, and the feet of chair.

Plus, you know we’re already documented presidents of The Capiz Fan Club (Exhibit D: our anniversary frame tradition, and Exhibit E: our dining room’s chandelier, below).

end chairs / wood chairs / chandelier / blinds / similar art, table, rug / vase

The box arrived shortly before Christmas and it was kind of like unwrapping a present early. Especially the unwrapping part…

Yep, that’s EVERY strand of capiz carefully wrapped and taped in plastic to prevent breakage during shipping. Obviously, I can appreciate the careful packaging, but it was quite the task to untape and unfurl them one by one. I tried to count how many strands there were, but I lost track after the bottom two tiers.

I also lost track because I eventually tapped Sherry and said “you’re it” because my arms were getting numb. My feelings for this light fixture are summed up by a thought I’ve had about my children on particularly trying days: “It’s a good thing I love you, because sometimes you’re a lot of work.”

But all griping aside, she is a beaut. And there are three bulbs hidden in there (unlike the single bulb we had before) so it has also improved the functional lighting situation in our bedroom as well.

I’m sure you’ve noticed another change in these pictures (besides the plant swap – that philodendron is now living it up in our office downstairs because it didn’t seem to like being blasted by our heat vents up there once winter hit). Change #2 is the bed itself.

Our old Ikea bed was a platform bed, so our mattress rested on slats – which we heard wasn’t as ideal as it resting on a boxspring when we shared this big ol’ mattress diatribe. So in the hopes of maximizing our sleep even more, we thought we’d try swapping beds with the guest room, which already had the usual boxspring-and-frame situation going on.

We liked the look right away. The skirt felt sort of substantial and grounded in a way that the more leggy Ikea bed never did (although Sherry has been keeping an eye out for a light tan linen skirt to match the homemade headboard, so it looks even more like “a real gown up bed”). Once our free bed swap was complete, we just had to rehang the fabric headboard that we made a while ago, which had been attached to the bed frame itself. I used a really simple homemade cleat system to hang it directly onto the wall.

Basically I took two scrap 2 x 4″ boards and ran them through my table saw with the blade set on a slight angle. I hung one on the wall by screwing it into the studs, making sure the angle sloped towards the wall and that the whole board was level…

Next I attached the other board to the back of my headboard, making sure the angle of the cut faced down so it would slip right into the one on the wall. This is my favorite way to get a really secure hold on a big heavy object like a headboard. Note: I intentionally used something as thick as a 2 x 4″ board because our headboard has some depth to it, but if you’re hanging something thinner, they also sell metal cleats that would save you the trouble of cutting your own boards.

So with those two minor “evolutions” of our current bedroom, we’re loving the space even more. Although looking at this photo below, I’m realizing we’re overdue for some updated pictures in our gallery wall. We printed some new snapshots around this time last year, so it hasn’t been totally stuck in time, but the kids seem to keep growing on us.

Burger of course wasted no time giving the room his official pillow-sit-of-approval. Because apparently we live in a world where we can’t even make it to the end of photographing our bedroom without a chihuahua coming along and squishing down one of the pillows. #whoruntheworld #dogs

similar white pillows, yellow pillows, duvet, lamps, frames / night stands / curtain rods

And lest you think this evolution is 100% complete (because when does that ever happen?!) we’re probably going to ditch the TV in here soon. We haven’t turned that thing on in almost three years since our son was born… which sorta throws that whole wall further into design purgatory. I’m thinking rock climbing wall, but something tells me Sherry’s gonna fight me on that one.

P.S. Tried to source a bunch of stuff in this post, but if you have any additional questions about what’s in our house (or our paint colors) this page has those details. And if you want to see more before & afters of our home, you can always catch them on our House Tour page.

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Hemnes-Karlby Kitchen Island – Storage and Seating!

IKEA items used:

• 1 Karlby countertop for kitchen island (oak or walnut)
• 1 Hemnes 8-drawer dresser with white stain
• 3 Ekby Stilig shelf brackets (the largest size)

1. Assemble Hemnes dresser per Ikea instructions but do not add the included top.
2. Install 3 shelf brackets, one on either end and one in the middle.
3. Add Karlby countertop in place of the dresser top.
4. Once you’ve placed the counter top how you would like it, attach with screws through the Ekby shelf brackets.

Note: I did not use L-brackets or other attachments anywhere else since wood tends to expand/contract depending on temperature and humidity. The screws in the shelf bracket keep the top from sliding around but still allow for expansion/contraction.
5. I also finished the backside with beadboard, but the back could be wallpapered, painted, etc.

I haven’t found the barstools I want, but you can see there is plenty of room on the backside to add 3-4 barstools. The drawers offer so much storage and I just love my new prep area.

When I’ve moved, I’ve taken the countertop and brackets off the dresser and reassembled.

~ by Lori E

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Nordli 10-drawer platform bed

I have a 9 year old daughter and a 7 year old son… Surprise! I now have a baby girl too. So unfortunately my son lost his room and had to move in with my daughter. To maximize space, I got rid of one 3 drawer dresser and created two 10 drawer platform beds. Each bed cost around $550. It is much better than a lot of prefab captain beds. Same room, two unique colors separated by a neutral grey wall. Kids love it as it feels like they have their own space.

You will need:

• NORDLI four-drawer dresser
• NORDLI six-drawer dresser
• 3 – 2” x 4” x 8′
• 1 – 4’ x 8’ x ¾” plywood (top grade ~$40) – have HD or Lowes cut down to 30” x 63” (slightly smaller is preferable); and rip the 33” scrap to 1 piece of 6” x 33”
• Wood screws
• 6 – ¾” washers that will fit the screws
• Chop saw

Preparation:

Frame (2×4):
2 – 63”
2 – 27”
4 – 19.75”

1) Frame up the four pieces with the 27” pieces on the inside so the overall dimensions will be 30” x 63”
2) Screw the legs to the inside of the frame, two screws from the outside of the frame and one diagonally (you’ll understand once you construct it)

Cut the 6” x 33” strip in half and screw it to the smaller portion of the framing (center it and line up the bottom edge with the 2 x 4)

Screw the other strip in the center of the 2 x 4 that is to the LEFT of the one your previously mounted – these will serve as mattress stops.

After you build the drawers (in the room where you want it – it’s a pain to move otherwise) set them up around the frame (in an “L” fashion)

Remove the top drawers from all the dressers and you will see holes. Conveniently, you can use the washers and screws to attach the dresser to the frame.

Drop the plywood onto the frame – Voilà!

FYI, I drilled two 1 inch holes in my plywood so that I could put my fingers in to lift it up.

~ by Craig

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#39: How To Make House Cleaning Suck A Little Less

Guess what? Even pro house cleaners hate cleaning. So we asked YouTube cleaning guru Melissa Maker to share her secrets for making your cleaning chores faster, more effective, and all-around less painful. Plus, Sherry dives headfirst into the (often mispronounced) Danish concept of “hygge” and how it can make for a happier and cozier home. We also take a look at the wacky backstory to one of our favorite household products and an even wackier date night that had us laughing with (and at) our neighbors.

You can download this episode from iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio – or listen to it below! Then use this page to check out any links, notes, or photos that we referenced. Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you might have to click through to the post to see the player.

What’s New

• Here’s The Little Book of Hygge that captured Sherry’s heart
• And, as promised, here are a couple of photos from our neighborhood Thrift Store Date Night. We’ve never looked better.

• FYI, John bought the outfit for the gentleman in the pink tie (center) and Sherry purchased the sparkly purple number on the far right.

What’s Not

• Here’s that Mental Floss article on 15 Things You Didn’t Know About Dr. Bronner And His Magic Soap
• Oh, and apparently there’s a documentary all about him too, called Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soapbox
• And here’s the actual soap. Sherry’s favorite is the almond scented one. You can water it down and it lasts forever.

Melissa Maker, Clean My Space

• You can see all that Melissa does on her website, Clean My Space, or on her YouTube Channel
• She also has a new book out (also called Clean My Space) that’s a great reference for some of the products, tools, and techniques she mentioned.

We’re Digging

• After waxing poetic about Scrub Daddy (and Scrub Mommy) we found these 3-packs at Bed Bath & Beyond, which you can also get online
• And yes – not only was Scrub Daddy a Shark Tank product, it’s actually one of their most successful ones!

• Lastly, in the pic above you can see Sherry’s favorite new shoes (33% off right now). Her favorite jeans were in the wash, which she’s sad about because she thinks the knees of the ones she’s wearing above are baggy?! Didn’t even know that was a thing.
• And here are my shoes because I know that’s why you’re really here (Zappos is out of my color right now, but Nordstrom has ’em).

Psst- Looking for something we’ve dug in a past episode, but don’t remember which show notes to click into? Well, here’s a master list of everything we’ve been digging from all past episodes.

Visit http://ift.tt/2mK5jaG to browse tile for your next project, and get 20% off your next purchase with the code YHL20. 

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Wood and Steel Magnetic Knife Rack

Ikea items used: GRUNDTAL magnetic knife rack

Background: I was looking for a simple knife rack for my kitchen and decided a magnet was the best option for me. Although Ikea has a great product in the GRUNDTAL magnet, I couldn’t help but imagine how cool it would be to add some wood grain to the design, so I took a stab at it.

The Ikea GRUNDTAL magnet is normally attached to the wall (or whatever you want to mount it to), by screwing the included thin metal strip to the mounting surface, then attaching the magnet to the strip by simply snapping it over the strip. The GRUNDTAL knife rack has very strong magnets facing both directions, so there are magnets facing both inwards to the wall to hold the rack onto the mounting strip, and outwards to hold the knives to the rack with their strong magnetic pull.

My hack simply adds a piece of wood between the mounting surface (in my case, the kitchen wall), and the GRUNDTAL magnet. So in a nutshell, I mounted the GRUNDTAL magnet to a piece of wood, then mounted the piece of wood to my kitchen wall. Confused yet? Pictures should help.

Using a table saw I cut 1/2″ deep grooves 1 + 1/2″ up one side of a section of wood board, carving out an edge for the magnet to be recessed into the wood. My goal was to have the magnet face level with the wood face so that knives and utensils placed on the magnet would lie flush across the wood and steel magnet surface.

The GRUNDTAL magnet must be mounted flush to the surface of the wood block, so make sure the space you cut out for the magnet is a little larger than the actual magnet, to be sure the edge of the magnet doesn’t slip over the edge of the wood, which could compromise the strength and stability of the rack. You can see I left between 1/16″ to 1/8″ of extra space on all sides of the metal part.

The dimensions I used are:

Wood block
Length: 15 + 3/4″
Width: 3 + 1/4″
Thickness (how far it sets off the wall): 1″

GRUNDTAL
Length: just under 15 + 3/4″
Width: 1 + 3/8″
Thickness: 1/2″

As you can see, my final product had the magnet sitting a little higher than the wood face, which ended up being fine. As long as the magnet sits higher than the wood, and not the other way around, the rack will function just fine.

I cleaned up the groove with a chisel and sandpaper, then used a palm sander to soften the corners and edges of the wood. I stepped down sandpaper grits as I sanded (80, 120, 220, 320) to get the smoothest surface. As long as you don’t grind the wood edges down so much that the magnet edge could slip off the wood, then you’re fine. I left a good 1/8″ or so of margin to be safe.

Once I was happy with the shape and smoothness of the wood block, I cleaned the dust off with a tack cloth to remove the fine wood dust and applied 2 or 3 coats of mineral oil with a clean cloth, to protect the wood and bring out the grain. I used mineral oil (the same stuff used to condition cutting boards) because I wanted to be sure the rack stayed food safe and I didn’t want to use a heavy-duty sealant that could mask the beauty of the natural wood. It may require additional coats of oil as the months and years go by, but that’s okay by me.

Mounting the rack was by far the trickiest bit. I attached the mounting strip onto the wood block to make sure the magnet fit and everything lined up. Then I took it apart and drilled holes in the metal strip, so that the head of the screws mounting the wood block to the wall didn’t stick up and interfere with the magnet fitting tightly to the mounting strip. I didn’t want to take any chances on the rack coming off the wall, so I used a stud finder to locate studs in the wall, drilled pilot holes into the studs, and used long screws to make sure it wasn’t going anywhere.

The left screw is a short one attaching the mounting strip to the wood block, the right one is a long screw attaching the wood block to the wall and stud.

One advantage of using this mounting method is I had the entire length of the wood block to choose from when drilling holes for mounting it to the wall. I chose attach points that lined up with the wall studs. The original mounting instructions only allow you to drill holes at the preset dimensions, which could be frustrating if you need to hit a stud or are working in tight spaces.

Overall, I’m really pleased with the final product, and I hope you try it out if you like the design.

~ Eli

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Blanda Bowl Lampshade

I used the Ikea Blanda Blank metal bowl to create this lamp, and then made a video tutorial.

For this lamp I used a common film lighting trick, bouncing a bright light off the ceiling, to evenly increase the light in the room without creating a dominating source.

The principle is to use the white ceiling as a giant reflector to spread a powerful light source evenly over the space. To achieve this I took a large metal Ikea mixing bowl, highly reflective, and used it to focus the output from a 100 watt bulb onto the ceiling.

I used as thin wires as possible to attach the bowl to the cable, to prevent the wires from casting shadows and to make the lamp look like it is hovering.

Factors like size of the room, or distance from the bowl to the ceiling will also effect the light quality. The closer the bowl is to the ceiling the brighter the light will be, however, when further away it will spread the light more evenly across the ceiling and thus over the room.

I installed this one in my living room where I think it works exceptionally well. The room is massive, which gives me lots of ceiling to work with. When it’s on you can see everything, which is what you usually want from an overhead light in this type of space, but the room still has a low-key atmosphere. Also the bright ceiling and dimmer evenly lit walls help the room feel contained, whereas a harsh overhead bulb would be more uncomfortable.

~ by Otto Stockmeier

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Hackers Help: How to recreate this?

Hi everyone

Was hoping you could help me figure out what pieces I would need to re-create this:

~ E M4

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