Breakfast Nook

I really like the farmhouse style/JoAnna Gaines type kitchens. You know what I mean? Think wooden floors, white subway tile, farmhouse tables and lots of beadboard. But making a breakfast nook of our own was one thing that kept getting placed on the back burner. Probably because we're amateurs who have real day jobs and do not have ton of money to just toss around! But at a slow steady pace, Andrew & I have been working on transforming our house, and in a lot of ways we are getting closer to the "look" we like want… 

• The kitchen cabinets were painted white. Check. 
• We added breadboard to them. Check. 
• The dining room got board & batten. Check. 
• The fireplace got a facelift. Check. 
• Flooring is done. Check. 

It seemed that all we had remaining was to figure out how to make our nook bench. 

Well folks, we finally made it & here's how it all went down.

There are several ways to get the bench. Build it from scratch, turn an Ikea bookshelf on its side, use old church pews, etc. I decided we would make ours out of kitchen cabinets. {What can I say, I wanted the extra storage!} So I bought two builder-grade oak cabinets from Lowe's. For a long time, they just sat in our basement and we doubted if this was a project we would ever accomplish.  Then earlier this month, Andrew had a night where he was REALLY inspired, and he just started going to town on it. Turns out this one wasn't the headache we feared it would be. We had everything built in 2 nights, I took 3 days to paint it, and then all we had to do was order cushions & charrs for the other side of the farmhouse table.

We removed the baseboards and measured where we wanted the bench to be on the wall. Then we added a frame to the back {between the wall & cabinets} so the bench wouldn't be so narrow. Next Andrew devised a way to attach the bench to the wall using L-brackets cleverly hidden under the baseboards. He's a gem! The last part of construction was securing a large piece of plywood to the top with the air nailer & putting the beadboard on the sides to match the kitchen cabinetry. Things were looking good!

Then I painted. I used my old stand-by Valspar Bonding Primer. Things were now looking super good! The end was in sight! After everything dried, I caulked the cracks and we accessorized.

A sidenote about our "accessories"… The cushion is from Pottery Barn. Andrew found it online and we were jazzed because it had the same dimensions of our bench. Weirdly, the thing came and it was 2.5 inches narrower (is that a word?) than advertised. So PB sent me another just to be sure mine wasn't a defect… replacement cushion was wrong too. We decided to just keep it & added the board & batten to the back of our bench to compensate the missing inches. We're both in love with this detail now, so evidently it was all a blessing in disguise. Next fun challenge - the chairs are from Restoration Hardware, and we had to send several back because they kept arriving broken. So who even knows if they will be durable enough to stand the test of time. For now they look cute and hey, they were on sale. So whatta ya gonna do! 

So with the bench built, board and batten add-on, cushion/pillows, table/chairs in place…we are ready to use this bad boy! Icing on the cake will be to find a cool silver lantern to hang instead of the current light. We're in no rush. Thanks so much for checking in to see what's new with us. I've been a bad blogger. I would say you should check back soon for more frequent posts, but who are we kidding!

Keep creating out there, people!

Farmhouse Table

Here are a few photos of my latest project: 

refinishing an antique farmhouse table in 5 steps

(1) Here is the table as I bought it… a little rough & dry on top

(2) Using 220 grit paper, I lightly sanded the top surface + edges with the hand sander

(3) After wiping the dust off, I used an old cotton t-shirt to apply stain

(4) Here is a "during" photo - stain on the right, no stain on the left

(5) After the stain dried, I finished the project by applying 1 coat of polyurethane

Nook Look Book

Hey neighbors, welcome to Old Elm! This week I have a string of days off, so I am working on refinishing the top of a great farmhouse table. Andrew & I went to a few antique places recently, and we found this gem of a steal at the last place we stopped {Victory!} It's going to fit in really well with my plan for the kitchen...

As you know, we've been slowly but surely working on renovating our kitchen. Most of the big stuff is out of the way. And until we scrounge up enough courage to fork over the cash for new countertops…I've been dreaming of a breakfast nook. Here are a few of my favorite pins on the subject:

I love the idea of a cozy little laid-back spot where we'll enjoy weekend breakfasts with our kids someday. I've been devising a way for us to insert one into our kitchen. The area near the sliding glass door to our deck is the spot I have to work with. Previously, we had a little round table + chairs there that Andrew's grandma loaned us when we got the house. After considerable researching {Pinterest has a TON of ideas} we decided to build our nook from 2 kitchen cabinets I picked up at Lowe's for $99/each. It will be a straight bench that will match the rest of our kitchen & have the added bonus of storage! I plan on putting some of my larger weird items there…like the griddle, my cake/pie/casserole carriers. Because those things are so great and handy while you're using them...but when you aren't? #storageproblems

So back to the table… Here is what it looks like sitting in my garage:

Today I lightly sanded the top to remove some imperfections {not all, they give it good character!} then added some light stain.

I used the color "light walnut" by Varathane. It was hanging out in our basement, leftover from another project. Woo! I did 1 coat.

When the stain dries I plan on finishing up with a few coats of satin polyurethane to keep it durable and protect the finish.

I look forward to posting a finished photo of our very own breakfast nook someday!

It's Done!

The Pergo is totally installed! Hallelujah! With help from Andrew's dad, we were able to rip out the rest of the carpet, prime & paint the trim, and lay the final floor boards. It was a long project, and there are still finishing touches to accomplish. But here are some pictures of our handiwork. Once things are back in their proper places and all decorated again I want to post some dramatic "Before & After" side-by-side comparisons. But for now enjoy these!

Things were off to a great start once the guys were able to remove the ceramic tile from the foyer. It took them about 3 hours and made A TON of dust.

After that, we were able to lay more boards in the dining room and remove the carpet {and staples!} in the office. 

The displaced furniture situation was REAL. Our entire home library made it's way to the steps, while all other tables, chairs, lamps, jars, flowers, fishing poles, world globes & extra tools {I see you in that photo, bottom left corner junk table!} got a temporary new home in the living room.

Next, Andrew continued with the flooring while I primed the trim. Then he went outside to mow the lawn while I continued on with the painting inside. We had the windows open and music blaring - it was a good Saturday!

When Sunday rolled around, we went to church, came home & immediately got to work finishing things. As previously stated, the rooms aren't quite put back together 100%. But the floor sure does look amazing! 

L-to-R pictured is the Dining Room, Foyer, Office. 

HUGE sigh of relief! Once we install quarter round, the project will be complete. Though it was trying at times and often stressful, we're pretty proud of the job. Plus, we saved ourselves a boatload of money by DIYing. Stay tuned for our final reveal of how everything looks!

Keep creating, DIYers!

DIY Ironing Board Rack

Hello out there - long time, no post! Since you last checked in, we finished laying the flooring in the kitchen and I've been busy painting all the trim white. I also repainted the walls & cabinetry in the little bathroom across from the pantry. Pretty soon the kitchen zone will be finished, and we'll move on to the dining room…which will hopefully be a snap since it's a square room. Time will tell!

Today I'm going to share a quick little project I did to help keep organized in the laundry room.

IRONING BOARD RACK

Supplies:

• 2 hooks
• 1 chunk of wood
• paint
• screws
• stud finder
• power drill
• right angle/level

STEPS

I completed this project in 1 afternoon using a remnant piece of wood from a previous project & hooks from Lowe's that were $4/ea.

Pre-measure for hook placement. Use a right angle to make sure your marks are level.

Find the middle of your wood backing and mark holes top center and bottom center. These will screw into a stud in your wall. Drill your holes. Use a bit that is slightly smaller than the size of your screws.

Paint {and prime if necessary} your wood and let dry.

After locating a stud with the stud finder, draw a pencil line on the wall & line up your pre-drilled screw holes. Power drill into the stud, then screw the hooks into their pre-drilled holes.

Check to make sure it's level, then hang your ironing board. Tad-da! All done and under $10!

Thanks for stopping by Old Elm today.

Keep creating, DIYers!

Mystery Project Teaser

Today my mom came over & we had a great time working on our special project. Mom deserves the credit for discovering this one, and we've been planning on making it for quite some time. We spontaneously decided to tackle it today because we both had free time. She got our supplies last night at JoAnns and I provided the pallet wood {leftover from the bookcase I made a few weeks back}. Our first day of work at it was totally successful. We're so excited about this one that I couldn't resist posting a little teaser. You'll have to keep your eyes peeled to see the finished product, mystery revealed! Here are some photos of what we worked on... Can you guess? 

Contest // CLICK HERE to reach our Facebook page and comment with your guess. Winner will be chosen at random Friday March 6th and be awarded a {free prize} made by yours truly!!!

Faux Mudroom How-To

Today was a really productive day! Using the beadboard we had leftover from refacing the sides of our kitchen cabinets, we created a "mudroom" across from our garage entry door. The space isn't big enough for a full on mudroom {i.e. no bench for extra storage} but I came up with this idea and we achieved a similar look. We'll still use the space the same way, but now it flows into the kitchen & matches really nicely. Here's how it came to be:

First we removed the old coat rack, cut the bead board to fit the space and nailed it into place. 

This took a little extra work - Andrew used a Dremel with a sanding bit to get the fit just right.

Next we devised a three piece shelf, cut our wood to size, and nailed it into place. 

{We used pine from Lowe's} I wanted the shelf to be deep enough to withstand light-weight decorations.

Last, I primed/caulked/painted and reinstalled the hooks from the old rack. Ta-da! You can see the little transformation in the photos above. Notice the flooring {or lack thereof} in the righthand photo…We are so close to installing our new Pergo & can't wait to see how that unifies all of the rooms it flows throughout. Stay tuned!

Keep creating, DIYers!

Pallet Bookshelf

Good morning! Today I want to share with you a {FREE} project that I tackled last week - Adding pallet wood to the back of an old bookcase. It turned out just as I envisioned and gave new life to two old things. Check it out!

First I disassembled my pallet. I wore gloves to avoid splinters and used a crowbar, hammer & my hands to pull it apart. Time consuming but worth it!

Next I used the hammer to pull out the old rusty nails. Should you decide to do this too, the nurse in me wants to make sure you have an up-to-date tetanus shot.

Be careful not to break your slats of wood. I had two that splintered apart, but plenty left over for my bookshelf. Work mindfully. Slow and steady wins the race.

Last, I used our miter saw to cut the slats the same width as the bookshelf. Then I lined them up and nailed them into place. All finished and looking good!

This was an excellent project. I'm not totally sure what we'll end up doing with the bookshelf, so for now it's un an empty spare room upstairs. Feel free to replicate my efforts! 

<<< To see a more comprehensive shot of the finished product, click this photo to the left to enlarge.

Thanks for reading the blog today &  have a splendid Wednesday!