*This post may contain sponsored content and affiliate links. Please see full affiliate disclosure here. One of the coolest things about that gigantic barn that we have in our backyard is a room (that I believe used to be a milk room) that we have been using as our "workshop." I use this term loosely at this point, because there is still a TON of work to do before we get it to where we want it to be, but I finally got started on the process by creating a portable workbench (I do have video of this entire process on my Instagram account, which you can also watch here if you'd like). "Portable" was essential, because some of my project work inevitably gets done in our garage, and so being able to bring a work station back and forth from the house to the barn sounded necessary. Building a workbench would definitely have been an option, but one day, as I was perusing Facebook Marketplace (as I tend to do), I came across a bathroom vanity that was for sale for only $100. I realized that I would spend WAY more than $100 in lumber to build something similar (not to mention the time I'd be saving by going this route), so I quickly scooped it up. Since a key factor in creating a mobile workbench is ensuring that it is in fact mobile, the first thing I did was add some heavy duty caster wheels to the bottom of the vanity. Heavy duty screws (I ended up using #10s) are also important to make sure that the wheels don't fall off, which may or may not have happened to me the first time I attached the first wheel. Once the wheels were on, I rolled that baby right down the driveway to the grass where I primed and painted it. I used Zinsser 1-2-3 spray primer, and then I used some SW Tricorn Black paint that I had on hand. Mine was leftover paint from a previous project, but I would normally recommend using paint specifically designed for cabinets/trim. I used my paint sprayer, and I have to say that I love this thing more every single time I use it. The finish is beautiful, and it gets the job done SO fast. Another important element to this workbench was a platform in the middle of the bench to house my miter saw. I was able to use my circular saw to cut down the front of the vanity a bit in order to create a space that would ensure that the top of my saw would be level with a countertop. I created platform supports for the saw by screwing 2x4s into the front and back of the vanity (similar process to how supports are sometimes created for kitchen sinks). It is important to note that it took a little bit of testing out to determine the height of the supports. I wanted to make sure that the top of the saw was level with the top of the countertop, so some measuring (and trial and error) was necessary in order to provide the correct depth for the sunken saw. I had an extra shelf on hand from our kitchen island that was almost exactly the right size for the platform. I only had to cut down about an inch in order for it to fit perfectly. I secured the shelf to the 2x4 supports with screws, and the saw was ready to be dropped in. I mentioned the countertop, and after weighing a couple of different options, I landed on using a butcher block countertop that I purchased. I am really happy with the decision - it looks awesome with the black paint! I used my table saw to cut the counter in half, and attached it to the workbench from the inside. There were already supports in place for this very purpose, so I just screwed through those and right into the butcher block. To cover the ugly back of this vanity that was once hidden against a wall in a bathroom somewhere, I used some leftover bead board and attached with finish nails. I thought this gave a really cute detail the back of the piece! The last step was the details, so I added some gold hardware and a cute little "office" sign, and there you have it! Ready to roll for my next DIY! You guys know that I am all about sharing DIYs that are ACHIEVABLE, and I absolutely assure you that this project, or a form of it, is absolutely doable, even by the novice project-goer. You've just gotta try!!

*This post may contain sponsored content and affiliate links. Please see full affiliate disclosure here. So, I'm sitting on a flight, on the way to celebrate my anniversary, sipping on a bit of champagne, and I really can't think of a better time to write a blog post, right? I thought it might be a good idea to start putting some of the most asked about items here on my blog so that you can always look back at them if you need one. So, without further adieu… Paint Sprayer: By far my most requested link. The finish on this is seriously amazing. Adidas Shoes: I get asked about these shoes a LOT, and I have to say that they are hands down my favorite pair. I wear them all the time- whether paired with running shorts or a pair of pleather leggings, they always seem to get noticed! Stud Finder: GUYS, we have 1/2" plaster walls that is ON TOP of 1/4" drywall... and this thing still finds the studs. Designer Dupe Shorts: Like most of my clothing purchases, these shorts are incredibly affordable, and they are an excellent dupe of the Free People version. They are high waisted, so I think they're really flattering, and super comfy too. Rowing Machine: ($50 off with code LIZ50) "Do you really love it?" The answer is an absolute YES. Just this morning, I did a killer race, and the competitive spirit in me loves the setup. Gold Necklaces: I have two that I wear regularly, linked here and here. Bedsheets: (20% off with code MISSLIZ20) LITERALLY the softest sheets I have ever owned, and not even CLOSE to the most expensive pair I've bought. Apple Watch Bands: I am an accessory gal, and my apple watches change just as often as the weather. I love this multipack as my go to for working out or everyday! Eyelash Serum: (20% off with code missliz20) I'm telling you, this stuff works (at least it does for me). Face Sunscreen: I have VERY sensitive skin, and if I'm not careful with what I put on it, I will break out like nobody's business. This stuff has never given me a problem, and also has a nice little shimmer to it, so even if I'm not wearing makeup, it gives me a little somethin' Amazon bodysuit: Truth be told, there are three different colors of these inside my suitcase in the bottom of this plane. Adidas Slides: My go-to. I have an outdoor pair, an indoor pair, and about 2 extra pairs. I've been rocking these slides since highschool and something tells me that I'll continue to do so for years to come. Nail Gun. I mean, it's battery operated and I use it more than any other tool. Enough said. Kids Chore Chart: I love these because they're cute, and my kids love to check off their items to earn rewards. Woven Sandals: My go-to for "dressy" sandals lately... affordable and super comfy Family Room Lamps: Both on and off social media (like when people are actually inside my house), I get asked about these lamps a lot. And they won't break the bank! I hope you guys find this useful, and please never hesitate if there is something that I can help you find!

*This post may contain sponsored content and affiliate links. Please see full affiliate disclosure here. Celebrations are in order, because I have finally wrapped up Phase Two of this bar, which brings this project to completion, and I just have to say... this might be one of my favorite projects to date. This project meant a lot to us, because we had big dreams for this room when we first bought this house, and to see those dreams come alive... well, that's what it is all about. For this second phase of the bar, I knew that I wanted to bring some elements from the front of the bar to the back, but I also knew that I wanted to keep some of the original elements as a nod to the history of the house. In order to provide that continuity, I decided to paint the cabinets the same color as the front of the bar (Dutch Boy Warmed Silver). I used my sprayer, and though I am still getting used to working with it, the finish that you get from a paint sprayer is really worth all the taping off and prep work that it involves. The sprayer that I have, though pricey, is absolutely worth every penny. The finish is nearly flawless, and if there are any flaws, it would definitely be from user error (that's me). They turned out WAY better than I thought, and after seeing the painted boxes and doors, I could hardly wait to add the backsplash. I decided to go with the Zellige tile from Riad Tile again, but this time I went with the 4x4 tiles, and opted for the Natural White color. It is just a touch warmer than their Snow White color that I have previously used, and I thought it would compliment all the wood tones really nicely. Good news: I was right. That backsplash... I mean, those tiles get me every time. In between the backsplash step, I added "floating shelves" between the cabinets that consisted of screwing 1x2 select pine boards into studs on the back wall and the cabinets on the sides, forming a "U" shape. I then laid a 3/4" piece of plywood on top, and used my brad nailer to attach. To finish it off, I added a 1x2 (this time the tall way) to the front of the plywood, which is the finishing piece that creates the illusion of one solid shelf. Since the bottom of the top shelf is easily visible when sitting at the bar, I used my table saw to cut down another piece of scrap pine that fit perfectly in the rectangular space between the boards. I decided to leave these shelves unfinished, and the light tone of the pine fits in really well with the rest of the wood elements, as well as the backsplash. Now, if you have never installed a backsplash, don't fret! It isn't nearly as hard as you might think, and it has actually become one of my favorite projects to work on! You'll want to make sure you have a trowel and grout float on hand, as well as a 5 gallon bucket and a large, soft sponge. I prefer premixed mortar and grout, simply out of convenience, and the color choice is personal preference. When you spread the mortar on the wall, you generally want the trowel ridges to go the opposite way of the tile, but since my tile was square, I kind of rotated between which way I applied. This project went easy on me, in that there weren't many cuts to make at all. I use a wet saw to cut my tile, and though scary at first, they are very easy (though messy) to use, and you can't cut your finger on that blade. Once the mortar had time to set (6 hours in my case), I was ready to grout. Grouting is really easy as well, and you basically just mush the premixed grout around, using your float as your applicator, and holding it at an angle in order to get all the gaps filled. The bucket and sponge come into play next, and you will want to wipe and wring and wipe and wring AND THEN wipe and wring one or two more times. Doing so will ensure that there is no leftover haze from the grout. As a last step, I like to wipe the tile with a baby wipe, juuuuust to make sure that the haze is gone. And that, my friends, is that- this backsplash was DONE. I mentioned that there were a couple of items that I wanted to keep, and one of those was the existing countertop. This countertop appeared to be two long boards that had been glued and joined together, and though I wasn't crazy about the finish, I knew that there was some beautiful wood underneath, so I got to work. I tried to sand it down, but it was incredibly difficult to get the finish off. After a couple of different attempts, I landed on some non toxic stripper that worked really well. You brush or roll it on (be very generous) and then you let it sit. Covering with wax paper or saran wrap with speed the process. I was a bit impatient and only let it sit for about 6 hours before I scraped it off, but if I would have given it the full 24 hours, it would have worked even better. The paint stripper did the trick of removing the top layer(s) of varnish so that I could now easily sand the boards down. The end result was a beautiful, warm, rustic piece, and it was exactly what I had pictured. As for the rest of the details: For hardware for the drawers and cabinets, I kept some existing hardware and also added a couple of new knobs. I love that the older elements of this house can stay alive through these projects, and it amazes me how these styles from so long ago fit so well with the styles of today. The last step is sealing, and I opted for General Finishes in Flat, because I really didn't want to add any shine to the cabinets if I didn't need to. And there you have it, folks! A total transformation, and the best part is that none of these steps are really difficult. Do they take time and patience? Sure. But is it worth it. Well.... you tell me!

*This post is sponsored by Dutch® Boy Paints Now that the ceiling is finally complete, the next big project in our parlor room is our bar, and this thing is just oozing with potential. I always thought that it already looked mostly great (it definitely needed some love), but I knew that there were ways that I could make it more my style. I started by using a feather finish to cover the step, which was in terrible condition from ripping the tile off. This was as easy as spreading it on and sanding it down. I used my palm sander, which I attached to my shop vac to reduce dust. Though easy, that step in this process was important, but not necessarily the star of the show. If you ask me, the part of this transformation that makes the biggest difference is the front of the bar. The actual face of the bar was just cheap particle board, and I knew I wanted to do something with it to make a statement. I started by covering the face in pole wrap, which, though difficult to find these days, is an incredibly easy and effective way to make a statement on a project. I attached the pole wrap to the bar using my finish nailer. After finishing any holes and caulking the seams between the wall and the step, I used Dutch Boy® Platinum Plus® Cabinet, Door and Trim paint for coverage that I know will hold up to any feet taps. I used this same paint on the railing of our back stairs, and I have been really happy with how well it has held up. I chose the color Warmed Silver, which is a beautiful beige with some hints of grey. I put two coats on, and the neutral color looks absolutely gorgeous against our floors and the bar rail. Speaking of bar rail…I almost forgot! I sanded the mahogany down to bare wood before using a 2:1 bleach and water mixture to get rid of some of the red tones. I put two coats on, but I definitely could have done a few more. It was as easy as wiping it on and waiting 3-4 hours between coats. I’ll definitely be trying this wood bleaching method again sometime! Last but not least- what would a bar be without a bar top?! After trying the feather finish to begin with, I ended on using a premixed concrete patch for the top. I preferred this to the feather finish, because the sanding of the feather finish ends up giving a bit of a color variety, and I wanted the top to be uniform. I have to say- these updates were EASY, and I absolutely think that anyone can do them. It’s amazing to me what a difference some paint can make in a room or on a piece. Next up- backsplash and painted cabinets!

When we moved into this house almost a year ago (holy moly I can't believe that's even a true statement), the fist thing I did... and I mean LITERALLY the first thing I did, was grab a crowbar and start removing the ceiling tiles in the large entertainment room, which we have now endearingly dubbed "The Parlor." To be totally honest, I don't have any idea what is required for a room to be called a "parlor," but I do know that we have one now! The tiles that were on the ceiling (the ones I removed immediately) were a styrofoam like tile, and they just were not my thing. We knew our plans for the ceiling from the start, but it took us a while to finally muster up the courage to tackle this job. I've always wanted a coffered ceiling. I absolutely love the way they look. However, because we live in an old home, I didn't think a true coffered ceiling was an option in this room, because it would come down even lower than the current height. I wanted something to bring the eyes up, and so I landed on a kind of "wanna be coffered ceiling," which we achieved by using bead board mdf panels and 1x6 mdf boards. As I mentioned, we always knew the design, and so when our contractors were working on our house, we had them attach 2x2s to the ceiling so that we would have something to screw the bead board into. In most houses, you can probably just attach to ceiling joists, but our house has radiant heat (and therefore copper pipes running throughout the ceiling), and so the 2x2s were necessary in order to ensure that we would have proper spacing for attaching the boards. The size of the boards is really personal preference, but we landed on our design because we knew we wanted two long beams on the ceiling, so we spaced them in a way that was aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Now, as for the hanging of the actual boards, this is DEFINITELY a two person job. If you happen to follow me on Instagram or Tiktok, you will know exactly why I say this (see here and here). There are a few different options for hanging the bead board, but we decided to screw into the 2x2s since we knew gravity would be working against us. We did use a finish nailer to throw some extra nails in here and there in order to prevent drooping in the middle of the sections. Once all the boards were cut (we used a circular saw) and hung, we were ready for the "beams." We hung them along the seams, and also screwed these into the 2x2s. Once that was done, and our arms were sufficiently burning, we had to fill any visible nail or screw holes, caulk the seams, and paint. Seems easy enough, but I'm telling you right now that if you're doing this project, you won't need an arm day any time soon. That being said, I would do this project over and over and over, because the results are absolutely stunning. I honestly can't believe this is the same room that I was removing ceiling tiles from last summer. So if you're room needs a little something to bring the eyes up and you're looking to tone those shoulders from summer... this one is for you!

*This post may contain sponsored content and affiliate links. Please see full affiliate disclosure here. I feel like I need a drum roll for this one. I feel like I need a drum roll because if you have been following along on our journey of moving into this house on Instagram, then you know that from the start, the room I was MOST excited to tackle and renovate was our kitchen. Now, we still have a lot of work to do in this room, and I can't wait to tackle all of that, but real life for most of us is that we take these house projects little by little, and I'm okay with that. Okay, so on to the actual updates! This fireplace has been on my radar since that time that I set up an appointment with a realtor without telling my husband and walked through this house for the first time. It is original to this house, which in and of itself makes my heart swoon. It has a beautiful brick facade, but I knew immediately that I wanted to brighten it up, and I have to say: It makes a HUGE difference now that it is lighter and brighter. The other huge difference in this room was adding actual hardware to the cabinets and drawers, and though it may seem like a small update, kitchen hardware should not be underestimated! I think it can COMPLETELY transform a room, and so I laugh as I type it, but I take my kitchen hardware very seriously. In this kitchen, we were lucky enough to have Emtek Products, which I have been swooning over for quite some time. The Freestone Pulls that I chose pair perfectly with the Globe Knobs, and the satin brass is just the right tone. Brass and gold tones can be tricky, and finding a finish that isn't too yellow can be quite the chore. The Satin Brass finish that Emtek has is perfect, and I don't think I'd ever sway to another. Needless to say, I love them, and I love the way they contrast agains that fireplace! Ok, so speaking of the fireplace... let's get down to it! I think you will be happy to know that this project was incredibly quick and VERY easy. You don't have a to be a good painter, a good spackler, or a good anything to successfully achieve this look. The first thing that I did was whitewash the brick. This isn't my first time whitewashing (I did it to the fireplace at our old house too), but if you are not familiar, whitewashing is a process of watering down paint in order to thin it out for a less opaque look. In this case, I wanted the original brick to show through juuuuuust a little bit, and so whitewashing was a great way to accomplish that. I did a ratio of half water, half paint, and I just poured a little bit into a bucket and mixed. IMPORTANT: a little bit goes a LONG way with whitewashing, and I would say that I used no more than 8 cups of whitewash to cover this entire fireplace (with two coats). Once you have your whitewash mixture, you can go ahead and paint it on with any old paint brush. Have some old rags on hand and make sure you cover your floor because it does get a little bit drippy. I experimented with a couple of methods, and I found the following to work best for me: I would paint a section of the whitewash first. Then, with the same brush, I would dip into my can of paint the TINIEST bit. Literally just a touch of paint. I would then paint that over the whitewashed section, let it dry for a minute or so, and wipe (or scrub a bit if needed) with a rag. This gave me the antiqued look I was going for, allowing the original color of the brick to peek out here and there. And that's it. That's all there is to the whitewashing. I was done with that step, and it had only been an hour or so. The next step was a complete shot in the dark for me, and I honestly had no idea if it was going to work or not, but YOLO, guys. YOLO (does anyone even say YOLO anymore?). Before I get into the process, you should know where my head was at. I really wanted to achieve the look of German Smear for this fireplace. If you aren't familiar, German Smear is a process of wiping mortar over brick in order to cover it in places and give an antique look. Sounds great, but it also sounded pretty time consuming and messy, and so I was on a mission to find a shortcut. Enter, joint compound. If you know me, you know by now that I am a "use what I have" kind of gal, and any avoidance of another trip to the store is worth it to me. I had a big ole bin of joint compound in the garage, so I figured it was worth a shot. I put on a glove and wiped that stuff on there and after a minute or two I decided to just go for it. I wiped without a pattern, filling in some of the gaps between bricks and leaving others. It was working and I was thrilled! Again, there really is no rhyme or reason to the way that I did this. Some spots were thicker than others, and that's what makes it look unique and antique. I did get a lot of questions on my Instagram about making sure that the joint compound was sealed, and yes- I did do another coat of the whitewash over the joint compound once it was dry. Sealing was definitely a reason that I did this, but I also didn't love the color of the dry joint compound. To each their own, but I definitely recommend sealing one way or another. Only a few hours into this project and I was pretty much done! A little Antique Gold Rub and Buff on the ash door, some styling, and this fireplace was ready for its debut. It truly changed the look of my entire kitchen and I am so glad that I did it. If you're looking for an easy one... this one is for you! Oh, and don't forget- -If you are looking for a place to follow along with the videos of this and all my projects, check out the highlights of my Instagram profile!

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full affiliate disclosure here. I have long been a fan of barn doors, and until a few years ago, I desperately wanted one in our house. I was able to finally create my first barn door as one of my biggest projects at the time, and I did so following tutorials of other DIYers. This time around, at the new house, which happens to have a little bit of a different vibe, I really wanted to find a spot for a sliding "barn door" as well. However, I wasn't too crazy about the farmhouse style that often times comes along with the thought of a sliding barn door in a home. Our new home is quite a bit older than our last, and so it is important to me to carry some of the classic, traditional styles through the designs that I incorporate here. The same applied to the design of the barn door. You may have been following along long enough to hear me say that I am a pretty visual person, and so for this design, I actually found myself physically laying out trim pieces on the floor of our Home Depot in order to get a visual for what I wanted (you've gotta do what you've gotta do, am I right?!). I ended up using a combination of a few different trim pieces to achieve the look I wanted. Before I even began building, I pictured a neural colored door and gold hardware, so I had those picked out first, and decided on this hardware, and went with the color Modern Gray by Sherwin Williams (I chose to use the Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel paint). Since there have been a lot questions about what trim I used specifically, I decided it would be easiest to diagram it out for you guys, so the below will tell you exactly what I did. The spacing of the inner boxes is really quite personal preference, so space as you see fit. In my case, I preferred a smaller picture box on top and a larger one on the bottom, so I measured and cut for that appropriately. DIAGRAM KEY: 1. Maple Plywood (3/4" thick). *MDF is also an option here, but is much heavier 2. 1x2 trim piece *This piece was necessary in order to have something to mount the hardware to, since I went with the fluted trim design 3. Fluted Casing Moulding 4. Shoe Moulding Before you do anything, (and possibly before you even go to the store to pick up the supplies, you will want to determine the size of your door. That way, you will be able to determine exactly how much of each product you will need. The width is a bit of personal preference, but I like to make it about an inch or so wider than the frame of the door. To determine the length (height of the door), you will want to first determine where you would like your hardware hung above the door. You'll then take the dimensions of the hanging brackets into consideration to see what the distance between the top hanging bar and the floor should be. Most bracket kits that I have seen have specific instructions in their kits that explain this. If you have your dimensions all prepared, a lot of big box stores will actually cut the plywood to size for you, which is really helpful! As for the actual assembly of the door, I started by sanding down my plywood and attaching the trim pieces around the edges. I measured from corner to corner and made miter cuts for each piece, and this process can been seen in more detail on my Instagram page in the Pantry Door Highlight. I used wood glue and finish nails with my 18 gauge nail gun on each trim piece, and held them in place with clamps while the wood dried. Wood glue is incredibly strong, and will actually do most of the work in keeping these pieces together. Once the trim pieces were all attached, I caulked all seams and filled all nail holes in order for my door to appear seamless. As a final touch, I added edge banding around the outer edge of the door in order to, again, make the door appear seamless as one solid piece of wood. Edge banding is a wood veneer that you can iron right on. It is paintable, and is a great option for unfinished edges like that of plywood. I attached the hardware to the door (definitely a bit nerve wracking to drill holes in my beautiful door) according to the instructions in the hardware kit. For our particular design, we used the 1x2 trim pieces on the inside of the fluted pieces so that the hardware would have something solid to mount to. We attached the hardware to those, and our door was ready to hang! And there you have it! A pantry door without the farmhouse feel, and I am absolutely in love! I found this method to be incredibly straight forward, and think its a great starter DIY for someone who ins't incredibly familiar with using power tools, so if you've been waiting to try a barn door, here is your chance!

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full affiliate disclosure here. If you have been following along for a bit, you know I am a sucker for a relatively easy DIY that packs a punch. I have been on kind of a roll putting picture moulding throughout my house, and to tell you the truth, I don't know if there is a spot that is safe from it. So far I have put it in three different rooms, and on three different doors. I can't get enough of this stuff and I have to chalk it up to the difficulty level, which is slim to none. For this entry, I am going to talk specifically about our bedroom picture moulding, which ended up having magical powers (more about that later). You may remember a few posts back where I walked you readers through my process of adding moulding boxes to our theater room. Those boxes were about as easy as it gets, but I took it a little bit further with our bedroom, and the way that it changed the room is really amazing to me. If you're looking for the details on what tools I used, I encourage you to check that post out first. Since we live in an old farmhouse, we also live with low ceilings, and ours come in at 8 ft. They always seem a bit low to me, especially since we had such tall ceilings at our old house, but the ceiling in our bedroom seems particularly low because part of it is angled (due to the pitched roof). Since raising our ceilings isn't an option for us, I am always looking for ways to trick the brain into thinking that the ceilings appear taller than they are. The way to do this is by finding a way to bring the eyes UP. You can do so with curtains or wall art or a feature wall, and the picture moulding that I chose did just that for us. I decided on a bit more complex design for this room, and I had good reason to do so. I chose two rows of picture boxes because two separate sections would make the ceiling appear even higher than if I had just done a few tall, individual boxes. I wanted to keep things simple (do you sense a trend?) so I decided that the perfect spacer for between my boxes would be my level since I had it on had for the project anyways. I started by deciding how high I wanted my lower row of boxes to go, which in my case was dependent on the height of my headboard. I wanted to make sure that the bottom boxes were larger than the top ones, and that the top of the bottom boxes was taller than the headboard. Say that five times fast. As for the width, I based those on the width of our nightstands. I wanted them a bit wider than the nightstands and so I cut a length that I liked. There may be different factors in your own room and how you determine the size, but this is what worked for our room, and this is how I do most of my projects. I determine spacing by what I think looks good. Surely not the method for everyone, but it's how my brain works, so let's just embrace it. It should be noted that when cutting, the length that you want will be the long side of your trim piece. What I mean by that is this: when cutting, AS LONG AS there are no angles in your ceiling (i.e. your boxes are either rectangles or squares), then all of your cuts will be 45 degree cuts. I used my miter shears to cut one side, and then make sure that I cut the second angle so that wide part of the angle was at the same spot as the desired length of the trim piece. I continued on like this, determining lengths and cutting until I had my all my pieces ready to go. I followed that up with nailing in place (don't forget to check that level). Again, I used the level itself to determine the spacing between the boxes themselves so that they would all be spaced evenly... seems easy enough, right? That IS right, but remember how I mentioned that our bedroom ceilings were slanted? Finding the angles for those pieces kind of freaked me out, to be totally honest with you. When trying to figure stuff like this out, my mind doesn't immediately go to math, and though I am sure there is a very precise mathematical way to determine these angles, I went with my gut and found a way to draw them out. I started by using my level to determine spacing and drew a line where the bottom of the trim piece would sit. I then extended this line past the actual perimeter of the picture box (or triangle in this case). I used two smaller trim pieces for the next step and followed the following sequence: 1. Line the first one up with along the ceiling. 2. Line the second one along the line that I drew for my moulding perimeter. 3. Let them overlap on top of each other. 4. Scribe along the top of the horizontal trim piece on to the piece that was running along the ceiling. 5.This gave me the angle that I needed, so I simply cut along the line. Once the tricky angles were determined and cut, all that was left was to fill my nail holes and seams, caulk along the edges, and paint! I love the look of monochrome accent walls and so I chose to paint the moulding the same color as the rest of my walls, which is Sherwin Williams Alabaster (a lovely warm white if you are in the market). It is absolutely amazing to me that this simple DIY truly magically transformed our space. There is no doubt that the ceilings appear taller in this room now- just take a peep at that before and after below! Not only that, but the boxes bring depth to the space, therefore elevating the design of the room. Well, what are you waiting for?! Go raise some ceilings! BEFORE... ... AFTER!! And OH MY GOSH, the sconces! How could I forget the sconces?! I ordered these sconces, (I swapped out the stock shades for some I already had) and though I am known to use a puck light for unwired sconces, I upgraded to back up battery light bulbs for these and they worked great! .... until next time! xo

*This post is sponsored by Cabinet Joint. So I have to be honest...never in a million years did I think that I would be writing a blog post about an island in my kitchen... that I built. But, here we are, and here I sit, writing this very blog post from the very island in my kitchen... that I built. Now, there are a lot of talented DIYers out there who could probably throw a kitchen island and cabinets together quite easily. Not to un-toot my own horn, but I am just not one of those DIYers. I'm not saying that I won't learn those skills someday, but I am saying that I don't have those skills yet. So, when we were in need of a new kitchen island, I wanted to find an option that was somewhere between having a custom island made and built for me (HELLO, DOLLAR SIGNS) and building an island from scratch (HELLO, INTIMIDATING PROJECT). I was lucky enough to come across the company Cabinet Joint, and I was even luckier to be able to work with them. If you're not familiar, Cabinet Joint is a company that produces RTA (ready to assemble) cabinetry at a cost that invokes much less sticker shock than a quote from a cabinet builder might. Our personal needs involved a kitchen island alone, but Cabinet Joint is able to create large projects involving the cabinets for an entire room, or smaller projects like replacing just the doors in a space. It was a happy medium, and so it was decided. We were going to assemble our own island! The entire process of working with Cabinet Joint was a LOT easier than I thought it would be, so I will walk you though it. To start off, I visited their website and perused their products, trying to figure out what I liked. Here's the thing. I was completely new to cabinetry lingo and knowledge in general, so I actually had no idea what I was doing, or even what I was looking for. Lucky for me, Cabinet Joint has experts in the field whose job it is to walk their customers through the process. I hopped on a call with them and before I knew it, I had taken a crash course in Cabinets 101, and I also had a lot of great ideas that I wouldn't have thought of on my own. Leave that to the experts! Once I had chosen my design and colors (they will send samples if you're in need), Cabinet Joint got to work and soon I had a rendering of my island. Even the rendering was beautiful, and it made me really excited to see the product. After putting in my order, I had another call with my cabinet expert who walked me through the process of receiving and unpacking my product. And speaking of receiving the product, I have to be totally honest. It was a bit scary at first. Everything is packed in specific ways, and I had no idea where to start once my pieces were dropped off. However, between my cabinet expert that Cabinet Joint provides and the endless videos on their website, I was organized and ready to assemble in no time at all. As for assembly, the main advice that I can give is to WATCH THE VIDEOS. I'll be honest. I'm not really a fan of watching assembly or how-to videos. I kind of like to cut to the chase and jump right in, but nine times out of ten, I end up going back to watching the videos when I realize I jumped in over my head. In this case, I knew that this was a project that I didn't want to mess up, so watching the videos in advance allowed me to avoid a lot of assumed frustration. Once you get the hang of it, the assembly process is really quite obvious, and it is kind of like a giant puzzle. Could I do it with my eyes closed? No. Was it the easiest DIY I've ever done? Also, no. But Cabinet Joint gave me all the tools I needed to prepare myself for success, and succeed we did. Right down to the specific screws to purchase, Cabinet Joint walked me through in the best way possible. I can't say it enough- between the customer service and the quality of the product, I highly recommend Cabinet Joint, and I am certain that I will use them again in the future. You can find all the detailed videos of my own experience with the building of the island on my Instagram (in the Cabinet Joint highlight), and if you yourself are interested in purchasing from Cabinet Joint, I am happy to give you a discount code- just send me a message!

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full affiliate disclosure here. They say that you spend most of your life in your kitchen. While this is likely true, sometimes I feel like I spend most of my life in my pantry, and let me tell you that the space that we are using for the pantry at the new house was NOT a place that I wanted to spend a lot of my time (you can see the before videos of this space if you check out my "Pantry" highlight here). I was determined to transform the space into one that brought me joy when I entered it, and so a quick pantry refresh was just what the doctor ordered. When we decided to move into and older house, we knew that we would love it... all of it - even all the old walls, nicks, dents, and scratches. There is a closet in our house that is just off of the kitchen that I don't believe was used as a pantry before we lived here. Though oddly shaped, it had a lot of space in it and potential for a great pantry space. The first thing that I had to address was the nicks and dents that I referred to. I knew that I was going to use wallpaper in this space, and so I filled some of the larger holes with joint compound. I didn't worry too much about making the walls completely smooth since they would be covered, but I did want to even out the larger holes and nicks. I chose to use peel and stick wallpaper in this space, and the beauty of peel and stick is that it is easily removed should my style ever change. I love to use wallpaper in smaller spaces like this, because I think it gives you the opportunity to go a little bolder. In my case, I took the opportunity to go dark and moody. I tried to keep it light in a lot of other places in the house in order to brighten things up, but in this space, dark and moody just seemed to work. My biggest tip when hanging wallpaper (regardless of it is peel and stick or not) is to GET IT LEVEL. A laser level is ideal, because lining the edges up with the laser is a pretty easy task. I couldn't find mine, so I drew lines on the wall with a larger level and used those. This is important because though you may think otherwise, walls and ceilings are very rarely actually straight and level. A level won't lie, though, and so I always depend on that. The only other tools that I used in this project were a wallpaper smoother (though I also find that my hands are the best tool for this) and a utility knife. When actually applying, I always leave some leftover on the top and sides so that I can cut along the ceiling or corner... again, the ceiling and corners likely won't be level, so lining the edge of the wallpaper up with them will inevitably cause problems later. For the edges and corners, using the smoother, you will want to apply pressure the the smoother against the corner where the walls meet and firmly run your utility knife down the line to get a clean cut. Though it requires some patience, hanging wallpaper is an extremely achievable DIY, and I promise you that anyone can do it! Once the wallpaper was hung, I decided to paint the back of the shelves with a dark color that would blend well. Luckily for me, I happened to have just enough of a favorite of mine leftover (Behr Cracked Pepper). The blue undertones of this charcoal color works perfectly with the navy wallpaper, and I think it makes the shelf spaces pop! I also decided to wrap the shelves in wallpaper. The reasoning behind this was mostly to disguise imperfections in the shelves, but also because I loved the contrast (or is it coordination...?) of the paint and the wallpaper. Now, as I stated earlier, I wanted this space to bring me joy, and if you've been around a while, then you KNOW that one thing that brings me a LOT of joy is home decor. Like, a lot of joy. And so, I decided that I would "decorate" my pantry as well. Why shouldn't a pantry be decorated?! Just because it's a pantry? Pantries deserve some decor love too! I happened to have some baskets that I used for a basket wall at the old house, and not only do they go great in a pantry, but the contrast of the wood tones against the dark wall is really beautiful, if you ask me. In fact, I loved the contrast so much that I decided to wrap a doorway to a nook of shelves in wood as well. This was as easy as cutting three boards to size and finish nailing them into the wall. Last but not least, I added some marble contact paper to one shelf (which I use for prepping lunches for the kids in the morning) and grabbed a few cute pantry storage items. Let's be real here, though. My pantry is NOT going to be gorgeous and "cute" all the time, but I think that a few clear storage bins help a lot in making every day foods and snacks somehow look pretty. I try to take as much out of boxes as I can, which not only makes the food easier to access, but its also aesthetically pleasing. And there you have it! I now have a pretty pantry where I can prep lunches and feel accomplishment and joy at the same time. Mission success!

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full affiliate disclosure here. By far, the messages and comments that I get most often are from people who are afraid to start with DIY because they don’t know where to begin. This week, I was able to start and complete a DIY that I realized would be the perfect starter project for anyone who is a little intimidated by this wild world of DIY. Moulding trim boxes are a classic look that has become more streamline lately, and I have been wanting to incorporate them into the new house. I always joke that whenever I say that a project is going to be quick and easy, it always gives me grief. This project DID in fact give me grief, but that is only because a tube of caulk exploded all over my couch... totally not project-difficulty-level related! In fact, this project is so easy that it could easily be done without the use of any major power tools. I’m an extremely visual person, and so for most of my projects, I like to use painters’ tape to get an idea of what the finished product will look like, so I started there. By taping off the wall where I thought the boxes would look best, I was able to get the measurements for my boxes and determine exactly how much trim I needed. For my project, I wanted to keep it simple, so I chose some PVC trim that is incredibly lightweight and easy to cut. There isn’t even any need for a saw if you don’t have one (or aren't ready to take the leap of using one quite yet). I myself used some miter sheers to cut the mitered corners of the trim pieces. You can set the sheers to the correct angle and use them like a scissors, which meant no trips back and forth to the garage for cuts – total time saver! Measuring the sides from inside corner to inside corner and cutting the pieces to length is all the prep that I had to do before I was ready to hang the trim. As for hanging, I used my finish nailer, but you could easily use liquid nails if you don’t have that tool. Using a level to ensure that my boxes are square and even with each other, I hit the pieces with a few nails per piece, and filled the small holes with spackling. Caulk around the seams ensures that there are no gaps between the wall and the trim, giving a more finished look. I chose to paint the moulding the same color as my wall (Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze) and added sconces to the outside boxes. Using my favorite DIY hack of all DIY hacks, I placed a puck light inside the sconce since they aren’t actually hard wired. This is a little trick that allows the use of a sconce as an accent without having to rip your wall apart. The details of this little hack are really as easy as purchasing battery operated puck lights (if they come with a remote, it's an added bonus) and supergluing one to the inside of the sconce. I like to use a PVC pipe end cap from the plumbing department that will fit where the lightbulb would normally be screwed in and glue the puck light to that. Since the wires aren’t necessary, I usually cut them right out and then attach the sconce to the wall with anchors and screws. So there you have it! If you’re looking for a starter project, and you are able to use a measuring tape and a level, then I assure you that you can complete this project with ease, and bring any wall or room in your house to an elevated level of design in just an afternoon!

*This post is sponsored by Dutch Boy® Paints* As an avid DIYer, I often find myself seeing a design element somewhere, and then dreaming of putting it in my home. Who am I kidding?! This doesn’t just happen often; it happens ALL THE TIME. One project that I have been wanting to incorporate into my home for a long time is that of painted trim. Painted trim- sounds pretty standard, right? Well, not in this case. I’m not talking about your run of the mill white or cream trim here. I’ve been wanting to go dark, and in a good way. I absolutely love the look of having a trim that is painted darker than the walls, and in particular, a trim with beige undertones against white walls. Every time I see this look in a magazine or online, I swear I let out an audible gasp. It is so beautiful to me, and I desperately wanted to try this look in the new house. I must admit, I was a little nervous at first, and I couldn’t commit to painting all the trim in the house dark right away, so I decided to start small. In our new house, there is a little loft area right off our bedroom. I knew right away when I saw it that it would be a perfect office space for me. Since it is a bit secluded from the rest of the house, I thought it would be a great spot to take my chances with the trim project. What better place to try a design risk than in the office of a DIYer, so I got to work as soon as I could. I started by painting all the walls the same color as the rest of our house, which is Sherwin Williams, “Alabaster.” It is a beautiful, warm, creamy white that looks good with just about anything. Next up was picking a trim color, and this was a bit more difficult than picking the wall color because I wanted to make sure that it would coordinate well with the walls, and also make a statement at the same time. I landed on the color “Khaki-ed” (419-4DB) from Dutch Boy Paints, and it was a no-brainer to use the Dutch Boy Dura Clean Cabinet, Trim and Door paint for the trim in this space. This particular type of paint is water based, so it makes cleaning up easy, but it gives you the feel and benefits of an oil-based paint. I found the consistency to be sufficiently thick, which made me feel confident that it would hold up well. Our trim had already been painted in the past (hello old farmhouse), and it was in pretty good shape, so I was able to get to work painting right away. If the trim in your home is in rough shape, you may want to consider sanding and/or priming yours. This process moved along quite quickly, and one of the main reasons for that was my decision to paint the wood floor as well (no need to tape those floors off, so I saved time there). For the floors, Dutch Boy has a specific product called Porch and Floor paint that is perfect for jobs just like this. This particular paint includes resistance to scuff marks, which is important to me in a space like this. It also has a fast drying time, which is always a plus! Almost every other inch of the floor in our home is in the process of being replaced, but I decided to leave the office floor with the intention of painting it. Now I realize that some of you reading this may very well be screaming at their screens right now in disgust. I know, I know. I truly understand how it is a trigger for some to paint over beautiful wood. But hear me out. I have always wanted to give this a try, and it is a small area. It is also secluded from the rest of my house, and I promise that it will look amazing. So, like I say to my husband before almost every project: “Trust me, okay?” For the floors, priming is not a step that can be skipped, so I primed them well with an oil-based primer. Whenever planning on painting wood, you will want to prime well with an oil-based primer. I followed the primer up with the Dutch Boy Porch and Floor paint in the same Khaki-ed color, and then topped it off with three coats of a water based polycrylic (I used Minwax®) for protection. I have painted tile in the past, and this topcoat usually holds up pretty well. All that was left now was to wait for paint to dry, and I must tell you that I am SO happy that I took this risk. I think the photos speak for themselves, but if you ask me, it looks absolutely stunning! The monochrome trim and floors make just the statement that I wanted to, and my husband even wants to do the same to the rest of the trim in the house now- it looks that good! So, if you need me, I’ll just be over here painting trim!