DIY Shelves

Happy end of year!

                                                    

I have been helping out on the weekends at work and have had limited DIY time, but we've finally gotten some people to step up and help out.  So I should be back to semi-regular posts in January.

I did get 7 days off (sorta) so I'm barreling through a few projects in the interim.  This post is about try to update some storage options that had been left behind at the rental house.  It's perfectly functional useful furniture, but needed an update.  And while I think the owners will want to keep the updated version, I wanted it to be removable just in case.

The first project involves the master bathroom.  I haven't really shown you photos, as I am in the process of updating it.  So you'll see the full pictures eventually.  For today, I wanted to focus on the over the toilet storage.

If you remember from the hall bathroom update post, I had originally tried to replace the current master bathroom storage with a cabinet that was too short to be above the toilet and had to be moved to the hall bathroom.  It looks nice, but don't buy it.  Putting it together nearly ended me.

So given the weird measurements of the master bathroom toilet, I had to work with the existing storage.  Which took me a little time to conceptualize.  Because...it's ugly.

So as you may noticed in the above picture, I have A LOT of bathroom stuff.  And there is a single sink with a single small cabinet for storage.  So I pulled out some old IKEA storage baskets when we moved in and got all my stuff out.

These shelves were also metal wiring, which meant my products kept falling down if I tried to place them on the shelves directly.  And there was about 2 to 3 inches of unused space the baskets weren't covering.  So they needed a bit more function as well as beautification.

So, knowing I couldn't spray paint the metal, I got to work.  I thought a wood base would allow more utilization of storage, but wanted thick wood shelves to try to overpower the ugly cheap white metal.  I also needed the dated arch to go.  I came across this post from Create/Enjoy where Suzannah used stair treads.  This was GENIUS! Cheap, functional, stainable, and easy to rip down and sand to the size I needed for the shelving.  

                                                                       Create/Enjoy

I think Suzannah cut off the curved edge but I liked it for this project (and the next project) and kept it.  I did a dry fit with the cut down unstained boards.  Turns out the arch was attached by two screws - GONE.

So. Much. Better.  Right?

Next I tried to paint the treads.  I only had a creamy white paint, which didn't look right again the shelf and toilet.  So I switched gears and stained it dark walnut.  Since the sink cabinet is a dark wood color, I though it would connect the two sides of the bathroom a little. 

When staining, I used the dixie cups to keep it from sticking to the paper - a tip from Jenna Sue Design actually.  So easy and so genius.  And reusable!

My basement became a paint studio for a few days.

Voila!  Behold my key natural hair products on this functional much better looking shelving.

And then...I decided to give things a try with the basement shelving alongside my desk.  The shelves were...cheap ugly thin laminate dark wood (just like the bathroom vanity).  They seemed to be almost bending under the weight of the printer and printer paper. And they certainly didn't look great against the dated wood paneling.  

Now imaging working 10 to 12 hours days down here.  Nope.

Stair treads to the rescue!  This room DID take to the creamy white paint that I had on hand already.  The same paint used on the sliding door they were next too - almost like I planned it. :)  Same dixie cup set up in the pain studio.

These boards were exactly the right length for the existing brackets.  I added some black girl magic through art from @MKoby and @BriaPaints, a few diplomas, and BOOM.  Transformed - functional, pretty, shelves.  I'm currently in the process of rearranging the entire space so this wall can be my Zoom background for meetings.

                                                

                                                

Coming soon - details on the bathroom transformations and office space.  Plus...the catch-all room for the house is getting a make over!

Happy Holidays!

E

Hallway Bathroom Transformation

                                  

Ok. I know I set you up with this big title, but...

This blog post, y'all.  It's gonna be a doozy.

This is the room that almost made me walk away from this house altogether.

Train. Wreck.

Just so you know.  Even though I didn't capture it in the pictures.  Even THE BACK OF THE DOOR has wallpaper.  So when the door is closed, you're in a big black ugly wallpaper box.  With a toilet.  And a shower.  

No. No. No.

This is the hallway bathroom.  And this house doesn't have a half bath for guests to use.  This is it.

This is also our roommate's primary bathroom.

NO.

-----

The first thing that had to go was the wallpaper.  I started simple.  Non-committal. 

I covered the back of the door with white contact paper.

 

Isn't. That. AWESOME ?!?

Seriously.  I just let it sit like that for a month or two.  It was such a relief.  The roommate was happy.

And I know it doesn't match the trim.  But it just needed to be a door.  And it matches the front of the door almost.

Anyway.  Then I decided to step up my game.

With more wallpaper.  The more the better.

This was a good start.  A GOOD start.  This is also where I ran out of wallpaper.

Always order twice as much as you need, people.  Ok to get a test roll.  But then, go wild.  You can return it, sell it, use it for another project.  But Target had run out.

Luckily, Amazon did.  Lucky you. 

Oh, the wallpaper.  It was hard to put up at the beginning.  I was begging it to go straight, stretching it out at the overlap.  Until I realized I should overlap it quite a bit more so that there wasn't an edge of black underlying every panel.  Then it was easy.  

I used tutorial from Young House Love to figure out how to hang it, but I guess I didn't read it closely enough.  The wallpaper also has a brief video.  But really, just cover 1/3 of it with itself and then smooth it out really good and call it a day.  And buy extra.  A lot extra.

Oh, and this kit was also really helpful.

-----

So then...while I was waiting for the wallpaper...I did a thing.

Boop.

I decided that dated lighting ALSO had to go.  Remember, I'm a renter.  So I had to be SMART here.

Pinterest tutorial to the rescue!

Dogs Don't Eat Pizza and Bless 'er House had already solved this problem for me.  

Such kind clever people on Pinterest, y'all.

Boom - bought these Edison bulbs and these light covers.

Before.

In progress.

After.

Oh, and then the wallpaper came!  And did I mention the medicine cabinets were also covered in the wallpaper.  Contact paper magic again!

That and some desperately needed storage really took this bathroom over the top.  Y'all, this cabinet may look pretty, but it was TERRIBLE to put together.  I got it from Wal-mart and I refuse to put the link up here.  You'll have to search for it.  I'm telling you.  Terrible to put together.

I originally bought it for our master bathroom, and put the storage shelf that was left in there in this room, but it was too short for our toilet, so I switched them out.  The hubs helped me attach it to the wall.

I know it looks good but...trust me.  I wouldn't lie to you.

Also, the edges of the wallpaper needed some love.  I found this peel and stick trim and went to town along the top.  I might add some to the bottom at some point, but...not right now.

Also, ignore the fluorescent lighting.  I can't do anything about that.  Well, not yet at least. It took the hubs a while to find replacement panels for the ones we broke putting the cabinet over the toilet. 

Never again.

So for my last and final project.  I had to dress up the mirror a bit.  You know how we do, right?

A little edge trim, a little miter box hand sawing (a present from the hubs that I saw @brickendhaus use on the gram and became obsessed), and voila!  

I won't bug you with the pictures of that process.  Cut, paint, seal, and then...staple gun the edges together and glue and clamp.  Then had the hubs carve out a little space to fit it over the lights, put some 3M sticky strips on the back, and BOOM.  Done.

If you want a tutorial, go check out this one from Leah Maria Designs.

So again.  Let's review.

Hallway Bathroom TRANSFORMATION.

The End.

E