Current House – Page 46

Gimme a Giveaway: Studio Cherie

Published on November 14, 2014December 10, 2014 by Our Humble Abode25 Comments

This giveaway is now closed. Our lucky winner is GG! Please check your email.

Doesn’t everyone have one ugly piece of furniture? If you’re lucky, it’s made of wood. Something easy to sand down to stain or paint. But what about that super comfy chair, that shows how much it has been loved over the years? That’s where Studio Cherie’s Custom Slipcover Craftsy class comes in.

With step by step instructional videos, you’ll have a personal seamstress fairy watching your every move.

Really, you’ll learn about fabric selection, sewing basics, and how to tackle the sticky situations involving rolled arms and piping.

If you need to give a chair some love, this class is right up your alley.

The Goods: One free Slipcover Craftsy Class with Studio Cherie.

To Enter: Tell us about a piece of furniture you’ve got that could use a new look.

For additional entries:

1. Like Our Humble Abode on Facebook. Come back to leave a second comment.

2. Like Studio Cherie on Facebook and on Etsy for the latest updates.

Contest Closes: Thursday, December 4th, 2014

Number of Winners: One!

Ships: No shipping, hooray for online courses!

Other Info: We will select the winners using random.org and announce on Friday, December 5th.

Floating Night Stands

Published on November 10, 2014November 10, 2014 by Our Humble Abode16 Comments

Why is the master bedroom usually the last finished/decorated room? Our bedroom was a mixed bag of old furniture, all functional, just not what we liked.

While inoffensive, the Ikea side tables just weren’t the best shape or size. An off-center window left a little more space on one side of the room, too. To play nicely with the planked wall, Ben built cedar night stands.

Originally, my plan was a simple double shelf, very similar to our entry console.

After using the entry shelf, I decided I wanted a single shelf, as the lower would be another surface to fill. I tossed out the idea of a basic shelf with black brackets, but Ben thought it would look off. We agreed a floating shelf would look great and blend best with the plank wall. There are many ways to make a floating shelf, but here’s what we did. For the base, we bought four heavy-duty right angle brackets. Look for something with a consistent width, as this will determine the shelf spacing. Mount the brackets into studs with the 90 degree angles to the outsides.

Using scrap cedar, Ben built a hollow, tight-fitting box using the brackets as spacers.

Then, the box frame slides over the brackets.

As a bonus, cords tuck inside the shelf, hiding away the extra length.

My nightstand is 24 inches wide and centered on the area between the bed and wall. I hung a small square print to add interest to the grouping.

To make up for the slightly wider space on Ben’s side, we built his at 30 inches wide. It’s mounted the same distance from the bed as mine. A wider print fills the space nicely.

Now to finish painting the room and get longer curtain panels.

And we should get the outlet properly mounted and covered. Ahh, there’s always something.

His and Hers Tasks

Published on November 7, 2014November 7, 2014 by Our Humble Abode13 Comments

Good news, everyone. The siding is 99 percent finished! Ben took the last three days off work to get everything done before this weekend’s cold snap hits. After starting with the most tedious part, everything went up smoothly and mostly without incident. With much hemming and hawing, we decided to wrap the bathroom bump out in steel. During install, Ben was on the scaffolding while I was at the bottom pounding each panel up. While pounding a panel in place, a prybar fell off the scaffolding and on my arm. A string of four lettered words spewed out of my mouth. Other than that, no problems.

Lower portions were a breeze by comparison and Ben had most finished by day 2.

We know this siding choice is different. People seem to love it or hate it. Fortunately, several neighbors have come over to tell us how much they like it. They could love the steel, or just that it’s finished.

Regardless, we’re thrilled. Both with the look and that we’re almost done. To finish off the outside corners, we’re waiting on five pieces to cover the edges. You can see one by the front door.

While Ben was siding (and didn’t need my help), I was inside painting trim and a few walls. Here’s a peek at the first coat in our bedroom. As the McDonald’s slogan goes, “I’m lovin’ it.”

Hopefully tomorrow we’ll get our siding trim pieces to wrap things up. Once that’s finished, we can take down the scaffolding and get working on kitchen plans. Wishing you all a fun and productive weekend.

Siding of Steel

Published on November 3, 2014November 3, 2014 by Our Humble Abode17 Comments

On Friday, Ben got the call we’ve been waiting for. Our steel siding is done and ready to pick up. Hooray, we can actually finish the outside of our house! However, we did stray slightly from our original plan.

Using corrugated rust steel was always the intention, until we started weighing the pros and cons. Corrugated is more rigid and larger panels mean quicker install. However, the 40 inch wide panels can make some cuts more difficult. All exposed screws must be lined up to keep it looking nice, too.

So, what’s the other option? Standing seam steel, that has a board and batten look. These panels are 13 inches wide, which is better for intricate cuts and are easier to shimmy into the channels. It is also secured with hidden fasteners, so there are very few exposed screws. Standing seam was actually about 30 cents cheaper than the corrugated, but the hidden clips bump the price up another 50 cents per square foot. After talking with the company, measuring, and giving them our cut list, we placed our order. Then patiently waited for it to be manufactured and tackled a few loose ends inside.

Having never installed steel siding, we thought it best to start on the less visible back side. Which also happens to be the most difficult area with angled cuts, windows and doors, and a few light boxes, too. Overall, install went really smooth. A special steel cutting blade (we bought ours with the steel) makes cuts quick and even. Channels surround the windows and doors, allowing the steel to tuck inside for a tight seam.

Every two feet or so, clips snap on to the steel, and then get screwed into the wall. The next piece covers the edge and the process repeats.

Even with the learning curve and funky cuts, the back took less than a complete weekend to finish.

Ben kind of freaked out the guy when he picked up the steel by jokingly asking, “If I leave this outside, it won’t rust, will it?” Our plan is to see how much it weathers over the winter. If we want to quicken (or even) the process, we can spray it with water.

Next up, finishing the front and garage sides. I’m sure everyone, neighbors included, will be happy when we’re finished.

Halloween, We’re Ready

Published on October 29, 2014October 29, 2014 by Our Humble Abode4 Comments

I’m not sure how it happens, but every year Halloween sneaks up on me. For the past month, the boys have talked about their costumes. E requested a cloud with rain.

I had every intention of sewing his costume, but didn’t have enough white fabric on hand. In the spirit of Tim Gunn, I “made it work” by using a sheet of foam core to create two identical cloud shapes. Fabric scraps connect the two sides, making it a sandwich board style. Paper rain drops hang from thin fishing line below. Before Halloween, I need to paint a rainbow to add, because that’s what the little man wants.

V, the crazy kid, wanted to be a battery. Seriously, this kid comes up with some of the most un-kid things. Credit card at 3, then a stop light, and a Rubik’s cube. A battery fit in perfectly.

Ben saved me a box big enough for V to fit in. I wrapped the bottom of the box with two sheets of black poster board (from the dollar store) to get the general idea. Two sets of paper cut Duracell letters are attached with double-sided tape, and white out to write ‘alkaline battery’ below. For the terminals, I pulled two different sized canning lids and hot glued them on top. I suppose I should cut arm holes, but it was a fun costume to put together.

Decorating our entry was just as fun. E helped me tape paper bats and rats to the walls. Michael’s clearance several years ago, but we made a few more to fill in.

He made a few custom creations, too. Can you spy his bat in the picture above? Later on, he added a witch on a broomstick:

Decorations pop against the white wood wall.

A few dollar store crows sit on the shelf along with rubber rats that the boys especially love. We found the skull in the back while exploring, so I painted it gold and set it out.

Somehow, a bird got trapped inside a lantern.

Decorating with kids is so funny. The little things that excite them cracks me up. Who knew rubber mice could be so hilarious?! Little boys, that’s who.