Archives For OUR HOME

My Desk Area: Almost Done!

September 6, 2012

Our Desk Alcove (with Spike)

So this is where I work (most of the time). It is funny that it has taken me this long to show it you. I guess I spend too much time oogling other peoples offices and somehow felt that ours was a little lacking. I actually quite like our little alcove. I have a nice view of my overgrown trees and plants and I really like having our desk downstairs. Both Mr. S. & I spend a fair amount of time here and it is nice to be with the rest of the family. Unfortunately it tends to get cluttered up with paperwork and toys. For the last couple of weeks I have been trying to purge a lot of the papers and reorganize all of the “stuff” while also adding in some of our favorite tchotchkes.

Desk Area made out of an Ikea Wood Counter

Our desk area is the only “addition” to our house. We moved a couple of walls at the back of the house when we switched our kitchen and dining room. Our back porch and refrigerator room became one space and we added this 3’x7′ bump out to fit a desk. The space sits directly opposite from the piano and abuts the back french doors. The desk is made of the Numerar Oak Counter top. It is in a size that is no longer available (3’x6′). We cut a little bit off of the width and used those pieces to fill the sides to make a custom fit. There is also a 2×4 structure supporting it with joist hangers (it is a pretty heavy counter). We also have some low office units from Ikea (which appear to no longer be available) sitting below the desk. I made the valance and cut the Ikea roller shades down similar to the adjacent Dining Room. I have also added 1 vintage saarinen office chair and am still on the lookout for another reasonably priced one to replace our red Ikea office chair.

Wall Shelves

As part of my goal of making our space more pulled together (but still personal) I switched out some of our boring storage boxes and mixed in some favorite items including a Ben Franklin bust (our favorite Philadelphian), a vase painted by Sam a couple of years ago, a Missoni box, a Robot print and a small race car. On the upper shelf I added a couple of the green storage boxes that we really need and a small trebuchet that I bought Mr. S.  I also added a couple of his vintage albums.

My current favorite grouping

I really like that there is a mix of practical items with fun whimsical things that bring a smile to my face.

Photos, Ceramic Squirrel & One of my husband’s favorite photos by Leif Skoogfors

I have also been working on adding some personal photos to the desk. I am still on the lookout for the perfect tray to layer in below them, but I like being able to see a couple of our annual holiday card photos. We also picked up this awesome squirrel  from Jonathan Adler on our mini NYC vacation last week.

In -Dining Room, -Office, OUR HOME
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The Piano Area is Almost Done

August 20, 2012

Piano w/ newly painted red lamps and kids artwork

I hope everyone had a good weekend! I have been feeling more motivated the last few days. I’m not sure if it is the cooler weather, the deadline for getting images together of the house or the hint that fall will be here in a couple of weeks, but I am going to try and keep it going for a while longer.

The piano area in our house is a prime candidate for clutter and until now didn’t have anything in particular on top except for one small lamp (which has been relocated to the kids play area upstairs). This landing zone is where we come in and out of the house most days and the area often becomes cluttered with stuff, particularly the top of the piano and the floor space around it. In my quest to make the piano area more polished looking, I bought 2 new lamps for over the piano last week to add some height. Over the weekend I managed to paint them and add ribbon to the lamp shades.

Martha Stewart Craft paint in Tartan Red with a Satin Finish, $2.99

I headed over to JoAnns to see what they had in paint. I was originally thinking that I would use spray paint, but I didn’t want a gloss and the choices in satin and matte were not so good. So I decided to take a look at the craft paint. I liked the look of the Martha Stewart craft paint (in Tartan Red) and decided that for the price it was worth a try. I also thought it might work better anyway because the lamps already had a slight brushed texture to them. Fortunately, the paint went on well in one coat. It was really easy because I just squeezed the paint right onto the brush, so clean up was super easy and I only used about 2/3 of the small container.

Gluing Grosgrain Ribbon onto the Lamp Shade

I also picked up some aqua grosgrain ribbon for the lamp shades for $3.99. I decided to try gluing it directly to the shade with craft glue (Alene’s Original Tacky Glue). I started at the back and used some scotch tape to hold it in place. Then in about 9″ increments I added glue to the ribbon and pulled it tight. Keeping it tight is key because the lamp shade is slightly smaller on the top then the bottom and it will pucker on the top if you aren’t careful.

Fixing a couple of spots on the ribbon

I had a couple of spots at the top where I needed to add more glue. I took a small piece of cardboard and carefully put a little bit of glue in the gap and pushed down with my finger. Then I waited over night and put them back on the piano the next morning.

Piano with new lamps and accessories

So now that the lamps were done it was time to add some more accessories. I started with a table runner by simrin that I bought a couple of years ago. I really like the color and pattern, but find that I don’t use it very often with the kids.

The kids birdhouses and a few of Sam’s treasures from Artcamp

I had already decided that I wanted to feature some of the kids artwork on top. I found an old brass (?) plate that we had and added one of my favorite books (Pattern by Orla Kiely).

Copper bowl filled with the kids nature display (cicada shell in foreground)

Next I  added a copper bowl filled with the kids “nature display”. We let the kids collect pine cones, leaves, pebbles and cicada shells and had been putting them on a small tray that was getting too full. This new bowl works well.

I have also added a new basket (from Homegoods) that sits on the adjacent shoe rack, to hold miscellaneous stuff.

Next on the list is new valances to match the ones in the Dining Room. I sewed them over the weekend, but I still need to pick up the wood and brackets to finish them up.

So far I am really liking the red lamps and new bit of color to this corner of the house. What do you think?

In -Dining Room, DIY, OUR HOME
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Life & Trying to Make the House Look Pretty

August 16, 2012

My little helper

I know it has been a while! Life has been busy, fun, frustrating, tiring and everything in between the last few weeks. I’ve been trying to stop and enjoy some time with the kids before school starts. With my little man getting ready for kindergarten, there is going to be some adjusting. As part of the getting ready for fall, I have been trying to get the house in better order. It has been a painfully slow process. I did manage to get some of the shelves up in the Playroom. I am planning on adding a second set on top and some additional wall shelves. That will probably take a while, but at least we have some cubbies to start to put the kids stuff in.

Playroom Shelves, up but not organized!

Meanwhile, I saw that Jen from Rambling Renovators is going to be writing a book called Blogger Style. She is taking entries for interiors designed by bloggers (due by September 15th). It is a pretty exciting opportunity, even if my own chances of making the cut are small. I have also been meaning to put together a house tour for my blog for ages, so I am trying to use this as a catalyst for taking some pretty pictures of the house. I tend to get bogged down in the actual construction of things, and it feels like I never get around to the final pictures and staging. So for the next couple of weeks I am going to focus on the pretty aspect of my house and try to ignore all of the other unfinished big and small projects and put some makeup on her. After all I think she deserves it! I have certainly been pinning up enough pictures on pinterest for inspiration.

Kitchen Counter in progress

As part of this process I actually need to do a little shopping (mostly from around the house but it is also time to pick up a few things to make the house feel fresh). I am working on taking some photos now, so I can take a look and tweak things before I shoot better photos. It is amazing the things that are obvious only after you take a photograph (eek, those window sills need to be cleaned and I really need to oil the counters).

Kitchen Counter in progress

For example, the area on top of the piano had become a dumping ground. I am hoping by paying some attention to it, I can make it more of a focal point.

Piano w/ new lamps and kids artwork

I bought these new lamps yesterday at Homegoods. They were are really good deal ($29 a piece) and I really liked the height and shape.  I don’t care for the color. I am now trying to decide what color to paint them. I am currently thinking about red or blue.

Red Lamp Option

Blue Lamp Option

What do you think?

In -Kitchen, -Playroom, FAMILY, OUR HOME
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Beadboard Options & Ceiling with Removable Sections

July 20, 2012

Basement Beadboard Ceiling Details

The most popular question I get on my blog, is about the beadboard ceiling in the basement. I have promised to write a more detailed post. So here it goes…

I am become sort of a beadboard expert over the years. I didn’t start out this way, but our house is old and already had a good bit of beadboard, and I have had to patch some over the years as well as installing new. Beadboard and wood planking comes in all sorts of sizes and dimensions and range in price from totally affordable to kind of expensive. I’ve used a bunch of different varieties for different uses. In the basement we have used 3 different types.

Beadboard Detail at the Window

1. Walls: We used a classic full size tongue and groove beadboard for the walls. This is 3/4″ thick and approximately 6″ wide. One one side there is a “bead” in the middle and on one end, giving you about a 3″ repeat. On the back it is smooth with a simple v-groove at the joint. The basement already had some of this board on the walls, so we actually salvaged what we could for re-installation. The nice thing about this is that you don’t need any backup. This is strong enough to act as the wall surface. It is simply nailed to the studs. This is also what is installed on our porch roof (which is what this type of board was originally meant to be used for). Fortunately Home Depot sells it in 8′, 10′ and 12′ lengths.

Thin Plank Ceiling in Bathroom. This is permanently attached.

Our Dining Room Ceiling: Beadboard & Beams attached to a plywood substraight

2. Ceiling Option 1: For our Dining Room Ceiling and the Ceiling in the new basement Bathroom we used a thinner beadboard product. It is still tongue and groove but it is only about 3/8″ thick. This will tend to warp, so it usually requires a back up material (in our case 1/2″ plywood). This nice thing is that it is really light weight and easy to cut. These come in shorter length and are packaged in sets. They are available in pine unfinished and white, as both a beadboard and a plank product. For our Dining Room we used the beadboard and for our bathroom ceiling we used the plank. In both cases we went with the less expensive pine and primed and painted it ourselves. However this isn’t a good option for a removable ceiling since the piece are flimsy and have a tendency to warp if not attached to a substraight.

Basement Beadboard Ceiling Details

3. Ceiling Option 2: For our removable ceiling we want with a sheet product. This is about 1/8″ thick and is available in a 4’x8′ sheet and primed white. This is easy to work with and inexpensive. However because it is so thin it will tend to sag, so we had to be careful about not making the spacing too large. This also meant creating a “grid” out of wood for the panels to sit in. The nice thing about the thin panels is that it helped us maximize the ceiling height. We even bent one panel about 1/2″ to allow for an extra low pipe.

Ceiling w/ T-Shaped Pieces Installed

Step 1:We started by creating an upside down T shape out of 2 1×4 pieces and attaching them perpedicular to the floor joists above. This gave us enough space for the miscellaneous plumbing to fit.

Step 2: Rough in lights as required. We centered our in each “bay” of the ceiling. This took a lot of effort to come up with a pattern. Our ceiling was full of pipes and other obstructions (we are below the kitchen). I stood there for about a half hour with my contractor and a piece of paper trying to come up with an acceptable pattern.

Testing Panel Locations before Installing the Cross Piece

Step 3: Figure out the spacing on the panels and test fit.

Step 4: Install the cross pieces. We used 1×2 with a groove cut for the panel and notches out on either side for them to sit on the 1x4s running the other way.

Ceiling Before Painting

Step 5: Install all of the panels. Because everything is pretty snug it definitely takes a little adjusting to get them into place. We installed the ones with lights first,since the trim piece goes over the panel.  I have to say that it is kind of pain to move them, but I don’t plan on doing it very often (maybe once a year to tops). The one advantage I do see is that if I get a leak above (i.e. the dishwasher) it would most likely only require taking 1 panel out.

Finished Ceiling

Step 6: Paint. Okay so I should have painted the frame before putting the panels in, but I didn’t. Oh well. I really like how it came out.

Cost: I have also gotten several questions about cost. The materials themselves were not very expensive for this ceiling. Most of the cost is in the labor, for installing the upside down T-pieces (while dodging pipes), cutting the panels to fit and making the cross-pieces. It is also pretty slow going! If you are up for doing it yourself and you have the time, I think it is worth it. Paying for a contractor to do it, is definitely not cheap though.

More Questions? Just add a comment and I will do my best to answer them.

In -Basement, -Cottage Style, DIY, OUR HOME
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New Chair

July 16, 2012

New Chair from One Kings Lane

I hope everyone had a good weekend! We had a pretty relaxing weekend, although I don’t think I am quite ready for the week. I realized that I haven’t shown you my latest chair and its new home.

So I bought this chair a little while back thinking that it would go in our Master Bedroom. Well, we are still a long way from working on that space, so it was in the Living Room, until we did some rearranging and I moved it to the Dining Room last month. I like it in here so much that I think it will stay here for  a while and  I might need to look for a new chair for the bedroom.In its new location it is a good resting spot for putting on shoes or sitting and talking to someone while they are on the computer (which happens more than I would like).

Chair in Waverly Santa Maria Desert Flower

The chair was from One Kings Lane is no longer available, but the fabric is “Waverly Santa Maria Desert Flower” and is $19.99 a yard. They also have a coordinating zigzag and flower fabric, and it comes in a couple of colorways. I really do love the fabric. It is so fun, but it is definitely a statement piece.

P.S. I have some new exciting projects in the works, which I hope to share soon. I hope everyone has a good week and stays cool!

In -Dining Room, -Fabric, -Furniture, INTERIOR PRODUCTS, FURNITURE & FABRICS
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Our DIY Kitchen Window Seat & Radiator Cover

June 28, 2012

Radiator Cover & Bench after Repairing and Fixing it

One of the things I wanted in our kitchen when I was designing it 6 years ago was a window seat. I think I looked at too many interior design magazines where I saw kids sitting happily on the window seats while their mom’s cooked. Well, I managed to fit one it, which was great. And I have to say I really do like having a place to sit while we cook. It has been used everyday since we put it in. It was where the babies took naps in their carseats, where they play with their toys and where they spend lots of time looking out the window. It is also a favorite spot for our cats (especially in the winter when the radiator is going).

Maisie in her carseat sitting on the bench  the day she came home from the NICU with Sam

We installed an old giant radiator underneath the back window it to heat the room (and replace 2 smaller ones that were in the way).  It also meant that we could keep the large window that overlooked the backyard (something I was pretty adamant about), while replacing the windows that faced the road with smaller windows that allowed for more counter space. When I made the cover I was in a bit of a hurry. I think it was before a holiday. Anyway, I made a 2×4 structure with various 1″ thick poplar pieces for the face. We also installed bronze grill in between the finished wood and the backup structure to hide the radiator. While the backup structure was screwed in, the cover pieces were nailed and glued. This held up fine until my kids started walking, since then it has been taking a beating from both kids and it didn’t pass the test!

Bench earlier this month before fixing it! (the extra pieces were in a box in the Dining Room)

It has been deteriorating for the past couple of years, as I tried to ignore it (and even managed to keep it out of the photos). Well with Sam’s Party approaching we put it on the list of items to fix. The good news is that my wood working skills and tools have improved since then! So I was able to take the pieces and reassemble them using my Kreg tool. Then I bought new bronze grill and added extra wood at the bottom to provide some extra structure.

Bench striped back to its structure (with Spike)

I took off the remaining pieces (which took about 10 minutes). Spike our cat was very suspicious. I then took out all of the old nails and screws. While I was at it I added a couple of extra screws to the back up structure.

Bench front after installing pocket screws using the Kreg tool

Previously I had installed the pieces 1 by 1 onto the frame. This time I decided to make the frame one rigid piece with pocket screws (and the Kreg tool). As you can see, I used a LOT. I really don’t want this falling apart again. I also added 2 pieces at the bottom (with holes) to make it more rigid and prevent the kids from kicking the bottom of the bronze lattice. After this I tested to make sure it would slide into place (which it fortunately did).

Then I patched and painted the front (the same color as before so 1 coat was enough).

I patched and painted the front (which I had previously done it place). It was a lot easier to paint this before installing the bronze lattice. Plus the off-gassing from my old school oil paint was done outside.

Stapling the bronze lattice to the back

After it was dry I flipped it over and installed the bronze lattice. We choose a quatrefoil pattern (from Killians Hardware in Chestnut Hill). I used my staple gun with 1/2″ staples and went to town. I used a LOT of them in both directions (I REALLY don’t want this come apart again). The good news is that this new lattice is stiffer then the old sheet, so hopefully it will hold up.

Reinstalling the front of the bench

Then I reinstalled the bench. On the top I screwed it in from the back. Towards the bottom I used several screws and countersunk them. The top has always been removable (to access the radiator).

Radiator Cover & Bench after Repairing and Fixing it!

So there you have it! The project took several hours over about 5 days. I don’t think I spent over an hour on it any one day. The new lattice is really nice (the photo doesn’t do it justice). Hopefully this one will hold up until the kids are old enough to fix it themselves.

In -Kitchen, DIY, FAMILY, OUR HOME
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Burlap Sack Reunited

June 25, 2012

Tunnell’s Fertilizer Burlap Sack

I hope everyone had a great weekend! I am super tired from Sam’s Birthday Party. We managed to make and cook 28 kid size pizzas in about an hour, along with fruit kabobs and cookie and apron decorating. The good news is that everyone had a great time. The bad news is that I think it will take a few days for me to recover.

So anyway, back to my story for today. A while back I posted about the burlap sacks that we found stuffed against the sill plate of the foundation when we were demolishing the basement. We were planning on framing them and hanging them in the basement. I hadn’t thought much about them, since that project is still on the “to do” list.  So I was very surprised to get an email from the great-grandson of the founder of the F.W. Tunnell & Company (who made the fertilizer). He was wondering whether I was willing to part with the sack.  For once my procrastination paid off and I hadn’t gotten around to framing (and potentially cutting the sacks) yet. He still lives near us so I was happy to return the sack to him. He has been looking for a sack like this for a LONG time without any luck, and remembers one hanging in his grandparent’s home when he was a child. Interestingly the F.W. Tunnell & Company was in business from the 1890s to the 1950s. We think our sacks date from the 1910-1930 range.

My guess is that he will have his hanging up before I do. Who would have thought that the balled up piece of burlap would make someone’s day and end up framed in not one but two houses.

In -Basement, OUR HOME
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Dining Room Hutch Update

June 20, 2012

Built-in Dining Room Hutch circa 1920 with new Glass Doors

One of the house projects that we wanted to finish before Sam’s Birthday Party were the doors on our built-in hutch in the Dining Room. This is not original to the house (built in 1888) but probably installed in the 1920s. Originally this was the alcove where the cooking stove was located (the brick is still behind this hutch) but since it has been here that long, we wanted to keep it. The previous owner striped off the paint and I repainted and papered the inside several years ago. The intention has always been to cut out the wood panels on the upper doors and put in glass. Well the doors have been sitting here for years waiting for that to happen. So last week Mr. S. went to work on them! I voted for the router, but he was concerned that it would damage the doors, so he went the route of carefully using a utility knife to the back of the doors (they are pine so they are fairly soft). He carefully took the back of the tongue off the frames and took out the wood, over several nights. Then he installed glass (Lowes will cut glass while you wait) with glazing caulk and painted the inside of them to match the blue (which is also the same blue as our kitchen island and bench).

Top of Hutch w/ Vintage Fiestaware mixed with new Plates

I dusted off everything in the cabinets and moved some stuff around. I also added some more plates and bowls on top of the hutch. I am definitely not an expert in arranging stuff but I am liking the additional color from the Fiestaware. These colorful plates and bowls were my grandmother’s (as is the chihuahua platter). The pitcher is from the Orla Kiely line at Target a few years ago. The big bird platter is Thomaspaul and the small plates are from John Derian line at Target a couple of years ago.

Close Up of Dining Room Hutch w/ Charlie Harper Tea Cups

There is more glare than I was expecting from the glass, but I am really liking that the doors are back up and it is looking more finished. I still need to tile the random little bit of floor in front. It is concrete (from the original cooking stove), so our floor installer didn’t want to put wood on top. We have tile that matches the tile behind our stove all ready (it has been waiting even longer than the doors).

In -Dining Room, -Furniture, OUR HOME
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Our Basement Part 57: Ikea Karlstad Sofa Bed Assembled

June 18, 2012

New Karlstad Sofa Bed

I hope all the dads out there had a great Father’s Day!

This weekend was really busy while we tried to get the house ready for 25 kids + parents for Sam’s 5th Top Chef Birthday Party (more on that later this week). We also celebrated Father’s Day (which included Mr. S. working hard on the house + some quality time with the kids). Plus on Saturday afternoon our new sofa bed for the basement arrived along with a new wood countertop from Ikea. Gotta love $59 delivery (into the house no less) for both.

We went with the Karlstad Sofa Bed in Sivik Dark Gray (based on several recommendations). Ikea is also running a special of 15% back on a gift card (to be used for the last upper cabinet for the basement). It arrived in 2 big boxes + 1 small box (for the slipcover). Delivery took about 10 minutes (once we convinced them to pull into the driveway).  It took the 2 of us about an hour and a half to put  it together (including unpacking and sorting). It was a pretty easy install with no major hiccups. The bed pulls out sideways (so your head is at the armrest not at the back). We tested it out in the store and though it was reasonably comfortable. The sideways layout also works well for our space (leaving enough room to walk around when it is pulled out). We can already imagine pulling it out for a movie night with the kids. The seat cushions are a bit stiff at the moment, but the sample in the store was quite comfortable, so I am assuming with 2 kids jumping on it, it will soften up in no time. And as an added bonus the slipcover is machine washable.

New Pillow from Homegoods & Napkin from West Elm that will be turned into a pillow cover

I picked up these pillows at Homegoods a couple of weeks ago. I think they look great with the sofa. The black outlines in the fabric work well with the dark gray fabric (which has almost a denim feel to it). The napkin is from West Elm last year. I bought 4 thinking that they would make a nice pillow cover, not knowing where I was going to use them. Fortunately the orangish-red looks great with the pillows. Not sure when I will get around to sewing these up though.

This week’s post will probably be a little sporadic as I try to get ready for this weekend, but we did finish up a lot of long overdue projects on the house, so I will try and get at least a few sneak peaks of the updates.  I hope everyone has a great week!

New Wood Counter (temporarily supported) filled with stuff for Sam’s Party!

Here is a little peak of our new wood counter (Lagan, $59). We temporarily supported it with some scrap wood, so that we could start using it. We will be adding a wall cleat to the back, creating a better support for above the safe and screwing it to the base cabinet on the right.

In -Basement, -Fabric, -Furniture, INTERIOR PRODUCTS, FURNITURE & FABRICS, OUR HOME
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Our Basement Part 56: Wall Mounted Wine Rack

June 14, 2012

Finished DIY Wine Rack!

It is finished! Yeah! After looking at options and more options, it is done and I love it. Of course I would have changed a few things if I had to do it over again, but overall it was pretty straightforward and I really liked how it came out.

AutoCAD Drawing of Space

I started out with this AutoCAD drawing above, laying out the wall.

Ikea BESTA Option

Then I considered this Ikea Besta Option (but was concerned that it could actually support the weight of the wine. Plus Mr. S. thought it looked too “kitcheny” and not rustic enough for our wood wonderland. Which lead to me looking for a design, only to be out of luck. So I ended up making up my own design.

Sketches for the Wine Rack

This is pretty much what I went with, with the toughest decision being whether or not to rout out the horizontal pieces and diagonal pieces. In the end I decided that the pressure from the diagonal pieces holding the wine meant that I really wanted a durable consistent joint in the corners of the main box, so it meant getting out the router to do it. I have to say that I have a love-hate relationship with our router. I love what it can do, but it is a beast, definitely designed for someone with big hands. It actually takes both Mr. S. and I to make the height adjustments, and it is very difficult for me to switch blades. Additionally, I can use it, but the on/off button is out of my reach, so I have to temporarily support it while I turn it on, which is annoying and a little bit dangerous. Ours is a Craftsman (although I think it should be call CraftsMANonly). We bought it on short notice at Sears years ago. I should have ordered a Makita one that had better features, but it meant waiting a week to get it in the mail, which at time was too long. This model was also less expensive. Oh, well, someday maybe I will get a new one, it is not like I use it THAT often. And I have other tools on my list first (i.e. a nail gun).

Materials

2-2x12x6′ (for the top and bottom). Look for pieces that are as flat as possible, to allow for a good fit.

1-2x12x8′ (4 vertical pieces)

3-2x8x6′ (for the back)

3-2x10x6′ (for the diagonals)

Wood Glue

Wood Screws (I used my 1 5/8″ deck screws)

Finish nails/brads

Tools

Circular saw for cutting the wood

Router for creating grooves in the wood

Directions

Step 1: Cut the 2x12s for the top, bottom & sides. The top and bottom are 6′ long, while the sides were 1′-11 1/2″ (to allow for a 1/4″ groove at the top and bottom)

Top and Bottom Boards marked for Routing

Step 2: Mark, tape (to protect the wood), set up the fence and Route the top and bottom pieces using a 3/4″ bit, set at 1/4″ depth (at 2′ intervals)

Mr. S. Test fitting one of the vertical pieces in the groove

Step 3: Test fit the vertical pieces. The 1x12s tend to be slightly bowed, so we found it worked best to start at one end and slowly push the wood into the groove (using a mallet if necessary)

Step 4: Glue and nail the top and bottom together. I pre-drilled for the nail holes to avoid spliting. You could also use screws, depending on whether they will be visible.

Box finished w/ Sam’s help

Step 5: Check to make sure that you are plumb. The easiest way to do this is to check the diagonal dimension of each of the squares.

Install the back of the wine rack w/ screws

Step 6: Cut the wood for the back of the winerack. Install with screws at each vertical and at the top and bottom. This is going to really help with the rigidity, so I made sure to use quite a few screws. You are also going to use the top one, to mount it to the wall. In my case I had about an inch gap between the back boards. I installed the top and bottom first (also to allow for any straightening) and then centered the middle piece in between.

Winerack w/ the first of the Diagonals in place

Step 7: I had roughly measured how long the diagonals needed to be (at least so I could pick up the wood). But for actual measurements, I measured each one individually (there was about 1/4″ difference amongst the 3 sections). First I cut the 3 long diagonals and test fit them in place. I used 1x12s just like the box. In retrospect I should have used 1x10s so that they would sit back from the face. I think that would create a much nicer look.

Step 8: Mark the diagonals (to keep straight which one is which) and pull them out and mark for the grooves for the shorter diagonals.

Step 9: Rout the grooves for the shorter diagonals. It is at this point that I was really hating the router. In this case we routed out only 1/8″ thick since we were routing on both sides of the wood.

Step 10: Reinstall the diagonals and measure for the shorter diagonal pieces.

Winerack w/ all of the pieces in place

Step 11: Cut the short diagonal pieces and test fit, one by one until they are all in place. I was planning on glueing/screwing these in place, but I decided it was better to leave them unattached. Then installation would be easier and if I ever wanted to replace the diagonals with shelves I could.

Step 12: Remove the diagonal pieces (marking them so you can put them back in the same spot). Predrill the holes for the mounting screws (we decided to drill behind the diagonal pieces). I also partially screwed the mounting screws in place, to make it quicker and easier to get it on the wall.

Step 13: Paint the wall behind (since there are openings in the back you will see part of the wall).

Step 14: Mark the wall. In our case I marked the bottom corners, using a level to draw a line for the entire bottom.

Step 15: Lift and screw in place. We are lucky because the walls are wood, so we could just use wood screws. If you have a drywall or plaster wall you would need to find the studs (similar to a kitchen cabinet). The advantage of this design is that you could mark your stud locations and use a longer screw at any location on the back, since it is nice and strong.

Winerack in Place!

Step 16: Finish the wood (this could also be done ahead of time).

Step 17: Place wine in rack! Yeah!

Winerack finished w/ whitewash & fridge and freezer in place

So now it is in and whitewashed! We also installed the freezer yesterday. It was a total pain, because the floor is very uneven and it required lots of shims (which is difficult when you don’t have access to the sides). The counter is arriving on Saturday. I still need to come up with a plan for the white door (which I hate). I am thinking of spray painting the plastic top and bottom and adding vinyl chalkboard to the face. I think once the wood counter is installed it will look much more finished. We also need to buy an upper cabinet from Ikea (to match the lower drawer unit) for the right side.

What do you think?

* To see all of the posts about our basement click here.

In -Basement, DIY, OUR HOME
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