Monday, July 28, 2014

DIY Pottery Barn Inspired Medicine Cabinet

Well,  the worlds smallest half bath at the mountain cottage is fully functional! 

YAY!!!

Mr. DIY installed the sink, countertop and faucet last week and the little bathroom is open for business. 
(no pun intended)

There are a few more details that need to be finished up, so I can't show you the whole bathroom just yet. The wood apron on the underside of the countertop, a fabric skirt needs to be made and hung  and a doorway needs to be painted. 
In the meantime, I can show you an awesome storage detail I designed (and painted and stained) and Mr. DIY constructed... 


...a custom framed medicine cabinet...
custom medicine cabinet, Mountain cottage, mountain cottage upstairs bathroom, wood project, Building project, diyDesignFanatic.com



Adding storage to every room is one of our highest priorities as we renovate the Mountain Cottage.
I figured we could build a deep medicine cabinet set into the wall and make it pretty with a stained framed mirrored door. 

Our inspiration came from Pottery Barn
custom medicine cabinet, Mountain cottage, mountain cottage upstairs bathroom, wood project, Building project, diyDesignFanatic.com

(This mirror is no longer available)



Mr. DIY started out using the table saw to make the frame for the mirror out of   1 x 4's. The wood was trimmed down to 3" wide. 
Grooves( a dado) were cut around the frame - allowing the mirror to sit flush in the framed door
Pottery Barn inspired,  medicine cabinet, rustic, farmhouse style, farmhouse, cottage, cottage style, diy

Pottery Barn inspired,  medicine cabinet, rustic, farmhouse style, farmhouse, cottage, cottage style, diy

4 pieces of wood were put together to make the frame for the mirror using screws in pocket holes make with the Kreg Jig. 


Then the mirror was glued in place using construction adhesive.
Pottery Barn inspired,  medicine cabinet, rustic, farmhouse style, farmhouse, cottage, cottage style, diy



The adhesive was smoothed out with a putty knife so that the hardboard would fit in the groove and tightly against the mirror. 

Pottery Barn inspired,  medicine cabinet, rustic, farmhouse style, farmhouse, cottage, cottage style, diy




The Kreg jig was used to create pocket holes so that  the four sides could be screwed together Construction adhesive was used to to glue the mirror into  the frame frame and then to attach hardboard to strengthen and protect mirror
Pottery Barn inspired,  medicine cabinet, rustic, farmhouse style, farmhouse, cottage, cottage style, diy


Here's how the back of the framed mirror looked at this point. 
Pottery Barn inspired,  medicine cabinet, rustic, farmhouse style, farmhouse, cottage, cottage style, diy







The box is just 4 pieces of 1 x 6" cut down to 5" deep.  The Kreg Shelf Pin Jig was used to make holes so that the shelves could be adjustable. 
Pottery Barn inspired,  medicine cabinet, rustic, farmhouse style, farmhouse, cottage, cottage style, diy
You can find the Kreg Shelf Pin Jig HERE


Pottery Barn inspired,  medicine cabinet, rustic, farmhouse style, farmhouse, cottage, cottage style, diy


Here's the medicine cabinet box after a hardboard back had been put in. You can see the shelf pin holes drilled in the sides. The box was primed and painted with several coats of white paint
Pottery Barn inspired,  medicine cabinet, rustic, farmhouse style, farmhouse, cottage, cottage style, diy

The framed mirror door is ready to be stained and the back painted. 
Pottery Barn inspired,  medicine cabinet, rustic, farmhouse style, farmhouse, cottage, cottage style, diy


We found a can of MinWax Provincial stain in the workshop at the mountain cottage and I applied several coats to the frame of the mirror. 
Pottery Barn inspired,  medicine cabinet, rustic, farmhouse style, farmhouse, cottage, cottage style, diy




I thought the stain wasn't quite right next to the countertop, so I bought a can of Rust-oleum Driftwood stain and applied a couple of light coats on top of the Provincial stain. 
It was perfect!
A couple of coats of clear poly was applied over the stain. 
Pottery Barn inspired,  medicine cabinet, rustic, farmhouse style, farmhouse, cottage, cottage style, diy


We didn't like the look of the back of the door because of the gap between the hardboard and the frame and the pocket holes at the top an the bottom,
Pottery Barn inspired,  medicine cabinet, rustic, farmhouse style, farmhouse, cottage, cottage style, diy



 so Mr. DIY found some wood scraps in the woodshed at the mountain cottage and glued them onto the back of the door. I stained the pieces of wood after they were attached. 
Pottery Barn inspired,  medicine cabinet, rustic, farmhouse style, farmhouse, cottage, cottage style, diy

Here's the finished product!
Pottery Barn inspired,  medicine cabinet, rustic, farmhouse style, farmhouse, cottage, cottage style, diy
You can't tell from the photo, but the Provincial stain come through in the knots in the wood and is the color the countertop is stained. (If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you've seen how beautiful it turned out)



The door is attached with two 12" x 3/4" piano hinges
The medicine cabinet box is 22 wide x 28 high x 5" deep. 
That's 2.77 square feet of storage!

Pottery Barn inspired,  building project, medicine cabinet, rustic, farmhouse style, farmhouse, cottage, cottage style, diy

Mr. DIY attached a magnetic catch in the lower left corner of the inside of the medicine cabinet.
Pottery Barn inspired,  building project, medicine cabinet, rustic, farmhouse style, farmhouse, cottage, cottage style, diy


Pottery Barn inspired, building projects,  medicine cabinet, rustic, farmhouse style, farmhouse, cottage, cottage style, diy

Our diy Pottery Barn Medicine Cabinet adds a good amount of storage in an otherwise wasted space.

What is one room in your house that could use more storage space???


Pam



Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Faux Plank Wall In The Worlds Smallest Half Bath

Plank walls and faux plank walls are all over the place and we had to put one on the sink wall in the worlds smallest half bath, upstairs at the mountain cottage. 
Faux plank walls are another easy and inexpensive way to add interest in a small space. 

Since we planned on painting it, we bought a half sheet of  1/8th inch hardboard and cut it into 4" wide strips.
I then painted them Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist (which is the adjoining bedroom paint color)



Mr. DIY glued them to the wall with construction adhesive using a scrap of the hardboard as spacers. 

He started above the faux plank wall above the countertop and continued up to the ceiling. 




When it was all finished, I touched up the faux plank wall with a foam brush and applied a coat of paint in the spaces between the boards. 

Can't wait to show you the entire finished wall with the custom medicine cabinet (with rustic frame door) and the finished countertop/apron. 
I just ordered some....well, you'll have to wait and see....

We're getting excited about this project now that we're nearly finished with it.

Hope you stop by to see it!

Pam

Friday, July 18, 2014

New Paint For A Quick And Easy Update

We have about a gazillion unfinished projects that we are working between the mountain cottage and at our house. 
There are more like 20, but it FEELS like a gazillion. 

Ever been there?

Each project needs time between coats of paint, or needs to sit in a jig for a week while the glue dries or has to wait until we get up to the mountain cottage or....
you get what I mean. 

Well, this week, I started one more project in the midst of all the others, which, in turn, created at least 5 or 6 MORE projects for the room. Oy!

I started on the new paint for our laundry room! 
I brought home the paint back in March, but we always seemed to have something else to do on the weekend or during the week. Mr. DIY didn't even know I was going to start on the laundry room while he was at work and was surprised when he came home and had to help me by moving the washing machine and dryer. Most of the laundry room is finished (even most of the trim), but I still have to paint two doors and trim...
and do a few more projects.
I am happy to announce that I finished a painting project for the laundry room! 
Yay!
Sometimes when you're in the middle of a gazillion unfinished projects you have to do a small one to give yourself a sense that you've accomplished something!
Here's a peek at the new paint on the walls. It's Rainwashed by Sherwin Williams...


Our laundry room was green paint and black accessories. 
It was definitely time for an update. 

This accessory above our key rack needed a makeover since we are lightening things up in the room. You have to love spray paint for a quick and inexpensive update. 




So, off to Lowe's I went to pick up some supplies because of the 20 cans of spray paint on my shelf, none were white!
This was the first time I used Rustoleum Paint & Primer In One. 
I really liked the ergonomic handle and spray trigger. I sprayed several coats, letting them dry thoroughly between coats. 
After that, I sanded the metal to let it show through the paint. 


Ta da!


One project down...

... 5 or 6 projects to go.

A fresh coat of paint makes a big difference.

Thanks for stopping by,

Pam

Saturday, July 12, 2014

How To Make A Wood Stool

I found this super cute  red stool on Etsy and  pinned it to my Mountain Cottage board on Pinterest. The stool isn't available anymore, but I showed it to Mr. DIY with a big hint that I would love one.
Old Stuff Love on Etsy


He said he had some left over pieces of 1 x 10's and after consulting with me about the measurements he cut out the pieces.
Isn't he wonderful?


His large Kreg Jig was at the Mountain Cottage, so he made a trip to Lowe's and bought a mini Kreg Jig Pocket hole kit. Making pocket holes is a great way to hide screws so they aren't visible on top of the stool, plus they make it really sturdy.


Here are all the pieces laid out with the pocket holes all drilled.




The pieces are put together this way:
Attach one skirt to the top
attach both legs to the top and skirt
attach the last skirt
attach the stretcher





Here's how the underside looks:


Here's the final product...

The measurements of the top: 9 1/4" x 14"
                                         skirts: 2" x 14" 
                                         legs: 6 5/8" tall x 7 3/4" wide
                                         stretcher: 2 3/8" x 8 1/2"
                                         notch in leg: 3" tall by 4" wide

When our daughter saw the stool all put together she thought it was so cute that she asked her dad to make one. :)

I think  I will give this stool to our daughter to paint and have Mr. DIY make me one with slightly different measurements.

Now, what color should our daughter paint it?
This stool will be going in her bedroom. 
You can see her bedroom HERE.
The next stool will be for the upstairs bathroom at the mountain cottage. 

If you'd like to see the finished wood stool painted, click HERE.
Pam

Friday, July 11, 2014

A Charming Casita In Belmont Shore California


You are in for a treat today! 

While in Southern California for my brother's wedding last weekend, Mr. DIY and I were able to squeeze in some time to see our friends who happened to also be in town. 
It was good to see them both and we had a great time catching up.

Our friends kept their Spanish style Belmont Shore beach house when they moved to another state because they visit SoCal often. 
There is also a little apartment above the garage out back which they offer as a vacation rental. 
 Both the house and the little casita have undergone a major  renovation and they look fantastic. 
I just had to share some photos of the casita with you because the reno is top notch. 

Being a short walk to the beach, there is often a cool breeze in the afternoon and the patio below would be a nice place to have a drink and relax.

Now on to the interior:
The attention to detail is pretty amazing. 
Leave it to my friend Susan to think of everything and believe it or not, she isn't an interior designer. 
She found this vintage chandelier in her home state and brought a couple of them to SoCal. The molding on the ceiling is another detail I love (and am going to replicate at our mountain cottage).




A little desk in the corner serves as a night table. 



Just because a space is small doesn't mean you can't have storage. 
These custom built cabinets just inside the dutch door entrance provide a great deal of space for this studio apartment. 



Notice the wall switches built into the cabinet. 

The stylish kitchenette is gorgeous with the marble subway tile, stone countertop and modern faucet. 
Check out how the cabinet hardware coordinates with the chandelier in the bedroom. 


Love, love, love the gorgeous bathroom! It rivals the bathrooms you see in the nicest hotels. Notice the shower inset,  the tile window frame and the fabulous sink. 



Love the tile on the floor!



One last detail is in the custom closets...when you open the closet doors, the light comes on. 

If you are planning a trip to SoCal and need a little place to stay, I highly recommend this stylish casita. 
It's rented weekly or nightly. It's so much nicer than a hotel and has a great location. You can find the link to the rental website HERE

Hope you enjoyed the tour!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Pam


ps: I was not paid or compensated in any way for this blog post.