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Office desk with real wood top

IKEA Hemnes Desk Hack – How To Build a new Desk

We needed some extra office space and I’m always up for another project. We decided to convert our guest room into some much needed office space. We found some inspiration from the ether for building a desk that used IKEA Hemnes dressers. Maybe it was all the previous oil staining projects, but when Nichole asked if I could make a custom wood desk top, I said sure. Turns out an 11-foot wooden desk top and carefully attaching it is a...

Updating our 18-foot high Chandelier in our Entryway

This project was swapping out our chandelier entryway light and testing my fear of heights. Most of our projects start in a similar way. Nichole mentions something that she wants to update or shows me something she really likes, and I usually claim that “You pick it. I stick it!” I stole that from a movie. This project was one that made me really think more about the “should” I do it part. The challenge: our entryway chandelier light was...

Picture of our updated livinging room

How to Build a Mid-Century Modern Fireplace Mantel

We wanted a simple, elegant, mid-century-esk fireplace mantel. A fireplace mantel is an easy project to undertake and it will drastically change the character of your room! Our challenge is that we needed a mantel larger than the common 60- and 72-inch kits. And I love an excuse to get my saws out. Here’s a before and after and some tips for the design and build adventure. To brighten our living room, we removed a massive bookcase and shelving unit,...

Make a Contemporary Parsons Kid Desk with this DIY Desk Hack

Recently we’ve converted two full size tables into desks for the kids (the littles). It’s a brilliant way to make a fantastic solid wood desk for much less than buying new or buying wood and a leg-kit. With a few carefully measured cuts and some wood refinishing you can achieve fantastic results. Student Desk from a Large Console Table Nichole found a plain amber stained table on Facebook marketplace that was listed for $20 – likely from IKEA at one...

IKEA Kallax Bookcase Hack – How To Wrap Your Bookcase

For our children’s playroom, we were looking for a practical and stylish way of storing toys and devices. This simple DIY hack turns a simple white IKEA bookcase / shelf unit into a stylish piece of furniture. It elevated the design and style of a traditional bookcase while adding some warmth and character. We had two IKEA Kallax shelf units – smaller one at 30 3/8 x 30 3/8 and a larger unit at 30 3/8 x 57 7/8 –...

Modernize Your Built In Bookcase and Media Console

When we moved into our current house, one of our first projects was to update the oak built in bookshelf unit, which had a TV hole that would not fit our TV. The house was built by a local developer and is consistent with other houses in our neighborhood, but some of the rooms (including this one) seemed to be off-balance and asymmetrical to us. Here’s a before:   We precariously perched our TV on the edge of the bookcase and planned our attack. We...

Online Schooling… and where to fit the Students

The spring was a bit of a disaster with homeschooling at our house, with the virus closing schools and everyone scrambling to adjust to the new semi-permanent norm.  We learned some lessons about space management for our 7-year-old homebound student, and we’re prepared for Fall!  Setting Up a Station We’ve learned that our son does best when he’s a little separated from us from learning, but close enough to let us help him navigate the online resources and instructions that...

Restoration Hardware Parsons Table Hack – DIY RH Console Table

For about $100 in wood and 4 hours of our time we were able to recreate the same look as a Restoration Hardware entryway / console that sold for $1,800 to $2,700 depending on wood and color choice. It’s a really simple and elegant design that resulted in a build project that doesn’t require a ton of finesse. Check out this hack – accoutrements courtesy of the wife! The resulting product | Entryway Table Stain | Similar Vase | Similar...