Final Firepit

How to Add a Unique Backyard Fire pit

We love campfires, s’mores, stories, and sharing moments with our friends and littles! For years, we had great moments around our portable fire pit. After a fun evening of fun with friends, good food and watching the kids roast marshmallows and eat more chocolate than mallow, we sat watching the embers fade in our slightly rusted fire pit. We both agreed it was time for an upgrade and another design build project. The Replace our Sad Little Rusted Fire Pit...

Removing glued bricks can be difficult

Tips to Planning and Building your Retaining Wall Project

We recently undertook construction of two retaining walls in our backyard. We learned a lot through the process – including some trials and tribulations along the way. However, the end product is going to be fantastic. Here are some important tips we learned along the way: #01: Know what type of wall your brick can be used to create. Companies have different names for the purpose of their walls. Belgard uses freestanding, retaining, and garden. There are some retaining wall...

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...

Belgard Weston Untumbled Rio Stone Wall

Considerations for your Retaining Wall – Belgard Weston Stone

Picking a retaining wall stone is fun and challenging. Our backyard is terraced with what I would call “regional” rocks. It also has this unfortunate kitty-corner (or katty-corner for some) slope that isn’t the easiest to work with. We also had some areas of the existing retaining wall that were failing. After multiple trips to landscape supply yards, pouring through online catalogs, and some disappointing price quotes, we chose the Belgard Weston. TIP: Determine if your wall is free-standing, ornamental,...

Laundry Room and the Zombie Bar

Every laundry room needs a zombie bar – you know, that bar that is so sturdily built it could withstand a zombie apocalypse (the question being why you’d be in that room to survive is neither here nor there…). Our laundry room came with beige and brown linoleum floors, to match the reddish oak cabinets and beige walls. The sink was a vinyl sink with a low faucet. I was grateful there was a utility sink but the faucet’s functionality...

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,...

How to Bake Mini Pumpkin Muffins the Family will Love

Continuing the pumpkin journey with delicious pumpkin chocolate chip mini muffins and mini loaves. This week, fall has arrived in the Pacific Northwest.  After enduring a week of really unhealthy air, due to fires throughout the west coast, rainy and fall-like weather has arrived in the Pacific Northwest.  It’s time to get the lightweight jackets, boots, and PUMPKINS out.  Pumpkins make everything better!!  Soon it will be time for a trip to the pumpkin patch.    I think this obsession with pumpkin may...

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 –...