The Makings Of A Library
Do you have a room that feels like a plain box? Or a space that you want to bring purpose to? Adding that custom touch not only can transform the look of the space but it can also make it function better for your family and your lifestyle. These built-ins do just that and more. I think they turned out beautiful!
Lumber
Table saw
Miter saw
Nail gun & nails
Screws
Wood glue
Level
Stud finder
Drill and drill bits
Tape measure
Caulk
Primer & paint
Snowboard Bench
What kid wouldn’t want a snowboard bench! Wait — it’s not just for kids you can use this idea in a mudroom, entryway, patio, bedroom or even as a coffee table —the options are many. For this project I am making a bench for the end of a boy’s bed. This was such a quick project and the end result is a cool one-of-a-kind piece! And did I mention I got the snowboard for $20 from a junk shop. You can’t beat that!
Lumber
Miter Saw
Table Saw
Drill
Screws
Pocket hole jig
Wood glue
Snowboard
Stain
Polyurethane
Rope Bookcase
We loved this project! It is so fun looking and it is a fairly easy DIY project too. It added the perfect touch to finish off this room. For this space we not only wanted to add visual interest and verticality but we also wanted a practical solution for storage and display. We thought a hanging bookcase would be the perfect addition and accomplish all that we wanted. For this bookcase we wanted it to be visually light which meant it was not going to have sides. To accomplish this we hung our book case from the ceiling using rope.
Lumber
Drill, drill bits, and spade bit
2 screw eye hooks
Manilla rope – 3/4″ thick rope & 1/4″ thick rope
Natural jute twine
Stain, polyurethane and brush
Metal rods
DIY Painted Rug
Do you have a room that needs a unique size rug? Do you want a rug that incorporates the colors from your space perfectly? To get that one of a kind rug you can make your own. Well not “make” the rug but rather paint a rug. In this room we wanted a rug that was not a standard size. Rather than having a custom rug made we made a custom size rug by sewing three rugs together. We chose to use three white 100% cotton flat woven rugs each measuring 6’ x 8’.
Flat woven rug
Fabric paint or latex paint mixed with fabric medium
Paint roller
Painter’s tape
Stencil
Upholstery Thread
Board Form Concrete
Let’s talk about board formed concrete. Have you heard of it? Have you seen it? If you haven’t in my opinion you should. In the right application it is beautiful! So what exactly is it? Board formed concrete is the name for a process of patterning concrete using wood forms which leave a wood grain image on the finished face of the concrete. What is revealed when the boards are removed is as varied as the types of boards used – knotty and rough, or smooth. Before plastic and metal, wood was the forming material of choice for precast and cast in place vertical concrete. Wood was cheap, readily available and could withstand the significant weight and pressure associated with a concrete pour. Today it is a method that is being used more frequently because concrete is extremely well-suited as a finished material in modern design, and by imprinting the wood grain on the surface, it visually softens and warms concrete’s somewhat cooler appearance allowing it to work seamlessly in many different design aesthetics.
We get excited when we get to incorporate this design element. We had an opportunity to use board formed concrete in a home we deigned that has a mix of styles incorporating both modern and traditional elements. In this project we thought board formed concrete would be the perfect fireplace surround. We wanted this surround to be smooth while still showing that beautiful grain effect. We could have varied this look by how the boards were spaced when forming the surround. Boards that are widely spaced create a rough raised effect whereas boards that are tightly spaced create a smoother look. Below are some photos showing examples of smooth versus a rough board formed concrete.
