Furniture Archives - Page 2 of 6 - Average But Inspired

September 13, 2017 by Bre

DIY Modern Desk – A Beginner Woodworking Project {Monthly DIY Challenge}

Thank you to Kreg Tool Company for sponsoring this post. The project and opinions are all my own! Also, this post contains affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure policy here.

Years ago when the ladies of the Monthly DIY Challenge and I started up this whole thing, I knew there would be times that I’d be pushed out of my comfort zone and forced to use a material, or work with a product, with which I was unfamiliar. The biggest challenge for me came this month, when we teamed up with Kreg Tool Company to use their Kreg Jig® R3 pocket hole system in our DIY projects. I used the Kreg Jig R3 to create a gorgeous DIY Modern Desk for my sister, and I am THRILLED to tell you that ANYONE can build this desk (I swear. I NEVER thought I could build something like this.)! Learn how to build a beautiful DIY Modern Desk! It's so easy and is a perfect beginner Kreg Jig project. No prior woodworking experience needed! This is an easy build for beginners.

I’m going to give you all of the details on how you (YES YOU) can build something similar in just a minute, but first, take a sneak peek at all of the projects my friends created with the Kreg Jig R3. You’ll find links to all of their projects at the bottom of this post – right before the entry form to win your own Kreg Jig R3!

The Plans

OK, so before I show you how I put this all together, let me tell you that I downloaded the plans for this desk from Ana White’s website, where she provides tons of FREE woodworking plans! I chose her Modern 2×2 Desk Base plan and her and her Desktop with Storage Compartments plan. If you want to build this desk, go to those links and download those plans. Then come back here and check out my process photos as they might help you a bit.

Anyway, once I was armed with those instructions and supply lists, I headed off to the store to buy my lumber and some other supplies. And I have a confession . . . I was actually really nervous to go buy the materials for this project! I was scared that I wouldn’t even be able to load the lumber into my cart or get it home. Once I purchased everything and got it into the car, I actually cried a tiny bit from relief. Can you believe it? That will tell you how much of a building novice I am!

The Process – Desk Base

With the scary supply shopping part finished, I felt a little bit better about the whole prospect of building a desk for my sister. Something about being in the comfort of my own home/garage made things seem a little better.

I decided to start by building the base of the desk. I grabbed my circular saw and cut the pieces for the base.

Next it was time to start putting the base together, and here’s where I started to get nervous again. I had to use my new Kreg Jig R3 pocket hole system to do this, and frankly, I didn’t know what I was doing! Once I watched this helpful video and practiced on a few scrap boards, I got the hang of it and instantly understood why people love their Kreg Jig systems so much!

Kreg Jig pocket hole systems let you create pocket hole joints (which are very strong joints), quickly and easily, by drilling an angled hole through one board, which allows you to then drill your screw through that hole and into the other board. In addition to pocket holes providing strong joints, they’re also really nice because you don’t have visible screws on your projects; they’re hidden!

See those holes in the wood pictured below? Those are the pocket holes that I drilled using my Kreg Jig R3 drill bit.

Once I had all of my pocket holes drilled, I fastened the base pieces together with the 2.5″ pocket hole screws that were recommended in my desk base plans. See how I drilled the pocket hole screw right through the pocket hole into the other piece of wood?

I put them all together, fastening them with my 2.5″ pocket hole screws and ended up with two base pieces that looked like this.

Following the desk base plans, I clamped these two pieces to my temporary work table, and screwed the top bar to both of the squares in order to attach them.

Next, I screwed the footrest bar 6″ from the bottom.

And with that, the base of my DIY modern desk was finished! Because this part went so smoothly, I decided to keep going and build the desktop in the same day. I was on a roll and had to keep my momentum going!

The Process – Desktop

The first thing I did for the desktop was cut 1×3 boards with my circular saw, per the desktop plans, in order to create storage compartments within the desktop. Then I drilled my pocket holes with my Kreg Jig R3 system, and attached the pieces together with my 1.25″ pocket hole screws.

Next, I laid those storage compartment pieces on top of the base piece of my desktop. I traced around them with a pencil and then drilled pilot holes in that piece of wood so that it would be easier to attach the compartment pieces to the desktop base.

Once I did that, the desktop looked like this.

I then took the other piece of plywood and cut it into three sections, per the desktop plans. I deviated slightly from the plans here, however, because they called for use of a circular saw to cut the top piece into three sections. If you’ve ever used a circular saw, however, you know that it’s not super easy to get a perfect cut – and I wanted this desktop to be perfect. My friend, who happens to be a skilled designer and craftsman, was over that afternoon hanging with my husband, and offered to bring his track saw over to help me get really straight cuts for the desktop. We used that and then I knew I had to have one for myself! I didn’t even know that Kreg has JUST come out with the Kreg Rip-Cut and the Kreg Accu-Cut circular saw track guide systems, which are exactly what I could have used to get straight lines on this desktop. One of those will be my next woodworking investment. 🙂

Anyway, after the desktop pieces were cut, I fastened the outer pieces to the top of the desk with hinges.

And then, not pictured here, I fastened the middle part of the desk with my super fun new brad nailer, which made attaching the desktop a breeze! That completed the building of the desktop!

The Process – Painting and Staining

The next day, I painted the base of the desk with matte black chalk paint. This made the legs look like they are metal!

Then I stained the top of the desk with my new favorite stain color. (I first used this stain on the over-the-toilet storage I made for my Master Bathroom Makeover and fell in love!)

I gave it two coats of poly on top to protect it, and after it dried, I added decorative hardware to the front and screwed the desktop onto the base to fasten it all together!

The Finished Product – DIY Modern Desk

Once I finished building this desk, I had a sense of accomplishment unlike anything I’ve felt before. It may sound crazy, but building this desk made me prouder than graduating from law school! I think it’s because I didn’t really know if I could actually pull this off or not. And when I did, it gave me so much confidence and determination to take on another building project.

If you’ve ever thought that you want to try building something, I really encourage you to do it. It is so gratifying to see the results of your work come together in a finished piece like this!

I have to be honest, it made me so proud to see the way my kids reacted to my DIY desk, too. Every time someone came over to our house, my daughter would bring them to the garage to see what I built. That is an immense sense of pride and accomplishment to know that my kids are watching and excited about what I’m doing, too.

And, it felt really good to bring my sister her desk and see how perfectly it fits in her apartment.

I’m so thankful for the opportunity to have been pushed out of my comfort zone and learned how to use the Kreg Jig R3. Not only did my sister gain a beautiful piece of furniture that is well-constructed with strong joints, but I gained a sense of accomplishment that has me dreaming up my next DIY project!

My Friends’ Kreg Jig Projects

Now that you’ve seen what I made with the Kreg Jig R3, please make sure to visit my friends’ projects, too! You are going to be AMAZED at what you can do with this handy tool!

Got Scrap Wood? You Might Like To Make These DIY Scrap Wood Nesting Houses!

June 14, 2017 by Bre

FAT Paint Antique Wedgewood Blue Console Cabinet Makeover {Monthly DIY Challenge}

Every time I make over a piece of furniture, I am reminded of how much I LOVE refinishing furniture! There is something so exciting about taking a piece that was no longer wanted, or no longer desirable, and making it shine once again. Because of that, I was ecstatic for this month’s Monthly DIY Challenge to roll around!

Thank you to The FAT Paint Co. for sponsoring this post. The project and all opinions are my own!

This time, the Monthly DIY Challenge team and I partnered up with The FAT Paint Co. to bring you some absolutely gorgeous furniture flips that you are going to love! And, to make this Monthly DIY Challenge even sweeter, The FAT Paint Co. is giving you a chance to win their paint and wax! You’ll find the entry form and links to all of the beautiful makeovers at the bottom of this post, but first here’s a little sneak peek to pique your interest!

Now that you’ve gotten an idea of the FAT Paint transformations my friends and I did, let me show you my project, which was giving this $25 console cabinet a beautiful new look. I chose this piece because I liked its scalloped details and the fact that it has lots of storage inside. I knew this piece could be a knockout with some color!

As you probably know by now, I’m a little obsessed with chalk-style paint (sign up for my weekly newsletter and you can get my free Beginner’s Guide to Chalky Finish Painting eBook!). I love the instant results and durable finish it provides, so I was pumped to try a brand I hadn’t yet used – FAT Paint chalk-style paint. The FAT Paint Co. is run by a brother and sister duo in Canada, and they have some of the most gorgeous chalk-style paint colors around, not to mention fantastic paint products that have virtually no smell and that are practically foolproof to use!

I chose to work with Antique Wedgewood (a smoky blue), Parchment (a creamy off-white), and to seal everything up, Natural FAT Wax. Before I started painting, I gave the console cabinet a really light sanding and sprayed the top of it with Zinsser Shellac to prevent the water rings that were on there from bleeding through the paint. Then I got to work!

The first coat of Antique Wedgewood covered really well and I was loving where this project was heading!

Once the paint dried, I gave the cabinet a light sanding (FAT Paint recommends doing this for the most beautiful finish possible), and then put on another coat of Antique Wedgewood.

After that dried, I did another allover light sanding, and sanded some highlight areas to distress, and then applied the Natural FAT Wax to seal the entire cabinet. I used my friend Amy from Canary Street Crafts‘ trick of putting the wax into a bowl instead of working from the canister – this way I don’t contaminate any of the wax in the canister!

After the topcoat of wax dried and I buffed it to a shine, I put more wax in a bowl and mixed in some of the Parchment FAT Paint. I mixed it all up to form a white wax, which I then wiped on with a cloth in strategic places to make the details really pop!

You can see where the white wax was applied in this photo. The panel on the left has white wax, the panel on the right does not and is a solid color.

Once that dried, I drilled holes for new hardware, and of course messed that up. Thankfully that was nothing a little wood filler and more paint couldn’t fix!

Finally, I decoupaged some gorgeous paper to the inside arches of the cabinet for a fun pop of color when you open the doors. If you’re curious about how to add paper or fabric to your furniture, check out my post on how to do it!

Once the paper inside the cabinet dried, this makeover was finished!

And I am obsessed.

I am actually considering re-doing my entire foyer to accommodate this console cabinet.

I just can’t imagine giving this piece away! I love everything about it – the colors, the paper, the hardware, the shape and details . . . I think we have an emotional connection, the two of us.

Anyway, while I consider whether or not I can bear to part with this Antique Wedgewood beauty, let me encourage you to start your own FAT Paint project. Seriously, you will love this paint. Find a retailer near you by checking their website, and if there’s not a retailer near you, get this – The Fat Paint Co. is giving $200 CASH away to anyone — yes, anyone! — who helps them make a connection with a new retailer. So if you know a retailer that might be a good fit, here’s more info about their Finder’s Fee program.

Annnnnnd, as if that generosity isn’t enough, The FAT Paint Co. is also giving one of you lucky readers a chance to win a pint of FAT Paint in the color of your choice and a 50 gram container of the Natural FAT Wax (which I used and loved!). Enter through the Rafflecopter form below, where you’ll also find complete terms and conditions.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Finally, please don’t forget to visit my friends’ posts to see how they transformed these pieces into stunners with FAT Paint! These are the BEFORE photos – you won’t believe the AFTERS!

February 22, 2017 by Bre

Mid-Century Dining Chairs Makeover

In a strange turn of events, Chicago has had absolutely amazing weather over the past week or so. It is FEBRUARY and we have had temperatures in the 60’s and 70’s for multiple days in a row. I am beyond thrilled with this taste of spring in the dead of winter, and have been using it to my full advantage, which includes heading out to the garage to give some neglected mid-century style chairs a makeover!

My sister bought a set of four of these chairs a couple of years ago and then deposited them in my garage last summer. I fully intended to redo them at that time, but life got in the way. (Don’t you hate it when that happens?!?) They had their pre-makeover photo shoot and then sat in the garage for months.

Notice their ugly color wood and stained fabric seats.

Gross.

This post contains affiliate links. To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

These chairs had good bones though, so I wanted to try and spiff them up a bit. Over the weekend I pulled out my HomeRight Finish Max Sprayer and set up shop in the garage. After two coats of Rustoleum Chalked Paint, some General Finishes High Performance Topcoat, and a glaze I made with Briwax and Mineral Spirits, the chairs were finished! I recovered the seats with some pretty, mod fabric, and gave these mid-century dining chairs a great new look!

So much fresher!

And if it weren’t for my HomeRight Finish Max Sprayer, I never would have been able to finish these so quickly! Hand brushing takes forever, but with my sprayer I knocked out four chairs in half a day!

I just love the fabric, too. I think it’s definitely the graphic look these chairs require, but in colors that work with today’s decorating trends!

I’m so glad I finally got around to doing this mid-century dining chairs makeover – especially since they were taking up space in the garage and my husband was threatening to throw them away or burn them. (That’s a common theme around here, friends. He’s not super on board with my furniture hoarding habits.)

Now I just need to find someone to buy them or figure out somewhere to put them. . . .

-Bre

You May Also Like This Furniture Flip!

September 12, 2016 by Bre

How to Paint Furniture Without Using a Topcoat or Sealer

As I’ve alluded to before, I am super impatient when it comes to my projects (and well, most everything in life. Patience is not my strong suit.). I love instant gratification and I don’t like for any project to take too long. That’s probably why I fell in love with chalky finish paint; most every painted furniture project can be finished in a few hours or so. But there’s always that pesky topcoat that must be applied after painting. Whether its wax or poly or some other type of finish, the paint needs to be sealed in some way. That part of the refinishing process always annoys me – I just want the project to be finished!

So when I found out about a new paint that is perfect for furniture and that doesn’t require a topcoat of any kind, I jumped at the chance to try it! DecoArt graciously gave me a jar of this new paint, and I am so excited to tell you how you, too, can paint furniture without using a topcoat or sealer!

So before we jump into the nitty gritty, let me show you what this table looked like when I started.
It originally belonged to my Grandma, but my Mom has had it in her guest room for a few years now. At some point in its life, it got a really, really bad paint job. That paint had started chipping off and it desperately needed a refresh. Plus, the black glass tabletop was scratched and ugly.

It was definitely time for a new look.

Supplies Used for This Painted Furniture Makeover Without a Topcoat

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no added cost to you if you purchase through them. To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

Small electric sander
DecoArt Satin Enamels Paint in True Teal
1.5″ paint brush
Cotton fabric
Mod Podge Hardcoat for Furniture
Clean rag

How I Painted Furniture Without a Topcoat or Sealer

I started by using my electric sander to remove the chipping paint. Once that was done, I wiped down the entire table with a damp rag to remove any of the dust or dirt left on the table.

Then, I mixed up the DecoArt Satin Enamels Paint and got to work – no primer needed! Because of the difference in the original paint color and the teal I used here, it took three coats of paint to cover all of the original paint color. (Note: despite needing three coats, I still have a lot of paint left over.)
The paint dried quickly and evenly – and I immediately fell in love with the sheen of the finish and the richness of the color!

While the paint could have covered the glass table top, I decided to add some pattern to this table by decoupaging some fabric onto the top. (If you want to learn how to apply fabric to furniture, check out this post of mine that gives you step by step instructions.) I think it is such a fun addition to this little table!

I cannot tell you how pleased I am with the Satin Enamels paint. The shine is just gorgeous – it’s not too shiny, and it’s not too dull. It is literally JUST right!

And the fact that I didn’t have to use a topcoat or sealer of any kind on the paint cut my project time down drastically.

I will always have a spot on my paint shelf for chalky finish paint, but this new Satin Enamels paint is going to give it a run for its money. The fact that I don’t have to use a topcoat or sealer is a game changer, in my opinion.

I’m really looking forward to getting this table up to my Mom’s house soon. I think it’s going to give her guest room a happy new feel, despite the fact that the table is very old and a family piece. That’s one of my favorite things about refinishing furniture – you make a piece with sentimental value work for you and your style, all the while retaining the specialness of the piece. And when you can do that AND save time in the process, I’m a happy camper.

Bre

August 10, 2016 by Bre

Vintage Projector Cart to Craft Cart Makeover {Monthly DIY Challenge}

Today I’m feeling a little shocked about two things: (1) I blinked and we’re ten days into August; and (2) it’s again time for The Monthly DIY Challenge. If you’re unfamiliar with The Monthly DIY Challenge, each month some of my best blogger friends and I team up to create projects that revolve around common items or themes. Recently we’ve worked with things like blank canvases of all sizes and air dry clay, but this month we’re all updating home decor items with spray paint! I can’t wait to show you how I gave a rusty old metal projector cart a fresh new look and purpose as a craft cart!

And thanks to the generosity of HomeRight through its sponsorship of this challenge and my post, I just know you’re going to L-O-V-E my friends’ projects, too! (If you’d like to read my full disclosure policy, you can do so here.) Here’s a little sneak peek, but you’ll find links to all of the projects at the bottom of this post, as well as an amazing giveaway for a Finish Max Paint Sprayer, Rapid Clean Kit, HomeRight Spray Shelter and HomeRight Small Spray Shelter!

Alright, well let’s get down to the dirty details of this project, shall we? Let me show you the BEFORE photo of my vintage projector cart. Warning: it isn’t pretty.

I picked this guy up at the Kane County Flea Market back in July, and my husband would not stop making fun of me for it. “You went all the way to Kane County to buy that?” (It’s probably and hour and twenty minutes away.) Some people (my husband, for example), have no vision.

Materials Needed for a Vintage Projector Cart Makeover

Please note that some of these links are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no added cost to you, should you purchase through them. To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

HomeRight Spray Shelter
Spray primer (I used this kind)
Spray paint of your choice for the shelves (I used this color)
Spray paint of your choice for the legs (I used this color)
(As an alternative to spray paint in a can, you could use the HomeRight FinishMax Sprayer and paint of your choice. I ADORE my FinishMax Sprayer, and you can read about my experience with it right here!)
Patterned masking tape or washi tape (I found my patterned masking tape at Target)

Instructions for a DIY Vintage Projector Cart Makeover

First of all, if you’re working with an old projector cart, you’ll need to clean it really well. Mine was disgusting and I had to wash it about three times. Once it was clean, I took it apart.

Next, I got to work protecting my garage from the spray paint bonanza that was about to ensue. I laid down a drop cloth and got to work assembling my HomeRight Spray Shelter. It stores easily in a small bag, and it went together quickly so that I could get to work on making this projector cart pretty!

I started by spraying the shelves and legs with primer. Because I was working with metal (and rusty metal at that), I wanted to make sure that the pretty colors I had chosen wouldn’t chip off!

After the primer dried, I went back inside the tent to check things out. I was SO excited to find that, for the first time in the history of me spray painting anything, my pieces were perfect. Typically I spray paint outside and something always goes wrong; whether it’s leaves or debris in the air landing on the wet paint, the drop cloth flying up and sticking to the wet paint, or an animal using my project as its bathroom (thanks, birds), something always goes wrong. But not this time – the pieces were pristine because I sprayed them in the HomeRight Spray Shelter.

Because of that great primer finish, I sprayed the shelves and they looked ah-maaaa-zing!

Next up, the legs. They were really gross and needed a fresh coat of silver, so that’s what they got.

While I waited for the pieces to dry, my kids dreamed of all the ways that THEY could use the HomeRight Spray Shelter. (“Can we camp in it, mommy?” Um, no. Sorry – this mama does NOT camp.)

They were happy when I called them inside the Spray Shelter to help me reassemble the projector cart once it had dried. (Not pictured here: me getting irrationally annoyed with the assembly process.) After a few failed attempts at putting it back together, I finally got it done and brought the newly beautified projector cart inside, where I embellished the edges with patterned masking tape. (Note: do you see how smooth my finish is? No leaves or debris on this baby!)

And just like that, I gave that vintage projector cart a beautiful new look and a great new purpose as a craft cart for some of my favorite supplies!

Can you believe this is the same projector cart I showed you above?

I am so happy with the perfect finish I got on this vintage projector cart to craft cart because of using the HomeRight Spray Shelter. I am telling you that it made the biggest difference in my opinion of spray paint projects!

And for small projects that I spray, like lamps and decor accessories, I will be using the BRAND NEW HomeRight Small Spray Shelter, which you can use right on top of a table! It just pops right open and is ready to use!

Now that you’ve seen how easy the HomeRight Spray Shelter made refinishing this vintage projector cart, be sure to check out my friends’ projects, too!

GIVEAWAY

Also, don’t miss your chance to enter to win a Finish Max Paint Sprayer, Rapid Clean Kit, HomeRight Spray Shelter and HomeRight Small Spray Shelter! See the Rafflecopter for complete terms and conditions.
a Rafflecopter giveaway