Quick and Easy Wood Napkin Rings

Thursday, October 30, 2014 -

I've been working on a fun, new project with Thanksgiving in mind. In the process of staging photos, I realized that I need a set of wood napkin rings... like immediately. I walked into the garage and a light bulb came on.
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How to Upgrade Bookshelves

Thursday, October 23, 2014 -

Once I decided to build a Pottery Barn knock-off desk for my husband, I knew the desk would be lonely without a pair of classic bookshelves. Its hard to find good bookshelves people, especially tall ones.  When you look online, you find a sea of particle board and bad laminate. Luckily, once upon a time (like... the 90's) you could easily find solid wood bookshelves. The best news is, since "they" decided oak is ugly, you can pick up a pair of these babies for peanuts on Craigslist. 
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Pottery Barn Printer's Keyhole Desk Knock-off Tutorial

Wednesday, October 15, 2014 -

I am so excited to share today's post! I may have a new all-time favorite project. A few of you have been asking "Is the desk finished???". I've been sharing a few sneak peeks on Instagram and Facebook. Well, the desk has actually been done for a little while. The reason for the delay is I am involved in a seriously awesome collaboration (forgive me if I get a little fan-girl right now).
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How to Add Edge Banding To Plywood

Friday, October 10, 2014

Edge banding is pretty sweet stuff. It is paper thin strips of wood veneer that you apply to the edges of plywood, giving the look of solid boards. A great way to save some major money! I have a super cool furniture project that I will be sharing with you all next week. It involved a bit of *edge banding, so I thought I would share my tips for how I apply the stuff. First though, I want to announce the winner of the Country Chic Paint giveaway.



Congrats to Karyl G! You're going to have a lot of fun playing around with your new products! Now, back to plywood.


Have you ever looked at cut plywood? The top and bottom look like large slabs of solid wood, but the layered edges give away your secret. Now don't get me wrong, plywood edges can be beautiful, like this and this. But often, we want to hide the ply. That's where edge banding comes in. You can find it easily at both Home Depot and Lowe's. It comes in different widths, but the most commonly found is probably 13/16 inch.  "That's an odd width" you may be thinking. Its actually the perfect width for 3/4" plywood. I'll explain why in a bit. Try to find edge banding in the same species of wood as your plywood (i.e. oak, pine, birch, etc.)

You can find glue-less veneer edging, but don't waste your time. Unless you are a wood working expert, stick with the pre-glued stuff. When you open the package, the edge banding will be in a roll. One side of the veneer will be smooth and the other will be textured. The texture is the glue.



The glue is heat activated. To attach the edge banding, find an old iron and crank up with heat to the "cotton" setting. Line up the veneer along the exposed edge of plywood you want to cover. It will hang over the edges a tiny bit, that's okay. Starting on one end, place the iron on the veneer for a few seconds.



As soon as you remove the iron, immediately and firmly rub the veneer with a scrap piece of wood. This smooths the veneer and helps work the glue into the layers of the plywood. Work in small sections, making sure the veneer is still warm when you start to rub it.



Once you have one edge banded you need to trim off the excess. You can find *little trimmers that are cheap and work great, but if you don't have one handy, a sharp utility knife works well too. You want to place the board on edge, on top of a smooth, hard surface (I use my concrete driveway). Using a good amount of pressure, glide the blade along the edge of the plywood, shaving off the excess veneer. Trim the ends flush too.



Once you have banded all the edges, use a piece of  medium grit sandpaper or a foam sanding block to soften the edges. There you go! Looks like a solid board right?



 Just make sure you don't leave whatever you banded in the garage when its over 100 degrees...trust me. You can check out Instagram for the proof. No fear. I learned my lesson and ended up with beautifully edge banded boards. Stay tuned to see what I used them on! 




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Modern Rustic House Tour (A.K.A. More Rafterhouse Love)

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Earlier this year I introduced you to the guys from Rafterhouse. Rafterhouse is a company here in Phoenix that does the most jaw-dropping home remodels I've ever seen. Its like Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, but better. You can see my first time I shared their work here

They recently finished a new home and I just had to show it off. Here's how the property looked before.




Here's what it looks like now.



Sometimes they'll add to what is existing, but in this case, they ripped off the roof and stripped everything down to the studs.


Don't you love all the light in this courtyard? 


The inside is just as beautiful. The whole space feels open and bright.





Their designer is on point. The whole home is filled with the latest trends and colors.



The kitchen is my personal favorite. That subway tile...drool.







I think what I love about the Rafterhouse style is the mix of old and new. Contrast is the name of the game. Like the juxtaposition of the sliding barn door and these aqua Eames chairs.



If you happen to be in the market for a home in the Arcadia area of Phoenix, this one happens to be for sale. You can see the listing here


Make sure to stop by the Rafterhouse website and browse through some of their past projects. You can also find them on Instagram and Facebook



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Linking at:

The Creative Collection

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Grey Washed Chair and Country Chic Paint Giveaway

Thursday, October 2, 2014 -
* I was provided the product for this post by Country Chic Paint free of charge. All opinions are my own and not influenced. I'm just happy to spread the word about good products.


I have been in the garage covered with sawdust, but I finally finish one of my favorite projects yet! I can't share it with you yet, but if you follow me in Instagram, you can see a couple sneak peeks. 
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