Project Fever

We have the fever...project fever!

It has been a long time since we tackled a big home project that wasn't baby related. 

The husband made a bold proclamation last weekend.  He has dubbed 2013 the "Year of the Deck."  I probably would have gone with "Year of the Baby" but oh well.

We have been threatening to do a deck for the past two springs but for one reason or another it kept getting back-burnered.  The space is ready.  When we designed the back yard we had the landscapers put in a gravel pad that would eventually be the future home of the deck.  It is a great space as we face the east.  We will be able to escape the summer heat in the afternoon/evening hours.

The husband wants to design and build the deck himself (I wouldn't have expected anything less).  He will admit he is a bit intimidated.  This will be his first large building project.  He shows no fear with furniture and remodeling but ensuring something is weight bearing and up to code had him dragging his feet a bit.

In true husband fashion he has done a ton of research and has a solid game plan for this year.

The end goal is to have a two-tier deck that will eventually include a pergola (that may not be this year).  He will remove our existing small porch, expand it out, and tie it into a lower deck with a new set of stairs.

That is the plan anyway.

So check back in for more updates as we hope to start this project next weekend.  I suspect we will run into a few problems during the post digging (we have a ton of boulders in our ground), the husband will be renting an auger, and there will no doubt be some frustration over getting everything level.

Wood & Cloth-Beginning-Projects! Projects! Projects!

It is a four day weekend for Wood & Cloth which means a rediculous amount of project shenanegans.  President's Day weekend last year found us acting on an impulse and remodeling the front room.  This year we may have up'd the ante on craziness.  To be specific...the wife may have up'd the ante and is taking the husband along for the ride.

So what are we going to be busy doing?  Here are some teasers.  You will have to check back in to see the final results.

Mystery Project #1: Wood & Cloth

This project is desperately needed to fill a large wall that has remained empty since we bought the house.  I have been heming and hawing over what to put on the wall in the stair landing for 2 years...I finally have a plan!

Mystery Project #2: Cloth

A little something to keep me from getting pinched on St. Patty's Day!

Mystery Project #3: Wood & Cloth

A decor project for the newly remodeled study.  This project has potential for being a frustrating one and may not turn out like I am picturing it in my head.

Mystery Project #4: Cloth

A good friend recently had a new baby...

Mystery Project #5: Cloth

Is any one else getting spring fever?  A little something to freshen up my wardrobe.

Mystery Project #6: Wood

This project has been on the "To Do List" forever...hopefully we get to check it off this weekend.

Mystery Project #7: Cloth

Do I really want leprechans in the house?

Mystery Project #8: Wood

The first step to any project is the planning.

Mystery Project #9: Cloth

Does anyone watch Psych?  Once this project is done you will be able to spot this in our study.

Mystery Project #10: Wood & Cloth

This project will give multiple rooms a fresh perspective.

Wish us luck!



Wood & Cloth-Beginnings-Laundry Room Remodel

I'm feeling antsy.  The study is done (for the time being) and I only have the husband's undivided attention during the weekends for a short while longer.  As soon as the weather gets warmer he will be off playing tennis or mountain biking.
If I want big wood stuff built the clock is ticking.

Our laundry room is boring.  Not that a laundry room can be a ton of fun mind you, but I at least want to make it less blah.  It is a small room so I am not planning anything ridiculous like a laundry-shoot slide with a swimming pool at the end.  I do however want to be a bit on the bold side with patterns and color.  When it comes to color I typically land on the conservative side, although little by little I am coming out of my earth-tone colored shell.  I am also seriously entertaining the idea of wallpaper.  That scares the husband… which makes me want it an itsy bit more.

I have been batting around some ideas for awhile but this week things really started to click and I can see how it is all going to come together. 

*Black and white with bright yellow for accent color.

*Wallpaper or a painted stencil pattern on at least one wall.

*Handmade roman shade for the window.

*Hand built white beadboard panel cabinets with black pulls.

* Two double-wide/extra tall cabinets (one set on each side) with open shelves in between the cabinets sets.

*Hand built risers for the washer and dryer with slide-out drawers.

Where is my tape measure?   I want to get this project started!





Wood & Cloth-Beginnings-Study Remodel

Successful projects are dangerous.  They tend to lead to other projects.  The husband recently finished up a furniture project for a desk console to go in the study.   I love the way it turned out (pictures to come soon).  I now however hate the carpet in the study. 

We had talked about wanting to “someday” rip out the carpet and lay down some bamboo hardwood flooring.  Someday is now...No later than February 4^th

Why February 4^th?  Because on February 5^th we are hosting our annual Superbowl Party.  The husband is quick to point out that new flooring should not be a requirement for a football party and he is also quick to point out that the wife often goes off of the deep end with self-imposed deadlines prior to company coming over.   Not only does it cause me to go a bit manic but it also sets us up for something inevitably going wrong at the last minute leading to an all night DIY mess.

Let the fun begin.

Wood & Cloth – Beginning – Wood Headboard with Tufted Panel

The husband’s brother made a birthday gift request this year that was just too fun/challenging to turn down.  He wanted us to make a custom headboard for the new king size bed he had just purchased.  This is the first project that we are undertaking that will be for someone else based off of their idea inspiration.  We have made things for others in the past but we are the ones that select the pattern.  While this would not be my first choice for a headboard design for our home it matches his style perfectly.  The inspiration photo is shown below.  Thankfully there are a bunch of tufted headboard tutorials on the web (thanks Pinterest) so we hopefully won't have to figure that out from scratch.

The first steps are to figure out the dimensions needed (the husband), do some recon on fabric options (the wife) and come up with a pattern design and cut list.