Entryway Redo

I have had a plan for our entryway for well over a year. But between life, crazy work schedules and just other things coming up (Hello, new air conditioner!) we just hadn't gotten around to it. So when Christmas time was approaching and Andrew's work schedule finally slowed down for the year, we tackled our entryway. I couldn't love how it turned out any more! 

Our plan was to get this done over Christmas break since Andrew had some time off. Well, the week before Christmas (Friday the 20th to be exact) Andrew and I had a date night and went to dinner. At dinner we thought, why not get all the things we need tonight? So we headed to Lowe's to grab our materials. What wasn't on the agenda was terrible weather and it was sleeting/icing and so the ride home with all the supplies was a little interesting. 

 

He's a keeper. 

         

Don't all date nights look like this? 

Our plan was to shiplap our entire entryway and convert our entry closet into an open closet with a bench. Shiplap is a simple way to make a statement and is a really affordable update. We had already measured our space and knew we wanted our boards 8 inches in height so the task was simply to find quarter inch plywood and have the fine people at Lowe's rip them for us. We also got some trip pieces to help finish off the space, supplies to build our bench, paint, and some odds and ends that would be needed for the project. 

The next morning we emptied the closet, took out all the junk coats, and took the base trim off. Andrew marked where the studs where on each wall so when we got started, we weren't constantly searching.  

Since we have angled ceilings that go into our cathedral ceiling in the living room, we started our first board at the top of that angled wall BEFORE it angles. {In essence, where the board would meet the corner of the connecting walls and the ceiling without needing to have an angled cut made.} We then lined up with our first board all the way around to give us a starting point to go off of. We did one more row all the way around before going back to the first wall and completing it. 

To create the spacing in our shiplap we used nickles. We also use an air nailer with staples to attach our wood to the wall. The project went fairly quickly. We had to make several cuts on the two walls with the door and the closet because the boards were too long (obviously) which was probably one of the most time consuming parts. We had interruptions that Saturday (going and picking up the boys from my parents and hanging with them) and on Sunday was my family's annual baking day for the holidays so that day was pretty shot. With that being said, by Sunday evening, all the wood was on the walls and on the wall inside the closet. See---QUICK! Sunday night I filled the staple holes with putty and then sanded everything day so on Monday I could paint. 

We put two coats of white semi-gloss paint on our shiplap and our trim. We used the same paint on the bench Andrew built as well. To give our entryway a POP, we painted our front door and sidelight black. I just love black interior doors! 

By Tuesday evening the shiplap was done, the trim was back in place and all that was left was to rehang the decor that had been on our entryway wall previous to the project. 

We were so happy with how it turned out and to have it all done before Christmas was even better! 

We have about a million and four more projects to do to make this house our forever home but we'll get them all one day! 

Big Boy Room Redo

Last week, I gave a little teaser about re-doing our big boys room. Today, I want to share that room, and our DIY headboard's with you.

Before the redo, Beau and Hudson shared a room with Hudson in his full size bed and Beau in his crib.  When we  moved them in together, Hudson's room had a sport's theme and Beau's bedding was simple so we just meshed those two together knowing we would make some adjustments when Beau got out of his crib.

These pictures our from our old house when we first moved their things in together.

In November, we moved back to our home town and into a home that is a three bedroom with a fourth bedroom option in the basement.  Since our boys are so little, the basement bedroom is not something we are using as a bedroom right now, thus, Hudson and Beau are sharing.  

Around the beginning of March, Beau started climbing out of his crib.  We knew that the crib days were over.  Andrew and I went back and forth about what to do.  We weren't sure if we wanted to do bunk beds or two twins.  I don't really love bunk beds and the ones I did like were ridiculously expensive.  I decided on doing two twin beds.  Once we moved those in, I probably had Andrew re-arrange the room at least 10 times.  I just was having trouble finding a configuration I liked that left room for the boys to play in their room if they wanted.  

I scoured Pinterest looking for arrangements.  We were not going to really change their room's theme.  We had decor that we liked.  We did need new bedding.  And I did want to add a few more personal touches.  And of course, headboards.  But like the bunk bed search, I couldn't find a headboard I loved that wasn't expensive.  

Pinterest to the rescue again! I found a couple of options for DIY headboards.  I looked at the tutorials, showed them to Andrew and we came up with a plan to make our boys. 

We decided that we wanted an inch added to either side of the bed so that when the bed was made the headboard would extend to the edge of the comforter on either side.  We also measured from the floor up and decided on a height.  I had the bed made and knew I wanted quite a high headboard so that it was visible above the bed when made with pillows. 

After we got the measurements, Andrew went to get the lumber. It was about $100 for the lumber, nails, screws and stain that we would use for both beds.  Once we put the boys to bed, we set out to work. 

I would say that Andrew followed this plan the closest.  We did make a few changes.

**We used only 1x6 boards.

**We used a spacer between the 1x6 to give it a different look. 

**We made a frame before laying the 1x6s.

     Basically we laid the 1x6x50's out to the width we wanted and attached a board near the base to          hold the 1x6x50s in place. 

**On the frame, we laid the 1x6s and used an air nailer to drive the nail through the front of the board     into the frame.  

**Once built, we detached the stabilizing board at the bottom.

**I filled the nail holes with wood filler, let it dry, then sanded and wiped down before staining.

The entire project for TWO headboards took about three hours {that includes cutting, assembling and staining}. 

The next day we attached the headboards to the boys' beds.  We added some new decor, hung their curtains {FINALLY!} and called it a day! We LOVE how their room turned out.

I am thrilled to have their room complete.  I still would like to add something either over their headboards or over the dresser.  There is a lot of dead space there.  I've thought of adding a photo of each of the boys above their beds in black and white.  Across from their beds they have a collage of wooden sports signs {below} so I feel like it needs to have a more personal element. 

What would you do?

Sources

Dresser: given to us, painted and updated knobs

Boys' bedding: Bed, Bath and Beyond

Lamp: Pottery Barn Kids 

Shade: Pottery Barn Kids

Metal Initial Letters: Hobby Lobby

Basket with baseballs: Hobby Lobby

Curtains: Target