DIY Mudroom Wall/Hall (for under $300!)

I had my eye set on this idea since we moved in a year ago but other house projects were a bit more pressing - plus I was nervous for all the ‘firsts’ this would require of me. Before I tackled the mudroom wall I had never worked with 3/4 tools used. But - guess what? I did it and learned so much along the way.

This is where we started:

We have a back door to the left and a narrow doorway to the right of the wall. My space was limited and it couldn’t take up too much room.

Here was my vision:

I wanted vertical shiplap, a basket light, built in storage bench for Cola’s food, and built in doggie bowls. It had to keep room for the back door to swing open, too. The hooks I found at Homegoods were actually candle sconces, but they were the perfect sturdy hooks I needed since I wasn’t doing art/picture frame on the wall.

Here’s were we ended up!!

Still have some trim to finish, caulk, and paint…but it is GREAT! Let’s break down the how…

1. Build the frame to your seat.

We used 2x4s and created two rectangles the depth and height needed. Remember you will be adding about a half inch of shiplap to the front + trim, and about an inch of seating to the top as the bench! Ours ended up looking like this.

We made sure to measure the dog bowl section with our actual bowls to ensure they would fit within the frame. And measured the height to be correct for our large lab.

We secured the bench frame to the wall with 3.5 in screws in the studs of the wall. We pulled the bench a slight bit off the wall as our house is old and the wall isn’t perfectly flat. This gave us some wiggle room to have a bench top open and close without scratching the wall every time.

2. Add the shiplap

I purchased primed shiplap to save time and energy. It’s a bit more pricey than unfinished shiplap but I think was SO worth it. Unfinished would require sanding and priming and some boards have knots/are crooked too. Spend the extra money and get them primed and finished!!

I have 10 ft ceilings in this room and bought enough 12 ft boards to fit across the wall one by one so I didn’t have to make cuts and match lines/etc.

I gave myself some wiggle room with cuts for our uneven floors, too. The trim covers this up so don’t fret if you’re an inch too short or so.

I did have to use this table saw to rip one of the shiplap boards for the edge piece, but you could rent one at Homedepot or rig a circular saw to make a straight cut! DM me if you want to hear how I recommend doing that. I added shiplap all around the frame too. Because shiplap has a lip to it, i was able to just nail the boards into the 2x4 frames instead of putting a backing on the frame. If you aren’t shiplapping you will want to put a backer board of some sort on the frame base to enclose it.

Not every board fit onto a stud, so I used liquid nails on the boards and nailed into the top stud and bottom stud of the walls and went up the board still nailing into the drywall behind it…if this makes sense! The liquid nails holds pretty well. I used this nail gun/air compresser here ! I guess you could try with liquid nails alone if you don’t have a nail gun? Not sure how well it would hold if you drilled anything into the shiplap but worth a shot!

4. Fill the nail holes + caulk seams

I went back and filled all the nail holes with wood filler. Let them dry and then sand them smooth! I cleaned up the dust and then caulked the seam where the shiplap met the walls on the right and left sides. DON’T caulk the gaps between the shiplap! (just want to make that clear) Doing this before adding the bench tops will make things look more smooth and built in.

This is the step that makes your final product look professional. Once all caulk was dry I went ahead and painted the wall! an accent wall color could be fun here too!

5. Add the bench + bowl tops!

I originally wanted to use butcher block but it sent me over my $300 budget for the project so I opted for this thick plywood. It has a finished look with the sides finished as well. You can also look into using actual shelving for the tops! I couldn’t find any that were 13 in deep ( the depth of our bench)

We cut the board to hang over the bench by an inch on the two exposed sides. Then we used our bowls to make the holes to cut for doggie bowls. Make sure you cut it a bit smaller than the largest diameter of the bowl. This gives the lip of the bowl something to sit on so it doesn’t just fall through the hole.

My original plan was to stain them but after going back and forth a lot I decided to paint them Tricorn Black. This color we used on all of our interior doors, fireplace, kitchen beams on the ceiling, and more! It tied it all in for us. I secured the water bowls to the frame with liquid nails because I didn’t want to mess with filling nail holes.

I have yet to finish securing hinges to the storage bench top. I ended up ripping about an inch off the back of the board that meets the wall. I will use this inch to secure one side of the hinge and then the other side will be attached to the board that will lift up. This gave me room to raise the board….Hopefully I’ll update with pictures once I finish this!

6. Trim it all out!

We used a 5 in primed MDF board and then added a shoe molding. I suggest buying trim that matches the other trim in your home! You’ll need a miter saw for this part because you will make 45 degree cuts to the boards to interlock them together in the corners. We use this one here - but I think you can rent one at Home Depot! I added crown molding as well to hide the miscuts at the top also! I’d recommend adding crown molding to the whole room if it isn’t already there. Use the nail gun to add the trim!

Another tip! After cutting the trim, PAINT IT! this saves so much time and gives such a cleaner look. I forgot to do that on this project and regret it so much.

If you paint before installing it - all you have to do after is just fill the nail holes with wood filler, sand, and add a little touch of paint to those dots. No taping, no cutting it close, no paint on the floors. SO WORTH IT.

7. Add basket light!

Find out how I create affordable basket lighting with my basket light trick here!

AND CONGRATS! YOU JUST FINISHED SUCH A GREAT PROJECT. This space of our home finally feels functional and put together. To see videos of this project + more tips check out my instagram highlight or my tiktok on it!

Front Door Makeover! (Using only paint!)

When you wake up feeling creative, you make use of that! I have always wanted to redo the front door of our 1940s home , but never felt motivated enough until a few days ago. I woke up feeling creative, and decided to put all of that determination into our front door!

These spanish tiles were first to go. I couldn’t stand them from the moment we purchased the house. I also knew the red had to go. Some love a traditional brick home with red door…but not me. I needed something brighter and fresh looking. An aqua door is a bit too ‘trendy’ for me and every other color looked boring or too eccentric. I browsed through Pinterest over and over and finally came across this picture! It is the perfect mix of blue/green'/grey I didn’t even know I wanted.

The color is called Pigeon 25 by Farrow and Ball. As we do with all of our paints, we had Lowe’s color match it to a Valspar paint to save money. We decided on a satin gloss in the DuraMax brand by Valspar. I barely used half of a quart of paint on the front of the door.

I’m not sure if the door is original to the home - but I think it may be. Our windows are original (something we need to replace at some point :)). After seeing the layers of paint the door had I knew I had gotten myself into a project much greater than just slapping on a new coat of paint. I had to redo the door completely.

I started by removing the tiles with a metal scrapper. I chose this over a hammer because I didn’t want to rip off any wood on accident. Remove any and all hardware at this point also!

Next, I began sanding. I use this sander and LOVE it. Inexpensive, convenient and user friendly if you only need it for side projects here and there. Here’s another one that has better reviews than mine too! I had to switch between two different tools attachments to get the slanted surface of the window panes. Don’t touch the window with the electric sander either - it will scratch windows. Use a sanding block if needed to get close. Make sure to wear face covering or you will be sneezing paint colored boogies for days after haha. If you don’t have an electric sander, you can use a sanding block on the whole door also.

If you don’t want to sand the door down completely (like me)..make sure to at least sand off :

• chipping paint & it’s edges

• the outer glossy layer

• old paint dripping/running spots until flat

• paint pulling away from the surface

• imperfections from previous painting/build up/flaws from pulling off numbers/knockers

Then the door needs to be cleaned well. I take my vacuum hose attachment to the whole door first, then wipe with a damp rag and then a dry rag. Scrub off any dirt build up and get the crevices/area attached to windows cleaned thoroughly.

Now you are ready to paint! I chose to hand paint with this brush. I prefer the hand painted look, but if not you can use a small roller. Some suggest foam but ensure you have the foam soaked in paint before applying to reduce air bubbles on the door when rolling. I put one coat on and let it dry overnight, then followed with the second coat the next day.

After removing the tape I realized it pulled off some paint and allowed some red to show through on the window edges. I touched up spots around the windows with a small paint brush I usually would use for acrylic painting. This takes a steady hand, but usually if you go too far on a window you can scrape it off.

I chose not to prime because I have an exterior storm door and the paint I chose is higher quality with primer already in it. I needed 2 coats of paint total!

Lastly I installed this new door knob (under $50). I linked a few other great options at the bottom of the post too . We added these aluminum numbers to the door front. Then, I spray painted the knocker and dead bolt with this paint I swear by and use for almost all metals in our home. This is how I sprayed the deadbolt since It is not removable. I used tape and packaging/newspaper/plastic to cover the surrounding areas , then sprayed.

I decided last-minute to spray our storm door hardware also to match since it is really seen more. Since I’m not using a sealant/secondary protective spray I may end up having to respray these over and over as they chip and scratch but it was a breeze to do so I’m not too worried. And just like that we are DONE! It completely changes the look and feel of our home.

Next on our list is to find new planters and plants for our front porch. :) stay tuned!

QUICK LINKS:

• Paint Color: Pigeon No.25 by Farrow & Ball

• Metal Spray Paint : Rustoleum Oil Rubbed Bronze

• Door Handle

• Door Numbers

• Electric Sander option 1 & option 2

Foyer Update

The moment we moved walked through the our house I couldn’t get past the different shades of tan on every wall and that every room had textured wallpaper somewhere. Our hallway/foyer area is the first thing that hits your eye when you come in and it was the biggest eyesore to me after we painted every other room white. The tan grass cloth stuck out and made the house choppy feeling. I knew I would get around to painting it at some point but it was on the bottom of our list…then came COVID19 quarantine. So as our sweet Noah got himself into a schedule, we had more time to work on little projects here and there.

The wallpaper was actually in decent condition. Slightly ripped in a few spots (what looks like it was once a nice scratching wall for a cat lol) and peeling in corners from the settlement cracks that covered our home’s walls. I knew I wanted to keep the texture of the walls. It gave the small area something special where there is little room to put anything fun in it. Even though I was shot down from the Lowe’s employees, I decided I was sticking to my vision and keeping the wallpaper while painting over it. I had to repair first and foremost.

I found this awesome product for cheap on Amazon and barely used 1/8 of it on the wall corners and trim areas that were peeling. I pulled back the peeling paper, and applied the product to the wall behind with a small paint brush. I made sure to press, spread and hold the paper for a bit to make sure it adhered fully without bubbles. I then let it fully dry for a day. It worked wonders (and this is some thick paper).

*note - this product goes on clear and dries glossy…i wouldn’t use it/let it go on top of the paper unless you want a shiny finish. Make sure to clean the paper with a rag before it dries to prevent this on the meeting seams of wallpaper.

I haven’t filled the holes left after removing some non working home systems the previous owners left. I’m still debating the best way to do this on textured paper I can’t really sand down…will update once I tackle this... Then we primed and painted like normal! We used a 1/2 in. nap roller brush (here) instead of your normal 1/4 in. you would use for a smooth wall. This allowed it to press into the textured fabric easier, making the process faster. I also used a smaller roller brush (here) with 1/2 nap for the trim instead of a bristle brush.

Our paint color is White Dove by Benjamin Moore . The same color we used in pretty much our entire home, its a creamier white that matches great with a variety of trims and ceiling colors. Kind of a chameleon white - why we love it so much! We don’t pay for BM paint though (not at that stage in life yet haha), so we have Lowes or Home Depot match the color in their brand paint, Valspar, etc. They can do this with any brand’s colors.

This map print was sent to us from mapiful! It is a starmap of the location and night we got married. They have a bunch of unique options for meaningful, unique gifts and home decor. The rug is from southeastern salvage , a local store here in Columbia, S.C. This rug and this one give a similar look!

We are looking for a new light fixture like this or this once it’s in budget - But those will come at some point :)

We are still deciding on the plant for this space - what do you think of this fiddle leaf we borrowed to see how we liked it before purchasing?! This room gets little light so maybe something easier to keep alive…

This is the one we borrowed from a friend here!

As of now- we spent under $200 on this including everything you see!

QUICK LINKS:

• Wallpaper Seam Repair

• Primer

• 1/2 in nap roller brush (larger)

• 1/2 nap roller brush (smaller for trim)

• Wall Color: White Dove by BM.

• Mapiful Custom StarMap

• Similar Cowhide Rugs - Option 1 , Option 2 , Option 3.

• Basket - TJ Maxx , some others I love here and here

• Faux Fiddle Leaf : this one is show, option 2