Take the Side Street

DIY Faux Metal Arrow

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:43:00 +0000

For quite some time I've been planning on making a decorative arrow for above my boys' bunk bed. Just because. I thought it would look cute and take advantage of the weird pocket of above-bunk wall space that is created. (Seriously, bunk beds come with some decorating challenges)

Originally I was going to paint the arrow a few different colors and distress it, but at the end of last week I was lucky enough to stumble across a pin linking to a post on Vivienne's blog, The V Spot, about a paint technique that creates a rusted appearance, and I immediately changed my plan.

Are we so very excited to begin? Ready, okay!

1. Cut your arrow

(or whatever shape you want -- draw it on a thin piece of plywood and cut with a jig saw. Go crazy. Not literally though, you'll have a very dangerous tool in your hands.)

Here I am gettin' all crafty. I made my husband take this photo because the only part of me that ever shows up in these blog photos is my hand. Check me out in one of my eleventy billion haaaawt painting ensembles (I swear the majority of my clothes have paint on them because I just can't learn to change before I start projects).

2. Create "seams" in your faux sheet metal

(pretend the arrow is unpainted, I only painted it first so you could see the cuts better)

I laid the arrow on a piece of large scrap and used a utility knife and a scrap piece of MDF as a guide. Cut one line several times to score it neatly, then shift the guide board just a bit to either side and cut another line -- you can see in photo #2 that the thin piece of wood between the cuts will pop out.

3. Add rivets to your seams

(we're nothing if not accurate, right?)

Use wire snips to cut most of the sharp end off lots of flat tacks. Apply hot glue to the back of each tack, push it into the wood and quickly secure with a few firm taps from a hammer.

4. Prime (especially the tack heads) and paint your base coat

Your base coat will be whatever color you want to look like is on top: rust, patina, etc.

I used a combination of 3 cheap-o craft paint colors from Michael's: an orange mixed with brown and a little yellow in spots. Keep it splotchy -- only bits of it will show through in one place, so make sure to give it a varied appearance so it looks more natural.

5. Salt

This was my first attempt -- I didn't love how it looked and would suggest on larger pieces to do larger areas of rust vs. non-rust so it doesn't end up looking splotchy. But of course, I only took photos of the first try. Make sure the thickness of the salt is varied so there are spots that end up looking more peppered and spots that look more solidly rusted.

6. Spray paint

Spray your top color; I went with Krylon's Jade, which I thought most closely resembled the color of a heavy patina. I was going for salty, rusty, patina... you know. An old sign on a dock or something. I don't know, just go with me. Maybe it was painted this color and rusted through... I have no clue. I just liked the combination!

Spray lightly so you don't just spray the salt off.

7. Reveal

This is where it got tricky for me; I love the salt idea in theory, but I had some problems with it. On a piece this size some of the small detail was lost - maybe I should have sprayed more straight up-and-down instead of from the side a bit, but I didn't get as pronounced a grainy look as I was hoping for. Maybe something larger and less melty (to use a technical term) would do better on a bigger piece, like sand?

Also, the salt was difficult to scrape off where it hadn't been piled up, so I did end up using a metal grill brush to scrape it off in places (the brush is now in the trash, no worries!). The bonus here was that I decided that I actually liked the look of the salt bumps and thought it made my "metal" sign look even more weathered. So I kept a lot of them and ended up using a dry brush to stipple rusty highlights and gray lowlights on in places (I just used a gray primer for the gray spots).

I glued a couple sawtooth picture hangers on the back and hung the arrow above my boys' top bunk. Pointing to nothing in particular. I just like the look of it!

Like it? We love it. Even if it is random. And pointing to the corner. Who cares? Have fun!

Resources: Spray paint technique posts at The V Spot and Shortline Modelers

'Just Because' Flowers (from me to me)

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:38:00 +0000

I'm working on a post that will hopefully be done later today or early tomorrow (I still underestimate the time it takes to edit photos, especially a lot of them)... but in the meantime, I thought I'd share a little breath of spring that appeared in my house this morning.

Flower bundles like this are so inexpensive, and they make such a happy little statement, so of course they had to hop right into my cart. I love these tulips with their relaxed stems, gracefully arching over the sides of a crystal vase Mike & I got for our wedding.

Happy pre-Valentine's Day to me... maybe you should go pick up some 'just because' flowers for yourself today, too!

"Earth laughs in flowers."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

What's Happening in My World 02.12.2012

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:01:00 +0000

I love progress, and I'm actually finding this whole "stick to one project at a time" thing pretty fabulous. Granted, I'm still doing little things on the side but I think I'm actually going to have a room done pretty soon over here. Fancy that... a room, done! This is an entirely new concept for me; and of course it won't be done permanently, because I do love a good tweak, but it will be something I can check off my list. I get tingly just thinking about it.

I think I'm hyperventilating. Where's my paper bag?

Boys' Room

I finished both the duvet covers the other night, and I'm working on the pillows this weekend. I learned a new skill while working on the duvet covers - joining strips of bias tape. Does this count as a skill? I'm going to say that it does. I'd rip out carpet before making a quilt any day of the week, so it's important to savor these small crafty milestones.

Also, the new legs for my oogly thrift store chair arrived yesterday!

Yes, I'm getting rid of the rocker. Don't hate on me -- it's old and broken anyway, every time someone over 40 pounds sits it in and leans back they smack their head on the wall.

Baseboard

If we've been friends for a while, you know that several areas of my house haven't had baseboard in years. We are truly high class around these parts. Well, I am pleased to announce that my living room now has baseboard...

(it's really not short, the carpet ate it. boo on carpet.)

I know, I can't believe it either. And the best part? There's enough leftover base to do the upstairs bathroom (which is also lacking baseboard, naturally) so my handy contractor brother-in-law is cutting a notch in it to accommodate the toilet's water supply line so we can install it. I may have just reached my baseboard quota for 2012. I feel faint.

And last, but not least...

There's a hole in my wall!

Musical Rugs

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:49:00 +0000

A year or two ago I bought an 8 x 10' braided jute rug for my bedroom. I wanted to love it, and I did in theory... but it just didn't work in there.

So I moved it to my front room, but I didn't love it there either. It wasn't quite the right size (natural rugs aren't always right on size-wise), plus it was in the middle of a high traffic area and it wasn't really holding up well. The constant foot traffic over rows of braided jute that were sewn together started it fraying and I started to rue the day I bought it.

Fast forward to yesterday.

I knew I wanted a rug over the carpet, but the one I had wasn't working. It was a 5' x 8' rug which was way too small, and the colors weren't jiving with my master plan for the room.

(See the rug? Sort of? A little? Way to take a before photo, Anna.)

I rolled it up and dragged the jute monster in from the front room. Again, it's not the perfect size (it's the skinniest 8x10 rug I've ever seen) but I love the natural fibers in the living room. The carpet also helps keep the rug from shifting, which seems to be the braided rows' worst enemy.

And while I'd love to eventually have a bigger rug (think 9 x 12) to fill up more of the room, it's impractical to even consider it while the "worst wall in the world" is still in place, bisecting the traffic through the room:

Down with the wall. Boo. Hiss. It'll happen, and then I'll have one big room instead of two smaller ones (not literally two rooms, but as far as functionality and traffic flow is concerned they are two separate spaces). And bigger rooms need bigger rugs. Patience, Anna... patience!

It definitely works for now. Rock what ya got, right?

The only downside is this game of musical rugs has left my front room bare - but I think I'm okay with that.

I'm tackling the front room this spring, and it needs so much work I can't worry about a silly thing like a rug at this point. I've got bigger problems in there, y'all.

Help Wanted: A Corner Conundrum

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:43:00 +0000

I'm currently trying everything I can to avoid sewing, although I'm running out of other things that need to be done in my boys' room... except...

I need a little help with a weird little corner in the room, and who better to turn to than y'all?

(um, ignore the mess. Obviously it's completely out of character because my house is always 100% clean and perfect, 100% of the time. So this was just a fluke.)

First off, I love a good reading nook as much as the next gal...

the boo and the boy via Pinterest

(P.S. How similar is that space above? An awkward nook at the end of a bunk bed... I wish mine had a nice window though. Sadness.)

Real Simple

Places like this make me supremely happy, make me secretly want to put my kids in timeout for a made up reason so I can steal their nook and curl up with a book (HA! I kid. No worries... I'd probably read a magazine. *rimshot*)

The problem is there's already a little reading nook action happening in this other corner -- there's a chair, a window with natural light (and a lamp! It's a two pronged lighting attack!), and books... so I'm feeling like another nook mere feet away might be nook overkill.

So. What to do now? Stick an easel in it and call it artsy? Find a new home for my collection of old decor magazines? You guys had such great ideas and feedback about my wood floors, I decided to check in with you again. It's a pretty small space, right around 36" or less, but I'd love to find a use for it if possible... share your awkward space knowledge with me!

IKEA Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:23:00 +0000

At the end of last week I said to myself, "self. Let's go to IKEA." I had to hand it to myself, as it was a fabulous idea (and totally in character since I'm super good at coming up with fabulous ideas).

I had been waiting long enough for an Expedit in my boys' room. It was the entire reason for our last trip to Salt Lake's IKEA in October... I just accidentally bought too much other stuff before making it to the furniture bay and couldn't find room in our car for the Expedit's 6-foot long box. Drat. My husband was less than amused. (But hey, it all worked out! I bought the RAST nightstands and hacked them up good!)

I knew it was risky to take my entire family and 70-pound dog on an impulse furniture shopping adventure, so we stopped at my parent's home in northern Utah, unloaded the car, and let all the boys out to do manly things like fly fish and watch "Despicable Me." My mom hopped in and the two of us continued down to Salt Lake for her very first IKEA trip; needless to say, she was overwhelmed and walked out of there with only a package of 100 tea light candles. (I didn't buy anything my first trip either... I felt like my head was spinning and I needed to just take it in...back then though, I lived 10 minutes from this IKEA and not 3 1/2 hours away... big difference. Critical mistake, Mom!)

It was all okay though because I did enough shopping for the both of us, especially considering we had gone down just for the Expedit. (Surprise, honey!)

Please note this photo was taken before children, a large dog, luggage and fishing gear (which I, with the foresight of an oracle, advised against taking!) were added back into the mix. Like I said... the trip was risky.

So what did I get? Well.. hmm. A little of this, a little of that. Some baskets. Some feather pillow inserts, frames (can't leave without a few of those, right?), glass storage jars, decorative doohickeys... the kinds of things that don't seem like much at the time but illustrate my need for adult supervision in stores like IKEA(and Costco and Target).

It was all worth it, though. Of course I'm very glad to have a larger jar to store the popcorn in, because my husband is almost militant in his ever present need to have at least a couple pounds of the stuff in our cupboards... but mostly, I'm just so happy to have this:

I do love a good toy-hiding basket in a cleanly lined shelving unit. The whole scene makes my heart go pitter patter. Now just to finish the room...

Art Love: Michelle at unitedthread

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:08:00 +0000

Last week I the pleasure of receiving a package in the mail. Now, I'm a girl who loves any package, even a boring box of replacement checks... you still get to open it. It's like a miniature Christmas, right? It's important to enjoy the little things!

This package, however, was something special. It was a print I had ordered from an etsy shop called unitedthread, run by a woman named Michelle; a print of an original watercolor called "Five Whales Stacked" that I knew would be perfect for my boys' room. (My oldest is following in his mom's science-loving footsteps and has adopted the whale as his favorite animal... it's mine, too!)

I found the print via Pinterest and stalked it through the internet jungle until I came upon this etsy shop and sent Michelle a message to see if I could get a copy of the whales I loved so much (it wasn't listed in the shop at the time, but I did notice it there today). She agreed right away, and when the package arrived it even contained a little thank you note - love that!

Michelle is very talented and has even been a featured seller on etsy -- hop on over there and read more about her and her creative process... and take a look at a few of my favorites out of the many prints available in her shop:

Heron

Zebras At The Water Hole

Hawk Owl

Bee Hive

Six Whales Stacked

(almost bought this one instead... love them both!)

P.S. I didn't receive anything in exchange for this post, I just loved my print so much I wanted to share her talent with you!

P.P.S. If you love these like I love these, it appears there's a 15% off sale happening at the unitedthread shop right now...

Hardwood Floors: Here We Go...

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:01:00 +0000

Exciting grown-up news, over here. Guess who's having her hardwood floors refinished? I'll give you a hint: it's me! (oops, I'm not very good at that game...)

The decision to look into spending a nice little chunk of change having the 800 square feet of original red oak flooring in our 1960 home refinished originally stemmed from practicality... so out of character for me, I know. The floors aren't in great condition after 50 years; there are stains and entire boards that need to be replaced, the poly is glossy and yellowed in some places and almost completely worn away in others, which is really hard on the poor wood below. Yep, the hubster and I decided that the floors needed a little love if they were going to last.

See? So practical. Look at me thinking of ways to take care of my little house to make sure that the floors are in good condition for a long time. Are we so impressed?

After we got all that ~~boring~~ responsible reasoning out of the way, it dawned on me that I would have orange oak floors no longer - it was a monumental realization and the moment I officially climbed aboard the "refinishing floors is cool!" bandwagon. I haven't built a house or undertaken a large remodel project, so this will be the biggest, most permanent and expensive house design decision I will have made... I admit, I'm giddy over the prospect. I get to change the entire aesthetic of my home. I can't wait!

(An aside to consider: what makes a person seem older: grey hair or unreasonable excitement levels over appliances and flooring? 'Cause I have ~~both~~ neither.)

In the last couple of days we've gotten three bids from different local flooring companies and are ready to make a decision soon... and these are the things I've been pondering:

Water-based vs. oil-based poly

All three of the companies we spoke with are comfortable using both types of polyurethanes and advised me to pick what I was comfortable with. To my understanding, the majority of floors are still coated in oil-based polyurethanes, but water-based finishes seem to be the 'way of the future.' They give off fewer fumes and dry faster which allows for less time between coats; however, this can be a double-edged sword because the faster dry time also makes them more difficult to apply, so it's important to find a skilled finisher who is comfortable with this type of product.

via Houzz

Water-based is also more expensive, but I've read that it's just as strong (or even stronger) than oil-based finishes-- note that it's not the same water-based poly that is sold in the big box stores; these are special products that flooring companies can order.

The last thing to consider is that water-based finishes stay crystal clear while oil-based polyurethanes do yellow... and while I was definitely leaning toward toward the clear water-based finish, I know some people really do like the warm glow an oil-based finish can provide to a wood floor and might even consider a clear water-based finish to be cold. It's just a personal preference!

via Houzz

In the end, we have decided to go with water-based both for the non-yellowing finish and because of air quality concerns -- we will be camping out in the basement at night and I'm just not comfortable with the higher level of fumes produced by an oil-based poly.

via Houzz

Sheen level

If you so desire, your wood floors can be glossy like a gymnasium. Well... I don't desire - glossy floors feel so formal to me. The less shine, the more forgiving the floor. Higher gloss finishes are less forgiving when it comes to imperfections in the surface, but they also show off scratches, dust, pet hair, footprints and smudges more than their lower sheen counterparts. You had me at dust. Have I mentioned that mopping floors is one of my least favorite chores? We will most definitely be going with an easier, more relaxed satin finish (unless the floor company has something even flatter, haha!)

via Houzz

Stain color

This is the topic that has me tossing and turning at night. I know I want a darker stain, but I also know I don't want deep ebony floors. Some people believe dark floors make a room look smaller, but I think they can actually ground the space, especially with plenty of crisp white trim throughout the room - the combination is enough to make me swoon, really! I also know that I have a golden retriever, and I don't care. I'll ask Santa for a Roomba next Christmas or something. I'll dye the dog black. I'll shave her to look like a Labrador. I don't know what I'll do, but I'll make it work.

via Houzz

Darker floors also show dirt and footprints more than lighter ones -- so I'm shooting for a medium dark brown and hoping that all the grain in my red oak floors will help break the color up and disguise the dirt a bit. I want the floors to be warm without reading yellow or orange. Once the floors are sanded they'll put some stain samples down, but I would like to have a good idea of some floors I like so I can give the floor guys someplace to start.

via Houzz

Does anybody have photos of gorgeous medium dark brown floors they can share? I'd love to see them!

Have a Seat, We'll Make a Plan...

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:22:00 +0000

Remember how a while ago, I posted about a chair that I had sort of fallen in love with online?

Well, I bought it. My precious.

I only bought one in case I didn't love it, or it didn't work in the room, or in case I woke up and was suddenly pregnant and had made a furniture purchase based on pregnancy hormones (which in my personal experience leads to nothing but post-purchase heartburn and woe).

The good news is none of those things happened so I'm thinking that I might need another one. You know, a set. How cute.

It is a little greener in real life than it appeared online, much more of a lemongrass color that I thought it would be... but that was a good surprise.

Speaking of changes to my living room, notice the sofa table has moved with the arrival of the new couch? Well, at least for the time being... we'll see what happens. I change my mind a whole lot and find rearranging rooms to be relaxing... have I mentioned I'm a little neurotic and have weird habits?

Last month I also made a design board for the living room, and since we're already on the subject, let's take a look at it:

Anybody else notice that (purely by accident) the color scheme is mighty similar to that in my boys' room? I must really like those colors... ummm, it's all about cohesiveness. I toooootally did it on purpose! Swearsies. Cough.

My husband isn't thrilled with the idea of layering a small colored rug over a large natural fiber rug over the existing carpet, and I can see his point. Darn that carpet! I love the pop of navy though so we might have to introduce it another way. Aaaand I think I'm going to have to find a different yellow fabric, since I didn't realize until now that it's the same fabric I bought for pillows for my boys, just in a different color. Oops.

I like what I like, okay? ;)

Rub 'n Buff Convert

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:10:00 +0000

One the first blogs I stumbled across way back when was Isabella & Max Rooms, which is written by the incredibly talented Janell Beals (she's also the founder of and creative force behind the online magazine House of Fifty). Several times Janell has shared the magic of a little product called Rub 'n Buff -- and I have always been interested in trying it, but it would get filed to the back of my mind (which is a dangerous place to be filed) and then I'd forget. Boo.

Well today, I remembered. This is a feat in and of itself, guys... no shopping list, no post-it notes stapled to my t-shirt, and no personal assistant reminding me (although I'm happy to consider your résumé if you'd be interested in a coughunpaidcoughcough personal assistant internship).

And guess what? I love it. Looooove it.

I came across this mirror at JoAnn today while grabbing some yarn. ('cause I am legitimately crafty when it comes to crocheting hats, but that's it. I'm like a hat vending machine. Don't ask for socks. Or scarves. That would cause the crochet-blue-screen-of-death.)

The mirror was 50% off, so it came in at a whopping $20... and suddenly Janell's face floated from the cerebral-filing-cabinet-of-eternal-cobwebs and into my conscious mind, and I experienced an "ah ha!" moment. Maybe it wasn't her face; that sounds a bit creepy.

Moving on. The before? Meh.

Ze after? Voilà! C'est si bon! Oui, oui! Escargot, s'il vous plaît.
(I took spanish, if you can't tell. Le sigh.)

This stuff? Is magic in a tube, y'all. Incredibly easy to apply, ridiculously fast drying, and it appears that it will last forever.

You can hardly even tell I used any (aside from all the messy gold swipes all over the tube...)

What say you? I wish I was Oprah... "and you get a Rub 'n Buff! And you get a Rub 'n Buff! And you, and you, and you! Rub 'n Buff for eeeveeerryyooooooonnneeee!"

Sharing at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia , Home Stories A to Z, Thrifty Decor Chick

Crazity Thrift Store Chair

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:17:00 +0000

I keep meaning to write about the chair I found for my boys' room last month, and I keep forgetting to do so. You may have seen it in the curtain post yesterday... but allow me to officially reveal it in all its thrift store glory to you now:

It was $10, y'all. Do you believe that something can be so ugly it's cute? I'm not sure that ugly is the right word for this thing... but it's definitely something. (my husband thinks ugly is the right word, by the way...)

Whatever it is, I'm a fan. Of the swoopy arms, the crazy olive and teal floral pattern, how obviously retro the whole thing is... I don't even care that it's worn in a few places. I think the shape is fun and if I ever decide to reupholster it (read: pay someone to reupholster it) it will look snazzy. But for now, it's a perfect read-before-bed chair for two little boys.

The one thing I'm planning to do to it soon is replace the rocker with some feet -- my boys keep banging it into the walls on accident. Even if my husband isn't the chair's biggest fan, the boys seem to love it. And helloooooo, what fun colors! It'll fit right into their room makeover.

What do you think? Spill!

(unless you're on team "ugliest chair ever" and then you should click to some of my other fabulous projects and remind yourself that we won't necessarily agree on everything, but we can still be friends!)

DIY Painted Backtab Curtains

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:48:00 +0000

Yesterday I made curtains for my boys' room. Panels with big wide stripes and hidden back tabs. I'm really happy with them even though they took me all day - that was my fault, not the poor curtains'. I must have forgotten my coffee or something.

I used sheets again, because y'all know I can't turn down a $5 curtain opportunity. I'm cheap like that. I was also on a time crunch, because two curtains laid out end to end in my dining room take up 99% of the usable floorspace, which meant that all pets and children were restricted to half the house (the "boring half," naturally) while I got my paint on. I admit, I might have thought that one through a little better. Hindsight is 20/20, right?

First I made curtains from the sheets - I followed this great no sew backtab curtain tutorial at Design a la Mod, with just a couple of tweaks:

1. First I folded over the extra length that I wouldn't need and attached the backtabs to that section, then finally I sewed the entire folded section in place (following the existing stitch line and going over the iron-on hem tape at the bottom for some extra strength). I attached the hem tape to this folded-over section so there would be less chance of it showing through since the sheet fabric is thin.

2. Instead of attaching the iron-on hem tape at both the top and bottom as in the original tutorial, I used velcro on the top section so that I could "open" my curtains because my boys' new curtain rods are made of galvanized piping. Once you screw all the pieces of pipe together it's solid and has to be entirely removed from the wall to add or remove traditional curtains -- and that wasn't going to happen.

I promise the original tutorial is much easier to understand, so make sure to click over there if you want to make some normal backtab curtains!

Once I finished making the curtains, it was time to lay them out and paint. I taped 9" lines on them and then realized I didn't have a foam roller. Like I said, maybe I forgot my coffee yesterday morning. To the store we went.

Back from the store and new roller in hand, I starting painting with scads of acrylic craft paint and fabric medium. I went with regular craft paint since I had heard that using regular wall paint (even with fabric medium) could result in crunchy curtains, and fabric medium seems to be "designed" for the regular craft paint. News flash: mine are still a tad crunchy. Oh well! I might sand them lightly to soften them up.

Regardless of what paint you choose, buy more than you think you'll need; fabric sucks it right up. I used 9 bottles of craft paint and 4 small bottles of fabric medium and that was cutting it close. Did I mention that I had to run to Michael's midway through painting to buy more? I am a super planner, guys. Who wants me to plan their wedding? Ha!

The best part of all my poor planning? My ~~prisoners~~ children were ~~forced~~ lucky enough to have a picnic for dinner! A... um... front room floor picnic! On plastic Christmas plates I forgot to put away! Thirty minutes before bedtime! Go me!

Okay, so it wasn't my smoothest project ever, but now that it's over I'm really happy to have these curtains up even though my 6 year old dubbed them "weird." Pfft. What does he know? I think they look great!

So does Robin over there. We think they look great. Holy cool curtains, Batman!

Sharing at Home Stories A to Z ,Thrifty Decor Chick

A Girl Can Dream: Built-in Bunks

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:25:00 +0000

Kids love a good bunk bed. Do you?

Regular bunk beds can be extremely practical - great for small spaces (like anything in my house) and shared rooms. But most of them leave me wanting more in the fabulousness department -- they can be big and sort of clunky looking. Is it just me? Yes, I built one for my boys and yes, I've made peace with it (sort of). But I can't admit I don't get miniature design pangs when I stare at fabulous bedroom designs sans bunks.

I will tell you though, there is a type of bunk that leaves me weak in the knees (because I'm officially the world's biggest geek who gets jelly joints over cute furniture). What I really want when I escape into my fantasy and renovate a home on the coast in order to become a professional beachcomber... is a room of built-in bunks. Be still my heart. Who can resist a row of beautiful built-in beds? The charming ones with ladders and rustic sconce lighting? And beautiful architectural details? Oh, how I love them. Love them love them, "pass a note across the desk asking them to be my Valentine and to check yes or check no" love them.

via

via

Do these built-in beds stir the same feelings in you? They feel like summer, and adventure, and fun; all are extremely good things in my world. I would love to own a vacation home with a room of bunks - preferably a home with a view like photo #2's, okay? ;)

Boys' Room: Weathered Warehouse Pendant

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:30:00 +0000

See, I told you I was working on my boys' room.

If you saw the design board I posted earlier, you may have noticed an industrial looking warehouse pendant -- I did buy it for an outrageously affordable $25 from the big orange HD. It was just too shiny and new looking though, plus the inside was white, and say what you will about white reflecting light, blah blah blah... I wanted a more weathered look -- something that looked a bit like galvanized steel or at least something old. Something that may have actually been in a warehouse? Maybe an old one by the sea, oxidized by the salt air? Look at me imagining life stories for my light fixtures.

Time to pull out my trusty spray paint!

The good news is this was incredibly easy, and I'm over-the-moon happy with the results.

I used 3 products:

Gray primer, Rustoleum's Metallic Matte Nickel and Krylon's Original Chrome (the stuff I used for my lazy man's silver leaf mirror frame). Look at me, being such a rebel... Rustoleum and Krylon, playing nicely together on my little project.

1. Prime (I did gently scuff up the metallic side with sandpaper prior)

2. Spray with metallic nickel paint

3. Lightly and unevenly spray with the Original Chrome paint -- resulting in a flecked, mottled appearance with a bit of texture.

I did that on both the inside and outside of the fixture and the ceiling canopy, and that was that. Easy peasy. I think it looks great and I can't wait to throw a couple more galvanized steel-y accents in there with it...

Not bad for a $25 fixture, right?

Sharing at Thrifty Decor Chick

IKEA Hack Nightstand Construction Details

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Yesterday I showed you my fancy new nightstands, and today I'm outlining the steps I took to construct and finish them. Buckle up, because here are the steps to make your own!

Step 1: Assemble RAST nightstand per included instructions.

Step 2: Cut and glue lattice on drawer fronts.

I purchased a few sticks of 1/4" hemlock lattice at my local HD. It's nice and smooth, great for crafts - if you can find it. It took me forever to locate it in my store even though it was just in the regular moulding department... I struggle. I cut it into 7 7/16" lengths and 20 3/16" lengths and attached it with wood glue. Instead of clamps, I used heavy cans of food to hold the lattice in place until it dried - we're super professional over here.

I decided against mitering the corners after looking at several nightstands I liked and noticing this style of joint on their drawer fronts. I'm a total copy cat.

Step 3: Attach decorative moulding to top

Next I used small moulding (removed from various places in my 1960 house, layers of old yellowed poly included free of charge!) and trimmed out the top of the nightstands. I used a thin piece of scrap lattice to fill and reinforce the gap along the front created by the nightstand's wider side pieces.

Step 4: Details!

- Tighten any visible screws until they suck up into the wood so you can fill them with wood putty and sand them flush.

- Cut away a rough opening in the toe kick-thingy with a jig saw.

- Add a few pieces of scrap lattice to the top of the toe kick so that a 3/4" piece of MDF placed on top of them will sit flush with the front of the nightstand.

Step 5: Cut out decorative front piece with jig saw

I drew a template, traced it onto two pieces of 3/4" MDF pieces that were each 23 1/8" x 3 13/16" and went at it with a jig saw. Mine has a little twisty knob that helps make sharp corners, and I just tried to get them as close as possible. Mine are definitely not perfect - I used my orbital sander with rough grit sandpaper to smooth them out and help conceal any boo-boos. After they're done, attach them to the nightstands with glue and nails through the sides and where the 1/4" lattice scrap is.

One quick tip: I stood the nightstands up when I fit the decorative front piece on to make sure it was flush with the bottom of the nightstand and to help prevent any issues with the bottom drawer opening if it was placed too high.

Step 6: Attach table tops

Cut a piece of MDF a little larger than the size of the nightstand + decorative moulding. My tops were 26" x 12 3/4". Attach them with glue and nails.

Step 7: Caulk if you want - I only caulked between the table top and the strip of moulding, I purposefully left the tight joints on the drawer fronts as is. Also fill any nail holes and seams with wood putty, then sand smooth.

Step 8: Prime with oil-based primer (remember, it's MDF and raw wood. Oil-based!)

Step 9: Finish with paint of your choice.

I used Martha Stewart paint in Mushroom (love) and a little bit of Floetrol, an additive that helps minimize paint and roller lines in latex paints (there's also something called Penetrol for oil-based paints, FYI)

I used an angled brush and a small high-density foam roller to apply two coats of paint.

After the paint dried, I applied a non-yellowing water-based poly with a foam craft brush -- do not use a roller as that will result in bubbles. Promise. Coat an area with poly and then work your way back across the entire surface, pulling in one direction to help minimize any lines.

Let that dry, add some knobs and voilà! You have a nightstand. Or two!

Hopefully it doesn't take you 4 months like it took me! I took my time to uh...make sure... everything was perfect. Or something.

Updated to add: Apartment Therapy already featured these nightstands! A couple observant people over there commented on the lack of baseboard/outlet cover in an otherwise nice photo (y'all know how I struggle with baseboard... le sigh.) So, for fun, I made up a pretend photo so we can all imagine it's done and everything's pretty-like.

Ahh. Much better, right? If only it was really that easy!

Sharing at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Home Stories A to Z, Thrifty Decor Chick

Finished Nightstands {Reveal}

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:56:00 +0000

Y'all, I am so excited to share this project. I have wanted nicer nightstands in my bedroom for several years now, but didn't want to pay hundreds of dollars. I'm cheap, I admit it.

I finally finished these (seriously, I'm the biggest slacker ever... I started these in October. The shame.) and got them into the master bedroom. Love them. Weep.
(That was me weeping with joy. What? I'm totally normal. Pfft.)

Would you believe that this....

used to look like this?

Yep, it's an IKEA hack! I had seen a few great hacks of this $35 RAST dresser and I couldn't pass up the chance to have great looking nightstands myself. Love!

Our cat Fig seems a bit suspicious, but she's neurotic. I love them! I'll post some construction details tomorrow, but I just couldn't wait to share. What do you think?

Finishing What I Start... 3 Months Later

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:25:00 +0000

I promise you, I will stay the course and finish my boys' room... I'm actually working on it right now! (Not literally right now right now, since I'm sitting here typing, but you know... right now. Promise)

The thing is, I'm also finishing up a project I started last October -- yep, before Halloween. As in, I'm the slowest DIYer ever? The kind that refuses to work in the garage when the temperature dips and instead wistfully stares at half finished projects occupying the space where her car should be. The same car she does battle with daily as she attempts to scrape frost from the windshield in order to drive children to school, all the while cursing the stupid project sitting frost-free (and probably under a layer of lazy-dust) on the other side of the garage door.

I'm finishing a pair of nightstands for the master bedroom, and then I'll get back to the bedroom. There's only so much stink eye this girl can handle. My husband was getting less and less impressed with my "awesome nightstand idea!!!" so I had to do something quick. I've really been busting this one out, which usually means I end up taking over the entire house for a few days while laundry piles up and the kids eat Cheetos and juice boxes. Not really. (except maybe really, sort of)

I started in the entry, since nobody needs to use the front door or anything. Pfft.

Then I moved over to the dining room, since the Golden Globes were on. (hellooo, priorities!)

Now I just need to put a top coat on them...

...and finish painstakingly painting the knobs by hand...

(that part sort of sucks)

...and we'll be all set. Can't wait to show you the finished nightstands!
Better late than never, right?

Boys' Room Plan & Design Board

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:05:00 +0000

The first room I'm tackling this year is my boys' room - it's been on my radar for a long time now, but I've not really made any major progress. This time it's different, I swear. In 2011 I made a resolution to finish what I start, and now that 2011 is over I'm finally getting around to incorporating that philosophy into my DIY life. Being an easily distracted DIY squirrel is really not any fun, because you end up with 6 rooms that are all 15% complete. Gratifying it is not.

New plan: hold myself accountable and actually finish a room instead of starting new projects constantly (even though starting new stuff is always sort of fun, right? Must. finish. projects.).

I wanted something that was fun, bright, and interesting and that appealed to both my boys since they share a room. I also didn't want anything too themed or anything really juvenile that they would be completely over in 3 years. I'm hoping that this will fit the bill.

The map of the world was my jumping off point for colors, and as crazy as that random teal garage sale chair looks, I found an even crazier, cooler one that I'll be sharing next week. It's so old and garage sale-esque that it crosses over into obscenely awesome territory. My husband thinks I'm delusional, but I'm sure you'll be on my side (you better be on my side, guys).

I can't wait to get started!

A Chair to Ponder

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:57:00 +0000

I shared my glee over my new couch yesterday, and all your comments were wonderful and I was full of couch warm fuzzies and love for my fellow slipcover fans and screamin' deal lovers in the world. It was a happy day.

Now though, I've got to figure out what to do with the room. First issue at hand: we did lose some seating when we sold that sectional. On the flip side, we gained lots of space in a room that suddenly feels larger than I ever recall it being. So naturally, the wheels in my head started turning, much to my husband's chagrin.

(source)

My front room has only a gigantor chair and a half (that is fabulous for reading or snuggling) and a piano... no real seating there. So this living room needs to accommodate at least a few people (on account of all the swingin' parties we host... in my dreams).

Here's what I imagined for the space:

(ignore the kitchen/dining areas, as this is my "final vision" and nowhere in my kitchen does there exist a peninsula or bar stools right now. wah.)

See? I obviously need a couple chairs for the space. Obviously. (and, you know, something in that outside corner to the left of the couch. Let's worry about that another time though.)

So, um... what about this? Because I sifted through what felt like thousands of gorgeous chairs (several of which popped up on Finding Fabulous's roundup of upholstered beauties today)... and I liked a lot of them, but then I stumbled across this one and my heart went pitter patter.

(source)

It has color, but it's low contrast and subtle; nothing that will dominate the room or look dated in a couple years. The floral design is elegant but also a bit edgy if you look close -- the design actually has that raw edge/ragged appearance of an ikat fabric.

(source)

I think I might be in love. What say you?

My $26 Pottery Barn Couch

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:00:00 +0000

Did you see that? Twenty six dollars for a Pottery Barn Couch!

Well... $26 net. Still totally awesome in my world - awesome enough to induce an inappropriate burst of song or an ill-timed jig.

It gets even better though:

... it's slipcovered.

... and it's white(ish).

Be still my impractical furniture loving heart.
(Except it's not really impractical because helloooooo, you can wash it.)

So here's how the miracle went down. There's a regional store which I'm sure lots of you have heard of since 95% of home/craft bloggers apparently live in Utah where the store is based... it's called DownEast.They have lots of fabulous furniture, accessories, linens, etc. from fabulous stores like Z Gallerie and Pottery Barn. There are plenty of scratch and dent type things, and oodles of monogrammed backpacks and stockings... some of which feature totally average names, lots of which are more ~~bizarre~~ exotic names like "Jojoelas" or "Saffron" -- eccentric wealthy people buying their cats PB velvet stockings, maybe?

(My apologies to anyone named Jojoelas.)

...aaaand then there are totally normal things, like floor models or overstocks or things with flaws so minor they're unnoticeable or I have no idea what they are besides normal. They're normal. And they're less expensive.

I like to frequent DownEast as a window shopper, just 'cause it's fun. And I'm apparently a bit of a retail masochist. I tend to want a whole bunch of things.

So I was driving home from running an errand around the turn of the year and an invisible force guided my car into the DownEast parking lot. Fate? A twitchy right arm? We'll never know. I walked in to see that all clearanced home items were on special for an extra 30% off over the weekend. That was enough to initiate a little impromptu perusing... little did I know that one of the couches I had been admiring from afar during my occasional visits to the store was on clearance.

I started having a panic attack while I did the math in my head. The couch, my couch, was on clearance for $649 - and after the extra 30% off, the price would drop to $454. Sales tax and delivery brought it to just $526. For a PB couch. In perfect condition.

In order to bring my couch home I'd have to sell our 4-year old sectional sofa. Let me be perfectly clear: I was totally okay with that. Oodles of okayness happening in this general vicinity. I didn't love the sectional and it had originally been purchased for the larger basement family room of our last home in Salt Lake City, so it didn't even really fit into my narrow Idaho rooms.

I sold the sectional this week for $500, which brought our net out of pocket cost for the new couch to $26. Twenty-six dollars. Pinch me. Did I mention that this exact sofa at PB, in the exact fabric, is $1,699 regular price? What's that sound? Oh, oh yes... it's the couch angel chorus.

Regardless of your feelings toward white {slipcovered!!} furniture, are we all as super excited as I am right now? Because we should be. This, folks, is a good thing in my world.

(P.S. Yeah, the bottom is wrinkly from delivery... I'm getting there.)

Sofa Table Plan {PDF Download}

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

I have been floored by the response to my sofa table - I'm so happy that people like it and want to build it (or have already!) You may have even seen that it was Knock Off Decor's #1 clicked project for the entire year of 2011 -- and it wasn't even featured on Knock of Decor until September 29. That is AH-mazing, you guys. Like I said... floored. Between the Knock off Decor feature, and Pinterest traffic from pins of both the original post here and the KOD feature, it is definitely the busiest area of my little blog.

With that in mind, I thought it was time to make the plans a bit easier to print out and read - right now it's spread out over several posts. I have zero idea how to do anything really fancy, but hopefully this will work a little better for all the wannabe sofa table makers in the world:

Sofa Table Plans

Also, here's a list of the original posts, as well as my post on prepping MDF for paint:

Sofa Table Plans, part 1

Sofa Table Plan, part 2

Table is Complete & cost to build

Prepping MDF for paint

Thanks again and good luck!

2012 DIY Home Goals

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:15:00 +0000

2012 is going to be my year, baby. I'm so excited for what I've got planned around the house. I've spent the last couple years being a bit scattered with my plans; there is so much insanely fabulous inspiration out there, and it can get a bit overwhelming at times!

Looking back to the first home we bought, I can see how much I've learned and how my tastes have developed over the past several years - I have zero design training and have had to learn everything the hard way and make ~~lots of~~ a few mistakes... oh, and I'm sure I'll make plenty more.

The good news is that over the last year, I've been able to make several big decisions about the direction I want to go with my DIY craziness, and figure out my overall "vision" for this house. It's not a rigid plan, but it's a basic set of colors and ideas that I can fall back on and use to stay on course when I get distracted by pretty shiny things... which happens a whole bunch, especially since Pinterest came on the scene. Zoinks.

Hopefully now that I have some real direction, I can start making some real progress. So here's my list of DIY goals for the upcoming year (with the most recent photos, some of which happen to be from Christmas! Forgive the misplaced holiday decorations.)

Exterior

Replace rotting wooden pathway in backyard with pavers
Stain back deck
Break up concrete pad on side of house and begin conversion to side garden
Continue waging war on the evil squirrels

Front Room/Entry

Board and batten
Replace trim around doors
Build decorative leaning ladder
Repaint inside of front door
Create real entry space (bench or table, etc.)

Living Room

Paint remaining wood paneled wall to match the other three walls
Install baseboard
Convert back door into dutch door
Design and create large scale, fabulous objet d'art

Kitchen

Demo desk near side entry
Build bench in its place

Dining Room

Paint ceiling above dining table
Replace trim around series of 5 windows
Paint all the trim in room

Bathroom

Install baseboard. (Really gonna do it this year, cross my heart!)
Paint vanity

Master Bedroom

Add decorative moulding to walls
Replace trim around doors and window
Get some decent nightstands in there

Boys' Room

(Ha! The only photo of the boys' room is one from my "real home" post!)

DIY some cute striped curtains
Build storage or purchase Expedit for toys/books
Make the kids pick up their room

Guest Room

Find and fix up a chair for the corner
Create a sunburst mirror for above the bed
Build french cleat to hang headboard

Laundry Room

Install beadboard ceiling
Paint walls
Finish building W/D platforms
Paint cabinet
Install new countertop, sink, faucet, etc.
Install new lighting
Paint floor

Wish me luck! (I've got 12 months, right?)

{Linking up to The Nester's 2012 Home Goals Party! }

My Dressed Up Dresser

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 17:21:00 +0000

The black dresser in my dining room got a little blingy gift for Christmas - if you were paying close attention you may have noticed it in my Christmas home tour last month, but sharing this fun change slipped my mind until yesterday when I realized you haven't been formally introduced.

Friends, meet my fancified dresser.

What a difference new knobs can make, right? Just to refresh your memory, here's what the dresser looked like until recently (minus the lamps):

My dining room has always felt a little dark to me because of all the wood trim (which is being served eviction papers in 2012) + dark wood table + black dresser, so I've been craving something to bring a little contrast, light, and fun into the space. These fun cut glass jeweler's knobs seemed to fit the bill!

I couldn't be happier with the change. The dresser looks swell, and the pretty knobs compliment the other feminine details like her curvy little stems. She's totally a girl.

Isn't she pretty? Who else wants to buy the blue knobs from that link and stick them on a white dresser? How. cute. would. that. be. I die.

Have a wonderful weekend!

What's Happening in My World...

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:46:00 +0000

I've been all over the place lately, and I'm finishing up my list of 2012 home goals but there are so many things I want to share that might not require an entire post on their own, and we do know how I love a good list...

Mad Crochet Skillz

I finished the hat I was talking about making for Christmas... my brother-in-law was a fan, so I thought I'd share photographic evidence that I don't always turn everything crafty I touch to ashes:

Success! If I can learn to crochet, a farm animal could.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Chaaanges

Here's a sneak peak. I'm dying.

That's all you get, for now.

My Kingdom For a Doughnut

I'm going through several mini-fasts (specific foods, one at a time so my head doesn't explode and I don't want to kill everyone around me) to reset my eating habits after the food insanity of Hallo-giving-mas. I'm on day 5 of 20. I've been a bit scattered this week, I admit... but I'm doing better now. And I've lost 5 pounds already! Water, inflammation, blah blah blah... shush up. In celebration, let's look at a doughnut together, okay?

(Image from AllPosters.com)

(wipes tears away) It's a beautiful thing... (sniff)

~~Diamonds~~ CZs Are a Girl's Best Friend

For Christmas I received a fabulous set of Stella & Dot stacking rings I had been pining away for. (I'm doing research - do I like a solitaire or simply a {fabulous} wedding band more? Very, very important decision for upcoming anniversaries)

I love that these rings are gorgeous on their own, but they're also almost dead ringers for a much more expensive ring from Tiffany & Co:

...and since the Stella & Dot version comes with 3 rings... I'll stick with them until I have an extra $12,000 laying around... that I don't want to use to rip out walls or buy cabinets with. Ha.

Laundry Sucks
That's really all I wanted to say about that... and I guess it's not really an update, more of a philosophy on life. Still wanted to share it.
____________________________________

I feel a little better now (except that I want a doughnut in the worst way)... anything fabulous happening in your world that you want to share?

Slate Backsplash Breakdown

noreply@blogger.com (Anna @ Take the Side Street) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:25:00 +0000

In December I shared my kitchen's mini makeover where I installed a slate backsplash on the cheap, and today I'm going to share how I did it (because as I mentioned, my methods were a tad unorthodox... redneck? resourceful? Let's go with resourceful.)

When we purchased our house one side of my galley kitchen had a row of appliance garage-style cabinets at the back of the regular counter top (which means I have pretty much the deepest base cabinets on the planet... they are 1.5 times standard depth to accommodate both a counter and these cabinets).

The problem was, I didn't like them. At all. See them? I can't believe I'm posting this pre-blog photo, again. They're behind all the beer and soda bottles, a cordless drill and the fabric softener? I was removing 1960's wallpaper, hence the fabric softener, and other people were working magic in other rooms...

(my resident ninja)

...and sometimes when you're knee deep in wood paneling and plaid wallpaper, you forget to clean your kitchen. Did I mention we weren't living there yet?

Anyway. Fast forward 2 1/2 years and it was finally time to do something about it -- a backsplash!

First we extended the outlets out into a new box that would sit behind the new "wall" with a little Romex wire and some wire nuts. Then we glued and nailed cleats to the top and bottom of each open space and used them to attach a piece of 1/4" scrap flush with the existing cabinet frames to create a solid surface for the tile job.

Next, we snapped a chalk line for the first row of tile; we started in this middle section because if you can see in the other photos, the two sections of backsplash are at different depths so in the middle the tile had to wrap around and span both those two areas. We tackled that first to make sure it looked just how we wanted and then moved out from there.

Next we attached the tiles. I didn't want to buy a giant bag of thin set for 15-20 square feet of backsplash (and the cement board that I would have needed also) so this is where my method becomes interesting. Ahem.

We used two adhesives: hot glue to instantly but temporarily hold the tile and Liquid Nails Marble & Granite adhesive, which takes a while to set up but then holds strong without swelling or staining.

I found the Liquid Nails at Home Depot, again -- right next to the regular adhesives and caulks. I don't know how well this method would work on a floor or something that gets a lot of use since I didn't cover the entire back with adhesive, but a backsplash isn't exactly a high-traffic area so my guess is that it will work just fine for me.

Are you prepared to get even more ~~redneck~~ resourceful? I used craft sticks as spacers and to keep the tiles from shifting! Go me!

Next it was time to grout. And grouting slate really isn't a whole lot of fun (honesty is always the best policy), as it is quite uneven and has lots of little nooks and crannies. If you have the budget I'd go for tumbled slate as it's much more smooth and level-like. Here's how I did it:

1. Before I started I sealed the tile, taking care to avoid the inside of joints where grout would need to adhere; sealed slate is supposed to be much easier to wipe clean after grouting, and I promise there will be plenty of grout to clean.

2. Mix your grout. I found a small bag of grout for under $10 which was great for a project this size -- I still had lots of waste. I did have to add more water than called for to get it to a peanut butter-like consistency. You want it smooth and moist - too dry and crumbly and it will just fall apart instead of working into the joints, and too wet and it will run down instead of staying put.

3. Slap the grout on. I had to get a bit creative here as it didn't work the way it did when I tiled my nice, level, smooth bathroom backsplash - the whole 45-degree angle application rule didn't work at all. I ended up using my fingers to squish it in in some places... whatever worked. Like I said, slate is a bit tricky to grout. It will look super messy, and that's okay.

4. Let the grout sit for a few minutes... I would do one area and then go back and clean the whole thing before moving on, so my grout might have sat there for about 5-10 minutes. Just don't let it dry completely because then it will be crazy difficult to clean. Use a big wet sponge, wring it out as best you can and then start wiping. It took me a long time; you saw how much grout was left on my uneven slate! There were lots of nooks and crannies to attend to and lots of weird uneven joints -- the nice thing with slate though is that it doesn't have to be perfect. Because the stone is natural and uneven, you can have a sloping grout line between two uneven tiles... and it looks fine. Just use your judgement -- it's your house, after all.

5. After the slate is squeaky clean, let the grout dry. Then a few days later (depending on the recommendations of whatever sealer you buy) you can seal again -- this time it's for the grout, but I went ahead and sealed the tile again too, just for fun. Haha.

6. Finally, I used a special tile caulk that was made to match my grout, and caulked where the slate met the counter and around the outside edges of the backsplash. This gives your project a finished look and helps prevent water from getting behind the tiles. You can find tile caulk next to the grout. In the interest of full disclosure, tile caulk is messy to work with. 'Twas no fun at all, but I'm glad I did it.

Phew. There you go.

Breakdown of costs:
19 sq ft multicolored slate: $28.12
2 tubes adhesive: $9.88
tile caulk: $6.74
small bag grout: $8.27
Total project cost: $53.01

Honestly, if I was truly redoing my kitchen I would have sprung for the cement board and thin set and all those goodies to adhere it "properly" but my goal was just a decent backsplash that would help my kitchen look more finished until we have the money to redo the room. I love how it looks and for just $53 it can't be beat, even if it wouldn't hold up for 30 years.

What do you think?

P.S. I used Polyblend brand grout and tile caulk, both in the color 'Light Smoke' and the slate is just regular multicolor slate from the Home Depot.

P.P.S. I received no compensation from any of these brands, in fact they'd probably all be shocked and dismayed at my resourceful tile adhesion method if they saw this; I just wanted to share what I used!

P.P.S. I need a nap now. Editing photos and writing that took foooorever. Blogging is hard work, y'all... good thing it's fun! ;)