I started out with three base units from IKEA. Two units (one for each boy) and a drawer unit in the middle which they share. There is plenty of room for everything they need to get homework done. No more searching for supplies in the middle of homework. I have a bunch of procrastinators on my hands so this help with the putting off of homework just because they can’t find the tape.

I used two pieces of wood and finished the edges to make up the 90 inches of desk I was going for. I finished the top with a dark stain and finish, following the exact same steps and supplies I used for my kitchen table.

Three shelves were added (using the same steps) above for books and display. I also added some magnetic boards to the wall, one for each boys, to display their latest artwork, team ribbons or notes. This keeps the shared feel of their bedroom which has been a great experience for them.

I purchased two matching and extremely comfortable chairs which have been a hit. They have also been a great spot to have each boy lay out their outfits for the next morning so there is no drama at the crack of dawn!

The shared drawer unit allows for each boy to have a drawer along with two extra shared drawers for paper and other supplies, namely staples and tape. No one loves staples and tape as much as these two!

The two shelving units allow for storage and display as well. I have a bit of an “Odd Couple” situation going on with my two boys. It is actually a running joke between my husband and I. I’ll text him that Oscar or Felix has struck again and he knows exactly who or what I’m talking about! I’m not naming names but one is definitely the neater of the two…

The finishing touch on this double workstation is the chair. It fits perfectly in this corner and has a great masculine feel to it but with all kidding aside, this chair was for me. My one son has dyslexia so homework is often a joint effort. I’ll sit and casually read a book in the chair while they do their homework. If I’m needed for some quick help I’m right there to give it. If I’m not needed then I’m just reading a book and everyone feels successful in their work!

This room still needs some window treatments but it’s getting there. And I have two boys that are happy to work on their homework/Lego’s/toilet paper roll creations at their new desk. Pass the tape.

Above my sofa I had a big blank wall. It has sat that way since I took apart my tv armoire and turned it into my kitchen banquette. I had tried the gallery wall route in other rooms but never quite got the hang of it. I like changing things around so putting nails in the walls was just too permanent for me. Command strips do work but I wanted the ability to not just hang pictures but to display accessories as well. So I decided on gallery wall shelves. I browsed Pinterest for a while to see which heights and number of shelves I was drawn to. After decided on two rows of shelves I measured the length of the wall and then bought a total of 4 Mosslanda picture ledges from IKEA. I placed the bottom shelf 51 inches from the floor with a distance of 16 inches between the top of the sofa and bottom of the shelf. The top shelf is 68 inches from the floor. The depth of the shelves is the same as the depth of the back of the sofa. In other words we don’t hit our heads on the shelf when sitting down or getting up.

The shelves went up quickly once I centered them on the entire wall. Here is the before…

and after…

I now have two shelves each measuring about 90 inches wide.  I filled them up with all white frames in various sizes and styles. I can easily swap in new pictures at any moment. I added in some accessories which I’ve changed a couple of times already.

I positioned the frames a couple different ways until I was happy with the balance of each shelf. I then added some personal items we’ve collected over the summer as well. This type of flexible decorating is right up my alley. Add some fresh flowers from outside. Place a card or drawing your little one just made for you. Display the latest Lego contraption or holiday decoration. This is going to be a fun areas to decorate around the holidays!

I started off with a Numerar butcherblock table top which I purchased from IKEA about a year ago. It had been sitting in my garage ever since. The Numerar is not available anymore but you can purchase the Karlby. I wanted something large so I loved the size of the Numerar which is actually meant for a kitchen island. The dimensions are about 73 inches by 39 inches. This made it perfect for my kitchen since I wanted a large table with plenty of room for everyone.

Now the reason the tabletop sat in my garage for so long was because I had no idea what base to get or build. I knew what I wanted it to look like but couldn’t find a base that wouldn’t break the bank. Then one happy day an IKEA catalog arrived on my doorstep and I saw the Karpalund underframe and knew my search was over.

Work began by first gathering what supplies I would need or thought I would need. I tested wood conditioner, application methods, finish colors, sanding methods and more all on the underside of my table. In the end all I needed to get this done was an orbital sander, foam brushes, 320 grit sandpaper, tack clothes, rags and Waterlox (to seal). And of course a table top and base.

Before I began any testing I needed to sand the factory finish off. This was an important step in that if you don’t sand it completely off the wood will never absorb the stain. Trust me on this since I found it out myself. Sand it with an orbital sander until you feel it is all off. Then sand it a bit more!

Once that was done I tested wood conditioner to see if I wanted to use it or not. I had done some research and was on the fence. In the end I think this is a personal preference. I liked the way the wood soaked up the stain without the wood conditioner. I wanted the grain in the wood to show. When I used the wood conditioner it seemed to not absorb as well. So no wood conditioner for me.

Next I tested stain colors. I had two that I was choosing between. I wanted the color of my table to be exactly what I imagined in my head. Dark, warm and the perfect shade of brown. Not orangey and not too dark to seem black. I stained two sections of the underside of my table with two coats of the stain I was testing and decided on Minwax Dark Walnut which is the stain on the bottom right square in the image below. You can see one coat on the left and two coats on the right. Please excuse my dirty garage floor. It became my workshop for about two weeks while I sanded, stained and sealed!

I was then ready to start on the actual table. I flipped it over (with some help since it weighs a ton!) and sanded down the entire top along with the four sides. 

After sanding I wiped it off with a tack cloth. A couple times. I didn’t want any specks of wood stuck under the stain or finish. Tack clothes get this done. They are slightly tacky to the touch and will get every last bit of sawdust.

I then applied my first coat of stain. For all those that think staining butcherblock is a sin I was told I was nuts by my father in many different ways during the planning phase. His exact words when he first saw the dark yummy stain that had just been applied to the entire table were “You killed it.” Now that the table is done and in my kitchen he is on Team Stain Your Butcherblock A Dark Color since he recently told my sister she should do the exact same thing for her new desktop. True story.

I had tested on the other side some different methods of doing this. Some sites suggested using a natural bristle brush. Others said a foam brush worked best. Still other recommended a sock wrapped in nylon. Of all three methods the foam brush was my favorite. It was inexpensive so I didn’t feel bad to dispose of it when I was done. I bought a couple for each coat of stain and sealer. The stain went on smooth and evenly. I don’t have any images of the process since I covered the table with stain as fast as possible. I then went back over the table and sides and wiped off any excess stain with a rag. I did sections at a time since I wanted the stain to absorb evenly.

I let the first layer dry about 4-6 hours and applied the second coat. The number of coats depends on how deep and rich you want your color. I wanted deep and warm so two coats got me that coverage and tone.

The next day I began applying Waterlox. I knew I wanted a great sealer that was food safe. I wasn’t using this as a cutting board or countertop. It is for our kitchen table. If a blueberry rolled off my kids’ plates I wanted to feel comfortable with them popping it in their mouth. I knew I would be applying a couple coats of Waterlox to get the finish I wanted. I used the gloss finish since I wanted to see the wood clearly. I had read in some different sources that using the satin finish creates a cloudy coat.

I applied the first coat using a foam brush. Waterlox is thin (think watery maple syrup) so you need to work fast and make sure there are no drips. I let the coat dry for 24 hours and then lightly sanded the entire table and sides with 320 grit sandpaper. This step was a little scary since I was sanding down a glossy and smooth surface. These were a couple bubbles which is where I focused my sanding. I had tested steel wool and although it does sand very lightly I did not like the small pieces of metal left behind. I didn’t want any of these pieces getting stuck under the following layer of Waterlox.

After sanding I wiped it all down with a tack cloth to remove the remnants. Once it was clean and ready I applied my second coat of Waterlox. The Waterlox spread and filled in everywhere and covered perfectly. No evidence whatsoever that I had sanded the layer underneath. Once you sand it turns a bit white. Once you add the next coat that white sheen disappear. I poured the Waterlox from the container each time into a glass cup to avoid bubbles. It is pretty stinky so make sure you are in a well ventilated space. The garage worked really well for me since I kept the garage door open to the outside while applying each coat.

I applied a total of 4 coats of Waterlox with the foam brush with a 24 hour drying time between each coat. After the fourth coat I lightly sanded again and applied a thinner coat using a clean rag. This last coat had no bubbles whatsoever since it was applied with the rag. This was my last coat.

I let the tabletop sit and “cure” in the garage for a week. We then brought it upstairs and attached it to the base in the kitchen.

For about $250 total I was able to put together a table that I’ve seen online for up to $1500. It cleans up easily with just some soap and water. Everyday I can wipe it down to get back to that glossy surface that was so worth the time it took. This was a long-term project that is finally complete and enjoyed on a daily basis in this house!

The other day was a sofa fort kind of day. The sofa in the basement is constantly being made into a fort or castle or hideout of some sort. When I was asked by Wayfair to participate in a Sofa Fort City campaign I knew I’d have some very happy people in my house for a couple different reasons. First because my children (my two boys in particular) just generally like to make forts. The second reason was because mom was actually asking them to make a sofa fort in the living room. We spend a lot of time in the living room and it is not in any way a restricted room. We watch tv there, my kids play with their toys there and in general it is probably the most used room in the house. There are rules about keeping it looking nice though. The kids can sit wherever they want but sofa forts, pillow fights and other things of that nature can be found in the basement family room or their bedroom. So when I changed my tune and said, “Sure, make a sofa fort in the living room,” my two boys (ages 6 and 9) were the very willing participants. They looked at me like I had three heads and dove right in. Here’s what my living room sofa looked like before the work even started.

Construction began in a whirlwind of activity with a general plan in mind. For boys this age one sofa fort is not like another. They were going for a real Fort, with a capital F. We are talking the kind of fort that can withhold a siege, otherwise known as Fort Cushington…

Lots of pillows, a lookout tower or two, easy access and plenty of space inside all made for the perfect fort. They wanted some type of cover on top too of course. My soft new throw from Lush just wasn’t big enough, although the fringe at the end made for a great entryway.

A king size sheet was added to make what had become a large fort with enough room for two boys, a couple Nerf guns, two flashlights, some books, snacks and a slightly reluctant dog.

Thank you to Wayfair for sponsoring this post. 

My 6 year old even created his own mini version to give to his grandmother.

These are quick and easy to do, beautiful to look at and make a great centerpiece for your table!

1. the kitchen table 

I have a slab of butcherblock sitting in my garage waiting to be sanded, stained and finished. I’m actually glad I didn’t get any work done on this project since I recently saw this table base at IKEA. Plan to see it again soon!

2. the boy’s room desk area

My boy’s share a bedroom and even though their big sister has moved out of her room and into the guest bedroom, there have been no requests to split up and each get their own room. Who would want to leave a room with bunk beds? They are getting older so I want to incorporate a desk in some way. Nothing huge but enough for one person to do some homework, color or build a spaceship. I got started a bit by starting to put up the leftover Stikwood planking I had from my kitchen wall. As in I started by never got very far.

3. the television area

I finally have the electrician coming by to add outlets and wifi access to this area of the living room. Then I’ll add a cabinet to house it all that mirrors the secretary desk on the other side.

3. girl’s bedroom walk- in closet

Now that my daughter is in the old guest room she gets her very own closet. The closet could be a bedroom in itself. I started putting up brackets for a clothing rod. And I didn’t finish…

I can definitively say that the one project I started and finished was hanging up this mirror. And that is only because the hook was already there.

I’m looking forward to getting some projects off my list and I’m glad you are along for the ride!

Starting off this is what the guest bedroom looked like…

It is bright and roomy with painted wood on three of the walls and a ledge going around most of the room. The hand drawn picture frames that I put up will be coming down and most probably painted over.

Then there is the closet. It is huge. It even has an IKEA Expedit inside it. And yes, we built the closet around the Expedit. This will hold all her clothes with the purchase of some drawer bins at Target. Some of the cubbies will be for her items and some will be for the household storage since this is one of the larger storage closets in our home. This will keep her room a bit neater (I hope!) since a lot of her storage is behind this door. Weekly closet checks are planned! We will add a closet rod on the left side for all her hanging items as well.

We removed the large bookcase and put it in the boys shared bedroom. The bed was then placed against the wall where the bookcase was. A temporary desk was placed under the window until her new desk comes in. This is the only item of furniture we purchased. No dresser since the clothes will be in the closet. I’d like to get a small table next to her bed but we haven’t found it yet. New bedding and pillows to come…

The piano is being moved to the basement tomorrow which will leave room for the new desk. I’m not sure if we will leave the area under the window open or have some seating there. She wants a Beach Chic look with this color palette which we found on Design Seeds (great color inspiration by the way!)…

via design seeds

I’m not repainting the white walls, just one accent wall that was never painted in the first place. The bedding will be new but simple. Right now it is a chaotic mess of stuffed animals and favorite pillows. The three pillow you see on the right do fit with the color pallete though. 

So next is emptying out the closet. I have my work cut out for me.

Fake grass on walls is really cool. Almost like hedges in an English garden but 1/80 th of the maintenance.

Grasscloth + blue + accent lights + pictures hung from a rod = beautiful. This would be a good solution if you have really high ceilings or an awkward stairway and some artwork or family photos.

Hot air balloon baskets are really cool. I can think of a million things I could put in there if I had the space for this.

A very large display of random hand mirrors make quite the accent wall. It is hard to tell but this is about 5-7 feet tall.

And last but not least. My love for stripes is totally legitimate and this floor proves it.