Today is #shadesofdiy reveal day for the color pin Today is #shadesofdiy reveal day for the color pink. I am beyond grateful of these ladies for choosing me as their guest participant. 

@baker.blooms 
@homemadehuppy 
@curatedbyconstance 
@hautehouselove 

These little $1.50 travertine tiles turned coasters quickly became one of my favorite DIYs. Originally I had a big wallpaper reveal planned for you all but alas, life got in the way. 

But honestly, this project meant more to me than just a little DIY. This whole thing has served up a big life lesson for me (something I have been deeply struggling with for a while now). 

You see, I’ve been battling with self doubt, with worrying I’m not doing enough or “big” enough things, for that wow factor (like a wallpaper reveal). But, these little coasters allowed me to remember the joy I have in all of this and reminded me that perfection is not my goal. My goal is to show others that good-feeling design can be approachable, affordable, and attainable. And this little project is just that. 

I have been so caught up in my own head, dragging myself backwards, allowing those deprecating words like “failure” and “unworthy” to sink in. 

But these little coasters took me back to when all I could do was take a blurry photo, all I could do were minimal cheap projects, and I was so proud. It’s good to feel that pride again. 

So thank you, ladies, for allowing me to participate in this. I’m not sure you’ll ever realize how a little pink project helped save my mental state. 

Thank you, coasters, for reminding me of the reason I love design and DIY.

And thank you past self for relishing in the little things, present self for just allowing creativity to flow through this project, and future self for taking these lessons and blossoming them into something great. God has something big planned for you. You just don’t know what that is yet. ❤️
Another “room” makeover down in the books!! Ya Another “room” makeover down in the books!! Yahoo! So happy with this little mudroom makeover that will make our space so much more functional but also beautiful. This fun DIY room divider hides our water heater perfectly and adds the perfect punch of personality. Little spaces like these are great for trying something new like painting a ceiling or adding pattern. Have fun with your small spaces!
Welp. Me and this staple gun made some fine progre Welp. Me and this staple gun made some fine progress on this DIY arch room divider this weekend. (You can see all of the mudroom progress under the mudroom story highlight on my profile.) Now I just need to add on the legs and use this baby to hide the water heater!
It’s a late post kind of day. I recently scored It’s a late post kind of day. I recently scored this beautiful wood and wicker mid century cabinet from Facebook Marketplace and I’m in love! We knew this little nook (that used to be a closet) was going to be a hard fit. We wanted a piece of furniture that would not only look nice but provide some much needed storage for our kids craft projects and my extra decor pieces. This just so happened to fit perfectly in this space. I’m obsessed with it’s woven features, original brass handles, and mirrored back. Eek!! 

Also, swipe to see the beautiful artwork by @nabeelarumi. I finally found the perfect spot for her piece. The colors are absolutely stunning and the message is even more beautiful.
I’m still so proud of this mural. It really took I’m still so proud of this mural. It really took me out of my comfort zone. I get to see it every time I walk up to our front door, peeking through like a happy sunburst. This is about as far as we’ve gotten on this entryway but we have big plans. The majority of our entryway is paneled in real cedar planks which I love. The split level stairs are delicately wrapped in puke-inducing carpet which I don’t love. We have huge huge fun plans for these stairs; something I’ve never seen before. None of this will get done until after our kitchen remodel though so.... how’s that for a cliff hanger? I feel like a lot of our plans are on standstill right now because of refinancing so for now, I just have to tell you that I have plans but not actually share them with you.... good tactic? 😂🤦🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️
I clearly have something for color and pattern! I’ve been trying to think of what my design style is and I’m struggling with a name. Colorful eclectic?! Artful schmorgasbord?! Circus chic?! You tell me. What would you call my design style?
Posing with water heaters is a thing, didn’t you Posing with water heaters is a thing, didn’t you know? If you saw my stories, you already know but we’re in the process of transforming this utility closet into a mudroom closet to store all of the things. But why not make it both functional and pretty? This bright sunny yellow on the ceiling makes me so happy and the white paint on the walls really cleaned up the space. For freshness, brightness, and cleanliness, this white paint is my #shadesofdiy project this month. More to come on this small space but for now, I’ll just keep posing with the water heater and extension pole.
I’ve been nerding out on Mailchimp and HTML code I’ve been nerding out on Mailchimp and HTML code for my site and I think I finally figured it out!!! A lot of new stuff coming your way by the end of the week! Thanks everybody for your patience.
There can be a bit of a stigma behind thrifted hom There can be a bit of a stigma behind thrifted home pieces. While it’s become somewhat trendy in the last few years, I often run into people who think it might be gross, cheap, or out of style. Here’s what I have to say about that. 

1. Almost all items are cleanable. With the right technique, you can clean and sanitize just about everything that is secondhand. It’s also about sustainability. Thrifting and secondhand shopping are reusing usable items. That’s not gross. Putting well-working pieces in the landfill; more gross and a waste. You never know what someone else would consider valuable. 

2. While the items may have a cheap cost, generally you’re able to buy pieces that are much sturdier. Old things were just made better. They were made to last and were meticulously curated. And even modern pieces with good craftsmanship can stand the test of time. The cost may be cheap but the quality can be far from cheap. Thrifty does not have to look cheap!

3. As far as things being “out of style,” I say pish posh. If something makes you happy, that’s what you should gravitate towards. Don’t allow a magazine, a retail store, or even a little Instagram account tell you what you like. If you like it, it will go with your other pieces. Sometimes you just have to get creative. You are cool and unique. Let your space reflect that. 

#sorealhomes
#eclecticinspiredhome
#diymakesmehuppy
#smallsharebigdreams
#decoranddiys
#moderndiydesign
#mythriftydiy
#thanksitsthrifted
#textureismystyle
#ispyvintage
#foundandforaged
#brassisback
#curatedmaximalism
#diylookforless
#ourspaceourplace
#featuremydecor
#hauteeclectic
#interioroasis
#myaestheticabode
#homeloveliving
#mysmphome
#moreismoredecor
#homeisafeeling
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DIY, Home Decor, Uncategorized · April 11, 2019

How to remove backsplash tile and replace drywall – ORC Week 2

Well, folks. It’s week 2 and I have to say I’m already feeling the pressure. Our eclectic master bathroom revamp is underway but it feels like we haven’t made much progress. Here’s the plan if you missed last week’s post. Take a look at that pretty before you see the ugly that happened this week when we learned how to remove backsplash tile and replace drywall.

Make sure you take some time to go look at the progress of all of the participants over on the One Room Challenge site. I think seeing the process of design and remodel really brings things back down to reality. This isn’t like a home show where you don’t always see the nitty gritty and the “oops” moments.

If you’re new here, welcome! I’m so glad to have you here to be a part of this little journey I’m on to continue making houses into homes. You can learn more here about Rufus & Henrietta and me in general.

So back to the master bathroom. One of the first things we needed to do was remove backsplash tile as we will be replacing the boring old travertine with some really pretty white subway that looks handmade.

removing tile

What You’ll Need to Remove Tile:

  • Prybar
  • Putty knife
  • Rubber mallet
  • Optional but highly recommended: a stiff drink
replacing backsplash

As you can see, we had quite the array of tools but the ones listed above did the trick most efficiently. Ok, here’s my disclaimer. If you are removing stone tiles like we were and you are able to not break into the drywall, I will choreograph a customized jig to celebrate you. I honestly don’t think there is a way around it.

We started off being extremely careful and then soon realized, there was no going back. To start chipping away at the tile, we began with the prybar and rubber mallet. Start chipping away at the grout lines, beginning with the tiles at the end. Then, using your putty knife and rubber mallet, you can get further behind the tile and also break the caulk lines.

removing backsplash tile

You want to be somewhat careful, but you’ll likely soon realize that the thin set used to install this stone tile is so strong, you’ll hulk the drywall right out with the tile. Once all of the tile is removed, unscrew any exposed drywall screws.

broken drywall

Just look at that picture …. ahhhh … I know you just took a deep sigh of … Are you kidding me? This is when I went to full panic mode. But not to worry, I did a little research and soon felt ok about this disastrous state of our bathroom. So now, the tiles are gone and the screws are removed. Next, we’ll talk about repairing the drywall.

In this situation, you can see it was beyond just a simple patch job. We had to pull out the big guns for this project.

What You’ll Need to Replace Drywall:

  • 2′ x 2′ drywall pieces (unless you want a gigantic 8′ or 12′ piece)
  • Heavy duty box cutter
  • Pencil
  • Chisel
  • Rubber mallet
  • Straight edge / yard stick
  • Drill (impact driver recommended)
  • 1 1/4″ screws

So now we have to clean this mess up a little to work on giving us a fresh new start with some new drywall. Try to remove as much of the debris as you can from the tile removal.

Next, draw a line with a pencil for where you’d like your clean cut to be. Keep in mind that you want to make the cut large enough to reach a stud on both sides. This could mean you have to cut further than you’d initially planned, but you need the studs to screw in the drywall. Without that, you would have drywall just floating there and whatever tile/pictures/etc. you hang on the wall in the future could fall right off.

broken drywall

Once you have your straight pencil guide on the wall, you can start to chip away at the drywall. I found it easier to score along the line with the box knife first.

removing drywall

Once it was scored, I came back in with the chisel and rubber mallet. Our chisels have one side that is flat and one side that is beveled. The flat side, you wall want to keep on the outside of your hole to make as clean of a break as possible.

cutting drywall

Slowly chisel around your clean line and then work your way inward as you remove the old drywall. After that’s all removed, enjoy a sip of that drink because things are starting to look up.

drywall behind backsplash

Now to start putting up the new drywall. You will want to cut the new pieces so they will fit over half of the exposed studs. So if you have two pieces, you want to make sure they meet at the center of the stud so you can screw both pieces in securely.

To cut the drywall, first measure twice and then make a straight pencil line. Score along that line with a box knife.

how to cut drywall

Then, stand the drywall up and lightly make a cut through to the other side, cutting the backing paper as you go. Do this on each side. I found it was easier to make a clean break if I scored on both sides. If I didn’t score the back, the paper started to pull off and the drywall became harder to work with and weaker.

scoring drywall

Once both sides are scored, you should be able to bend up the piece you are cutting and it will snap at the line you scored.

To make sure you have a tight fit to the wall, you might have to clean up some edges with either the chisel or the box knife. Screw the new pieces to the studs and there you have it.

how to remove backsplash tile and replace drywall

There are still a lot of to-dos on our list but at least we’re making headway. Next week, we’ll discuss mudding and whatever else will come with the next steps in our plan. Cheers to not having holes in the wall anymore!

(Update: You can see the reveal here)

Happy Creating!

And in case you need something pretty to look at:

  • how to wash your king-sized comforter at home
  • Eclectic Parisian Bedroom, Design Board, Design Plan, Bedroom Design, Girls bedroom design, hygge
  • wrapping paper storage, diy, wrapping paper cart, laundry room storage
  • DIY crib skirt, handmade baby bedding, upcycled decor

In: DIY, Home Decor, Uncategorized · Tagged: bathroom, bathroom remodel, diy, one room challenge

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Today is #shadesofdiy reveal day for the color pin Today is #shadesofdiy reveal day for the color pink. I am beyond grateful of these ladies for choosing me as their guest participant. 

@baker.blooms 
@homemadehuppy 
@curatedbyconstance 
@hautehouselove 

These little $1.50 travertine tiles turned coasters quickly became one of my favorite DIYs. Originally I had a big wallpaper reveal planned for you all but alas, life got in the way. 

But honestly, this project meant more to me than just a little DIY. This whole thing has served up a big life lesson for me (something I have been deeply struggling with for a while now). 

You see, I’ve been battling with self doubt, with worrying I’m not doing enough or “big” enough things, for that wow factor (like a wallpaper reveal). But, these little coasters allowed me to remember the joy I have in all of this and reminded me that perfection is not my goal. My goal is to show others that good-feeling design can be approachable, affordable, and attainable. And this little project is just that. 

I have been so caught up in my own head, dragging myself backwards, allowing those deprecating words like “failure” and “unworthy” to sink in. 

But these little coasters took me back to when all I could do was take a blurry photo, all I could do were minimal cheap projects, and I was so proud. It’s good to feel that pride again. 

So thank you, ladies, for allowing me to participate in this. I’m not sure you’ll ever realize how a little pink project helped save my mental state. 

Thank you, coasters, for reminding me of the reason I love design and DIY.

And thank you past self for relishing in the little things, present self for just allowing creativity to flow through this project, and future self for taking these lessons and blossoming them into something great. God has something big planned for you. You just don’t know what that is yet. ❤️
Another “room” makeover down in the books!! Ya Another “room” makeover down in the books!! Yahoo! So happy with this little mudroom makeover that will make our space so much more functional but also beautiful. This fun DIY room divider hides our water heater perfectly and adds the perfect punch of personality. Little spaces like these are great for trying something new like painting a ceiling or adding pattern. Have fun with your small spaces!
Welp. Me and this staple gun made some fine progre Welp. Me and this staple gun made some fine progress on this DIY arch room divider this weekend. (You can see all of the mudroom progress under the mudroom story highlight on my profile.) Now I just need to add on the legs and use this baby to hide the water heater!
It’s a late post kind of day. I recently scored It’s a late post kind of day. I recently scored this beautiful wood and wicker mid century cabinet from Facebook Marketplace and I’m in love! We knew this little nook (that used to be a closet) was going to be a hard fit. We wanted a piece of furniture that would not only look nice but provide some much needed storage for our kids craft projects and my extra decor pieces. This just so happened to fit perfectly in this space. I’m obsessed with it’s woven features, original brass handles, and mirrored back. Eek!! 

Also, swipe to see the beautiful artwork by @nabeelarumi. I finally found the perfect spot for her piece. The colors are absolutely stunning and the message is even more beautiful.
I’m still so proud of this mural. It really took I’m still so proud of this mural. It really took me out of my comfort zone. I get to see it every time I walk up to our front door, peeking through like a happy sunburst. This is about as far as we’ve gotten on this entryway but we have big plans. The majority of our entryway is paneled in real cedar planks which I love. The split level stairs are delicately wrapped in puke-inducing carpet which I don’t love. We have huge huge fun plans for these stairs; something I’ve never seen before. None of this will get done until after our kitchen remodel though so.... how’s that for a cliff hanger? I feel like a lot of our plans are on standstill right now because of refinancing so for now, I just have to tell you that I have plans but not actually share them with you.... good tactic? 😂🤦🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️
I clearly have something for color and pattern! I’ve been trying to think of what my design style is and I’m struggling with a name. Colorful eclectic?! Artful schmorgasbord?! Circus chic?! You tell me. What would you call my design style?
Posing with water heaters is a thing, didn’t you Posing with water heaters is a thing, didn’t you know? If you saw my stories, you already know but we’re in the process of transforming this utility closet into a mudroom closet to store all of the things. But why not make it both functional and pretty? This bright sunny yellow on the ceiling makes me so happy and the white paint on the walls really cleaned up the space. For freshness, brightness, and cleanliness, this white paint is my #shadesofdiy project this month. More to come on this small space but for now, I’ll just keep posing with the water heater and extension pole.
I’ve been nerding out on Mailchimp and HTML code I’ve been nerding out on Mailchimp and HTML code for my site and I think I finally figured it out!!! A lot of new stuff coming your way by the end of the week! Thanks everybody for your patience.
There can be a bit of a stigma behind thrifted hom There can be a bit of a stigma behind thrifted home pieces. While it’s become somewhat trendy in the last few years, I often run into people who think it might be gross, cheap, or out of style. Here’s what I have to say about that. 

1. Almost all items are cleanable. With the right technique, you can clean and sanitize just about everything that is secondhand. It’s also about sustainability. Thrifting and secondhand shopping are reusing usable items. That’s not gross. Putting well-working pieces in the landfill; more gross and a waste. You never know what someone else would consider valuable. 

2. While the items may have a cheap cost, generally you’re able to buy pieces that are much sturdier. Old things were just made better. They were made to last and were meticulously curated. And even modern pieces with good craftsmanship can stand the test of time. The cost may be cheap but the quality can be far from cheap. Thrifty does not have to look cheap!

3. As far as things being “out of style,” I say pish posh. If something makes you happy, that’s what you should gravitate towards. Don’t allow a magazine, a retail store, or even a little Instagram account tell you what you like. If you like it, it will go with your other pieces. Sometimes you just have to get creative. You are cool and unique. Let your space reflect that. 

#sorealhomes
#eclecticinspiredhome
#diymakesmehuppy
#smallsharebigdreams
#decoranddiys
#moderndiydesign
#mythriftydiy
#thanksitsthrifted
#textureismystyle
#ispyvintage
#foundandforaged
#brassisback
#curatedmaximalism
#diylookforless
#ourspaceourplace
#featuremydecor
#hauteeclectic
#interioroasis
#myaestheticabode
#homeloveliving
#mysmphome
#moreismoredecor
#homeisafeeling
Happy new year! Man I’ve missed you all! I’m s Happy new year! Man I’ve missed you all! I’m so glad to be back. I had an amazing time with my family over the last month(s) and enjoyed the much needed time off. Virtual school may have deepened my forehead wrinkles but it’s also deepened my appreciation for my kids as individuals. Getting a front row seat to their growth in skills and confidence has been life changing. They are persevering (even with their crazy teacher at home) and are really pushing themselves. They’ve taught me so much. 

With that being said, one of the things I’ve learned about myself is I can take myself too seriously. But why? I’m really a weirdo at heart and I love that about me. I let my head get in the way far too often. I’m not a big resolution person but I do want to be more intentional about letting loose this year, reaching for my dreams, and giving myself grace when things don’t go as planned. 

Do you have any goals for this year?

Here’s a fun little tip: thrifted vintage fabric makes a fun and fresh tablecloth.

#homeisafeeling
#nestandthrive
#thenewbohemians
#mymonthincolour
#mycribaesthetics
#interiorsthatcrush
#theclassicquirkyhome
#finditstyleit
#diyrightnow
#mywholehome
#diyhousetohome
#ourspaceourplace
#instadiyflip
#homeswithcharacter
#homecanvas
#cozycollectives
#dailydecordistraction
#mymeaningfulhome
#dwelleclectically
#hgtvhandmade
#hgtvhandmadehome
#eyemydiy
#fearlessinteriors
#showingmydiy
#howwestylehomes
#interiorsthatcrush
#girlswhodiy
#thriftproud

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