This week I am thrilled to introduce you to another set of contributor newbies. And yep, you read that correctly. I did type out set. As in the perfect duo of DIY gal pals. Say hello to Bridget and Casey, the fabulous blogging pair behind The DIY Playbook.
Bridget and Casey's projects have been spotted multiple times here on iHeart, so it was only natural for them to join the team! I love their energy, style and passion for home blogging. Which includes sharing organizational tips! I especially appreciated their recent post on staying organized in a small home.
They are here today to share their tips for organizing their photography equipment. And I spy the cutest camera bag around... here they are now!
We are definite photography rookies and are totally learning as we go, usually having little to no clue what we're actually doing, but we really do enjoy the photography part of blogging. Taking photos for the blog is a challenge (to say the least); it’s actually a lot of work (way more than we ever anticipated), but we really LOVE it and we love chasing that “perfect” shot. However, the one thing we do NOT love about our photo adventures is the disorganized MESS that our photography stuff usually is. We are here to help guide you in finally organizing all of those camera trinkets so you can stop worrying about finding that you need and start focusing on getting that perfect shot!
To begin, I dumped out the contents of my previous camera storage and was surprised at some of the stuff I found that I had no idea I still had! Look at this mess.... cords, USBs, lens caps, batteries, extra batteries, the charger, the camera's receipt, business cards, the camera manual, a warranty... why can't I ever seem to find these treasures when I need them?! Although I was glad I finally found some of these valuable items, I realized that I did not need to lug all of these camera accessories around with me as I traveled with my camera.
The first thing I did was sorted these accessories into two piles. One pile consisted of the items that I needed to store in my new camera bag because they were essentials in day-to-day photography. The next pile was all of the stuff that was important but was not necessary to carry around on an everyday basis (like the receipts, software, warranties, etc).
Sorting these items immediately cut down on the clutter and made organizing my camera accessories a lot more manageable. The extra "stuff" that I didn't need to carry around with me went in a a labeled box that I put in my desk. Now, all I had to do was organize the remaining photography essentials in a way that I could quickly grab 'em & go!
The items I found worth keeping organized and being stored within my camera bag are:
That's where an effective camera bag came into the picture. I received this camera bag for Christmas (I actually added it to my Christmas list after Jen recommended it here on iHeart Organizing!). This one has plenty of storage and stays organized because it offers such specific compartments and zippered pouches- but any bag with lots of compartments will do the trick!
Each item that was left in my pile was given a specific place in the camera bag to call "home". Giving each camera essential a specific place to live will help me keep the bag organized.... even when I'm in a rush!
Within the bag, I kept the USB cord in its own compartment so that it won't get tangled with other items in the bag. However, if you have more than one cord in any of the compartments or if you want to keep those cords from knotting and becoming a hot-mess, we highly recommend this easy, super affordable method. Cord + Clothes Pin = Cords will never tangle again... we promise!
Compartments are key when organizing your camera bag (or really any bag for that matter!). The thing we love about this specific bag is that the compartment size is up to you and can be easily changed as your camera needs change. With these velcro inserts, you are able to create the size/amount of compartments that fit your priorities. The bag came with three velcro inserts, I ended up only needing two, which created three equal parts in the bag. The neatly separated three-part space allowed me to store while also identifying exactly where everything should return to after being used. Now if we could figure out how to do this with our purses!
But my work was not done just yet. Usually when I take my camera bag out and about, I hate to have to lug around a purse too. ....Holy bag lady! Because I still had some unused compartments in my bag, I was able to consolidate a few of my purse must-haves into the camera bag's extra compartments. I add my wallet and a few snacks into the bag because hangry isn't a good look on anyone.
Now, my super organized camera also doubles as my purse and I only have to worry about one bag on my way out. #winwin
Since my camera accessories are now finally consolidated and organized, I can stop worrying about finding my equipment and start focusing on getting some beautiful shots.
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"Hey There! We're Bridget and Casey, the best friends, Chicago gals, and editors behind The DIY Playbook. Even though we consider ourselves busy girls with full-time jobs, husbands, and never ending to-do lists, we believe there is always time to add personality to our homes. On our blog, we strive to inspire our readers to inject their sparkling personalities into their own spaces with affordable and attainable solutions. We heart Instagram, can't turn down a cup of coffee, have no clue what we're doing in the kitchen, and are beyond excited to be part of the IHeart Organizing team!"
Bridget and Casey's projects have been spotted multiple times here on iHeart, so it was only natural for them to join the team! I love their energy, style and passion for home blogging. Which includes sharing organizational tips! I especially appreciated their recent post on staying organized in a small home.
They are here today to share their tips for organizing their photography equipment. And I spy the cutest camera bag around... here they are now!
_________________________
We are definite photography rookies and are totally learning as we go, usually having little to no clue what we're actually doing, but we really do enjoy the photography part of blogging. Taking photos for the blog is a challenge (to say the least); it’s actually a lot of work (way more than we ever anticipated), but we really LOVE it and we love chasing that “perfect” shot. However, the one thing we do NOT love about our photo adventures is the disorganized MESS that our photography stuff usually is. We are here to help guide you in finally organizing all of those camera trinkets so you can stop worrying about finding that you need and start focusing on getting that perfect shot!
To begin, I dumped out the contents of my previous camera storage and was surprised at some of the stuff I found that I had no idea I still had! Look at this mess.... cords, USBs, lens caps, batteries, extra batteries, the charger, the camera's receipt, business cards, the camera manual, a warranty... why can't I ever seem to find these treasures when I need them?! Although I was glad I finally found some of these valuable items, I realized that I did not need to lug all of these camera accessories around with me as I traveled with my camera.
The first thing I did was sorted these accessories into two piles. One pile consisted of the items that I needed to store in my new camera bag because they were essentials in day-to-day photography. The next pile was all of the stuff that was important but was not necessary to carry around on an everyday basis (like the receipts, software, warranties, etc).
Sorting these items immediately cut down on the clutter and made organizing my camera accessories a lot more manageable. The extra "stuff" that I didn't need to carry around with me went in a a labeled box that I put in my desk. Now, all I had to do was organize the remaining photography essentials in a way that I could quickly grab 'em & go!
The items I found worth keeping organized and being stored within my camera bag are:
- Lens - Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens
- Battery Charger and spare battery
- External Hard-drive
- USB cord
- Business Cards
That's where an effective camera bag came into the picture. I received this camera bag for Christmas (I actually added it to my Christmas list after Jen recommended it here on iHeart Organizing!). This one has plenty of storage and stays organized because it offers such specific compartments and zippered pouches- but any bag with lots of compartments will do the trick!
Each item that was left in my pile was given a specific place in the camera bag to call "home". Giving each camera essential a specific place to live will help me keep the bag organized.... even when I'm in a rush!
Within the bag, I kept the USB cord in its own compartment so that it won't get tangled with other items in the bag. However, if you have more than one cord in any of the compartments or if you want to keep those cords from knotting and becoming a hot-mess, we highly recommend this easy, super affordable method. Cord + Clothes Pin = Cords will never tangle again... we promise!
Compartments are key when organizing your camera bag (or really any bag for that matter!). The thing we love about this specific bag is that the compartment size is up to you and can be easily changed as your camera needs change. With these velcro inserts, you are able to create the size/amount of compartments that fit your priorities. The bag came with three velcro inserts, I ended up only needing two, which created three equal parts in the bag. The neatly separated three-part space allowed me to store while also identifying exactly where everything should return to after being used. Now if we could figure out how to do this with our purses!
But my work was not done just yet. Usually when I take my camera bag out and about, I hate to have to lug around a purse too. ....Holy bag lady! Because I still had some unused compartments in my bag, I was able to consolidate a few of my purse must-haves into the camera bag's extra compartments. I add my wallet and a few snacks into the bag because hangry isn't a good look on anyone.
Now, my super organized camera also doubles as my purse and I only have to worry about one bag on my way out. #winwin
Since my camera accessories are now finally consolidated and organized, I can stop worrying about finding my equipment and start focusing on getting some beautiful shots.
_________________________
"Hey There! We're Bridget and Casey, the best friends, Chicago gals, and editors behind The DIY Playbook. Even though we consider ourselves busy girls with full-time jobs, husbands, and never ending to-do lists, we believe there is always time to add personality to our homes. On our blog, we strive to inspire our readers to inject their sparkling personalities into their own spaces with affordable and attainable solutions. We heart Instagram, can't turn down a cup of coffee, have no clue what we're doing in the kitchen, and are beyond excited to be part of the IHeart Organizing team!"
Today's reader space is the story of how less is more! Sweet and simple coat closet storage at its finest!
I have been checking in on Deme's blog, House for Five, for a few years now. I love her style and approach to working on her home. In fact, she has made quite a few appearances around here over the years as well.
What struck me about today's coat closet project, is that her before image looked just like a hundred other entryway closets I have seen. Underutilized.
Right?
Another thing I loved is that with some very simple updates, she was able to make a HUGE difference in how her family utilized the closet. Here she is now to talk about how a little rethinking got her a long way!
Any superstar tips for keeping your entryway closet organized?
"Take the time to build new habits. The kids were used to tossing their stuff onto a pile and going along their merry way. It took awhile to teach everyone to use the new system, but after a few days and consistent reminders it was like second nature.
The other key for us has been to keep evaluating and tweaking. We had a pretty solid plan going into this project, but once it was all set up we found that all the smaller winter items like mittens, scarves and hats were still littered all over the closet floor. The simple addition of some wire baskets quickly solved the problem. We also have to give it a regular purge and return any rogue sweatshirts and ball caps to the bedroom closets."
What items did you find were essential when organizing this space and why?
"Hooks, hooks, and more hooks. The biggest issue with the closet's old layout was the single rod for hanging clothes that was beyond the reach of our little ones. Anyone who couldn't reach a hanger just chucked their gear onto the growing mountain of the closet floor. It's amazing how effective the addition of a second row of hooks at kid level has been for us. The kids have plenty of room to hang their coats and bags, and they don't need our help to take care of their belongings.
The lidded boxes on the top shelf were also a game changer. One holds off-season clothing items, another holds on-the-go items like sunscreen and various refills for the car (wipes, hand sanitizer, etc.), and the third holds some of our most frequently used tools (tape measure, level, hammer, etc.). Having these items contained but accessible has been fantastic."
What did you do to go the extra mile and "make it pretty"?
"Originally I had grand visions of wallpaper or a bold wall treatment for this space, but I realized our gear had plenty of color and pattern on its own and didn't want anything too distracting. So, we carried the same wall color that's in the rest of our entry and living space (Irish Mist by Behr) onto the closet walls. We gave the trim a fresh coat of crisp white paint, and we left that lovely natural stained wood shelf for some warmth. I shopped the house for storage items and containers that were easy on the eyes and in the end we ended up with a great mix of open and concealed storage."
What items did you DIY to stay on budget?
"This was a pretty simple DIY project that's easily doable in a weekend. All it took was some minor demo, a little patching and painting, and few pieces of trim. All things my husband and I knocked out together."
How has this project impacted your life for the better?
"This small corner does a big job for our family. Before we could never find what we needed and there was a lot of frantic scrambling as we tried to get everyone out the door. Important things were lost in the abyss and there was a lot of junk taking up precious space. Clearing out this closet and a few minor changes to make this space actually work for our family's needs has made all the difference in (mostly) smooth goings and comings from our home."
How about a side by side view?
I have always been a lover of hooks. In fact, I have rails of them all over our home. They are especially fabulous when kiddos are involved. It is so much easier for them to hang items on hooks. Use them in the entryway, their bedrooms and even for their towels in the bathroom. You will be glad you did.
And I am sure Deme is glad that she did! Her closet looks so much bigger! I guess a cleaned out space will do that. But a few other items stuck out to me as well:
I have been checking in on Deme's blog, House for Five, for a few years now. I love her style and approach to working on her home. In fact, she has made quite a few appearances around here over the years as well.
What struck me about today's coat closet project, is that her before image looked just like a hundred other entryway closets I have seen. Underutilized.
Right?
Another thing I loved is that with some very simple updates, she was able to make a HUGE difference in how her family utilized the closet. Here she is now to talk about how a little rethinking got her a long way!
Any superstar tips for keeping your entryway closet organized?
"Take the time to build new habits. The kids were used to tossing their stuff onto a pile and going along their merry way. It took awhile to teach everyone to use the new system, but after a few days and consistent reminders it was like second nature.
The other key for us has been to keep evaluating and tweaking. We had a pretty solid plan going into this project, but once it was all set up we found that all the smaller winter items like mittens, scarves and hats were still littered all over the closet floor. The simple addition of some wire baskets quickly solved the problem. We also have to give it a regular purge and return any rogue sweatshirts and ball caps to the bedroom closets."
What items did you find were essential when organizing this space and why?
"Hooks, hooks, and more hooks. The biggest issue with the closet's old layout was the single rod for hanging clothes that was beyond the reach of our little ones. Anyone who couldn't reach a hanger just chucked their gear onto the growing mountain of the closet floor. It's amazing how effective the addition of a second row of hooks at kid level has been for us. The kids have plenty of room to hang their coats and bags, and they don't need our help to take care of their belongings.
The lidded boxes on the top shelf were also a game changer. One holds off-season clothing items, another holds on-the-go items like sunscreen and various refills for the car (wipes, hand sanitizer, etc.), and the third holds some of our most frequently used tools (tape measure, level, hammer, etc.). Having these items contained but accessible has been fantastic."
What did you do to go the extra mile and "make it pretty"?
"Originally I had grand visions of wallpaper or a bold wall treatment for this space, but I realized our gear had plenty of color and pattern on its own and didn't want anything too distracting. So, we carried the same wall color that's in the rest of our entry and living space (Irish Mist by Behr) onto the closet walls. We gave the trim a fresh coat of crisp white paint, and we left that lovely natural stained wood shelf for some warmth. I shopped the house for storage items and containers that were easy on the eyes and in the end we ended up with a great mix of open and concealed storage."
What items did you DIY to stay on budget?
"This was a pretty simple DIY project that's easily doable in a weekend. All it took was some minor demo, a little patching and painting, and few pieces of trim. All things my husband and I knocked out together."
How has this project impacted your life for the better?
"This small corner does a big job for our family. Before we could never find what we needed and there was a lot of frantic scrambling as we tried to get everyone out the door. Important things were lost in the abyss and there was a lot of junk taking up precious space. Clearing out this closet and a few minor changes to make this space actually work for our family's needs has made all the difference in (mostly) smooth goings and comings from our home."
How about a side by side view?
I have always been a lover of hooks. In fact, I have rails of them all over our home. They are especially fabulous when kiddos are involved. It is so much easier for them to hang items on hooks. Use them in the entryway, their bedrooms and even for their towels in the bathroom. You will be glad you did.
And I am sure Deme is glad that she did! Her closet looks so much bigger! I guess a cleaned out space will do that. But a few other items stuck out to me as well:
- Adding matching boxes creates a whole new visual impact to the closet. Not only is the clutter concealed, but things will be much easier to find in the future.
- Deme painted out the closet so it would flow seamlessly with her home. It is always a giant win to paint your closets. I mean it, the odds are in your favor, you really can't lose.
- Deme added trays to protect those floors! Smart move because winter is gross.
- By removing the closet doors, her entrance most likely feels much more grand! Another reason why I love to do this? Removing doors holds everyone so much more accountable to take care of the area. Now if someone were to toss something on the floor, it will get seen much quicker!
- As much as I love a pretty wall treatment or fancy wallpaper, I think it is great that this project really came down to removing doors, painting, and installing hooks. Visually, Deme was right that less is ultimately more!
- Those little hat and mitten baskets! So, so cuuuute! And practical, but did you see how cute they are?
- Her family can easily maintain the new space, and their days are now running smoother! That is always my favorite part!
* All images courtesy of House For Five
ATTENTION!! Want to be featured in a Reader Space edition? Have an awesome organizing story to share? I am looking for projects that have made a positive impact to your life, big or small. They can be anything from an organized drawer or cabinet to an entire room. Please submit your story and photos to iheartreaderspace@gmail.com, and I would heart to feature them right here on the blog!! Photos should be high resolution and unedited. Please include a description of the project and how it has changed your life or routine for the better! Oh, and no worries my friends, we will NEVER judge "before" pictures because that just wouldn't be nice! Only love goes on at this blog!
Well friends! Today is a big, BIG day for this gal! I was recently invited to partner up with one of my most favorite online retailers, to curate a collection of some of my most favorite items!
Joss & Main is a daily flash sale site, which requires a free membership to check out their steals and deals, sometimes up to 70% off retail prices! And once you are in, you are IN! What I love most is that they bring new items each day, so the variety is always endless. They provide instant access to home decor, jewelry, travel gear and household products that would be otherwise challenging to track down, allowing you to create a home that has a unique and collected over time feeling.
I recently updated my home tour, and many of my favorite items were sourced from Joss & Main. So of course when they asked me to partner with them on a collection that was built to represent my personal style, I was over the moon thrilled!
Working with them is always a dream! I was able to select items from their site that I use in my home, or have on my current wish list, and they built the iHeart Organizing collection from there. Storage, furnishings, accessories and more storage galore! So good!
Because this is a flash sale, it will be over in a flash (ending next Tuesday morning)! So if you are interested in seeing my collection, and maybe even doing a little shopping, you can sign up and check it out here. You can also check out my guest post on their blog here.
Thank you to you all for your continuous support of iHeart Organizing and my partnerships! Smooches pals!
Joss & Main is a daily flash sale site, which requires a free membership to check out their steals and deals, sometimes up to 70% off retail prices! And once you are in, you are IN! What I love most is that they bring new items each day, so the variety is always endless. They provide instant access to home decor, jewelry, travel gear and household products that would be otherwise challenging to track down, allowing you to create a home that has a unique and collected over time feeling.
I recently updated my home tour, and many of my favorite items were sourced from Joss & Main. So of course when they asked me to partner with them on a collection that was built to represent my personal style, I was over the moon thrilled!
Working with them is always a dream! I was able to select items from their site that I use in my home, or have on my current wish list, and they built the iHeart Organizing collection from there. Storage, furnishings, accessories and more storage galore! So good!
Because this is a flash sale, it will be over in a flash (ending next Tuesday morning)! So if you are interested in seeing my collection, and maybe even doing a little shopping, you can sign up and check it out here. You can also check out my guest post on their blog here.
Thank you to you all for your continuous support of iHeart Organizing and my partnerships! Smooches pals!
Although it can be considered one of my least favorite times of the month, bill paying is a household chore we just can’t avoid. We all have bills of some sort; mortgages, utilities, medical, insurance… And missing those bills or paying them late translates to high fees and sad faces.
My husband and I share the bill paying process, and the last few years we have been using a budget binder to manage our incoming papers and track our finances. However, as much as I loved it, over time, my husband found it too much to maintain. He wasn’t a fan of hunting down a three-hole punch to manage our paperwork twice a month. We also found that we were always gathering items from around the house when we finally would sit down and get to work. Therefore, we decided to revisit our system this year and I thought I would share our alternative solution to the binder, as I am guessing my husband is not the only one who is not a fan of that setup.
My husband and I share the bill paying process, and the last few years we have been using a budget binder to manage our incoming papers and track our finances. However, as much as I loved it, over time, my husband found it too much to maintain. He wasn’t a fan of hunting down a three-hole punch to manage our paperwork twice a month. We also found that we were always gathering items from around the house when we finally would sit down and get to work. Therefore, we decided to revisit our system this year and I thought I would share our alternative solution to the binder, as I am guessing my husband is not the only one who is not a fan of that setup.
Update: We do pay majority of our re-occurring bills online with auto-withdrawal, this process is how we manage our twice a month check in, reconsile our accounts and be sure to pay in any random bills that come up.
I searched high and low for some sort of bill paying caddy that would also fit document sized folders, but came up short. In the end, I knew I needed something super simple for us to access. No punching, no digging… I landed on a lidded file box from the Container Store. We have used file boxes in the past, even to hold all of our files at one point in time, and have always loved their portability factor.
This file box is basically a temporary holding spot until papers can either be shredded or filed away more permanently in our filing cabinet (seen here). I know this system is not for everyone; some may have a process for sorting, managing and filing right at their desk. However, based on our routine, this is what we have found works best for us.
We determined which categories we prefer to manage throughout the course of a month. They are:
I purchased the file folders at Office Max, and used my label maker paired with clear tape and gold lettering.
Inside of the To Pay folder, I clipped in our Finance Checklist, which allows us to track all bills paid throughout the month and track payments over the course of the entire year.
All of the folders were placed within hanging files inside of the file box, and are easy to find and sort as mail comes in throughout the month.
We pay our bills in advance; on the first and fifteenth of each month. With this update, I also wanted to ensure all of our essentials were also located within the file box.
Things we always find ourselves reaching for on bill day:
There are many ways you could add these items to your bill box. You could use a pouch or a hanging file box. I opted to dig into my inner creative and purchased an acrylic shadow box from Michaels for around $4.
I was hoping that the frame would have an acrylic front and back, but unfortunately, it was just the front. The insert for the frame was a hollow cardboard box.
Using a box cutter, I sliced off the top of the box. I then used tape to reinforce the corners, and covered the entire box in leftover marble contact paper.
I tossed in my essential items, and added the lid. Boom! Pretty bill paying supply box, which tucks away nicely inside of our new file box.
The file box is stored on a shelf in my studio for now, however, I see it landing near our entryway in the future and taking over for one of our wall pockets. And we love that the system is portable because we tend to do our bill paying in different areas of our home.
Another organizing kit, another 15 minutes invested to save oodles of time down the road, and another easy peasy sanity saving solution to a mundane task.
Looking for more quick tips? Check out the entire series here!
I searched high and low for some sort of bill paying caddy that would also fit document sized folders, but came up short. In the end, I knew I needed something super simple for us to access. No punching, no digging… I landed on a lidded file box from the Container Store. We have used file boxes in the past, even to hold all of our files at one point in time, and have always loved their portability factor.
This file box is basically a temporary holding spot until papers can either be shredded or filed away more permanently in our filing cabinet (seen here). I know this system is not for everyone; some may have a process for sorting, managing and filing right at their desk. However, based on our routine, this is what we have found works best for us.
We determined which categories we prefer to manage throughout the course of a month. They are:
- To Pay: All mail that comes in that requires review and payment.
- Paid: Where the statement is transferred to after the payment is made. These stay in the folder for a few months until payment is confirmed and they can be shredded or filed away for good.
- To Do: Where mail and papers live that require action (i.e. call insurance rep, schedule auto maintenance, activate check card, etc…)
- Receipts: Any receipts that require review while reconciling our checking account.
- Taxes: Important papers that we receive throughout the year we need to keep at hand until tax time.
I purchased the file folders at Office Max, and used my label maker paired with clear tape and gold lettering.
Inside of the To Pay folder, I clipped in our Finance Checklist, which allows us to track all bills paid throughout the month and track payments over the course of the entire year.
All of the folders were placed within hanging files inside of the file box, and are easy to find and sort as mail comes in throughout the month.
We pay our bills in advance; on the first and fifteenth of each month. With this update, I also wanted to ensure all of our essentials were also located within the file box.
Things we always find ourselves reaching for on bill day:
- Notepad
- Checkbook
- Clips
- Pens/Pencils
- Envelopes
- Stamps
- Letter Opener
There are many ways you could add these items to your bill box. You could use a pouch or a hanging file box. I opted to dig into my inner creative and purchased an acrylic shadow box from Michaels for around $4.
I was hoping that the frame would have an acrylic front and back, but unfortunately, it was just the front. The insert for the frame was a hollow cardboard box.
Using a box cutter, I sliced off the top of the box. I then used tape to reinforce the corners, and covered the entire box in leftover marble contact paper.
I tossed in my essential items, and added the lid. Boom! Pretty bill paying supply box, which tucks away nicely inside of our new file box.
The file box is stored on a shelf in my studio for now, however, I see it landing near our entryway in the future and taking over for one of our wall pockets. And we love that the system is portable because we tend to do our bill paying in different areas of our home.
Another organizing kit, another 15 minutes invested to save oodles of time down the road, and another easy peasy sanity saving solution to a mundane task.
Looking for more quick tips? Check out the entire series here!
I probably could have posted Friday, but we were thisclose to getting our planks installed, that I decided to wait until we put in the last nail and our abs were screaming in pain from all of the nightly planking sessions. OK, so although our abs really are not feeling the benefits of all of the planking happening over here, our ceiling sure feels the results.
If you recall, a week earlier our space looked like this.
And the same angle today.
We purchased the plank wood from a local lumber company and ordered 16 ft. boards of primed tongue and groove planks. We looked at quite a few options, and landed with the AllPrime product because it is lightweight, split resistant and double coated with oil primer. What I love most is that the boards are already super smooth and coated with the primer, which means less work for us before and after installation. We believe it was worth a little extra expense up front to go with pre-primed, smooth planks because they do not have any visible wood grain or knots, and after my cabinets in my studio yellowed even with multiple coats of primer, I was not about to risk it again on such a large and important project.
The boards were delivered on Friday afternoon and we started installing them the following day.
The first step was to locate the trusses in the ceiling to ensure our nails had something to grip to during installation. Bryan found the first truss by measuring two feet off of an external wall, and using a screwdriver and hammer to tap up into the ceiling (this is the homeowner's special version of a stud finder, which we realized we didn't have on hand).
He continued to check every two feet and mark where each ceiling truss was located. With each of us on a ladder on opposite sides of the room, we then pulled a chalk line across the ceiling.
With the ceiling marked, it made it much easier to know where to nail in the planks.
For this project, we borrowed my father-in-law's scaffolding, which was the key to our success in completing this project in a week. I was able to stay up on the scaffolding and be pushed across the floor to do a lot of the nailing.
We applied Liquid Nails to the backside of each plank to really ensure a good hold...
And used 2" brad nails every two feet.
We staggered the boards for strength, just as one would do when installing flooring. Every once in awhile a rubber mallet helped to tap the boards into the grooves (using a scrap piece as a buffer when tapping things in place).
The entire length of each row was 21 1/2" feet, and after the first day, we had a whopping five rows installed. We were definitely just getting our bearings and figuring out a system.
During the week, my husband would come home from work, we would feed the kids dinner, take them to their school activities, and typically start working around 7:30 or 8:00 as they were settling down for bed. A couple of hours later and we were ready to snooze as well.
Measure, cut, glue, nail, repeat. We managed to get things done with two people, but when we had three or four working on it thanks to friends stopping by to help, it made covering the 550 square feet even faster. Six days fast! (And I thought it was a weekend project... funny how that happens.)
We did all of our cutting inside because the garage is full of items for the kitchen and it is coooooooold in Wisconsin in January. My husband took a note from his old shop teacher and used our shop vac to reduce the amount of flying dust while making his cuts. Another homeowner's special.
Although the process was time consuming, it was not all that challenging. The hardest part was cutting out around the recessed lighting kits.
My husband's trick for that process was:
1. Using a white piece of paper and placing it into the groove of the last plank, he pressed around the lip of the light.
2. He cut out the indented circle.
3. He double checked to be sure it lined up correctly.
4. He marked the next plank board where the light starts and stops.
5. He traced the cut template onto the board based on the markings.
6. He used a jig saw to cut out the circle from the plank.
And YES!
Still not anything pretty to look at, but there is so much potential happening here! We finally pulled down those final wall studs; that paired with the new planks and it feels like our space doubled in size! We couldn't be more thrilled about the openness and all of the light streaming through during the day.
We had no need to run the planks to the peak as there will be a giant faux beam installed there next. I really think that will be the major turning point for this project.
Well, that and finally getting some new sheetrock on the walls in the kitchen. So that is what is on the agenda for this week. We are building our beams and maybe even patching the walls. The best part? No more staples to be pulled! It was all uphill after that.
Once the beams are installed we will putty all of the seams and nail holes, and the entire ceiling will be sprayed white. And you may have noticed more colors have joined the paint swatches on the walls... and you know what? I still haven't committed to anything. I have never in my entire life had such a hard time picking a single paint color for a room. I may just go in a different direction all together. So stay tuned as the color drama unfolds. I am in suspense right along with you!
You can follow all of the kitchen progress here.
If you recall, a week earlier our space looked like this.
And the same angle today.
We purchased the plank wood from a local lumber company and ordered 16 ft. boards of primed tongue and groove planks. We looked at quite a few options, and landed with the AllPrime product because it is lightweight, split resistant and double coated with oil primer. What I love most is that the boards are already super smooth and coated with the primer, which means less work for us before and after installation. We believe it was worth a little extra expense up front to go with pre-primed, smooth planks because they do not have any visible wood grain or knots, and after my cabinets in my studio yellowed even with multiple coats of primer, I was not about to risk it again on such a large and important project.
The boards were delivered on Friday afternoon and we started installing them the following day.
The first step was to locate the trusses in the ceiling to ensure our nails had something to grip to during installation. Bryan found the first truss by measuring two feet off of an external wall, and using a screwdriver and hammer to tap up into the ceiling (this is the homeowner's special version of a stud finder, which we realized we didn't have on hand).
He continued to check every two feet and mark where each ceiling truss was located. With each of us on a ladder on opposite sides of the room, we then pulled a chalk line across the ceiling.
With the ceiling marked, it made it much easier to know where to nail in the planks.
For this project, we borrowed my father-in-law's scaffolding, which was the key to our success in completing this project in a week. I was able to stay up on the scaffolding and be pushed across the floor to do a lot of the nailing.
We applied Liquid Nails to the backside of each plank to really ensure a good hold...
And used 2" brad nails every two feet.
We staggered the boards for strength, just as one would do when installing flooring. Every once in awhile a rubber mallet helped to tap the boards into the grooves (using a scrap piece as a buffer when tapping things in place).
The entire length of each row was 21 1/2" feet, and after the first day, we had a whopping five rows installed. We were definitely just getting our bearings and figuring out a system.
During the week, my husband would come home from work, we would feed the kids dinner, take them to their school activities, and typically start working around 7:30 or 8:00 as they were settling down for bed. A couple of hours later and we were ready to snooze as well.
Measure, cut, glue, nail, repeat. We managed to get things done with two people, but when we had three or four working on it thanks to friends stopping by to help, it made covering the 550 square feet even faster. Six days fast! (And I thought it was a weekend project... funny how that happens.)
We did all of our cutting inside because the garage is full of items for the kitchen and it is coooooooold in Wisconsin in January. My husband took a note from his old shop teacher and used our shop vac to reduce the amount of flying dust while making his cuts. Another homeowner's special.
Although the process was time consuming, it was not all that challenging. The hardest part was cutting out around the recessed lighting kits.
My husband's trick for that process was:
1. Using a white piece of paper and placing it into the groove of the last plank, he pressed around the lip of the light.
2. He cut out the indented circle.
3. He double checked to be sure it lined up correctly.
4. He marked the next plank board where the light starts and stops.
5. He traced the cut template onto the board based on the markings.
6. He used a jig saw to cut out the circle from the plank.
And YES!
Still not anything pretty to look at, but there is so much potential happening here! We finally pulled down those final wall studs; that paired with the new planks and it feels like our space doubled in size! We couldn't be more thrilled about the openness and all of the light streaming through during the day.
We had no need to run the planks to the peak as there will be a giant faux beam installed there next. I really think that will be the major turning point for this project.
Well, that and finally getting some new sheetrock on the walls in the kitchen. So that is what is on the agenda for this week. We are building our beams and maybe even patching the walls. The best part? No more staples to be pulled! It was all uphill after that.
Once the beams are installed we will putty all of the seams and nail holes, and the entire ceiling will be sprayed white. And you may have noticed more colors have joined the paint swatches on the walls... and you know what? I still haven't committed to anything. I have never in my entire life had such a hard time picking a single paint color for a room. I may just go in a different direction all together. So stay tuned as the color drama unfolds. I am in suspense right along with you!
You can follow all of the kitchen progress here.
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