Fixes every renter should know

Once upon a time, renters didn't have to fix anything.....The End.  

Those days are long gone.  Try giving your landlord a call at 2 in the morning to tell him that your toilet is overflowing and see how quickly he jumps to come fix it.  But then again, why should he climb out of bed to fix your toilet?  Chances are the toilet's clogged up because of something you (or your children) tried to flush down it.

Leases these days are fairly specific about what the landlord is responsible for and what he's not responsible for.  If you insist on attempting to flush things down your toilet that truly aren't supposed to be flushed, pouring bacon grease down your sink until it clogs up or never cleaning the hair out of your shower/tub drain...then you should have to pay to have the plumber come out.  If your child or your mower throws a rock through a window, why should the landlord be responsible for replacing it?  Those are just a few of the fixes that a renter can be (and should be) held liable for.

So how to fix these nuisances?  Let look at the top three maintenance calls.

Let's start with the overflowing toilet.

Overflowing toilets are the worst!!  Unlike the picture above, I've never had a toilet overflow with clean water.....never.

There are the usual reasons for a toilet to overflow.  Either the drain is clogged or the floater isn't set properly.

First thing to do is turn off the water supply to your toilet.  Normally, there is a water supply line located on the bottom side of your toilet bowl with a valve attached to it.  Turn the value off.  This will stop any water from getting to your toilet.  This won't fix the problem, but it will prevent more water from spilling onto your floors while you either fix the problem or wait for the plumber to arrive.

If you can't find the valve another way to stop the water flow is to remove the cover of the tank and lift the floating ball high enough that the water stops running.  Next use a bucket to remove the water at the brim of your toilet bowl until the water level is well below the brim.  Don't pour this water out.  You will need it in another step.

The next thing you have to do is plunge your toilet until you notice water leaving the bowl.  Don't be afraid of this step.  Get in there and give it all you got!!  Once the water level goes down in the toilet bowl, it should mean the stoppage has been cleared.

Now you just need to pour the water you collected back in the toilet bowl and flush.  That should take care of the problem.  If it doesn't....repeat the plunging step and try again.  

If that still hasn't solved the problem....time to call a plumber.

Note:  Just because the packaging says it's safe to flush......doesn't mean it is.  The American Plumber Association begs people not to flush baby wipes, sanitary napkins, tampons, or baby diapers down their toilets.  Yet people still do it and wonder why their toilet becomes clogged.

Be wary of harsh drain cleaning products if you live in an older property.  Most older homes have metal pipes.  The chemicals in some of these drain cleaning products can and will eat through your pipes.  The end result is your toilet will drain....into your basement or beneath your house.  An old fashion hand auger that can be bought at any home improvement store will do the trick without damaging your pipes.

Clogged Sink

Even if you have a garbage disposal you should be extra careful about what goes into your sinks.  Any kind of animal product should be strictly avoided.  Grease, coffee grinds, gravy, bones, butter or anything else that will either congeal or that could penetrate a line or get wedged in a line should be avoided at all costs.

Should your sink become clogged, then dip as much of the water out of the sink as possible. Using a washcloth tightly stop up one of the sinks so the pressure exerted from plunging won't escape.  Next take your trusty plunger and go to work on the unstopped sink until the water drains freely.  Repeat as necessary.

If the above step doesn't work, then add a small box of baking soda to the clogged side making sure all the baking soda has gone down the drain.  Use the handle of a spoon or a skewer to push it down if necessary.  Then pour in a cup of vinegar.  Wait about 5 minutes to give the baking soda and vinegar time to do it's job.  At this point you should be able to run water through the sink without issue.

Most clogs happen in the area of pipe located just under your sink.  The "U" joint.  If you are good with your hands, you can unscrew this section (making certain to have a bucket beneath it to catch any water in the drain).  Once unscrewed, you can run an uncoiled clothes hanger through this section which should push out whatever was clogging the drain.  Then simply reattach and run water through the drain.  If this still hasn't done the trick...time to call a plumber.

Beeping Smoke Detector

These things can be so annoying when they wake you at night beeping.  Most common solution?  Replace the batteries.

As always, enjoy your space!

Fads Come and Go

Thinking of remodeling your kitchen?  Maybe remodeling the kitchen of a rental?  If so, I'm sure you've poured over numerous magazines, websites and TV shows to find a kitchen that is exactly what you want.

But before you go whipping out that credit card, let's talk about fads.  Anyone old enough to remember when The Brady Bunch wasn't in reruns will remember orange shag carpet, wallpaper covered in mushrooms, pine kitchen cabinets, orange laminate counter tops and cheap faux wood paneling everywhere.  Those were the fads of the 1970's.  Then we thought it was hip, fresh and new...now?....we rip it all out and start from scratch.  Many a house has sat on the market for 3 times as long as neighboring houses simply because it had those items. Below is a picture of one of those kitchens.

Here's a picture of a 1970's kitchen that was considered to be rather high end "back in the day". Notice the abundance of wallpaper?  The orange laminate counter tops?  That brick veneer and huge yellow vent hood really make this kitchen!

You may say, "but those fads were ugly"!  Yes, they were.  But even 5 years from now, you may think the more current fads are tired and ugly as well.  It's always best when remodeling to go with classic.  Things that have stood the test of time and weathered all the other fads.  You can always throw in some pieces that are are faddish but the big money should be on items that you won't tire of in 5 or even 10 years.

Forbes magazine interviewed John Petrie, 2013 President of the National Kitchen and Bath Association and owner of MH Custom Cabinetry.  In the interview, Mr. Petrie was asked to list the current trends to avoid when remodeling your kitchen.  Some of the items on his list really shocked me, while others didn't shock me at all.

He recommended staying away from trash compactors (I didn't even know folks still bought these) and appliance garages (I have always hated these).  Those items didn't surprise me.  What really shocked me was to see farmhouse sinks (or apron sinks) and dark hardwood floors on his list.  I love both of those!  Below is a picture of what I would call a dream kitchen.  Not so much says Mr. Petrie.

He stated that in 2011 & 2012 everyone wanted these but in 2013, he hadn't sold a single farmhouse sink.

Other items on the way out, according to Mr. Petrie, are pot racks and range hoods as focal points and colorful appliances.  Again, I love all those items too.  He states that stainless appliances are still the rage, but I have read in numerous other outlets that their popularity is waning rather quickly.

So what to do?  According to Forbes, the average cost for a high end kitchen is $53,931. That's a lot of cash.  It's especially a lot of cash if you go with a fad that will wear on your nerves within a few years.

The most important question to ask yourself before you touch anything is, "Exactly who is this remodel for"?  If it's for your own enjoyment, meaning you are truly in your forever home, then you can approach the remodel a bit differently than you would if you had plans of selling the house down the road.  However, I cannot stress enough the importance of remembering that while you may live in the house for the rest of your life, it still won't prevent you from tiring of the look.  So unless you have the cash laying around to spend on remodeling your kitchen - again - I recommend going for a more polished and classic look.

Another thing to remember is location.  Here in the south, we tend to be about 5-10 years behind the rest of the country not only in adopting the latest fads, but also in letting them go. Example:  disco officially died in 1980....we really didn't have disco's until a couple of years before it "died" and we kept our disco's until the late 80's.  My point to this is, if hardwoods in your kitchen is all the rage in your area, it may have become a thing of the past in another area. They may be into tile.  Keep this in mind when browsing all the magazines.  Most of them are written with New York or California in mind.

So how can you remodel and achieve a blend of classic with fad?  It's pretty simple actually. The most expensive things to rip out and replace will usually be your cabinetry, flooring and counter tops.  I would recommend sticking to classic with those items.  Appliances, faucets, hardware, lighting and backsplashes can be easily changed out at a much lower cost.  If you want to include the latest fad, then I'd include it in those areas.

Tip.  Most designers will come to your home and give you some tips on what's hot in your area for a small fee.  They can also suggest finishes that would fit into your budget.  I know the big box stores offer free consultations, but you should remember these two things before you go that route.  (1) they are hardly ever trained/educated designers and (2) their job is to get you to buy the things that their store sells.

Another item on the "going out of style" list is (thankfully) the kitchen desk.  That is such a horrible waste of space in your kitchen....a desk in the kitchen...who honestly thought that was ever a great idea?  They ultimately turn into dump sites.  No one ever actually sits there and enjoys that space.  They become a place to throw the mail, keys and anything else that you have in your hand and simply don't want to put where it belongs.

Look at all that space that could be storage and/or extra counter space.  I see a floor to ceiling pantry there.  

Before you head to the bank for that loan, do a lot of research on what's hot and what's warm....or even cold. 

As always, enjoy your space! 

Why should I bother to stage my house?

When the housing market is in the toilet or even when it's climbing out of the toilet, folks need to go that extra mile to get their properties sold (or rented) for the most money possible and in the quickest amount of time.

I've talked ad nauseum about making sure you have painted, cleaned and prettified everything so the prospective tenant/owner doesn't have to.  This post will be about making the house feel like a home.

People in the market to buy or rent, want a home.  Not just 4 walls and a roof.  They want to connect with the space.  They want to be able to visualize themselves (and their stuff) living in the space.  Sometimes they need a little help.  I've heard it said many times by real estate professionals that prospective buyers/tenants lack the imagination to see the potential in a space.  I don't believe that for the most part.

Prospective tenants/buyers aren't idiots.  They can see potential when it's obvious.  However, when a room is shaped oddly or maybe it's a room with a lot of doors like a middle bedroom with a door from the hallway, one to the on suite, two that go to closets......it can be a bit daunting to imagine where your furniture will fit comfortably.

Another thing to remember is people that are house hunting are usually tired, frustrated and anxious.  They are usually working not only on a budget but on a time line.  They are looking at numerous houses/apartments.  After a while all the spaces seem to run together.  They remember the bedroom of one house but the kitchen of another with the bathroom of yet another.  So anything you can do to not only make your space stand apart from the crowd - in a good way - is a good thing.  Also, they will remember the house that answered all their questions.  Like where will the couch go?

Here is a picture of a standard apartment eating area.  I'm not going to call it a dining room - I refuse.  If you viewed this apartment it would be ok.  It wouldn't make you grab your pen and snatch the application out of the agent's hand by any stretch of the imagination.

But if the owners took just a little time, imagination and very little money and painted the walls and added just a little furniture/accessories, you just might change your mind.

Entirely different room isn't it?

How about those dark basement family rooms?  Look at this one.  Faux paneling. Exterior carriage lights. textured ceiling. Shag carpeting.  I look at this room and I wonder where the salad bar is located.  It just looks like an old "all you can eat" German buffet restaurant.  If I were looking to rent or buy this house, I'd probably walk away.  This room alone screams both time and money just to make it presentable.

However, with a little sprucing up, it doesn't look nearly as bad.  It now looks rather pleasant.  Now mind you, not a lot of time and money was spent redoing this room.  It was simply a matter of toning down the faux paneling, getting rid of the shag, adding a few more pieces and lightening it all up a bit.  That really is all it took.

Most people think kitchens are easy.  Just clean them really well and walk away.  Nope.  They too need a bit of staging.  However, less is more when staging a bathroom or a kitchen.  Clean it, paint it and put out a minimum of accessories and then walk away.  While the kitchen below is nice, it needs to be better.  It needs to feel homey and loved.  Currently it is neither.

With just a little work, it now looks warm and friendly.  Like a place you'd want to pause and hang out in for a little while.  Nothing was painted.  No fixtures were replaced.  Just some wall positioned accessories and a little eating table.  That's it.

When you stage a house or an apartment, you don't have to rent furniture and/or accessories from a company.  Well, you can - but that can get rather pricey and usually you're locked in for a minimum time period.  Most people have a couple of extra chairs at their house that they can stand to do without for a little bit.  Most people have a card table they can cover with a pretty sheet, or curtain panel.  Most people have enough knicks knacks in their houses that they can use in their staging.  The things you don't already have at home you can pick up at garage sales, flea markets and sometimes off the curb the night before trash pickup.  That's why I always have a collection of spray paint in my utility room.  Grab that chair off the curb, clean it up and spray paint the dickens out of it.  It doesn't matter if it's rickety - slap several pillows on it to discourage anyone from sitting in it and you have a chair for your staging job.

If you need an actual dining room table and you don't want to deal with the burden of bringing one to the property or having one delivered, take two saw horses and a large piece of plywood (or a hollow core door) and put it on top of the saw horses.  Then drape a sheet over it.  Next put a runner on top of that and place some dishes and a centerpiece and you have a beautiful table for the dining room.

Earlier I mentioned rooms with weird shapes.  These types of rooms can intimidate some people because they really can't imagine where to put the furniture so they just assume their furniture won't work in that room and move onto the next property.

Below is one of those rooms.

Simply by adding a few pieces, prospective buyers/tenants now know a perfect spot for their stuff!  If you don't have an extra bed or a truck in which to move a bed, use an air mattress.  You can actually set several concrete blocks where you want the bed to go.  Place 2x4's over the blocks and then set the air mattress on top of those.  Once you add the linens, the blocks will be hidden and it will look like a real bed.  Or you can use two air mattresses stacked atop one another.

You don't have to break the bank to stage a house properly.  If you're like me, you have tons of knick knacks, artwork, books and other assorted items already in your house that you could do without for a couple of weeks.  The rest of the stuff can be picked up at a thrift store or yard sale for next to nothing.

At the end of the day, a house that is dressed up will go quicker than a naked house.

But that's just me.

Why do people move?

Why do people move?  That is an age old question.  There are many many reasons that people go through the hassle, headache and expense of moving.  But "I've outgrown my space" seems to rank right up in the top 3....or maybe even 2.

What exactly does that mean?  Usually people who moved into a home single but have since gotten married and had children use that sentence.  In their situation, I can believe it to be true. However, there are a lot of single people and couples (whose family size has not grown) who use that phrase.  So what are they talking about?  

My bet is, they haven't outgrown their space.....their stuff has.

Do you remember your first place?  I do.  My parents gave us their old couch, his parents gave us the bed from their guest room, we received tons of wedding presents such as 10 toasters (not exaggerating), 5 irons, 3 ironing boards, along with an assortment of mixers, blenders and other household (and very useful) items.

Even with the generosity of our friends and family, we still resorted to using a cable spool (see picture below) that we found as our dining room table and stacks of pillows as our chairs.

Our little apartment seemed HUGE when we first moved in.  Why shouldn't it?  We had next to nothing to put in it.  But by the time our lease was up, we had outgrown our little space and needed something larger.  Our apartment didn't shrink....we had just gotten more stuff to put in it than it would comfortably hold.

So what is the cure for our obsession with stuff?  The obvious cure is not to buy more stuff than will fit into your space.  While that's an easy solution, it's far easier said than done.

Then the children come along and guess what?  Yes....more stuff.  Children have a unique way of taking up every square inch of your home.  Your living room that once entertained all your friends on a Friday night now barely has the space for you to sit and watch television comfortably because the baby stuff has taken over.  There are car seats, strollers, play pens, toys, walkers, play mats, high chairs....the list is endless.

So let's look at some ways to end this clutter trap and make you want to stay rather than move.

Extra bedrooms are a renters best friend.  Most rentals don't have a ton of storage space.  For some reason the people who design rentals tend to believe that a renter is like a nomad.  They move about from space to space and live out of a single suitcase.  They would be wrong.  If you have a bedroom that you aren't using on a regular basis, make it your storage room.  

I don't mean open the door, fling in whatever item you want stored and then quickly shut the door.  I mean shop your local thrift stores, flea markets, yard sales (and yes, relatives garages) and find shelving units.  Line the walls with these units.  You can get as fancy or as plain as you wish.  You can even use cinder blocks and wood for your units.  Easy to assemble, easy to take down and easy to move about.  Cinder blocks run about $1 to $2 each and the wood can be reclaimed or bought new for about that same price.  Paint it if you like or leave it plain.  Either way, it is a storage unit that can be added on to easily and works perfectly.  Add a few baskets to contain the small stuff and you have some amazing storage.

Or how about buying portable hanging systems?

Maybe you don't have an extra bedroom?  Do you have a garage?  There's always extra space in there!

What if you currently use that spare bedroom for an office and don't want to let go of that?  Not a problem.  Chances are you don't need a formal office space unless clients are coming to your home.  Take a corner of that spare bedroom, hang some shelving then take a cheap interior door and make yourself a corner office!  You still have plenty of room left for storage.

There are tons of areas in your current space for you to turn into storage.  All you have to do is look around and be creative.  Using the back of a door is a great way to get some of your stuff off the tops of your dresser's and out of your drawers.  Hanging purses, scarves, jewelry on hooks that are placed on the backside of your bedroom door is a great way to add more storage.

Let's not forget baskets!  I don't think there is a greater declutter tool known to man than baskets.  Put a few beneath your coffee table, then just scoop up the clutter and throw them into the baskets when company's coming for a quick, stylish way to control your clutter.

Pottery Barn, Pier One and tons of other stores carry unique and well crafted baskets of all sizes and shapes (and even colors) that will last forever.

If you love your neighborhood and you have a good landlord already, why move if you don't have to?

I say, just work with what you have and before long.....you will fall in love with your space all over again!

Enjoy your space!

Time to buy new furniture? Maybe not

I may or may not troll the alleyways of my neighborhood searching for occasional tables, dressers, chairs that folks have chunked to the curb thinking they were ready for the dump....actually I do....frequently.

I also may or may not have a basement full of said furniture (and abandoned solid wood doors)....actually I do....a lot of them.

I'll admit it, I can't stand the thought of a perfectly solid piece of REAL wood furniture, doors or windows filled with wavy glass sitting in a landfill.  It drives me nuts!  The down side to my little obsession - I mean hobby - is actually cleaning it all up and refinishing it.

The beauty of reviving cast off furniture is varied and sundry.  You get a solidly built piece of furniture for free.  And you get to customize it to suit your style/taste.  A person can easily spend upwards of $1,000 on a solidly built NEW dresser for the bedroom.  But grabbing one off the curb, cleaning it up, tightening any loose bits and painting it costs a bit of work (getting if off the curb) and about $50 in supplies (between the paint and any hardware such as new knobs).

From the mid 1960's to the mid 1990's furniture makers loved to embellish drawer fronts like the one below.  I'm not a fan of embellish drawer fronts.  I think they look cheap and dated.  However, once painted....they actually add texture and interest to a piece as you'll see later in this blog.....stay with me....the results are pretty amazing.

A lot of people would run screaming into the streets if they thought they had to paint furniture.....I used to be one of them.  Painting walls is a breeze, but painting furniture can be a nightmare.  So many nooks and crannies to sand, prime and paint.  If the paint doesn't adhere like it should, you get nicks, scuffs and even areas where the paint falls off completely.  Ugh.  Personally, I hate sanding little areas and I hate priming.

That's why I was pretty stoked to learn of chalk paint.  Anyone who has ever read any of my blogs knows I loathe chalkboard paint on anything anytime anywhere.  I'm not talking about chalkboard paint.  I'm talking about chalk paint.  There's a huge difference.

The effect that chalk paint has is subtle and smooth as chalk once finished.  It has a matte finish that is reminiscent of fine antique french furniture.  If you like a more glossy look, you can go over the painted piece with a wax made specifically for chalk paint which will not only give you a slight gloss but will also protect your finish for years to come.

The greatest thing about chalk paint is the absolute absence of priming or sanding....wonderful.  I recommend that you clean the piece super well and sand off any gunk that has gotten stuck to the surface or any deep gashes in the wood but little nicks, scratches or other small imperfections don't need to be bothered with at all because this paint is self leveling meaning it will sink into those scratches and nicks and make it all nice and smooth.  No wood putty or filler needed.

Want to see what the entire dresser looked like?

Don't go crazy on buying your paint brush for this job.  A $4 synthetic paintbrush from the big box store will work great.

First remove all the hardware, give it a good cleaning,  go over the areas that need to be sanded and fill in any deep gashes.  Once you've done that, go to town with the paint.

While the manufacturer will tell you that one coat is all you'll need.....you honestly need at least 2.  Sanding between coats is really not necessary.....except on the top.  I can't stand seeing any brush strokes or feel little bumps when I rub the top so I lightly sanded between my first and second coat - just on the top.  Once it was smooth to the feel, I applied my second coat.  I didn't worry about the sides or drawer fronts as once the piece is in place, you won't be rubbing all over the sides/front.

The last step is to apply the finishing wax.  This gives the piece a smooth velvety feel, darkens the paint just a hair, adds depth to the finish and protects the piece from wear and tear.  You can use a poly finish if you so choose.  However, be advised that poly will yellow over time and won't actually protect the finish as well as the wax.

Now for the reveal.......wait for it......

So there you have it!  You have just saved yourself a bunch of cash!!  
Enjoy your space.

Storage for every space!

Small houses or apartments are difficult to rent unless they are in a very high demand area. People tour them and the whole time, they're thinking "Where will I hang my pictures?" or "Where will all those knick knacks I love so much live?" Usually with a small rental, the bathroom has either a pedestal sink or maybe a cabinet style sink.  Neither of them offer much in way of places to sit the usual bathroom accessories like razors, hair spray, toothpaste, etc.

You could buy one of those metal or wood shelving units that fit over the toilet....but that takes up floor space and if you have a smaller toilet, it's uncomfortable because your back and/or head bumps into it every time you sit on the toilet.

Of course, a renter could buy shelving units to house all those pictures and dust collecting objects that they just couldn't do without.  But that takes up more floor space, makes the rooms feel far smaller than they really are and (most importantly) who wants to go through the expense of renting a house, the moving expenses and then on top of that have to buy storage solutions? 

My solution?  Add shelving between the wall studs!  This was a very messy project but a very attractive solution!  It takes up zero floor space and adds life to an otherwise blank wall. It will also make your rental stand out from all the others potential renters might view. They might not remember if the yard was fenced but they'll remember the built-ins.  They add valuable storage and display areas while giving the home character.  It's a win/win.

Here are some examples.  Below the photo's I will give you step by step instructions.

Below are more photo's for inspiration

Kitchen:   Great for a kitchen pantry or shelving for spices. Makes a nice niche to display decorative plates.

...and yes, you can add doors simply by installing the hinges and hanging the doors.

Bedroom: Great in the kid's room to house pictures books or small toys.  Also great for the teenager's room to house all those CD's that they love so much.

By the way, while you're building the shelves between the studs, why not build some simple boxes to go beneath it for even more built-in storage??

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• Bathroom: Best way to get the razor's, hair spray and other assorted products off the counter that I know!

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• Den/Living Room/Hallway/Stairs: There is no better way to get those family photo's  or treasured knickknacks in plain sight without taking up valuable floor space.

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Now that you've seen the completed projects, let's get on to how to do this in your space.

Bear in mind that you can only have the width and depth that your house will allow.  The first thing you have to do is find a wall that you want to rip into. 

1. Find the studs in that wall and mark each stud with a thumbtack (or you can use a sharpie and clean up afterwards).  Then taking your hammer knock out the sheetrock between the studs.  NOTE: try to be careful during this process for two reasons. First, you don't want to knock into any electrical or plumbing that might be hidden in the wall and secondly, you don't want to damage the sheetrock that covers your studs.  I chose walls that didn't have any electrical outlets on them to minimize the risk of finding electrical wires.
2. Once you have knocked away enough sheetrock to expose the area between the studs, take a sheetrock knife (I actually used a large serrated knife typically used to cut ham) and trim up the edges.
3. At this point there are two ways to continue.  You can either build a box that fits tightly into the opening or you can use the existing studs and back wall as your box.  If you choose to go this route, all you will have left to do is install the shelves, paint and trim it out!  
4. If you go with the first option, there will be some measuring and cutting to do.  The end result will not vary greatly from option number two.  However, with option 1, if you are off in your measurements, you will have to recut, renail and try again.  I don't know about you but I'm not good enough with this type of precision, so I chose to go with option number two and build off what was already there.
5. One issue you might have with the second scenario -  you have to make sure that the studs butt up against the back wall for this to work.  If it very nearly butts up, you can still use this procedure but you will need to apply paintable caulking to fill in the gaps otherwise your cool air in the summer and warm air in the winter will escape quite easily.  Gaps will also allow critters such as spiders easy access to the interior of your home.  To me the most important reason is because if you don't close up the gaps - it just looks ugly!  Once you have applied caulk and painted, no one will ever be able to tell - promise!
6. Once you have opened your space and trimmed up the sheetrock, wipe the area clean and paint.  I like to use the same wall color for the back board and studs and then paint only the trim white.  It gives it a lot of depth.  However, if you paint the entire area white will make it pop!
7. While the paint is drying, begin to cut your shelves.  I used regular MDF (medium density fiberboard) for my shelves. NOTE: MDF should never be cut indoors!  Also, when knocking in the wall always turn off the HVAC until you have gotten rid of all the dust or it can and will clog up your filter.  I like to use MDF because it's cheap and since I'm not going to be putting anything heavy on the shelves, it will hold up really well.  If you are going to have 3 shelves you will still need to cut 5 pieces.  3 for the shelves, 1 for the top of the area and one for the bottom to close up the gap.  I then used plain, cheap quarter round (or toe kick) to make my shelf supports.
8. When you go to the lumber store to get your lumber, don't be afraid to take your measurements with you and get them to do all your cuts for you.  Each store varies but most will give you a couple of free cuts when you buy the lumber and will charge you a nominal fee for any additional cuts that you want.  I had my MDF cut for the shelves but cut my own quarter round and trim.
9. While you are there, pick up your trim.  I used a plain corner trim for the sides of the opening and also for the front of the shelves.  As the name suggests, corner trim is typically used on corners.    I then picked up trim that matched the existing trim in the hallway to put at the top and bottom of my unit.  Tip.  Before you go to the lumber store, take a photo of the existing trim and take that with you when you shop for the trim for your shelving project.  You may think you remember what your baseboard trim looks like, but once you are confronted with 50+ just every so slightly different trims....you can get a bit confused.   Another tip.  You can purchase trim that is already primed.  This cuts down on the painting part of this project and normally it only costs a few pennies more than the plain wood.
10. Once you have everything cut and ready, use brad nails to attach the quarter round inside your unit to act as a support for your shelves.  Make sure the flat part is facing up so you can sit your shelves on top and that each side is exactly the same distance otherwise your shelf will tilt.  Also, make sure the piece you have cut is wide enough to give amble support to your shelves but short enough that it doesn't interfere when you are trying to put your front trim on.
11. The first shelves to install should be the top and bottom that will serve as the interior top and bottom of your unit.  Attach supports just below the sheetrock on the bottom and then set the shelf on top.  For the top part put the supports as close to the opening as possible allowing just enough room to put your shelf in.  Then continue to the rest of the shelves.
12. Don't worry about nailing the shelves onto the supports.  If you have cut your shelves to fit snugly into the opening, they will sit there without wobbling.  Also, should you decide to place something tall in your unit later, you can always take a shelf out if it's not nailed into the support.
13. Once you are satisfied with the placement of your supports and the shelves, it's time to do the trim.  The corner trim is awesome on this project because it covers the edges of the sheetrock where you have trimmed it and it gives it a wonderful finished look. After the corner trim is applied to the sides of your opening, attach the top and bottom trim.
14. Now that the unit has been completely assembled, it's time to grab the caulking gun.  Look for any spaces between the shelves and the back wall or studs, gaps between the trim and the wall, etc.  Give each space a good bead of caulk and then smooth it flat.  Allow 24 hours for the caulk to completely dry.  Then paint and enjoy the fruits of your labor!

This is one of the easiest and most rewarding projects that I have ever done.  It really gives an air of custom built-ins to any room and makes any wall look finished.   While this is a messy chore, it's not at all difficult and costs next to nothing.  Little bit of wood and a little bit of paint.

Trash to Treasure!

Sometimes I look around my house and think "I need new furniture".  But do I really?  My furniture isn't in bad shape - not in perfect shape - but not in "needs to go to the curb" shape.  But it is old and I am tired of it.  What to do?  Should I take out a second mortgage to buy new furniture or redo what I have?  

Let's see what I can do with what is already in my house.

The quickest, cheapest and easiest thing to do is paint.  The greatest thing about paint is the fact that if you finish and you don't like it......paint it again.  It's unbelievable how a quart of paint can completely transform a "take to the curb" table, chest of drawers, headboard into a loved keepsake!  There are 4 steps to painting a piece of furniture.....4....that's it.  Clean, sand, wipe and paint.  That's all there is to it.

Three things to remember:  

(1) When painting over something that has been varnished or stained, you have to give it a good sanding first or your paint will simply fall off.  Also, it's a good idea to lightly sand anything that has been painted before as well.  Just to make sure the new paint sticks to the old paint. You don't have to sand it down to the original wood.  Just rough it up enough for the new paint to stick well. 

(2) Always clean it well before you sand to remove any oils, grease or other material that will interfere with your paint adherence and always - always -  wipe the piece off after you've sanded it or all that mess will cause your finished product to be gritty and dull.....and 

(3) don't let all these online tutorials and DIY TV shows discourage you.  It's not necessary to do a lot of steps when painting furniture.....just clean, sand, wipe and paint.  

Below are some examples of "take to the curb" furniture that was revived and renewed simply by a coat of paint.

Two of the above pictures are dining room chairs.  These are about the easiest things in the world to totally transform.  You have to clean, sand, wipe and paint but you will also need to reupholster the seats.  

To do that, you will need some fabric that you think is pretty and a stapler.  You don't have to use a staple gun - I use my old metal office stapler most of the time because it's more lightweight and the end results are just as good.  The staples don't have to go deeply into the seat.  Just enough to keep it on there.  Don't have any fabric?  I'm sure you have some either hanging in your closet or in your linen closet....think outside the box.  Maybe you have a pair of draperies that you were thinking about replacing anyway?  Use them.  A sheet, pillow cases, even old sweaters.  The seats don't all have to match.  Actually I think it would be fun to have the chairs all painted the same color but with different fabrics on the cushions.

All you have to do is remove the cushion, fold your fabric around it making sure to keep it tight and then staple it to the underside.  Trim off any excess and then put it back on the chair.  Done.

I love the transformation of the chest.  Simply by painting, replacing the hardware and removing the drawers (and replacing them with baskets) this chest is ready for another 20 years!

Sofa's and upholstered chairs are the hardest to recover for me.  I'm not a seamstress so I opt for the simple treatments.  That involves ties and staples.  Anything beyond that is out of my skill set.

These pictures below show simple redo's.  With the sofa, I like to buy painter's cloth drop cloths.  They wash well, wear well and are a neutral color that you can dye to suit your moods.  I simply lay them over the sofa and tuck them into the crevices of the sofa as tightly as possible.  A helpful hint is to use a broomstick or a wooden (or metal) curtain rod to hold them into the crevices of your sofa.  To do that you just push your fabric into the crevices and then push the broomstick on top of that.  It will help tremendously.

The chair was a bit more challenging only because it required me to make a few cuts and do a lot of stapling.  Make sure to staple onto the frame of the chair.  If you miss the wood, it won't stay put.

Now you can get an entire house full of "new" furniture without having to break the bank!!  

As always, enjoy your space!