home improvements – Pretty on Fridays

How To Turn A Dresser Into A Beautiful Built In

One of my most recent projects was the kid’s room, and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. It all started with an old dresser I was thinking of selling but then had a vision, then had tunnel vision, and then there was no turning back. It took some time, but was easier than I thought. And while this may not be the best way to do it, it was the easiest and cheapest option I could find. When I wanted to do this, I had no idea how, and I thought I’d share the steps I took for those of you looking to do something similar.

First, let me show you the space. This is my kids room the day we moved in below.

And this is the dresser that was literally an inch too wide to fit in between the closets. **Que a huge buzz kill**

First thing I did, was have someone come and saw off the sides. And it was in!

Next I wanted to remove all the “feet” on the bottom of the dresser for a more cohesive look so that it was flat on the ground, and also because the dresser was too high for the window. Luckily that part was easy because they screwed right off. The other issue was, there was a gap in between the dresser and the window–so I went to home depot, bought a piece of plywood, and we nailed it on the top and you can see below.

The next thing was, I HATED how there was a gap in between the dresser and the closet. There were a few options here, but we ended up getting insulating foam sealant and pre-mixed joint compound to fill the gaps. I will say it took two separate days because it would shrink after drying.

And there it is, filled up. It then took some very careful sanding to smooth it out. I will say, it’s not perfect by any stretch, but I was happy with the outcome and couldn’t wait to paint and swap out the hardware!

I was so excited when the Rejuvenation hardware came in, I tried it on even before I painted. Just look at the difference in the closet handles! This is actually a drawer pull–it’s the 12-inch Elroy Drawer Pull and it was worth every penny.

And for the dresser, I bought the Dish Cabinet Knob with round plate. The work on all the Rejuvenation hardware is absolutely beautiful. I then painted everything using Greige Trim Paint from Clare Paint and I was done!

I am so in love!

I could not be happier, and this completely transformed the room. And if you’d like to know how I color blocked this wall, check out my easy DIY here. Let me know if you’ve done something similar, or plan to do something similar–I’d love to see! And please, sign up for my email updates below. I promise I won’t spam you. We can be best buds.

Love,

Deema

Faux DIY Backsplash Using Paint And A Dish Sponge

I wanted to share a fun, cheap, and easy DIY I did this weekend that made such a dramatic transformation to my master bathroom. The real star of the show was the faux backsplash I did with a sponge, however, let me walk you through the entire bathroom refresh…

This is my master bathroom, it’s not awful, in fact, the previous owner had remodeled it. However, I always felt like the paint was “blah” and so was the entire bathroom. I really wanted to add some life to it.

Because we’re all stuck at home during this quarantine, I used what I had in the house. I grabbed some leftover Greige Clare Paint that I had used in the kids room, and painted all the cabinets. I then took this dull silver hardware, and spray painted it black. (excuse the awful pics!)

Now for the fun part…I’ve always wanted a backsplash in here, but installing tile or stone is not on my list of current talents—I can imagine many of you are in the same boat. So what did I do? I grabbed a sponge, some leftover Seize The Gray Clare Paint, and I got to work.

Here’s what the sponge looked like (pretty much your standard dish sponge):

You can see the full video tutorial on my Instagram here, however below is the quick step by step guide + some tips:

Pour paint out in a dish large enough to fit a sponge
Dip the sponge in paint and wipe off excess paint (You can also get a sheet of paper to dip the sponge in once before the wall to get excess paint off that way)
Dip the sponge on the wall (multiple times before reapplying paint)–the imperfections will look great when some squares are faded and others aren’t
Repeat–Pick the spacing you want between each “stone.” (but alternate like actual brick or tile would look, don’t stack them..see below)

I’m awful at taking step by step pictures, and if you follow me on Instagram I have a video that will be much more helpful. However, below are some helpful tips–this really was as simple as it seems!

Tips:

Don’t use too much paint, always wipe off the excess before putting it on the wall.
Have a Q-tip and a wet paper towel ready in case anything drips
I cut a sponge in half for the ends of the wall, but I didn’t end up using it. Instead I would eyeball the size by bending the sponge–it may make more sense if you see my video on Instagram here.
I didn’t measure, I eyeballed everything. I LOVE the imperfections and feel like it gives it a more vintage weathered vibe.
Lastly, and this may be more personal taste, but I prefer using lighter paint colors when doing this. I’ve tried this method a few other ways, and have found that darker paint colors don’t look as nice–darker colors also highlight mistakes much more than lighter colors.

So what do you think? Not too shabby for a cheap alternative to a real backsplash right? I hope you try it too! And send me a DM on Instagram and show me what it looks like! If you’re interested in another way I’ve used a sponge technique, check out my DIY Sponge Paint Wall. And please, sign up for my email updates below. I promise I won’t spam you. We can be best buds.

Love,

Deema