This weekend’s project was a reclaimed lumber decorative bench, made from 2 x 6’s that were previously serving as a garden bed in our backyard. After 2 years of harsh weathering, I decided it was time to retire the decaying lumber. Since our front porch is always bare throughout the year, I thought adding this bench would bring some life and balance to the otherwise empty porch.
And so begins one project that has been on my “to-do” list for the last 3 years; our kitchen renovation. The first thing is trying to update the cabinetry and give our kitchen an old country/farmhouse feel. The double bay stainless steel sink is staying (the old faucet is not) and our appliances (with the exception of our broken microwave) will remain in place in this first part of the renovation.
Where do we start? Well, let’s start from the top down – Crown molding replaced the dust collecting trim that was there before, making the cabinets appear much taller. All of the trim and cabinet joints were sealed with general purpose caulk, to provide a seamless appearance. A fresh coat of Olive Green paint was applied to the upper cabinet carcasses, and a gentle rub-down with Minwax “Early American” stain was added to create a nice patina. All the upper cabinet doors have been rebuilt, painted, stained, and sealed. Once the dust settled, a single layer of Minwax poly was added for durability – this will be followed-up with an additional coat of matte-finish poly for a nice hardened shell. Continue reading
Outdoor gardens can provide an awesome yield of fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs. Gardening can relieve stress and establish a sense of accomplishment. What better way to kick of the growing season by building an outdoor herb garden.
Our herb garden will be constructed out of all recycle palletwoods- be sure to check to make sure your pallets are heat treated and not treated with potentially hazardous chemicals. Seen here, HT signifies Heat Treated:
Summer is here, bring on the cookouts, and fresh brews! Don’t be caught with that faded old cooler, lugging it around weighed down with ice and drinks- tote it in style! We’ve built this super easy cooler caddy that is easy to move around, and has a little bit of style.
This week’s project involves the installation of some much needed storage space in our laundry room. Since the one and only shelf in the laundry room had seen better days, it was a no-brainer to replace it with some decent overhead storage. Much like the pie safe, these cabinets were constructed from the scrap 1×8 lumber taking residence in my basement left over from our living room renovation.
I have many hobbies, perhaps too many, and when some of those hobbies are hidden away, I often forget them and neglect a skill set I worked hard on achieving. One of those things is playing the guitar. Now, I’ll admit, I’m not really the best musician, but I do like to play around with my guitars. Typically my instruments are tucked away in their cases, buried in the back of the closet. So, in this week’s build I decided to showcase my guitars and make some wall mounts for my instruments.
Since this is my first post here, I might as well start off with a little project I just completed – a pie-safe. Popular in the 1700 through 1800’s pie-safes were designed to keep perishable items safe from insects and vermin. The pie-safe I have built is purely for looks; what you design and build your’s for is totally up to you. Click below, to read more and for a complete set of build instructions!
Pennsylvania-Made 
