kelsey.mackall, Author at A Dabbled Dwelling

Improve the Look of Your Room by Installing Easy Craftsman Trim

April 29, 2024 by kelsey.mackall

I’m a sucker for clean lines and a simple look. The trim on my doors is outdated and desperately needs an update. I was in the process of refreshing my master bedroom and this project was a no brainer. The orange toned floors are being replaced with the same flooring used in the rest of the house. It gives the whole house a seamless look. I also added dimension to the flat doors, painted the whole thing, and replaced the lighting and decor. It’s just what I wanted and the updated door trim brings the whole look up a notch.

Easy to Install Craftsman Trim

I started out by cutting the caulk on the old trim and then wedging a pry bar in between the trim and the wall. It was super easy to remove the trim and give myself a clean slate to start with. For the trim I like to use pre-primed pine. I use 1x4s on the sides and a 1×5 on top with a 1×2 laid on top for a little more dimension. Measure the height of the door and cut the 1x4s the same. For the top I measured the width of the door and made sure to add the 1x4s to that number before cutting the 1×5. I cut 1×2 the same length as the 1×5.

Then I use my nail gun to attach the trim, taking care to ensure it is level. I attached the 1x4s vertically on the sides and the 1×5 across the top. The 1×2 gets laid on top of the 1×5 and also is attached with nails. Now that everything is attached I use caulk on the seams between the wall and the trim and also between the pieces of trim. Wood filler is great to use to fill the nail holes because it can be sanded smooth for paint. I used a contrasting creamy color, White Mocha by Behr, to paint the trim and complete the look.

And Done!

It was so easy to change this door trim out! I’m so glad I changed it because it really elevated the whole look of my master bedroom. It has nice clean lines and looks less dated than the previous trim. For around $100 in wood I was able to change the whole appearance of the doors in my room. I would recommend this to anyone looking to change things up a little bit!

Make Your Doors Look Brand New In Less Than a Day

April 28, 2024 by kelsey.mackall

There are so many parts of my house that are just, well, boring. I am desperate to do away with as many of the boring things as I can! Last year I updated the doors in my upstairs hallway and that changed the look and feel of that space so much. My master bedroom recently got new floors, and I just couldn’t help myself. I absolutely had to update the doors.

I Put In a Little Work to Have Brand New Doors

I had the best idea to update my doors. To carry out my plans I started by ripping down a sheet of 1/5 plywood underlayment into strips. I measured and cut them to fit my doors and then started to apply them. Once they were cut, I used liquid nails to glue them on, framing the outside edges of the doors, followed by the top and bottom. Then I added two horizontal strips to give even more dimension and character. After the glue I clamped the strips on to let it cure and added finishing nails to make it more secure. As always, I caulked the seams to give it a clean and finished look, then I painted them a contrasting creamy color, White Mocha by Behr.

Woman uses saw to cut wood sheet into strips

Stunning!

The change in these doors is jaw dropping. They look so different and so much more exciting. I can’t believe that such an easy project changed these doors so much. The master bedroom now has new floors and new doors. Soon I’ll update the baseboards too and then move on to an even bigger project!

Conquer Tiling With Easy to Use Peel and Stick Tiles!

April 26, 2024 by kelsey.mackall

Sometimes, a wall just needs a little something. I recently updated a half bathroom, and I created a butler pantry/wine bar area in my house. There were so many new design elements that I used in them. I added a slat wall and an asymmetrical mirror in the bathroom. The unused wet bar in my house was demolished to create a wide hall with arches, cabinets, and a wine rack. I loved adding fun elements to these spaces, but there was a wall in each space that was just a little boring.

Peel and Stick Tiles Are a Simple Solution

Paint is always an option for a fun accent wall, but I really wanted something different. I wanted these walls to stand out and have some texture. Enter: peel and stick tile. Amazon has a lot of options for these peel and stick tiles from Smart Tile. These tiles have real 3d texture and they even feel like real tile. I started in the bathroom with the wall behind the asymmetrical mirror. The bathroom was painted white and really needed some color. I chose gorgeous Moroccan style tiles in dark green.

It is so easy to install these tiles! I made sure to clean the wall so they would adhere well and then I just peeled the backing off and stuck the tiles to the wall. Taking care to be sure that they were level I continued on. When I got to a point where a full sheet of tile wasn’t necessary I used a box cutter and a straight edged paper cutter to cut them to the right size. Once the wall was tiled I caulked around the edges to give it a more finished look.

So Easy, I Did it Twice!

I repeated the same process on the wall in my wine bar area. For that wall I chose some contemporary Zellige tiles in an ivory color. I repeated the process with the peel and stick tiles. I was able to tile that wall in just a few hours! Less time and less mess makes for a super easy DIY project that honestly, anyone can do.

The results are beautiful and I’m really happy with them. Both walls have the texture I was looking for and the tiles made them amazing accent walls. There are so many options for these smart tiles and they are so affordable and easy to use. I love that this project is simple and has great results.