A Dabbled Dwelling

Dabble your way to a dream home

Best Litter Box Solution For a Gentlecat

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Awhile back I created a secret little room for my cat, Calvin. By repurposing the closet under our stairs “The Great Catsby”, a kitty speakeasy, was born. It has its own kitty door entrance, a kitty bar, and most importantly, his litter box. I have truly found the best litter box solution because the subscription system we have is so convenient, making the common cat ownership complaint non existent!

*This post is sponsored by Kitty Poo Club*

Mustachioed wall and sign saying The Great Catsby

The Speakeasy

When we bought our house it had kitty doors all over to connect rooms. One of the kitty doors led into the closet under the stairs. I realized it was a perfect opportunity to create a special hidey hole for Calvin. First, I painted the room Goodnight Moon by Clare Paint and added gold mustaches and bow tie vinyl decals, made on my Cricut, to create the cutest “wallpaper”. I even matched my hook for the litter scoop to the gold decals with spray paint! Then I added a bar and barstools because no secret club is complete without a “bar”. LED lights really brought the whole thing together and I also installed a motion activated light for his comfort and convenience. Now Calvin has the swankiest little kitty retreat ever.

Hand putting bowtie on wall with mustaches and bowties
Wall with tiny bar and barstools
Litter box scoop hanging on gold hook
Motion activated lightbulb

Upgrades to the Speakeasy

When I created the speakeasy I left the original parquet wood floors in it. Recently I felt that the wood floors were a little boring and I wanted to jazz up Calvin’s space. What goes better in a secret gentlecat’s club than harlequin floors? I bought these adorable vinyl marble-look tiles in black and white and laid them in a harlequin pattern. It added just the right amount of flair to the speakeasy and as a bonus the vinyl tiles will help protect the original wood floors.

woman lays black and white tiles in a checkerboard design

The Easiest Litter Box Ever

The main reason people don’t like cats is because they don’t like the litter box. I have to admit that the litter box is really a non-issue for me and Calvin. I discovered Kitty Poo Club a few years ago so I can speak for it as a genuine customer.

Kitty Poo Club is so unique. Once a month (or sooner if you choose) they send a recyclable box and high quality litter to go in it. They offer several different kinds of litter: Corn and Wheat, Clay, Organic Soy, Silica, and Fine-Grain Silica. With all of those choices there will be something that even the pickiest of cats will like. It is all designed to be odor-free for thirty days and since they ship it automatically, I don’t even have to think about it. The box is adorable with a neutral basketweave print to complement any room… or speakeasy (hehe!)

I love that Kitty Poo Club has truly considered the most common complaint of cat ownership and have taken out all of the extra work of litter boxes. The Basic Bundle includes any litter type with a disposable litter box, the Purrfect Bundle includes the same as the Basic Bundle with added litter box dome and litter scoop, the Super Bundle includes all of the Purrfect Bundle with the addition of an extra large black litter mat. As if their litter boxes weren’t enough, their website kittypooclub.com is really a one stop shop for all cat related needs. In addition to their litter boxes that are auto-shipped once a month, they offer food, toys, treats, and so much more!

Woman and cat look out a door at a box
Woman holds disposable litter box
woman holds orange cat
Woman snuggles orange cat

Seriously, the Best Litter Box Out There

If the litter box is holding you back from loving a kitty, worry no more. The code CAT30 will get you 30% off of your first auto-ship order of litter and litter box at kittypooclub.com. With Kitty Poo Club, I simply set up the box once a month and scoop it once a day. They really reinvented and simplified the litter box! No complicated robot, no litter changes, no mess, no smells, just enjoying your pet! The auto-ship takes care of the mental load, and makes it so effortless. I don’t have to remember to buy litter or keep track of how long it’s been. When the new box arrives, I know it’s time to replace! I love my cat and this is the perfect way to love absolutely everything about him, even his litter box.

Orange cat in kitty speakeasy

DIY Murphy Door Bookcase

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Why are hallways so boring? The upstairs hall leading to my kids’ rooms is so long and kinda dreary. The walls are currently empty and there is a door to a linen closet that we never use at the end of the hall. I was determined to spruce it up a little and have some fun at the same time. I decided to DIY a Murphy Door bookcase to liven up the hall.

Door at the end of a hallway
Woman looking into a small linen closet

What is a Murphy Door?

A Murphy Door is a door masquerading as a bookcase, a painting, or something similar. When it is a bookcase it is recessed into the wall which requires the door to swing open using a 360 degree hinge. One side of the bookcase will swing backward into the doorway when the door is opened. I found this hinge on Amazon and it came with everything I needed for a working 360 degree hinge.

First Things First

What comes first? Always demo. I started with taking off the door and then removing the doorframe. To remove moulding like doorframes and baseboards, it’s so much easier to have a utility knife and a prybar. First I use the utility knife to cut the caulk between the wall and the moulding. After that’s done, wedge the prybar in between the moulding and the wall and work it along the moulding in small sections. It should easily pull the moulding off.

Woman uses hammer and prybar to remove door trim
Woman uses hammer and prybar to remove door trim

Building the Bookcase

I know they sell kits at the big hardware stores, but I wanted to build the bookcase myself. It seemed really simple to build and as a bonus would save me a lot of $$$ over buying a kit. After measuring the doorway without the frame I built the bookcase to have about an inch of clearance on the sides. Bookcase depth determines the amount of clearance needed between the door frame and the bookcase. In the workshop I built the bookcase out of plywood, added shelves, and built simple drawer boxes and fronts. I added the fluted panels to the front of the drawers to give the whole piece a little texture.

Woman builds bookcase
Woman builds bookcase
Drawer fronts

Mounting the Murphy Door

Remember the hinge I bought on Amazon? It’s a 360 degree hinge. Instead of attaching on the side of the door, it attaches to the top and bottom of the door as well as the floor and the top of the doorframe. For the pieces that would attach to the bookcase I had to create a space for them to fit into. I used a hammer and chisel to make a spot for the hinge piece to sit in. Then I attached the pieces to the floor and top of the doorframe and also to the bookcase using the hardware included with the hinge. I am so happy that it fits and swings open and closed with ease!

Hinge instructions
Hinge piece with bookcase
Hinge piece with bookcase
Hinge piece on floor
Hinge piece on floor
Hinge at top of murphy door
Woman looks at murphy door bookcase in doorway

Now What?

The bookcase is mounted in and functions as a door, but there are huge gaps on either side and at the top, how do I cover those up? The simple answer is trim. I used flat trim to create a frame for the bookcase and it overlays those gaps nicely. Once the trim was on, I prepped the whole thing for paint using caulk and wood filler. I made sure to sink the finishing nails using a nail setter and a hammer then filled the nail holes with wood filler. Then I sanded and wiped the door down so I could caulk seams and corners to really give the murphy door a finished look.

Woman puts trim on murphy door bookcase
Woman puts trim on murphy door bookcase
Murphy door bookcase
Excited woman in front of murphy door bookcase

Ready to Paint

I seem to tend toward blues and greens in my home and I spent a long time trying to decide what color I wanted to paint the murphy door. Finally, I chose a color and prepped the area for paint. I wanted a pop of color because that hallway feels so dreary. I picked Benjamin Moore’s New London Burgundy for the murphy door. This color is well outside of my usual palette, but I love the moody vibe it gives. I used my new Wagner FLEXiO 3550 paint sprayer, and I love how this paint went on so smoothly and hid the seams so well.

Excited woman in front of murphy door bookcase
Woman begins painting murphy door bookcase
Painted murphy door bookcase

Styling the Murphy Door

Part of the reason I wanted a murphy door bookcase at the end of the hall, was to have a chance for some cute decor. I found the coolest “books” on Amazon, they’re just boxes with book covers, so they’re light and were a lot less pricey than thrifting cute books. There were cute vases, like this one, and some eucalyptus leaves to add some coordinating color. I also really love these rattan boxes that I found. It all came together so well, but I know what you’re thinking. It’s a bookcase, but it’s also a door. Won’t everything slide around when you open and close the door? That’s where this museum putty comes in. Just stick some to the bottom of your decor and it won’t move! It’s also reusable so one pack will last forever.

Styled murphy door bookcase

Best Bookcase Ever

I am so happy about how this project turned out. It was so much fun to learn as I went along on it and I loved the challenge of building this murphy door from scratch. The bookcase is so unique and adds a fun element to an otherwise boring hallway. I almost want to see where else I can add such a unique and fun element in my house!

Versatile Big Wall Décor for Any Room

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I was so happy to give my daughter her dream bedroom. We were excited to choose the décor and really make the room her own. A lot of our style choices will grow with her, but some things needed to be chosen for the kid she is right now. As any parent can confirm, kids grow up and their tastes change. Finding large wall décor that would be easy to transition as she grows was important to me.

* This post is sponsored by BIG Wall Décor *

BIG Wall Décor

We had one large wall in her room that needed a BIG piece of art. How do we know what size would work best for the space? As a general rule of thumb, you want your artwork to take up at least 55% of the width of your wall. If you’ve decorated a room before, you know that wall décor big enough to be the focal point of one wall can be expensive. I am so glad that I found BIG Wall Décor, they have so many options for wall art, and they offer so many different sizes!

A woman admires a blue and yellow painting in a pink room

Super Versatile

Their approach to artwork is so unique. They have found a way to make it easy to switch out your wall art without costing a ton or taking up a bunch of space. The frame that the artwork is mounted on is sleek and beautiful and also specially designed so that the art can be changed at a moments notice. I received two fabric prints for the bunk room and you will not even believe how easy it is to switch one for the other to give the room a different vibe.

A woman removes a large piece of art from the wall.

So Easy to Change

These frames are lightweight. They are super easy to move and change out your artwork. All you have to do is take the print off of the frame and stretch the new print over it. Then tuck the silicone edge into the metal infinity frame. It really is that simple. Also, instead of storing bulky canvases, you’re just storing the fabric prints. Overall, it takes up so much less space.

A woman removes a fabric print from a frame.
A woman removes a fabric print from a frame.
A woman is holding two fabric prints, the frame is on the bed.
A woman places a new fabric print into the frame.
A hand tucks the edge of the fabric print into the infinity frame.
A hand is showing the silicone stitched to the underside of a fabric print.

Simple and Well Designed

BIG Wall Décor thought of everything. Not only is it lightweight but there are other features that make this art ideal for kid rooms and family spaces. The fabric prints are durable and the material they are on is resistant to scratches and tears. Did I also mention that they are washable? Because they are! They can be spot cleaned, or if more is needed they can be thrown in the washing machine on delicate. The frames come with everything you need to hang it up. It’s as easy as assembling the frame and putting it on the wall. No last minute trips to the hardware store. Look at how nicely this frame hangs against the wall too!

A woman rehangs a large piece of art.

Versatile Décor Made Simple

I love the way this art looks on the wall and I’m so glad it’s easy to swap the prints. Right after I changed the pictures, my daughter informed me that she likes the first print better. BIG Wall Décor has changed the game when it comes to wall art choices. It’s family friendly, super simple, and much more affordable when looking for large pieces.

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