kelsey.mackall, Author at A Dabbled Dwelling

Upgrade Your Laundry Game With a DIY Laundry Tower

July 30, 2024 by kelsey.mackall

I got lucky in my older home and was blessed with a larger laundry room. Since the house was built in the 1970s it needs a lot of updating. There are several projects in the laundry room like a pocket door, a laundry sink, and a laundry tower. With three kids, I have a lot of laundry! It’s difficult to keep all of the laundry baskets straight. I want a solution that makes it easier for me to keep everyone’s laundry sorted.

No Demo Needed for This Project

The laundry room is a blank slate! It’s kind of refreshing to not have to contend with soffits and outdated tile installs. I was able to jump right in to this project. It is so exciting to build this laundry tower and get my laundry under control. There is a wide open space right next to the water heater and I wanted to build the tower there. This was a good opportunity to enclose the water heater at the same time and alleviate that eyesore. Using 2x4s I started by building the frame for a wall. It will be a division between the water heater and the laundry tower. It is basically a rectangle with an additional 2×4 running horizontally for added stability.

Woman in a pink top wrestles a wall frame into place next to a water heater

I secured two strips of wood into the studs. The placement of my wall was not going to be on a stud. The strips of wood allowed me the same reliability of attaching to the studs. It also let me be flexible with my placement. Once that was in, I used pocket screws to attach sheets of 1/2 plywood to the wall frame that I built. I also used pocket screws to attach another sheet of 1/2 plywood to the side of the cabinet. The cabinet marks the other side of the laundry tower. Another sheet of 1/2 plywood was attached to the strips I secured to the wall earlier. This gives the back of the laundry tower a cleaner look.

Woman secures plywood to sides of a laundry tower

Woman secures plywood to the back of a laundry tower

Finishing Out My DIY Laundry Tower

I used 1x2s screwed into the sides as supports for the shelves. 1/2 plywood was cut to the appropriate size and secured to the tops of the 1×2 supports. I used additional 1x2s to trim out the fronts of the shelves and crown moulding to finish the top at the ceiling. The 1x2s were attached using finishing nails and they really give the front a finished look.

Woman in white top shows off DIY laundry tower

Crown moulding can be kind of tricky and you really need to have a miter saw to do it right. For the outside corners the pieces need to be cut to length at a 45 degree angle. The pieces then need to be cut at a 45 degree angle front to back so the two pieces will sit flush with each other. Inside corners are the same but with the cuts in the opposite direction. Attach the bottom of the crown moulding using finishing nails, a nail gun makes the process really easy. The surface at the bottom is wood so the nails should be pretty secure. To make sure your top nails at the ceiling are secure use two nails next to each other at opposing angles.

Once I have everything trimmed out I use caulk to really finish it off. I run a bead of caulk along all of the seams and joints to give it a smooth look. A wet finger is then run along the bead of caulk to removes any excess and even it out. The caulk makes everything look so finished and built in. Always caulk and then paint. Once the caulk was dry I painted using a gorgeous blue color that complimented the color in the wallpaper I chose for the walls. It was color matched to the cabinets I chose from RTA cabinet store.

The DIY Laundry Tower Keeps Everything Organized

I love the finished laundry tower. There is a shelf for everyone and the shelves have space for a laundry basket. Each laundry basket has someone’s name on it and then “clean” on one side and “dirty” on the other. This system makes it so much easier for me to keep track of where I am in the laundry process. And it simplifies sorting the laundry out for everyone in the family. I can 100% recommend a laundry tower as it was a game changer for me.

Check Out This New Tile System That Gets Installed With Glue

June 29, 2024 by kelsey.mackall

I have done so many projects in this house, but I’m so excited to finally be renovating my primary bathroom. Other projects have taken priority because this bathroom was a full gut job. I needed to make sure I was ready to be without my bathroom for weeks. When I planned out the shower, I discovered a new tile system. These tiles are so cool and so easy to install.

Cool New Tile System That Installs with Glue

I started the bathroom renovation with demo. The whole bathroom was taken down to the studs and good riddance to the outdated tile in the shower. Once the shower was taken down to the studs I finished the walls in the shower with cement board. The cement board gets taped and mudded just like drywall and then painted with Red Guard to keep the walls waterproof. After the Red Guard was dry I could start tiling. Usually tile needs mortar to adhere to the wall and grout to fill the gaps. This new tile by Palisade is so cool. It’s made of PVC and is installed using glue! The Palisade tile is waterproof and mold and mildew resistant.

It is super easy to install. Just put glue on the back and a bead of silicone along the edges. Then fit it into the tongue and groove of the surrounding tiles. Rinse and repeat. The silicone bead along the edges seals the seams and keeps them waterproof. You can even score and snap the tiles to size, but I preferred to use my jigsaw. The tile goes up so quickly and so easily. They even make inserts for niches in the walls. Those install the same way, glue and silicone.

Woman is excited to show off new Palisade PVC tile

This Tile is Amazing

I am so in love with this tile. It went up so easily and so quickly. The look is so timeless and classic. I’m excited to update this bathroom and Palisade made tiling the shower super easy and fast. In addition to going up easily there was no waiting for mortar to dry before being able to finish the shower. I love the way it looks, it is so fresh and clean. Follow along to see how my bathroom turns out!

Finished tile. Shower has tile that is white with gray accents, and a big picture window with gold fixtures

I Easily Added a DIY Arch to My Bathroom

June 29, 2024 by kelsey.mackall

I am finally remodeling my primary bathroom! This is a super exciting project because I have just been waiting for the chance to do it. I had very big plans for this space including new vanities, classic decor choices, a window to bring some natural light, and best of all, an arched doorway for my shower. Arches can be such a classy and easy element to make any space feel so glam.

A DIY Arch is Easier Than it Seems

I started with demo of the shower and the rest of the bathroom. I took that shower down to the studs. Then I added new framing in the doorway. The framing was built out from the wall a little to provide some shape for the arch. Once the door was framed I searched for the perfect window to add to the shower. Imagine my surprise when I found the perfect window on Facebook Marketplace! My husband and I installed the window and it is so nice having some natural light in the bathroom.

Woman shows off new window by sitting on the sill

I moved on to starting the arch. Using my jigsaw I cut an arch out of particle board and attached it to the framing that I had already installed. This arch was used for the front of the doorway, I added some blocking to it for stability using cut 2x4s. The other side of the doorway was created with an arch I cut out of cement board since it was inside the shower. That was attached to the framing and blocking.

Woman measure cement board for an arch in a shower

Woman installs cement board inside shower

With the skeleton of the arch up I needed to finish it with drywall on the parts that didn’t get cements board. For the front I just cut an arch out of drywall. Then I screwed that into the blocking and 2x4s, then taped and mudded it. On the inside of the arch I used drywall. I added relief cuts to the drywall for the top so that it would bend with the curve of the arch. The cement board and inside of the arch was painted with Red Guard to help make it waterproof. After the Red Guard the inside was plastered using drywall mud.

Not Quite Done, But I’m in Love

I’m still mid renovation on the bathroom, so the shower isn’t quite done. This arch was so easy to create, I love the look it gives the shower and the timeless feel of it. I can’t wait to get the bathroom finished and add a gorgeous glass door to my shower. Follow along to see how the bathroom turns out!