kelsey.mackall, Author at A Dabbled Dwelling

Update Floors Easily with Click and Lock LVP

May 31, 2024 by kelsey.mackall

Luxury. Vinyl. Plank. It’s all the rage and for good reason. There are so many reasons it’s awesome. LVP is more affordable, it’s easy to install, and it’s durable. You can update all of your floors easily with click and lock LVP. My primary bedroom still had the orange toned laminate from the old owners. It was finally time to update the floors to match the rest of the house.

Orange Floors No More!

I pulled up the old floors and got ready to lay the new ones. The new floors were ordered from DuraDecor in the color Bungalow Beige. I have installed these floors in the rest of my house and love them because they are SO EASY to install. Once the old floors were pulled up and the subfloor was cleaned up I got started installing. I began with the line from the hallway since the hallway already has new floors. These floors really are as easy as click and lock. I take the plank and click the tongue on one side into the groove on the other side of previous line, lay it flat, and use the mallet to get the plank locked into place. Then I continue step by step throughout the room.

Woman uses rubber mallet to click new flooring into place.

If I need to make a cut to resize the plank to fit a space, that is as easy as cut and snap. When I need to cut a plank I turn it around 180 degrees so the tongue and grooves are on opposite sides. This is because the groove that the tongue locks into is on one end of the plank. You have to rotate it to get the measurement correct on the end of the board that you need to use. Measure and use a straight line to cut. After you cut, snap the plank to get your correct length. With all of the cuts done and all of the planks locked into place the whole thing goes quickly.

Easy to Install Click and Lock LVP

LVP is so durable, it’s also warmer and a little easier on the feet and back than tile and wood. It is simple to install and is just as simple to maintain. My kids have spilled so many things on the LVP in our house and it all cleans right up. Even paint!

Woman shows off new floors in front of a bed.

How I Made A DIY Wine Rack for Elegant Storage

May 31, 2024 by kelsey.mackall

Recently I began a new project by tearing out the ancient wet bar in my 1970’s fixer upper. The wet bar was not functional for my family. We never used it so I took it out to create a butler pantry/wine bar area. I removed the half wall dividing the wet bar from the living room. This made the whole space a wide hall with a lot of storage including cabinets and a wine fridge. The space was really coming together but I needed a little extra storage.

Woman tears drywall out of space intended for a DIY wine rack

Enter DIY Wine Storage

This space had cabinets and a counter in it already and a counter top wine rack is the perfect addition. I cut out a space in the sheet rock to allow a little more depth in the wine rack. Then I utilized a sheet of standard half inch plywood to build the wine rack. I measured the height and depth of my space to determine the measurement of the sides and back of the wine rack. Once I figured out how wide I wanted it I cut the top and bottom to that length.

I decided that I wanted the shelves to slant for a more unique look. So I cut them a little bit longer. Use the Pythagorean theorem, A squared plus B squared equals C squared, to figure out the necessary length. Then I mitered the edges at 22.5 degrees. The side and top pieces were glued and then I secured them together using my nail gun. I fit the shelves in and glued then nail them into their positions also.

When the wine rack was built I fit it into the designated space on the countertop. Plywood always look unfinished on the edges but I was prepared for that. This edge banding is a wood veneer that just irons on. The best part is that it comes in several different wood finishes. For this project I chose the red oak finish to go with the shelves that I installed next to the wine rack. I ironed the edge banding on and then I was done!

Woman lifts DIY wine rack into place on counter top.

Woman irons wood banding onto raw plywood edges.

A Beautiful DIY Wine Rack

It’s done and it’s amazing. I love the way it looks and the amount of storage it offers. The whole space is turning out beautifully and the DIY wine rack really adds some charm. It is an elegant option for storing wine in my new wine bar/butler pantry.

How to Easily Paint Paned Windows

May 30, 2024 by kelsey.mackall

Sometimes older houses have outdated design elements and sometimes they have a lot of charm. My 1970’s house is no exception. I am doing away with the parts of the house that don’t fit my style or function, but trying to maintain the more charming design elements that I can. Most of the windows are new, but the door to the patio off the primary bedroom has a paned window in dire need of an update. Paned windows are windows that have a grid and this one is on the outside of the window. As you can imagine, that seems like a lot of work to paint. But no fear, masking liquid to the rescue!

It’s So Easy to Paint Paned Windows!

Masking liquid really makes painting paned windows super easy and really satisfying! One can of the masking liquid goes a long way and you can easily paint the windows in your house with it.. The first step is to just paint the glass of the window panes with the masking liquid. Take care to not get the masking liquid everywhere but it’s not big deal if a little bit of it gets on the grid lines.

Woman in blue shirt is painting masking liquid on windows

Let the masking liquid dry, and once it’s dry you can paint the frame and the grid lines without worrying about getting paint on the windows. For this door I wanted gold hardware to match the rest of the hardware in the room, but that stuff is pricey. I decided for the time being that I would spray paint the existing door hardware and cross my fingers. Once everything was spray painted I painted the door and grid lines with my preferred paint.

Simple as that. When finished painting use the utility knife the score the edges and peel it off. Enjoy the ASMR of cleanly peeling the masking liquid off the window. Breathe in the satisfaction, it’s amazing.

Woman uses utility knife to score masking liquid

Easiest Project Ever

The finished product looks so nice. I was able to maintain an older design element while updating it. This door matches the other doors and it was so simple to do. Masking liquid is one of my favorite DIY hacks, it’s perfect for painting those pesky windows. Click for more of my primary bedroom updates!