DIY Blog - A Dabbled Dwelling

How To Finish DIY Arches by Using Flexible Trim

May 31, 2024 by kelsey.mackall

I recently tore out my wet bar because it never got used. My objective was that I would get more use out of that space being a wide hallway and butler pantry/wine bar area. I included cabinets, a wine fridge, and a wine rack, but one other thing I really wanted was arches. After we tore out the wet bar we built in DIY arches. That was easy compared to doing the finishing work on them.

Trial and Error to Finish the DIY Arches

On one side of the butler pantry/wine bar the arch will be finished with drywall. That is easy peasy. On the other side our living room has paneling that I would like to preserve. In order to do that I needed to do my best to match the trim on that arch to the paneling. At first I tried PVC trim, I figured that if I heated it up, I could get it to bend.

Woman heats PVC trim in an attempt to bend it

I was so wrong! Nothing I tried worked to get the PVC trim to bend the right way to finish off my arch without breaking. Relief cuts weren’t an option, and it would have been A LOT of relief cuts. After a lot of trial and error, and maybe a little swearing, I gave up on the PVC trim. I had heard about flexible trim, but hadn’t tried using it yet. Amazon to the rescue. I hopped on and ordered some flexible trim hoping to put this ordeal behind me.

Woman is frustrated with broken PVC trim

Finally the flexible trim came, but… they sent the wrong kind. At this point I wanted to bang my head on the wall. I informed Amazon and they shipped out the correct one, but I still had to wait for it. While I was waiting I used my time to match the other trim that I couldn’t use flexible trim for. Once the flexible trim came I was so ready to get going. It’s super easy to install, I just used my nail gun. I filled in gaps and cracks with caulk. After everything was all buttoned up I painted the arch to match the surrounding paneling.

Woman nails trim on a diy arch to match the paneling

DIY Arches Success!

This was a heck of a learning curve. Honestly, with all of the time I wasted trying the PVC I should have just started out with the flexible trim. It turned out so well, and I am very happy with the look of the arch in the paneling. I love a challenge and learning new things and this was a good way to do it.

Woman shows off a finished arch with an orange cat in the bottom corner

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.