diy Archives - Page 3 of 8 - A Dabbled Dwelling

How to Upgrade Your Fireplace by Building a Stacked Mantle

November 30, 2024 by kelsey.mackall

A while ago I updated my living room and built a new mantle out of white oak. I loved it and the way it fit with the white oak built in shelves on either side of it. It worked well until about six months ago when I started my wine bar project. I ended up stealing the wood from the mantle to make shelves for my wine bar… That left me with an unfinished mantle and a naked fireplace.

Woman demos existing mantle above a fireplace

Building a Stacked Mantle

I redesigned the fireplace and decided on building a stacked mantle. It is a design that features multiple layers or “tiers” of materials. That gives it a dimensional, built-up appearance while adding depth creating a more dramatic focal point around the fireplace. The stacked mantle required a lot of pre primed pine. I started with pre primed 1x4s creating a frame around the existing fireplace. The ends were mitered to create clean corners and the boards were attached using construction adhesive, then finishing nails in the corners.

Woman adds boards around a fireplace while building a mantle.

Next I used construction adhesive to put 1x10s flat against the brick around the fireplace. After the 1x10s I placed more 1x4s around the 1x10s to frame the whole mantle. 1x3s were then placed around the fireplace and around the outer edge to create more dimension in the mantle. After all the boards were up, caulk and wood filler were used on the seams and any nail holes. I then painted the entire mantle, hearth, and chimney white.

Woman places board against brick to create a a mantle above the fireplace

Woman stands on chair and paints brick fireplace surround

Stacked Mantle Success!

While I miss the white oak on the mantle in that room, I am so excited with this finished mantle. It is a more neutral space and fits in better with my decor and the rest of the room. The whole project was super simple and came together beautifully. I finished the whole mantle rebuild project just in time to decorate for Christmas!

Taking the Bathroom from Gloomy to Glam: A Budget Breakdown

October 10, 2024 by kelsey.mackall

My primary bathroom was such a dungeon stuck in 2001. I couldn’t wait to take that bathroom from gloomy to glam. I lived with the dark uninviting space for 2.5 years while I planned, budgeted, and fantasized. After several projects in this house I was ecstatic when I finally had the chance to tear it all out. I took the whole bathroom down to the studs and partnered with several suppliers to create a glamorous, dreamy bathroom.

Rebuilding the Bathroom After Demo

My list of must-haves consisted of a spa like shower, a soaking tub (boy did I miss bubble baths!), gorgeous tile accents, and a stunning vanity. Doing the work myself saved me buckets of money and allowed me to get the high end fixtures and features that I wanted. Wait until you see the cost!!

Bathroom Budget Breakdown

I kept a running total of the expenses in this remodel and there may be some rough estimates in there but you get the idea! ceiling drywall was hired out because I loathe drywall and so was shower glass for obvious reasons. I deserved a teeeeny bit help after all.

Vanity: $3469
Tub: $1749
Faucets: $818
Tub Faucet: $729
Tile saw: $200
Mussel bound: $200
Backsplash: $800
Floor Tile: $175
Light fixtures: $300
Mirrors: $80
Pocket door: $250
Plumbing: $50
Ceiling Drywall (hired out): $400
Paint/Caulk/Mud: $200
Trim: $100
Arch Framing: $70
Cement board:$100
RedGard $50
Mortar: $25
Grout: $45
Adhesive: $100
Floor tile: $280
Caulk: $30
Wall tile: $560
Premade Niches: $200
Fixtures: $589
Window: $100
Pvc and Stone Trim: $175
Glass Door(hired out): $900

Total: $12,744

The vanity! That tub! My shower! This bathroom renovation is everything I dreamed of. It turned out absolutely gorgeous. Instead of inspiring doom and gloom, it inspires peace and comfort. It’s amazing how where you live can impact your mental health so much!

Add Outdoor Storage Easily By Building a Bike Shed

September 30, 2024 by kelsey.mackall

Does anyone else have outdoor toys that desperately need a home? Maybe it’s just me. Between the driveway and the house is an unofficial parking lot for all of the kids bikes and scooters. It looks like the place that toys come to die and it drives me crazy. I needed a way to corral all the toys in a way that went with the house.

Building a Bike Shed

We decided to build a bike shed that looks like it’s part of the house. The first step was to anchor a pressure treated 2×6 into the studs of the house using lag screws. Then we, I mean my husband, dug 3 post holes, one for each corner and a third for the door opening. We mixed the cement in the holes and sank the pressure treated 4x4s in the holes making sure they were level. We used three additional pressure treated 2x6s to attach to the 2×4 on the house and the posts with lag screws. I found some sheet siding to enclose it and attached it to the sides using my nail gun. Then I used 1x4s to frame the siding and create a fun little diamond detail at the top.

We put 1x6s along the 2x6s at the top to create a roof. To help keep rain out we stair stepped the 1x6s so the water would flow down instead of going through cracks. I live in the Houston area and that means humidity, and humidity means mold and mildew. Before I painted I used Kilz Mold and Mildew Exterior Primer to help keep the humidity from eating my wood. Then I painted the whole thing to go with the house and viola!

A woman in pink leggings watches a man dig holes while sipping from a cup

A woman in pink leggings checks a post to see if it’s level

A woman adds siding and trim to a bike shed

A woman swings from a bike shed structure

A woman hands a man a board to build a roof

It Looks Like It Belongs

Once it was done we moved all of the bikes and outdoor toys into it. I even added a cute little planter made from an old wheel. It looks like a part of the house which is a win for me. I love that it looks like it was always meant to be there and it keeps the eyesore of kids toys put away.