DIY – Raised by Design

Before + After – Painted Blanket Chest

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In the bedroom of today’s woman, it’s absolutely, 100%, no bull crap essential to have a place where you can slump your clothes, sit and zip up your moto boots or rest a stack of clean laundry for a week before you finally get around to putting it away. Double bonus points if said place can also store extra blankets or bulky sweaters that don’t fit in your closet.

Ever since we moved into the smaller bedroom I’ve been searching for the right piece to go at the end of our bed. This toy chest from my childhood bedroom fit perfectly, but it needed a little love to go from 80’s nursery life to grown-ass lady bedroom.

Sometimes, all you need to pull off a good Before + After is a couple coats of paint, for real. All designers will tell you that paint is their best pal – the quickest (and cheapest) route to big time change.

For this project I used two coats of Benjamin Moore’s Midnight – a deep navy with slate gray undertones. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

In natural light, it looks more blue but by lamplight it looks almost black. It’s moody and lovely, just like me.

I’m especially happy with the way it makes the colorful art we hung above it pop.

The top work is a 1980 Mary Engelbreit original of three girls that reads “Koki, Muffie, and Bitsy shop for circle pins.” I love this drawing dearly because “Muffie” is my Mom, “Koki” is Mary – my faerie/art godmother – and “Bitsy” is Nicki Dwyer – my actual Godmother. I love these ladies and I love the cherry red frame Mary chose all those years back. This illustration hung right where I had my timeouts growing up. I wonder if Mom did that on purpose so we had to sit and reflect on how cute she was while we were being punished.

The bottom piece is an original masterpiece by my little sister, Mo, from when she was probably four or five years old – elevated to legit abstract art in an IKEA matte and frame. I adore the colors she chose – she had an eye for style even back then.

Here’s a view from the door of our bedroom:

And here’s a closeup of the dreamy breakfast in bed that I’ve never enjoyed in real life but totally makes the picture feel cozy:

And that, my friends, is all there is to it. Paint saves the day. Now you’ll have to excuse me while I eat that piece of apple cake in two bites.

Loveyoubye! Maggie

RBD Makes: Copper Paper Towel Holder

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Yesterday, my Dad came over to help me make this industrial-style copper paper towel holder. We are pretty short on counter space in our small kitchen and I’ve been trying to declutter where I can.

Decluttering is a tough business for me because there’s a powerful gravity that exists between me and clutter. But I’m also a serious cook and I use my kitchen and everything in it a LOT. There are things that need to be within arm’s reach and I just have to accept that I’ll never be that person with one bowl of lemons and two rustic spoons on their counter. Plus we’re apparently running an illegal espresso bar and can’t possibly live without BOTH an espresso machine and coffee maker in our tiny coffee loving lives.

One easy win was to get rid of our countertop paper towel holder in favor of a hanging dispenser under one of our shelves by the sink.

Before you go hating on the asymmetry of these one-bracket shelves you should know that (a) there was a decent reason for building them like this and (b) I’ve already beat myself up good for not taking more time to design ones that I liked better. I just wanted them to be functional, sturdy and cheap (thanks to a good case of renovation fatigue). If I were to change them out I think I would go for something more rectilinear like these or floating shelves like these. But whatever. In 4 years when I get around to doing something about it maybe I will have changed my mind again.

Moving past the self deprecation…I’m going to show you how to make this kick arse copper paper towel holder.

Here’s what you need to hunt and gather from hardware stores, Dads and basements:

propane torch with standard nozzle
18″ piece (or longer) of ½” copper tubing cut to the following sizes:
- (1) 14″ piece
- (4) 3/4″ pieces
(4) ½” copper tees
(4) ½” copper caps
tin-lead or lead-free tin solder
soldering flux (we used paste flux but any form will work)
(2) screw hooks
emery paper
tubing cutter (any size will cut ½” tubing)
power drill fitted with 3/16″ bit

Other supplies you’ll need:

WD-40, Goo Gone or ketchup
rags
permanent marker
square (optional but very helpful)
measuring tape
gloves

Here’s my super technical design drawing:

The two biggest considerations we had were (1) to make it easy to change the roll and (2) to prevent it from sliding out of the hook/hanging mechanism during use. I wanted a modern/industrial look so we headed to the plumbing aisle at the hardware store to see what we could dig up in Copper Land.

We decided to use screw hooks as our mounting/hanging mechanism because they’re easy to install and leave an opening for removing the dowel to change the roll. Using copper tees would solve the issue of sliding and keep the dowel in place so we grabbed a couple of those.

In order to cap off the tees for a finished look, we would need to cut small pieces of tubing to use as connector pieces. They do make caps that fit inside the tees, eliminating the need to cut connector pieces. But they’re $5/ea versus the standard caps which are $0.75/ea. I went with the standard caps and bought myself an iced latte and piece of $12 cheese from the fancy food shop in town…because that’s what’s up with my priorities.

OK here are THE STEPS:

First use your funny looking tubing cutter to cut one 14″ piece and four 3/4″ pieces from your copper tubing length. Cutting tubing and pipes sounds like it would be scary and involve goggles and sparks, but it’s actually really easy and about as scary as using scissors. I’m lucky because I have one of those Dads who knows how to do everything. Here’s a good video tutorial for cutting tubing that could stand in for an all-knowing Dad if you need it to.

Then you’ll want to clean up any serious gunk that’s on the tubing. For this you can use Goo Gone, WD-40 or…Ketchup! It’s nasty but it works.

To really get your copper shining bright like a diamond, you’ll need to go over it with emery paper or very very fine sand paper. Sand the outside of your long piece and the ends and insides of your connector pieces, tees and caps. This step is really important because it removes any oxidation so that the solder will adhere to the copper. You want to work fairly quickly and do this when you’re ready to get right to soldering so that it doesn’t re-oxidize. (PS – those are my Dad’s ManHands…I love them.)

After all of your pieces are sanded inside and out, use your ManHands to apply flux (capacitor) to the parts of tubing that will be connected. I’m a fan of this kind of work just because it’s an excuse to use the word ‘flux’ all day.

As you apply flux to each piece, begin to assemble the holder. Flux flux flux. Use my super technical drawing above as a reference…the long piece connects to the tee, which connects to the connectors, which connects to the caps. Capisce?

Assembled and ready to solder…

Use a paper towel to wipe off any extra fluxity-flux-flux.

Now get to torchin’. The only real safety tips for using a propane torch are these:

go outside in a well ventilated area, especially if you’re using solder that contains lead
wear goggles because it makes you look like you’re doing something dangerous
wear gloves to protect your gorgeous ManHands
work on a piece of wood or tin – no stone (you’ll crack it) and no asphalt (you’ll melt it) and no piles of leaves (you’ll start a forest fire)
don’t be a dope and burn yourself while you’re reaching for something
you know…workin’ with fire…
if all of this scares you too much, just grab someone who knows their way around a torch for help

Turn on your propane torch and heat up one end of the assembled rod, being careful not to place your hand too close to the flame (the entire pipe will heat up as it sits over the open flame, another good reason to wear gloves). Notice that Dad didn’t heed any of my safety warnings.

As you heat the copper, hold the solder over the seam and allow it to drip into place and spread to form a bond.

The whole job takes about three minutes. Once you’ve covered your seams, use an old rag to wipe away extra tin and clean it up a little. If you want to get it really clean, you can bust out your emery paper again, being careful not to sand away your bond. Personally, I prefer the look of the mixed metals which will complement the screw hooks.

Head inside and do a whole bunch of head-hurting fraction math to figure out where to drill holes to hang your hooks so that the paper towels will have space to turn and you can easily take the rod out to change them. Measure a million times, cut once, is the goal.

Dad taught me another good trick for making sure you don’t drill clean through your beautiful shelves, which I’m 100% sure I would have done. Hold the screw up to your shelf and mark the depth on the screw with a permanent marker. You can do the same directly onto your drill bit for drilling your pilot holes. Then you just stop when you get to the line! And you can feel free to do this dance.

Drill some pilot holes…

Screw in your hooks and hang that sucker!!

I LERVE it. Si! Si! Si! I think it complements the colors in our counters and coffee station quite nicely.

The asparagus dish, btw, was my Dad’s Mother’s and it has a good story. It hung in her kitchen for years when my Dad was growing up. When she passed, he and my Mom got it. It hung in our kitchen in Oak Park. Years later we moved to New York and down-sized to fit into a loft apartment. She gifted it to our dear friends Anne + Jeff across the street. It hung in their kitchen for the better part of 14 years until I got married and Anne gifted it to me at my shower. I cried. And it hangs here in proud memory of my Grandma Betty.

The whole project (including a run to the hardware store) took us just under 4 hours. It cost about $25 not including the solder, flux and tubing cutter. If you’re not into pyrotechnics but are loving the industrial copper look you can score a similar one for $65 at ScoutMob.

I’m pumped because I freed up about 8″ of counter space…and that’s a big deal for me. Plus I got to spend the day with Dad and play with fire.

Loveyoubye! Mags

rbd makes: metallic stone coasters

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Making your own stone coasters with metallic color blocking and geometric patterns is a super easy project with big results that will fool anyone into thinking you are a design mogul. A set of four would make a great gift for almost any person in your life and for any occasion. Guys would like these. Gals would like these. Heavy drinkers. Shmoopie newlyweds. Design snobs. College grads. Should I keep going? No? Ok, here’s the how-to:

DIY Painted Stone Coasters - Raised by Design — You’ll need a few supplies, all available at home improvement stores, craft stores, or online.

4″ x 4″ stone samples or tiles – mine are honed limestone samples leftover from a design project, but you could do this project using these or any stone that you prefer; just keep in mind that a honed finish is easier for paint to adhere to than a polished finish
craft paint in various colors – I used Martha Stewart Crafts Multi-Surface Acrylic Craft Paint in White, Rust, Gold and Sterling
painter’s tape – I like Scotch-Blue Painter’s Tape by 3M for Delicate Surfaces because it peels away easily and cleanly (we use this tape to paint our home as well)
paint brushes – every art teacher I’ve had confirms the notion that ‘the brush doesn’t make the painter’ so don’t buy expensive paint brushes; the ones I use are from this super-cheap value pack
felt squares – you know, the ones that cost a PENNY!
scissors – you all know where to buy scissors, or probably have some already, but I like to have one pair marked “FOR FABRIC ONLY” so they stay nice and sharp and I stay nice and uptight
hot glue gun + glue sticks – super easy to get your hands on one of these, and every home should have one to keep things dangerous, just make sure you buy the glue sticks that are the right size for your glue gun
stone sealer for honed finishes – I think this one is your best bet, although it does come in a pint size at some stores

raised-by-design-stone-coaster-DIY — No prep – just tape and paint! Wait for paint to dry in between coats for best coverage. Also, peel your tape away at a 45 degree angle soon after you paint for the cleanest line. Don’t wait for the paint to dry before you peel because it may peel up with the tape – a great tip from James’ uncle who is a contractor.

Raised-by-Design DIY metallic painted coasters — You can decide if you want to paint the edges or leave them natural. On some of my coasters I did a dipped look and wrapped the tape all the way around and painted the edges only where I had painted on the surface.

raised-by-design-painted-stone-coaster-DIY — Once your paint has dried, cut out a square of felt to size and use the hot glue gun to adhere it to the bottom of your coaster as a backing. Then swipe on a coat or two of sealer and you’re done!

Loveyoubye! Maggie

Before + After – Bedside Tables

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I mentioned in this post that our Master Bedroom is a bit small. Someday I’ll get my act together and post a floor plan of our teensy house so you believe me. For now, just know that our home’s entire livable space is 882 square feet. Which just means that we need to be creative about a few things. Clothing storage is one of them, and in addition to our built-in shelves and a shared closet, we decided that we needed our bedside tables to double as dressers. But DAG! Bedside tables are expensive! And after scouring furniture stores and Craigslist, I found that most pieces are either on Team Tiny Nightstand or Team Full Blown Dresser. We had 36″ on either side of our queen-sized bed to work with so I needed to find something more like this:

Unfortunately, these guys weren’t available when we were redoing our bedroom, but at $500 a pop they would have been over my budget anyway. So I headed to my local antique and thrift shops and after a couple stops I came across these beauties:

I was drawn to their clean lines, quality construction and interesting pulls. Plus, I was psyched to find a matching pair (although I was open to rocking the mix + match look). Measuring 32″ x 20″ x 31″ they were the perfect dimensions for our space. And with a $500 price tag for the pair, I was scoring a pretty good deal for this muy importante piece of furniture compared to the options at the big retailers. SOLD.

The only snag was that they smelled a little funky, the wood finish was in bad shape and the pulls had been painted by a previous owner. To get rid of the musty smell, I wiped them inside and out with a solution of (very) diluted bleach and then set them outside to bake in the sun for a full day. There are a million suggestions online for curing musty smells, by the way. Anyone ever tried kitty litter?

To rehab the finish, I decided to give them a few coats of white semigloss paint (White Dove by Benjamin Moore) and to highlight those great pulls with a gray-green sample I had leftover from another project (Sag Harbor Gray by Benjamin Moore). Fast forward through a day or two of taping and painting and not taking “in progress” pics…

Here’s My Side:

And here’s James’ Side:

No, he did not voluntarily put a picture of us on our wedding day or a book about birds on his nightstand. Also, that plant does not usually live there, but it made the picture look a’nice. Whoever decorates decides what’s what.

We’re still pretty happy with our dressers two years later. Yay for Before + After projects!

Loveyoubye, Maggie

Geometric Pillow Cover

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Hi. Last week I made a pair of pillow covers out of fabric scraps. I’m sure that doesn’t sound awesome to a lot of people, but here’s why it is. These fabric scraps are stored in a small pile in my studio that’s part of a bigger pile in my basement that’s becoming a mountain of half-baked craft projects. You know, “I really think I should start needle felting all my friends’ baby gifts. Hm, maybe I’ll take up oil painting en plain air and buy a stupid beret while I’m at it. Those mittens are totes adorbs – I can probably make them myself I just need 8 skeins of alpaca wool.”

Said pile has been growing for at least the last three years and making my husband worry about me. The new rule is that if I’m not going to use it, out it goes.

So I made these pillow covers out of some old samples from a design job and a random piece of cute vintage green tomato fabric from my Mom. Green Tomatoes!! It was super easy and I’m NOT an expert at sewing. I have a beginner machine that my Mom and I picked out together in college from the local Kmart. It’s a Brother LS-1217, which they don’t make anymore but is probably most comparable to this guy. It’s bare bones but it gets the job done.

So here’s how I did it. After perusing the internets for inspiration, I decided on a simple geometric pattern.

Here’s what you need:

1. 20″ SQUARE PILLOW INSERT (LIKE this one FROM IKEA)

2. THREE PIECES OF CONTRASTING FABRIC FOR YOUR GEOMETRIC PATTERN (I used a neutral woven, a black textured microsuede and a blue-gray wool)

3. ABOUT ONE YARD FABRIC FOR YOUR BACKING

4. PINS

5. GOOD FABRIC SCISSORS

6. IRON (optional)

7. SEWING MACHINE AND THREAD

STEPS:

1. Cut your triangles for the front – one large and two small as the pattern shows. I find it easiest to just drape the fabric over the pillow insert to see how much I need to cut. When you’re sewing anything, you always want about one inch of extra fabric all the way around so keep that in mind when you’re cutting your pattern.

2. Cut two rectangles from your backing fabric and set aside. Each rectangle should be bigger than half of your 20″ square…so that they will overlap by a good six inches (see pattern above). That would mean your rectangles would EACH be about 17″ x 22″. For this pillow, instead of using a zipper (too hard) or sewing the entire cover shut (too permanent), we’re going the easy/non-committal route. We’re making an overlapping fold so the pillow insert can be removed easily but won’t peek through. Like this:

3. Iron all of your pieces. This step is optional but highly recommended.

4. Back to your triangles. Take your two SMALL triangles and align the edges so the hypotenuse edges face outwards (what, you didn’t think a GEOMETRIC pillow cover would involve GEOMETRY?). You should now have two triangles that, together, are roughly the same size as your LARGE triangle. Capisce? If you have to read this step a couple times I won’t judge. I had to write it nine times so we’ll be even.

4. Now fold those two SMALL triangles onto each other so that the good sides FACE INWARDS. Muy importante! Pin along the middle edge and sew along this line. Yay.

5. I like to iron the new piece so that the seam sits flat and doesn’t cause any problems. Also optional.

6. OK OK OK. Take your two big triangles and lay them down, hypotenuses facing IN this time, to make a square! Fold those two pieces onto each other along that line, good sides IN again. Pin…and sew. Easy peasy!

7. BOOYAKASHA geometric square.

Let’s make the back now!

1. Lay your two rectangle pieces down so that they overlap by about 6″. Just check yourself here to make sure you have a square big enough to cover your whole pillow. This would be the time to adjust if you need to…

2. Hem one (22″) edge of each rectangle. This hem will be VISIBLE so use a thread color and stitch you don’t mind looking at. I have exactly two stitches available on my machine…so I chose zig-zag and used black thread. You could be super fun and use hot pink thread and a fancy pants stitch.

3. Now lay your overlapping rectangles down over your geometric square…good sides what? GOOD SIDES IN. Pin all the way around that bad boy and trim wherever you have extra fabric. You should have a nice 1″ border around a 20″ square to fit your pillow.

4. Sew all the way around…inevitably run out of bobbin thread and struggle to remember how to reload and thread a bobbin. Curse, get up and go eat something, come back and calmly finish sewing.

5. DONE! Turn it right-side out, stuff your pillow inside, and give your cat a brand new thing to shed on.

Loveyoubye, Maggie