Room Renovations Archives - Boxwood Design Co

DIY Pantry Storage – Part Two

To say that I was excited to have a pantry is an understatement. As a designer, of course I wanted it to be pretty, but more importantly, I wanted our pantry storage to be functional and manageable for our family of 5.

We left off with the bottom portion of the pantry complete. You can read about it here.

I knew that I wanted sturdy shelves that looked built in. I’ve built plenty of shelves before so I was confident that I could build these to my specifications. Since the bottom cabinets are 14″ deep and the countertop would be 15″ deep, I opted to make my shelves 10″ deep to accomodate containers and baskets.

To get started, I attached 2x2s to the back two walls making sure they were level and screwed into the studs.

I then added 7″ 2×2 supports to the side wall and the middle using wood glue and my Kreg Jig.

I then glued and screwed another 2×2 to the front of the supports.

Once the framing was done, I added a 1×10 to the top of the bracing and nailed it in place. I then glued and nailed a 1×3 to the front to give the shelves a finished look.

In full transparency, I made one shelf completely first to make sure it would work and be sturdy enough before I built the other two. Those two I built together at the same time.

I attached 1/4″ white hardboard to the bottom of the shelves with nails to complete the look. Then to make it look polished, I wood filled all the nail holes, caulked the edges, and painted everything white.

Are you ready to see the final result?

Here’s a closer look at some of the different sections of the pantry:

I can’t get over all the pantry storage we were able to add to the space!

Thank you for following along with this journey!

DIY Pantry Organization – Part One

When we were in the process of building our new home, one thing I wasn’t willing to negotiate on was having a decent pantry. We ended up with a 5×5 corner pantry and I asked the builder to not install the wire shelves so that I could DIY Pantry Organization to our family’s needs.

I knew that I wanted our pantry to house all of our dry goods as well as some of our small kitchen appliances like our air fryer and toaster. So, I decided to create built in cabinets with a countertop and shelves above.

I purchased some Klearvue wall cabinet boxes from Menards. They were inexpensive and didn’t include the extras like doors and hinges.

I started by building a base out of 2x4s for the cabinets to sit on. I made sure the base was level and attached to the studs.

Once the frame was built, I installed a corner cabinet making sure it was level and screwed into studs.

I then proceeded to install a cabinet on each side of the pantry making sure they were level and attached properly to each other and the wall studs.

After all the cabinets were installed, I added shelves to each cabinet.

I couldn’t get over how much larger the pantry looked with the cabinets installed! There was so much room for pantry organization and we still had all the vertical space to go!

Stay tuned to see how we finished the rest of the pantry!

DIY Home Office Reveal

It is the end of the One Room Challenge and we made it…barely!

If you remember, my inspiration were these beautiful Pottery Barn Cabinets, but there is no way I could spend $3,500 on a cabinet x2 to fit the space.

When you can’t afford what you want, you DIY it.

I took stock Easthaven drawer cabinets from Home Depot to create the bases of my built ins.

Using 2 sheets of 3/4″ inch plywood and 2 sheets of shiplap paneling to create the top portion of the built ins. I trimed it out with 1x2s.

Lots of caulk, wood fill, and paint to make it look finished.

Then onto the fun stuff….decorating. I swear to you, it seemed like I had way more business/design books than what it looks like.

I created a reading corner using a chair and a table/lamp. You’ll notice the pillow has the same hexagon shape as the floor.

On the opposite wall, I was able to have my great-grandparent’s ice box brought into the room. This is one of my favorite things and I love that it fit in my office space.

I’m still in disbelief that this is my office!

Check out the other final reveals by clicking here

Office Progress – ORC Week 6

It’s Week 6 of the One Room Challenge…Only 2 weeks to go! Surprisingly, I actually have some office progress to share today…we may just make it after all.

It only took 15 hours to install all the hexagon tiles and grout the whole floor. I love how it turned out!

This was the first floor that I’ve ever tiled and I made sure each tile was level with the tiles next to it. This made grouting so much easier and faster!

Office Progress – Final Tiles being installed

Not only did I finish the floor, I was also able to install the two small side cabinets and the countertop in between.

We painted the walls Sherwin-Williams color Repose Gray and the window trim with Benjamin Moore Advance Paint.

There’s still a ton to do (build the bookcases, paint the built ins, install hardware, hang the curtains, wire the lights, add baseboards, etc), but I couldn’t help myself and had to start styling one of the corners.

This table, chair, and hexagon pattern pillow creates a perfect little reading nook!

2 weeks to go! Wish me luck and don’t forget to check out the other participants in the One Room Challenge.

Hexagon Tile Floor – ORC Week 4

We are officially half way done with the Fall One Room Challenge! Based on that fact, you would think I would have the major components of the room done…or even started. But if you’ve been here a while, you know better.

At the end of last week, my only progress was cutting my countertop down and adding the Ditra XL to the floors in preparation of tiling.

While this week’s progress isn’t amazing, it still is forward momentum, especially considering that I’ve never installed a tile floor before. Most of it was done after the kids went to bed by the glow of a work light and warmth of a ceramic heater as we didn’t have power or heat.

To get started, I dry fitted some tiles to see where I wanted the cuts to be. I had been debating on where the tile should end, but once I marked where the doors would go, I realized I could have a full tile when I walked in and on the opposite back wall.

Once I figured out the placement from entry to the back wall, I found the center of the back wall and the the doorway and marked them. I also marked the center of my first tile and laid it. I used my laser to make sure that my first tiles were lining up straight with the doorway.

Installing the First Hexagon Floor Tiles

You wouldn’t believe how long these six tile took me to lay. I utilized the QEP LASH Flat Floor Leveling System (it’s two parts and a tool) to make sure my tile were evenly spaced and level which I verified with my small level.

I decided to install all the whole tiles and fill in the cuts later on. I completely lucked out and a whole tile fit perfectly in front of the cabinets. I’m pretty sure I couldn’t get that lucky again.

Between the construction crew working on the nearby basement stairs and the front porch, I wasn’t able to work on the floor as much as I would have liked. I made it about 2/3s of the way done with the whole tiles and will be wrapping up the rest of the floor this upcoming week.

End of Week 4 Tile Progress – Installed Hexagon Floor Tiles

If you also follow along on Instagram (@boxwoodathome), you saw that I also made some purchases for the room! I’ll show you those next week!

Dont forget to check out the other amazing transformations here.

Minor Office Progress – Week 3 ORC

I promise I have a lot of ideas for my office, but actually accomplishing them was a definite problem this week. Minor progress may even be an overstatement.

As a reminder, last week ended with the drywall finished and the base cabinetry counters installed.

And, here it is at the end of week 3…

Tons of progress, right?

To be honest, I did get a few things checked off my list. I was able to get the electrical figured out for my printer drawer which consisted of cutting a hole in the side of my cabinet and plugging in this recessed power strip.

I also vacuumed and wiped the floor then applied mortar to adhere the Ditra XL uncoupling membrane to the subfloor so that it is ready for tile.

I also was able to cut down the other portion of the countertop. It will be ready to be installed as soon as the floor is finished and I’ve painted the walls.

Lastly, I was able to dry fit the tile. I’m super excited for how it fits as I was nervous to attempt a hexagon floor tile.

My hope for this week is to install the tile floor and to get it grouted. I would also love to get the ceiling and walls painted so that I can work on the built ins the following week. However, we still have limited power in the house and no heat so it is slowing down the progress with the temperatures in the 40s and 50s.

To follow along with other participants (who actually made progress!), visit the ORC website.

Budget Friendly Home Office – ORC Week 1-2

I am so excited to be participating in the Fall 2022 One Room Challenge. The challenge encourages participants to renovate a space in 8 weeks. You can follow along with other participants here.

When I signed up originally, I was planning to do our new laundry room, but we are several weeks away from the framing and inspections being complete.

So, what room did I choose instead?

I opted to renovate my new home office which is a blank slate. I have been running my own businesses for over 15 years and this is my first ever home office.

The space itself isn’t huge (it’s 8.5 feet deep by 14.5 feet wide), but I’m thankful for every square inch. The office is located right off of our main entry so one of my goals was to create enough storage to keep it clean and manage all my design samples, client files, reference books and more.

The design includes built-ins on the back wall, a desk floating in the middle, and an accent chair in the corner. While creating my moodboard for the challenge, I realized that I couldn’t afford most of the items that I love. We will be finding alternatives to create a designer office on a small budget.

To create budget friendly built-ins, I purchased 4 unfinished Easthaven Drawer Bases from Home Depot. I originally planned to use butcherblock for the counters, but then found a faux marble countertop at Lowes that was perfect for my vision.

I started installing the cabinets by screwing two of them together and using shims to level them. I then attached them to the studs with 3 inch screws.

I then cut and installed the countertops leaving a small overhang. At the last moment, I decided to add a small 12” upper cabinet on the inside of the other cabinets to help support the long stretch of countertop.

Budget Friendly Home Office Base Cabinets Installed

Next week, we will be working on the built in shelves and adding lighting as well as picking up the tile for the floor.

Thanks for following along!

One Room Challenge – Final Reveal!!!

It has been 8 weeks since the beginning of the amazing One Room Challenge!

When I signed up for the ORC, we knew we would eventually be selling our house. What I didn’t plan for was that COVID-19 would hit, life as we knew it would be shutdown, and the ORC would be delayed.

By the time we were able to start the One Room Challenge, we were for sure selling our house, so I needed a plan for a room that could appeal to the masses while also fitting in with the rest of our home.

So, here is what our Master Bedroom looks like now!

In case you forgot what it previously looked like, it was a sea of orange wood and brown tones.

So what did it all take to complete this transformation?

We started by painting the walls Sherwin Williams Repose Gray. It is a great color since it is a greige and can lean gray or beige. We also painted the ceiling white using Sherwin William CHB paint to hide any imperfections.

We added an accent wall by using NuWallpaper Loft Brick Peel & Stick Wallpaper from Amazon.

It was my first time ever hanging any form of wallpaper and it was surprisingly easy!

The old boob light needed to go, so we found a cost effective option from Wayfair.

The floor was the biggest change in the room. We went from brown bubbled carpet to a beautiful chevron pattern floor. The floor is Mannington Restoration Collection floor in the color Stone. With the help of my hubby, we were able to lay the floor ourselves and save quite a bit of money.

After the floors were in, we were able to put down a beautiful new rug from Rugs USA.

Then it was onto the pretty things. Since in person shopping was limited, I ordered my bedding from Wayfair, Target, and Amazon.

I found great black metal brackets on Amazon and added a piece of stained wood to create a shelf. It was styled completely from things I already owned.

I also created a little reading nook for me (or a spot for my husband to put on his socks). I love this chair from Walmart!

It is crazy to me how much bigger, brighter, and cleaner the room seems!

I’m a little sad that we waited until we were moving to do this project!

We decided to show our house last weekend and within 48 hours had 6 offers at or above our asking price. Im positive this space had something to do with it!

I just can’t get over how it turned out!

Thanks for following along on this journey! Don’t forget to check out the other designers on the ORC!

ORC Week 7 – Sneak Peek

Last week, I shared all the things that I still needed to do in our Master Bedroom for the One Room Challenge. Being so close to the finish line, you would have thought that I would have had a productive week.

To be honest, I was able to hang the light fixture, hang the curtains, and finalize the bedding, but the rest of the progress was slow due to deciding to sell our house.