EZVALO’s Under Cabinet LED Lights

I started this project by researching products online and after reading a dozen or so reviews I decided to go with EZVALO’s Under Cabinets Lights. To start, they came in a 5 pack which was perfect for my kitchen. On top of that, they had over 2,400 ratings on Amazon and averaged 4.1 stars. To seal the deal, they had a 50% coupon which dropped the price from $69.99 to $37.26 with taxes and everything.

Some of our posts contain affiliate links. We often share links to the tools & products used in our home improvement projects and if you purchase one of these items using our link, we may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

Installation

Installation was insanely easy. Each LED light comes with two magnetic mounts. Just place the two magnetic mounts on your LED light, peel off the adhesive cover and press under your cabinet in the desired location.

What’s awesome about the magnetic mounts is you can take down your lights at any point in time just by pulling them off the magnets. This makes it easy to take down the light and use the included USB-C charger to recharge the unit.

Size

The entire unit is 9″ long by 1.5″ wide and a hair more than 1/4″ thick. The LED light itself is about 7.5″ long. The underside of my cabinets are about 22.5″ wide and ideally I would have loved a LED light that was somewhere around 18-20″ wide. However, these do the job just fine and if we wanted we could install two under each cabinet.

In terms of thickness, these LED lights are perfect. They hide nicely beneath the facade of the cabinest and are not visible unless you were to kneel down and look for them.

Functionality

Each light has a switch on it allowing you to choose from three different settings. The “ON” setting simply turns and leaves the light on. The “OFF” setting turns the light off. The “Auto” setting utilizes the units sensor to turn the light on and off.

For our purposes, we use the “Auto” setting. The great thing is, this setting will only turn the light on if it is dark. This means the motion sensor will not turn the light on during the day and waste the battery. At night when you trip the motion sensor the light will turn on and will stay on until it does not sense motion for at least 30 seconds.

The Remote

The remote is nice and small and powered by a CR2025 button battery. It has “ON” and “OFF” buttons as well as buttons to turn up or dim the brightness.

In addition, it also has several “Timing” options (5, 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes). These buttons will keep the LED light on for a desired amount of time and automatically shut off once that time has elapsed.

Longevity

We’ve had these LED under cabinet lights installed now for a month and a half and have yet needed to recharge one of the units. However, again we only really have them kick on when they sense motion late at night or before sunrise. Obviously, if you were to use them more often or to leave them on for mood lighting during a party, I’d imagine they’d need a recharge a bit sooner.

In Conclusion

If you’re looking for a super easy (and cheap!) project that can give your kitchen some extra appeal and functionality while also earning you a few points with your significant other, this under cabinet lighting project is it!

Check the EZVALO LED Under Cabinet Lights on Amazon and comment below with your thoughts and questions.

DIY on my friends!

– Mike from the ShabbyChicHouse

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Our new house has dangerously high roofs, so we weren’t sure how best to decorate in year one. We tried stringing up some of our old Christmas lights on the three pillars in the front of our house, but they just didn’t look/hang right.

With that being the case, it gave us the perfect excuse to purchase all-new Christmas porch decor and really light up the neighborhood. Follow along as we share some of our favorite finds in this Christmas porch decor makeover!

Some of our posts contain affiliate links. We often share links to the tools & products used in our home improvement projects and if you purchase one of these items using our link, we may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

Pre-Lit Garland

In 2021, Garland is all the rage for decorating outdoor porches and this year we hopped on the Garland train. As I mentioned above, last year was our first year in our new house and we tried wrapping our three pillars with our existing string lights, but it just didn’t look right. So this year we decided to give these pre-lit 18′ garland strands a try and they look absolutely amazing. The green garland gives additional depth, dimension and substance that’s visible from the road, unlike our old string lights.

We originally ran across these garland strings by Home Accents on Amazon, but then found them for a fraction of the price at Home Depot. Wow! How is such a huge price difference possible?

Vintage Blow Molds

We love vintage blow molds and over the years have picked up several for each holiday season. For Christmas, we have a Santa as well as a Frosty the Snowman blow mold. This year they reside on both sides of our front door.

A Fun Ornament Wreath

I’d say there isn’t a day our front door flies without a seasonal wreath of some sort. Over the years, we’ve made our own DIY ornament wreaths with foam and hot glue, but this year ran across this pretty awesome pink and silver ornament wreath we picked up from one of our favorite stores – Homegoods!

4′ Pre-Lit Christmas Trees

To complement our new garland, we also picked up two of these awesome pre-lit 4′ Christmas trees. They go perfect on both sides of a front door or in our case, next to each of our pillars.

Check out how they make it all come together in the photos below!

Ring Outdoor Smart Outlet

Our absolute favorite part of our Christmas porch decor makeover is the addition of a new Ring Outdoor Smart Outlet. The Ring Smart Outlet has two outlets/plugs that you can control either separately or together in one command from your phone.

In addition, if you have an Alexa-enabled device you can give the command “Alexa, turn on the Christmas Lights“.

The Ring Outdoor Smart Outlet also allows you to set schedules which is perfect for Christmas lights. Simply, go into the Ring app and set the time you want the lights to turn on and off.

One of my favorite things about Ring products is their ability to sync with other devices. After setting up my Ring Outdoor Smart Outlet I was able to link it to the motion detector in my Ring doorbell cam, Ring Solar Steplights as well as my Ring Outdoor Motion Sensor. If any of these devices detect motion after hours, my Christmas lights and 16+ landscape lights will ALL kick on at once.

Talk about scaring the crap out of a potential burglar or neighborhood pest.

We absolutely love cool and fun home automation and smart home devices. If you do too, then check our full DIY tutorial on How to Install Your Own Landscape Lights (w or w/o Ring integration) as well as our in-depth review of the Ring Protect Plans and our favorite Ring products.

We hope you loved this post on our brand new Christmas porch decor makevoer as much as we loved putting it together. Also, if you haven’t seen it yet – check our fun post on our favorite interior Christmas decor for 2021.

We’d love to hear your thoughts, questions or ideas in the comments section below.

Thanks for visiting!

– Mike from the ShabbyChicHouse

The post A Fun Christmas Porch Decor Makeover appeared first on .

This year we stumbled across some of the most unique and creative decorations and are super excited to share our favorite finds with you. So let’s dive in!

Some of our posts contain affiliate links. We often share links to the tools & products used in our home improvement projects and if you purchase one of these items using our link, we may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

Christmas at Rockefeller Center Print

As we began to decorate, we noticed an empty/unused nail hanging behind the Christmas tree and went out to see if we could find a cool piece of holiday art to fill the gap. We stumbled across this awesome “Christmas at Rockefeller Center” print on Etsy made/produced by Nicole Cicak of OnLaneAvenue.

Nicole has a few other holiday prints, but this one is my absolute favorite.

Holiday Throw Blanket

A good decorative holiday throw blanket is always perfect on those cold days when you want to snuggle up by the fire with a cup of hot cocoa. Being cat owners we love this fun cat-themed holiday destruction throw blanket. Not a cat person? Then maybe you’ll like their pup-themed or maybe even better, llama-themed holiday throws!

Lo Home Christmas Trees

This year we picked up two sets of handmade 22K ceramic Christmas trees from Lo Home. We’re big fans of Lo Home and have more than a dozen of her ceramic ginger jars, seashells and trays around the house.

Unfortunately, her seasonal items sell out quickly, so if you miss out this year make sure to sign up for her email list and get notified when her new products come out.

Lo Home Nativity Scene

Also, from Lo Home and seen in the picture above is this awesome handmade 14 piece nativity scene with 22K gold that we paired with one of her pink and gold-trimmed trays.

Holida Door Mats

Anthropologie always has some really fun and creative decor and this year they continue to knock it out of the park with several really awesome doormats. Our favorite is this gingerbread house doormat, followed by their Dear Santa Postcard doormat.

Festive Pillows

These beaded beauties we picked up at one of our favorite stores – Homegoods! While you probably would have a hard time finding these exact pillows, Pier 1 has tons of similar ones worth checking out.

A Snowy Village

A snowy village is a must-have and recently these white porcelain villages have been popping up at retailers all over the place. We ran across this awesome 31 piece set on Amazon that has been getting a ton of 5-star reviews.

It includes (9) village buildings, 13 sisal trees and 18 battery-operated LED tea lights.

Tabletop Pre-Lit Birch Tree

Looking for another great tabletop piece. These pre-lit battery-operated birch trees look great by themselves or are fun to use to show off a few of your favorite ornaments.

The Chistmas Story Leg Lamp

We couldn’t make a list of the top holiday decor items without including the infamous Christmas Story leg lamp. Ralphie’s house where the movie was shot is just a few miles away in a Cleveland neighborhood called Treemont and is open for tours if you’re ever in town.

While it’s not so shabby or chic, we can’t help but get excited (and jealous) when we see one in a neighbor’s front window. Get your own major award now and dazzle the neighbors!

Pre-Lit Outdoor Mini Trees

This year we’re wanted to spice up our front porch decor and throw in something new. We purchased two of these 4′ tall outdoor pre-lit Christmas trees in gold urns to adorn each side of our doorway, a ton of strands of pre-lit garland and are getting to work.

At the same time we plan to still feature our vintage blow molds and pink and silver ornament wreath. More to come on that in the next few days!

The post Top Christmas Decoration Ideas for 2021 appeared first on .

What we absolutely love about Ring Protect Plans is the ease of set-up, the super-low subscription fees and the sheer number of security and smart home devices you can manage through the Ring App. In addition, there was no contract and it was fairly easy/inexpensive to test the waters with Ring before going all-in.

In this post, I’ll walk you through a full review of the Ring Basic Plan, the Ring Protect Plus Plan, the brand new Ring Protect Pro Plan as well as a high-level review of the Ring App and some of the really awesome additional hardware that we’ve integrated to create the ultimate smart home.

Some of our posts contain affiliate links. We often share links to the tools & products used in our home improvement projects and if you purchase one of these items using our link, we may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

Ring Subscription Costs

Ring offers four levels of service. The free features that are included with the purchase of a security camera, the Ring Basic Plan, the Ring Protect Plus Plan and the Ring Protect Pro Plan which just came out September 28, 2021.

Free Service

If you purchase a Ring camera, at no cost you can receive motion alerts, view live video and chat through your device via the free Ring App.

Without a subscription, you cannot record and archive video. If someone was to break into your house you would get notified and could see it live, but there would be no recording available after the fact to use as evidence.

Ring Basic Plan

The Ring Basic Plan costs $3 per month or $30 for the entire year. This plan includes Ring’s cloud storage which will archive your videos for 60 days.

One of the coolest things about the video archival is what I’d call Ring’s video timeline.

This timeline consists of two elements – snapshots and motion-activated video recordings. Snapshots are still photographs that you can set your Ring camera to take regularly at time different intervals. Ring stitches these stills together in your timeline to create a time-lapse. These time-lapses fill the gap between your motion-activated recordings giving you a more complete account of events without recording 24/7 and draining your battery-powered cams.

This basic plan only covers a single camera or doorbell, so if you have more than one camera you’d need to get two Ring Basic Plan subscriptions or upgrade to the Ring Protect Plus or Ring Protect Pro.

Ring Protect Plus Plan

The Ring Protect Plus Plan is $10 per month or $100 for a full year. With this plan, you can have an unlimited number of cameras and unlimited cloud storage. In addition, the Ring Protect Plus Plan also gives you an extended warranty for the life of the product (as long as you remain a subscriber) as well as 10% off any additional Ring products.

Up until September 28, 2021, the Ring Protect Plus plan included 24/7 monitoring. Unfortunately, 24/7 Professional Monitoring is now part of the new Ring Protect Pro plan.

If you were a Ring Protect Plus subscriber prior to September 28, 2021, you’ll still get 24/7 professional monitoring, alarm cellular back-up, and Alexa Guard Plus for $10/month or $100/year until January 1, 2025.

Ring Protect Pro Plan

The Ring Protect Pro is Ring’s newest subscription service that came out on September 28, 2021 at the same time as the Ring Alarm Pro.

If you want the combination of unlimited video/cloud storage and a security system and you’re a new subscriber, you’ll need the Ring Protect Pro Plan. The awesome thing is this plan is still only $20 a month or $200 a year.

While we pay $10/month, $20/month would still be a no-brainer for us. Prior to switching to Ring we had one of the big three home security providers and paid about $70 for the same services. That’s $840 per year compared to $200!

Below is a graphic comparing the difference in the Ring Protect Plans as of 9/28/2021.

Ease of Entry

One of the things that we loved most about Ring was the ease of entry into their service. I started off with a single Ring Spotlight Cam and initially utilized the free features that came with my camera. I wanted to test out the equipment and Ring App before I completely committed.

For the first 30 days, I received a free trial of their video cloud storage service and was able to test everything out. In the end, Ring did not disappoint. I ended loving the service and added on Ring’s 8-piece security system called Ring Alarm, another Ring Spotlight Cam, a Ring Stick Up Cam, the Ring Video Doorbell Pro, the Ring Indoor Cam as well as several other really cool smart home integrations.

Short story – There was very little risk to give Ring a try with only one camera and once I found out I loved it, scale up with all the other equipment.

Ring Cameras

Below are our quick thoughts on the Ring Cameras we have in our house. If you have interest in having us do a deeper dive please comment and let us know!

Ring Spotlight Cam

We started with the Ring Outdoor Spotlight camera which combines the power of a motion sensor video camera with a spotlight. This was perfect for the back of our house where we’d want a spotlight to kick on should an intruder set off the motion sensor. I also purchased a special gutter mount to avoid having to drill into my siding in case the cam didn’t work out.

Ring Stick Up Cam

Shortly after our purchasing our first Ring Spotlight Cam we decided to try out the Ring’s Outdoor Stick Up cam which is half the cost at $99. While the Stick Up Cam does not have a spotlight, it does have a pretty decent night vision camera.

Ring’s Spotlight and Stick Up Cams can be purchased with a quick-release battery or hardwired to a power source. We chose to go with the wireless battery-powered versions of each. The Spotlight Camera has space for two rechargeable batteries (for longer camera life), while the Stick Up Cam only has room for one rechargeable battery.

We’ve found that a single Ring rechargeable battery lasts about 2-3 months in our household. However, depending on the frequency of video being captured and how you have your settings, your battery could last shorter/longer. We purchased additional rechargeable batteries to make sure we always have a fully-charged battery ready to go and our cameras are up 100% of the time.

Ring Indoor Cam

The Ring Indoor Cam is great if you want to keep an eye on things inside your house. You might use it to keep an eye on the kids, nanny or even your pets while you’re away.

Just like the rest of the Ring cameras, the indoor cam is super easy to set up. Just click the “Add Device” button in the Ring App, plug in the device and scan a barcode on the camera to get going.

What I love, is that it’s easy to move around the house. I often unplug, move my camera and then just plug back it back in and it starts working again.

Ring Doorbell Pro

Ring has a few different hardwired and battery-powered doorbell cams. We chose to go with the Ring Doorbell Pro due to its slim design.

The Ring Doorbell Pro captured 1080p HD video and also comes with four different plastic vanity covers (White, Silver, Black & Chocolate Brown).

The Ring Doorbell Pro is hardwired, so it’s up and running 100% of the time and doesn’t rely on a rechargeable battery. Installation is fairly easy and can be done without an electrician.

Ring Alarm System

Since we were also in the market for a security system I decided to give Ring Alarm a try. What I ended up loving about Ring is, I could archive footage from all 5 of my cameras and have professional monitoring for only $100 for the year. Heck, I was paying $70 bucks a month for 24/7 professional monitoring and a single camera at my old house.

I ended up purchasing the 8-piece kit which includes 4 door/window sensors, an indoor motion sensor, the Ring Base Station, a range extender as well a wireless keypad.

Setting up all 8 piece kit was super easy, just like all the other Ring products. What I love most, is the wireless keypad. In looking at other security systems I was worried about having to have my keypad plugged in or hardwired. The spot where I wanted to put the keypad was not conducive to either. Over the past year and a half, I’ve had to charge my wireless keypad once!

The Full Intergration for a Smart Home

One of the things that we love most about Ring is the ability to integrate and control nearly every smart device in your house. Over time we purchased and were able to integrate ALL of the smart home devices below.

• Video Cameras (We have 5 Cameras – (2) spotlight cams, (1) stick-up cam, doorbel cam and (1) indoor camera)
• Ring Alarm 8 Piece Kit
• Ring Alarm Panic Button
• Kwikset Smart Lock
• Honeywell T9 Smart Thermostat
• Ring A19 Smart LED Bulbs (Standard LED light bulb you can control via phone!)
• Ring Transformer & Bridge (for controlling Outdoor Landscape Lights, motion sensors and more – see the our blog post)
• Ring Solar Steplights (Solar-Powered Motion Actived Steplights)
• Outdoor Motion Sensor
• Ring Alarm Flood & Freeze Sensors (Notifies you of water leaks or temperatures below 40°F)
• Amazon’s Alexa Echos & Shows

Out of all the integration above, my all-time favorite is the integration with our outdoor landscape lights. By purchasing the Ring Transformer and Bridge, I was able to connect 9 can lights (uplighting) and 5 pathway lights and 2 steplights to our Ring system. With the Ring App you can turn your landscape lights on/off with the push of a button or set them on a schedule.

But the coolest feature integrates Ring’s Motion Sensor. If the motion sensor is tripped after hours when the landscape lights are off, all 16 lights will kick on at once scaring the pants off any pests or intruders.

Check out the full blog post here on how to install the Ring Transformer and your own landscape lights.

Ring’s integration with Alexa

Ring also integrates nicely with Alexa. We have a large 8″ Echo Show in our kitchen and a small 5″ Echo Show upstairs. We love the Show on its own, but when you integrate with Ring you can see live video and chat with visitors when they ring your doorbell.

Also, at any point, you can give Alexa the command to show you live video of any of your outdoor/indoor cams. We often use this to check in on other rooms and like an intercom.

In addition, when you want to arm the system, you can just give a verbal command to any Alexa device “Alexa, arm home stay” or “Alexa, arm home away“.

Also, it’s important to note that you can activate or deactivate the use of verbal commands to disarm the system.

The Ring App

The Ring app is extremely user-friendly. The placement of the buttons and settings is intuitive and the menu is very easy to navigate.

From your Home Page, you can arm/disarm your house (Away & Stay modes), set your notifications to snooze (the moon icon) or request send an SOS! requesting Police, Fire or Medical help.

Directly below those settings are tiles that you can customize to access whatever smart devices you decide to integrate. On my dashboard, I can access all my lights. This includes my landscape lights, steplights on the front porch, Ring light bulbs and spotlights. I can also lock/unlock my Kwikset lock and even control my Honeywell smart thermostat!

The right below that I have five windows where I can see a recent snapshot of my live camera feeds. With a click, I can see live video and review archived footage from all five cameras.

The Ring App has so many features and ways to customize your setting that it probably warrants its own post. However, if I had to pick my favorite customization, it’s that you can actually map out the zones for motion alerts.

As you can see in the example below this allows me to remove high traffic areas from my alerts. So for example, I can eliminate the road and sidewalk avoiding unnecessary alerts anytime a car passes on the road or someone passes on the sidewalk.

Ring Protect Plan Conclusion

Over the past year and a half, I’ve become a huge fan of Ring. Their smart products are expertly designed and are top of the line. Also, Ring is constantly improving its platform and rolling out new features, products and new smart home integrations. In fact, in the near future Ring is rolling out the Ring Always Home Cam which is a first-of-its-kind flying indoor security camera that you can map out flight paths for. We’ve already applied for early access, so hopefully, we’ll be able to test and have a review for you soon!

Overall, if I had to rank Ring and its suite of products I would give them a 9.5 out of 10. I have almost zero complaints. However, if you twisted my arm I might say occasionally I get a motion alert and a video will take 30-45 seconds to load. That doesn’t sound like long, but when you’re curious what the motion was, it seems like a lifetime. Also, we’ve had a few false alarms with our indoor motion sensors on sunny days.

In the end, we love Ring and have turned at least 3-4 friends on to their products. Hopefully, you found this post helpful and if you have questions we didn’t answer please feel free to leave a comment or reach out to us directly.

The post Choosing the right Ring Subscription | Review of Ring’s Protect Plans & Equipment appeared first on .

In this short DIY tutorial, I’ll walk you through a few wainscoting layout tips, the tools of the trade and everything else you need to knock out this job in just a weekend.

Some of our posts contain affiliate links. We often share links to the tools & products used in our home improvement projects and if you purchase one of these items using our link, we may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

Wainscoting Layout Tips

Before you do anything, you need to come up with a thorough plan for each and every wall in the room. How many boxes do you want on each wall? What sizes should they be? Spend a quick 5-10 minutes sketching up your plan before you start cutting wood.

A good wainscoting layout tip is to follow is the 4″ rule“. You should set your wainscoting boxes 4” in from the baseboards, door frames, walls and each other.

The height of your wainscoting boxes will depend on where you want to put your chair rail. The standard placement for chair rails is between 32″ and 40″.

The original purpose of the chair rail was to protect your walls from dings made by chairs set against them. So if you’re wainscoting a dining room you might measure the height of the chairs and set your chair rail at the corresponding height so they are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

However, in a bathroom, you can choose the height that is most aesthetically pleasing to you. In the blue and white floral bathroom below, I set the chair rail 4″ above the countertop. In the pink mermaid-themed bathroom I felt the chair rail looked best centered on the backsplash. Choose the height that works best for you!

If you’re having a hard time visualizing your wainscoting boxes, you can use blue painter’s tape to make foe boxes and chair rails.

As you are planning out your wainscoting layout it’s important to be symmetrical. For example, I could only fit one wainscoting box on each of the 3 walls in this small bathroom. On the largest wall, I could fit roughly three boxes. Initially, I thought about mirroring the boxes on the opposing wall, but then I’d have a few different size boxes. In the end, the best-looking option was to make all three boxes the same size.

How to Cut Wainscoting

If you put up blue painter’s tape to help visualize your project, it’s fairly easy to take your measurements for each box. Just measure the width and height of each box along the outer edges of the tape.

In order to build your box, you’ll need to make eight 45 degree cuts (two in each corner). For my wainscoting projects, I like to use a pre-primed PVC Base Cap Moulding.

Also, while you could make these cuts by hand, a miter saw makes this project so much quicker and accurate. I was in the market for a new miter saw, so I scooped up this awesome Bosch miter saw. It’s truly amazing as it has a patented axial glide arm which allows you to set it on a bench near the wall. Most other miter saws have bars that the saw slides on and require you to have the saw 12 inches away from the wall.

If you’ve ever had or operated a traditional miter saw then you know this patented design is a game-changer!

This saw is amazing and makes every project like cutting through butter.

Quickly set to 45 degrees and chop. Then measure from the outer corner, mark and cut. Think of your wainscoting boxes as a picture frame. The outer edges should be longer, inner edges shorter.

Putting up Your Wainscoting

In order to install your wainscoting you’ll need the following:

• Construction Adhesive
• A level
• Nail Gun

One of the most amazing tools ever created for wainscoting is the modern laser level. This tool will shoot a laser line around all four walls of a room helping you make sure that every wainscoting box you put up is perfectly level. I purchased this Bosch laser level years back and have used it on an endless number of projects. Check out how truly awesome this level is for wainscoting in the photos below!

Once you get your level set-up, place a generous amount of Liquid Nails on the back of your wainscoting. Place the wainscoting on the wall and permanently secure it in place using a nail gun.

My wife bought me this 18 Gauge Metabo brad nailer and pancake compressor a few years back. It’s served me well and I’ve used it for wainscoting, crown molding, filling the car tires with air and more!

For this type of project, you’ll want to use around an 18 gauge 2″ brad nail.

Once you get the top of the box up, add both sides (again using your level) and then finally the bottom of the box. Check out the photo below and how the multi-beam laser level can help you great perfect 90-degree boxes.

Punch & Patch Your Holes

Now that you have your wainscoting up on the walls, the last step is to hide the nail holes and touch up the wainscoting. Start by inspecting each brad nail. Very occasionally you may have a nail that didn’t sink 100% under the wood. If so, use a punch set and a hammer to sink the brad nail under the wood.

Next, use a sandable and paintable putty to fill the nail holes. I love DAP’s DryDex as it goes on pink and turns white when it’s 100% dry and ready for sanding.

Last – sand, paint and enjoy!

If you liked this post and are still hungry for more wainscoting content, check out the ShabbyChicHouse featured on RealHomes.com story about DIY wainscoting.

And if our blue and white floral wallpaper caught your eye check out our other DIY tutorial on How to Install Wallpaper — Here!

The post How Installing Wainscoting Can Spice Up a Boring Room – DIY Tutorial appeared first on .

In this short post, I’m going to show you how to restore a wrought iron patio set – giving it new life and making it feel like a brand new piece!

Some of our posts contain affiliate links. We often share links to the tools & products used in our home improvement projects and if you purchase one of these items using our link, we may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

Sanding

Start by sanding any areas of the wrought iron where you see rust. Use 200-300 grit sandpaper.

Your goal here is to remove ALL signs of rust. In doing so you may remove quite a bit of paint and get down to the metal.

Use a lighter 400 grit sandpaper to create a smooth surface and transition between the layers of paint that will be covered later when we repaint the set.

Wash for a Clean Surface

Sanding creates dust particles from the paint and metal. To get the best level of adherence, give your wrought iron patio set a quick wash.

Hit with the hose, wipe down with a towel and allow 1-2 hours until fully dried.

Prime Before Your Paint

Priming your furniture is an extremely important step that should not be skipped. Yes, it takes a little extra time and effort, but will ensure your new paint job lasts for years.

Priming is important as it adds an extra barrier between the raw metal and the elements. In addition, it allows for greater adherence of your paint.

I’ve had a lot of success with Rust-Oleum’s automotive primer. Coat thoroughly hitting all the nooks and crannies.

Spray Painting your Patio Furniture

For this particular project, I used Rust-Oleum’s Stop Rust Advanced Spray Paint in Satin White. It took around 5 cans of paint and 3 light coats to achieve full coverage.

While spray painting is pretty self-explanatory, here are a few tips to help you get the most of your project.

1. Get a comfort grip to save your hand from cramping.
2. Spray roughly 6-9” away in a light sweeping motion.
3. Don’t try to get the job done in 1 coat. Rushing = Drippage. Be patient and aim for 3-4 coats.
4. Use a cheap plastic drop to catch overspray.
5. Paint outdoors or in a well ventilated area.

Protective Coating – Protect Your Hard Work!

If you’ve come this far and put in the time to restore your wrought iron patio set, it’s worth taking a few extra minutes to protect that investment. You can quickly do so by spraying on 2-3 coats of clear protective enamel.

I used Rust-Oleum’s crystal clear enamel which goes on clear and gives your patio set a nice finished shine.

Replacing Old Seat Cushions

If the seat cushions that came with your wrought iron set are old, faded and dirty it may be time to replace them.

The previous owner of our wrought iron set had attached foam padding/cushions to a piece of composite wood/MDF that soaked up water and got moldy, so we wanted a fresh start.

Step 1: Start by removing the existing cushion from the chair. Place that cushion on at least 1/4″ piece of plywood and trace the outline of the cushion.

Step 2: Cut along the line using a jigsaw. I have and love this Ryobi which is extremely easy to use and has served me quite well over the years!

Step 3: Test in the corresponding wrought iron chair.

Repeat this process for all of your chairs.

Reuphostering Your Patio Set

Now that you have the base of your seat cushion cut, place it on a piece of upholstery foam and trace. We went with a piece of 1″ upholstery foam from Amazon for our project.

If you like to stay organized, number your seats bases and foam to keep them paired together as each may have slight variations in shape.

Once all of your foam cushions have been cut you can start upholstering your seat cushion.

Step 1: Set your plywood base and foam on the backside of your fabric. Make sure to have a clean work surface to keep your fabric from getting soiled.

Step 2: Staple the back edge of your cushion making sure to keep your fabric straight and uniform on the seat. See how the stripes are centered and all start about the same place?

Step 3: Pull your fabric somewhat tight (not too tight) to the front side of the seat cushion and staple in the center.

Step 4: Continue to pull the fabric tight on the front side of the cushion and staple every 1-2 inches. While doing this make sure not to introduce any wrinkles or folds into the top side of the cushion.

Step 5: Staple all four sides leaving the corners loose.

Step 6: Fold, staple and trim off any excess fabric like in the photos below.

The Final Product

Wow! Check out those before and after shots. We couldn’t be happier with how this set turned out.

To keep this patio set in prime shape we Scothgarded the cushions with Scotgard’s special Outdoor repellent that not only protects from stains, but also reduces UV fading and repels rain and snow.

In addition, we store it inside during the winter months and when we’re not using it we keep it covered. We’ve gone through two of these inexpensive round bistro covers. They typically last a good 2 years before they get discolored and we order another.

Check out the fully completed set and additional photos below and let us know what you think!

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Luckily, many of the options that our builder Drees Homes offered have a lovely front porch included in most elevations, and so my dreams would become reality with the new build. But, finding the perfect furniture and decor was not as easy I thought, and it took trying out a few different patio sets, rugs and other decor elements before I found the keepers. The porch and the front yard landscaping, lighting and accessories are so important for curb appeal – we really wanted to get each detail absolutely perfect!

Read on for more about how I styled my front porch in the Shabby Chic New Build, and later in the post, read all about how we DIY’d our entire front yard landscaping…

Some of our posts contain affiliate links. We often share links to the tools & products used in our home improvement projects and if you purchase one of these items using our link, we may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

A Vintage & Beach Inspired Design

Even though our house is brand new, I wanted to incorporate a vintage garden feel. Growing up, my Nana had the most beautiful outdoor spaces with tons of pink and purple flowers, big white planters, scrolly iron chairs and benches, which I used for inspiration in our old yard. While these pieces fit seamlessly into the 1960s style of the original Shabby Chic House, I wanted to bring back these elements to my porch decor in such a way that would complement the more modern and coastal vibe of the new house without them looking out of place. I think it works!

Finding the Right Patio Furniture

Finding the right porch furniture to fit the space, look good and also function as comfortable seating was not easy. I had originally wanted a loveseat and after purchasing and returning two last Summer that didn’t work, I decided two chairs and a small side table would be the way to go. Unfortunately, with supply shortages everywhere, every set I found that I wanted was out of stock. I ended up waiting until this Spring to start my search again and I am so happy I did! I ended up finding the most perfect all-weather wicker chairs from Target and ordered them immediately. They looked a little grey in the online photo and I had wanted white, but I decided to wing it and take my chances. When they arrived, they were stunning in person!

Accents & Additional Flair

I added these blush throw pillows from one of my favorite places to shop for decor pieces – Ballard Designs. I thought they added just the right hint of color and would complement our brick as well as any flowers we chose to plant.

Front door porch decor also was a super important piece. I found the gorgeous peach faux peony and lamb’s ear wreath as well as the all-important wood and gold “Please Remove Your Shoes” sign on Etsy. But my very favorite piece is the custom-made welcome mat greeting all of my guests with “Hi, Doll.” This was how my Nana always greeted anyone when they called or came over. I added the scalloped mermaid hurricane lanterns to add additional flair.

The icing on the porch decor cake: this adorable nautical garden stool we used as a cocktail table, a faux plant in a white and gold pot I picked up at TJ Maxx to add one more splash of gold to go with the mermaid hurricanes and shoes-off sign, an outdoor rug under the chairs and table, and these fabulous white chippendale planters. I love consistency and tying in elements of design from other parts of the house…the chippendale design of the planters are picked up inside the house with our kitchen set, and the scallops are picked up in the fireplace tile surround and the kitchen backsplash we are installing this Fall.

DIY Landscape Design

At the Original Shabby Chic House, we had the most gorgeous rose garden, 50-year-old peony bushes, and so many pink and blue hydrangeas. We wanted to be sure that our new yard was just as flowery, as opposed to mostly evergreens, which is the standard where we live. We had received some quotes for landscape design and to have a professional install the bushes, florals, mulch, and french drains, it would have cost at least $5,000 just for the front of the house!

While it might have been a little risky, we decided that we would give it a shot. We took a drive to our local garden center – Petiti’s – and ended up purchasing two Pee Gee hydrangea trees, a Korean lilac tree, 10 hydrangeas (blue and white), six rose bushes (pink and white), and a few small evergreen bushes to fill in space. I also had two adorable topiaries – a housewarming gift from my mom – that we decided to use to frame the step. Living in a construction zone, we were lucky enough to gather up some random rocks to intersperse between plants. We topped it all off with black mulch and created our own french drains using white marble rocks we got from the garden center for a few bucks per bag.

All in, we spent about $1,500 on all of the front elevation landscaping – not a bad deal at all! And if you ask me, I don’t think anyone would ever know the whole thing was put together by two amateurs!

Porch Decor & Landscape Reveal Concluded & Where to Buy

Overall, I could not be more pleased with the front porch and the landscaping that we chose to elevate the curb appeal of the house! For more detail on the uplighting and landscape lighting, check out Mike’s post on those topics here.

Source List – Where to Buy

Blush Throw Pillows – Ballard Designs

Chippendale Planters – Amazon

Wreath – Etsy

Mermaid Hurricanes – Target

Nautical Garden Stool – Overstock

Grey Outdoor Rug – Overstock

Custom “Hi Doll” Welcome Mat – Etsy

Please Remove Shoes Sign – Etsy

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Installing landscape lighting is an amazing way to make your house stand out from your neighbor’s and look like the ultimate show home. By adding just a few lights you can boost your nighttime curb appeal, maintain a well-lit house for easy entry/exit and provide additional security from burglars and other unwanted pests.

The best part is…installing landscape lighting is fairly easy. You don’t need to be an electrician as it utilizes low voltage wiring and this job can be tackled in only a weekend.

In this post, I’ll walk you through several types of landscape lighting, how to plan your lighting layout and most importantly, how to successfully install a transformer and lights.

Some of our posts contain affiliate links. We often share links to the tools & products used in our home improvement projects and if you purchase one of these items using our link, we may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

Solar Powered vs. Hardwired Landscaping Lights

When we first began researching landscape lighting, solar-powered lighting was a very interesting option. As we read online reviews and observed neighbor’s lighting, we found that solar-powered lights didn’t quite have the power to adequately light up a house.

In the end, we decided to go with hardwired landscaping lights as they offered greater consistency and a higher light output. Go with a hard-wired option to make your landscape lighting project look like it was done by a pro!

With that being said, solar-powered lights are great if you’re looking for a quick plant-and-go solution or if you’re looking to illuminate a tree or other feature that may be too far away to run wire to.

Uplighting

The most common type of landscape lighting is uplighting. You may have heard these lights called “Cans” and essentially they are an upward-facing spotlight.

There are a lot of options out there. I like Doluck’s 4W LEDs. These LED cans come in black as well as bronze.

Initially, I purchased Doluck’s 8 pack and when I added a new feature tree in the front year I needed a 9th can light. Unfortunately, Doluck’s LED cans were sold out, but I was able to find pretty comparable 5W LEDs.

I absolutely love these two specific uplighting options because they are powered by an actual LED bulb instead of being hard-wired. When the bulb burns out you can simply unscrew the unit, pop out the bulb and put a new one in. Also, the bodies of both of these landscape lights are made from cast aluminum, so they feel well made and durable. I’d expect they’ll last for years and see several LED replacement bulbs.

Pathway Lights

Uplighting is the most common type of landscape lighting. However, if you want to add some additional dimension, simply add some pathway lights.

Pathway lights are great for illuminating walkways and ensure visitors can safely enter/exit your house at night.

Being big fans of Ring products, we checked out the Ring pathway light. However, their style did not match our house. Instead, we found these cool pathway lights below that have a farmhouse barn light look and match the exterior lights on both sides of our garage.

Unfortunately, Home Depot discontinued this light which we had hoped to also utilize in our backyard. However, when the time comes we found a fairly similar replacement that has that barn light look.

Ring Step Lights

While Ring’s pathway light didn’t quite match our style as soon as we saw the Ring Steplights we knew we had to have them. While all our uplighting and pathway lights are hardwired, these little guys/gals are solar-powered. They’re not on all the time like the rest of the lights, but turn on when they sense motion or a linked motion sensor is tripped.

These are perfect when guests come to the house as they light up the steps (at night only) and can also send a motion notification to our phone 24/7.

Transformer

A transformer is a hub that plugs in and converts your standard 120-volt electricity to a low-voltage current. Low-voltage electricity (around 12V) is safer to work with.

There are a lot of transformer options out there, but being a big Ring user I chose to go with the Ring Smart Lighting Transformer.

The Ring Transformer can power up to 200 watts. That easily covers my nine 4 watt uplights (9 x 4 = 36 watts) and my five 1.6 watt pathway lights (5 x 1.6 watts = 8 watts).

With the Ring Transformer, you can turn your landscape lights on/off from your phone as well as set them on a daily schedule.

However, my favorite feature is being able to link my landscape lights to a variety of motion sensors. For example, I have my landscape lights linked to a Ring motion sensor by my driveway, the Ring step lights I mentioned above and my Ring doorbell. If any of these motion sensors are tripped between 12:00 AM – 7:00 AM, all 16 of the landscape lights in the front of my house will kick on illuminating the entire front yard.

Talk about sending a burglar or pesky plant-eating animal running for the hills!

Below is a shot of the small sensor that detects motion when someone uses our sidewalk or goes anywhere near our garage entrance.

This is just one of the many awesome things Ring can do. Check out our new blog post that touches on Ring’s many other cool smart home integrations as well as an overview of the different Ring Protect Plans.

How to Install Landscape Lights

Tools You’ll Need

• Shovel
• Fishing Tape (if you need to go under a sidewalk)
• Electrical Tape
• Landscaping Light Connectors
• Low-Voltage Landscaping Wire
• Uplights / Cans
• Pathway Lights
• A Transformer & Bridge

Planning Out Your Landscape Lights

Start by observing your house from the street. What features of the house and landscaping do you want to accentuate and draw attention to?

Look for pillars, architectural highlights, trees and any other interesting features. Also, try to be symmetrical in your approach.

For example, starting on the left in the photo below the lighting goes – tree, house (3 lights), tree, house (3 lights on the pillars), tree. The tree in the center splits up lights focused on the house. The trees on the outside nicely bookend and compliment the other lights.

This structure and symmetry creates an awesome aesthetic at night. Also, what makes the biggest impact is incorporating the trees. Many DIYers focus solely on the house and forget why to accentuate their landscaping.

Planning Where to Place Your Transformer

Next, think through where you might want to mount your transformer box. Most transformers are weatherproof, measure around 12″ x 12″ x 4″ and are typically mounted/hidden on the side of your house. Your transformer should be plugged into a GFI-rated outlet and mounted at least 2-3′ high off the ground to help keep it dry.

In my situation, I did not have a GFI on the side of my house where I wanted to keep my transformer. However, I had a GFI on the other side of the wall in the basement. I ended up running the low voltage wire through the wall and actually keep my transformer inside of my house!

Once you’ve located a home for your transformer and planned out where you’ll place your lights it’s best to draw up a basic map. This will help you plan out how best to run your low voltage wiring. Plus, it’s nice to have something you can hold on to for future reference in case you forget exactly where you buried the low voltage wiring.

As you can see in my drawing above, the orange line represents my low voltage wiring. Off of it, you can see the circular can/uplights as well as the pathway lights.

I chose to run my low landscape wiring right in the middle of my flower beds. This allows me to have my larger plants in the back of the bed and plant tulips and annuals in front of the bed by the pathway lights.

Installing Low Voltage Landscape Wire

Once you have your low-voltage landscape wire laid out you’re now ready to connect your individual lights. To do so, you’ll need a 3-piece low-voltage landscaping connector.

Step 1: Using a razor blade, carefully separate the landscaping wire into two pieces make sure not to damage the rubber wire casing and expose the wire.

Step 2: Place the bottom of the wire connector with threading on each of the two split wires and plunge the metal point/tip into the wire and secure by screwing on the bottom cap.

Step 3: Split the end of the landscape light wire and strip roughly 1/4″ of the rubber coating off the wire.

Step 4: Insert the bare wire of the landscape lights into the top of the connector and screw-down on the bottom of the connector that we attached to the low voltage wire in Step 3.

NOTE: There are no red or black wires. So either of the light wires can be connected to either of the low voltage wires.

Step 5: After you’ve connected all your lights to the low-voltage wire, you can now connect the low-voltage wire to your transformer. Simply split 2-3 inches of the low voltage wire, remove the rubber sheath and insert into the two slots on your transformer.

Step 6: Plug in your transformer and test to make sure all your lights are working.

Burrying Your Low-Voltage Wiring

After you test and make sure that all your lights are working properly, you are now ready to bury your low-voltage wiring.

Using a spade dig a 6-7″ deep trench that you’ll be able to lay the wire in.

Again, I dug my trench right in the middle of my flower bed. This allows both my uplighting in the back of the beds as well as the pathway lights in the front of my bed to reach my low-voltage line. Also, this allows me to have my larger perennials/hydrangeas in the back of my flower bed and plant tulips or annuals in the front of my flower bed.

Going Under a Sidewalk

There’s a very high chance that at some point you’ll need to run your wiring under your sidewalk. While this sounds like a pretty difficult task, it’s fairly easy and there are two ways you can do it.

Buy a Auger

This auger is the easier of the two ways. Simply dig a hole on both sides of your sidewalk. Then attached your auger to a power drill and drill through the soil and rock under the sidewalk towards the side where your line is stuck or rests. Next, lace the line through the small opening on the tip of the auger and pull underneath the sidewalk!

Sledge Hammer & PVC Pipe

If you already own a sledgehammer, this second option may be the way to go. Simply buy a small (roughly 1″ diameter) piece of inexpensive PVC piping. Cut one end of the PVC at an angle to help it penetrate through the dirt and rock.

Next, Dig a 5-6″ hole on both sides of the sidewalk. Then, begin to hammer the PVC so it runs underneath the sidewalk. Once you see the PVC appear on the other side of the sidewalk you’re done. Finally, feed your electrical wire through the PVC pipe with a fish tape tool and repair your flower bed.

Conclusion

We absolutely love our landscape lighting and the difference it makes at night time is game-changing. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!

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In this post I’ll walk you through the easiest way to hang wallpaper, the tools needed and a few tips and tricks to help you nail it on your first try.

Some of our posts contain affiliate links. We often share links to the tools & products used in our home improvement projects and if you purchase one of these items using our link, we may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

How Much Wallpaper to Buy

Trying to figure out how much wallpaper to buy might actually be one of the hardest steps. How much you need will be dependent on the size of your room, the width of the roll of wallpaper and how often the pattern repeats.

First, measure the width and height of the walls you intend to wallpaper. Then for each wall, multiply the width by the height to figure out the square footage.

Next, if you have any doors or windows, you can multiply their width by their height and subtract from the overall square footage needed. If you have 1 door or 1 window, I typically skip subtracting from my total square footage as I like to have the extra material on hand. However, if you’re hanging wallpaper in a sunroom with 10 windows, then you’ll most definitely want to measure the windows and subtract them from your total square footage.

Last, add an additional 15-20% in wallpaper to make up for your repeating pattern as well as wastage.

Figuring Out Your Square Footage

To demonstrate this, let’s take a look at my project. I had two walls that were 3′ wide x 6′ tall and two walls that were 7.5′ wide x 6′ tall. I only needed 6′ tall as I decided to do a chair rail and wainscoting on the lower half of the wall).

3′ (Wall 1 Width) x 6′ (Wall 1 Height) = 18 sq ft for Wall 1

18 sq ft x 2 walls = 36 sq ft for Wall 1 and Wall 2

7.5′ x 6′ = 45 sq ft for Wall 3

45 sq ft x 2 = 90 sq ft Wall 3 & Wall 4

TOTAL SQUARE FOOTAGE (add sq ft for all 4 walls) = 90 + 36 = 126 sq ft

15% ADDITIONAL for wastage = 126 x .15 = 18.9.

TOTAL SQ FT NEEDED = 126 + 18.9 = 144.9 sq ft

Picking Out Your Wallpaper

Once you find a wallpaper that you like, read the manufacturer’s instructions. The manufacturer will most likely provide guidance on how many rolls you should buy based on the square footage you calculated above.

We chose this awesome white and blue floral wallpaper from Serena & Lily. This is their “Priano” wallpaper that comes in 4 colors – Sky, Navy, Dusty Pink & Green.

You can see on the label below that these rolls are 27″ wide and 27′ long. If you were a magician and somehow utilized every square inch, a single roll would cover 60.75 square feet.

In our measurements above, I calculated that I needed 144.9 square ft since a single roll covers 60.75 square feet, I needed to purchase three rolls for my project.

Prepping Your Wall

Before you can begin to think about putting up your wallpaper you need to prep your wall. Any holes, small dents/divots and raised surfaces will show through your paper. Use a spackling blade and drywall mud to fill the holes or divots.

If you have any bumps or raised areas on your wall, knock them down with a putty knife and sanding block. In doing so, you may damage the drywall and need to spackle the surface to relevel the wall.

Once you spackle is dry, sand to a smooth finish.

Sizing Your Wall

The term “sizing your wall” simply means to apply a pre-wallpaper primer to your wall before you hang your wallpaper. This primer allows for greater adherence and when the glue is wet provides a slippery surface so you can slide your wallpaper into position as you are matching patterns or lining up seams. More importantly, if you or a future owner decide to remove the wallpaper, this step allows you to simply steam/wet the wall and remove the wallpaper without damaging the drywall.

Zinsser’s Shieldz is pretty inexpensive at $7.50 and you can order right off Amazon and have it at your house in a few days!

Tools Needed to Hang Wallpaper

• Wallpaper
• Wallpaper Adhesive
• Roller & Tray
• Paint Brush
• Level
• Smoothing Tool
• Paint Shield/Straight Edge
• Seam Roller
• Brand New Razor Blades
• Measuring Tape
• Clean-up Sponge
• Work Table

While wallpaper can be a little pricey, all the wallpapering tools you’ll need are pretty inexpensive and you might already have most lying around the house.

I purchased a pretty awesome wallpaper starter kit on Amazon that includes most of the tools you’ll need. This kit includes two smoothing tools, a magic eraser like sponge, razor + blades, an easy cutting tool, measuring tape and most importantly, a seam roller. I mainly purchased this kit for the seam roller which is a must-have and this one is high-quality and will last for many projects to come.

Where to Hang Your First Piece of Wallpaper

If you have a patterned wallpaper it is extremely important to plan out where you’ll hang your first piece of wallpaper and where you’ll hang your last. Most likely the pattern will not match up, so it’s best to hide this seam in an inconspicuous area. Choose a section of the room that is less trafficked and where most people don’t naturally look. Typically the best place to hide this seam is above the entrance to the room. I like this area for 3 reasons.

1. It minimizes the length of the seam because it’s only above the door.
2. It’s above eye level, so it’s less noticeable.
3. You won’t see it entering the room and most likely guests won’t be looking up exiting the room.

Set Your Plumb Line

When you hang your first piece of wallpaper (whether it’s your first piece in a room or even on a new wall) you’ll want to create a “Plumb Line”. This is a vertical line that you’ll draw on the wall using a level or laser level.

After you get your plumb line and glue on the wall, holding your wallpaper by the top edge gently press it on the wall and slide it into place (like in the photo below). This trick ensures that your wallpaper is perfectly level when it is put up.

You may initially think about using the corner of the room as a starting point and possibly placing your wallpaper plumb in the corner. However, 99.9% of walls and corners are not level, so if you do this instead of using a plumb line your wallpaper will not be level.

Booking Wallpaper Vs. Rolling on Glue

The traditional way to hang wallpaper requires you to add your adhesive to the back of the wallpaper and fold in the edges like a book (hence the name booking). After a few minutes, you then try to lift and place the wallpaper on the wall. This method has some downsides. Folding wallpaper like a book can form creases in the paper. Also, if you’re papering a taller wall (let’s say 9′) it can be pretty hard and messy to get that monster piece of wet paper in position on the wall.

The easier way to hang wallpaper is by applying the adhesive directly to the wall with a roller and then setting the wallpaper in place on the adhesive.

I picked up a 1-gallon jug Roman’s PRO-543 Universal on Amazon which is pretty inexpensive and covers roughly 250 square feet.

Use a TON of Glue

I found that it’s best to slap up almost as much glue as you can get on the wall. Having more glue on the surface gives you more time, allows you to more easily slide the paper in place and ensures you get good adhesion to the wall. The great thing about this glue is that it is water-soluble and extremely easy to wipe away excess without damaging your paper.

Use a roller to apply the glue in the center of your wall and an old paintbrush to apply glue along the edges and ceiling of the room where it’s harder for a roller to reach.

Matching Your Wallpaper’s Pattern

Matching up your wallpaper’s pattern is almost like doing a puzzle. Once you get your first piece up on the wall, you then have to look at your next piece and see how it will fit together before you cut it off the roll.

Most wallpapers repeat their print every 24 or 36 inches. This means every so many inches you’ll see the pattern start over.

Once you get that first piece of wallpaper up, study the pattern at the top of the wall. Find a flower or shape near where the wall meets the ceiling that you can use as a reference point. Next find that same reference point on your next piece of paper and mark 2-3 inches above it on both sides of the paper. The goal here is to make sure you have a little bit of excess paper so when you get it on the wall it will match the pattern, reach the corner created by the wall/ceiling and you’ll have roughly 2-3 inches of excess that you can trim.

After you’ve marked the top of your paper, then use a measuring tape to measure the length that you’ll need. I typically add another 2-3″ on the bottom of the wallpaper to give me a little room for error/excess that I can trim to get a perfect fit.

Start at the Top of the Wall

After applying a generous amount of glue to the wall, hold the very top of your piece of wallpaper and attempt to set it in place so the edge is aligned with your plumb line. Once lined up, use your hands to gently smooth out the top 1/4 of the wallpaper on the wall. The goal here is to get all the major bumbles/wrinkles out and get enough paper adhered to the wall to hold up the other 3/4 of the paper below.

Once you get the top of the wallpaper in place, place your smoothing tool at roughly a 45-degree angle and smooth towards your seams and the ceiling. Smooth your wallpaper creating a crease where the wall meets the ceiling and you have that 2-3 inches of excess wallpaper hanging over. Then using a brand new razor blade and a straight edge, carefully trim the excess wallpaper.

Next, slowly work your wall down the wall with your smoothing tool. If at any point you get a big wrinkle or air pocket it’s best to lift the paper back off the wall (up until the wrinkle) and try to replace it without the wrinkle. It might take one or two tries to fix the wrinkle. Be patient and try, try again until it lays flat.

As you work your way down the wall, make sure to smooth your paper towards the edges. The entire goal of the smooth process is to get the air bubbles that are behind the paper out. So slowly work with your smoothing tool to push these bumbles out the sides where your seams are.

Roll Your Seams

One of the most important steps when hanging your wallpaper is rolling your seams. This step ensures that you get a really good level of adhesion on the edges and corners of your wallpaper. These are the first areas over time that could lose their adhesion and come down.

After you hang your wallpaper and smooth out all the air bubbles, you can then roll your seams. Using your seam roller, apply a decent amount of pressure and roll the wheel along your seams.

Also, if your glue is starting to dry and it’s apparent that a corner or seam needs a little more glue, I like to use a paintbrush and apply a little extra glue in that corner or see if I can angle it in the seam without lifting and then roll. Again, this glue is water-soluble, so you can wipe it off right after rolling

Wallpapering Around Corners

Hanging wallpaper around corners looks pretty intimidating, but is fairly easy with proper planning and patience. Start by hanging wallpaper on your first wall and trimming flush in the corner.

To get a match on your second wall, you’ll most likely need to cut your wallpaper somewhere down the middle. If the piece of wallpaper on your first wall measures 7″ wide and you’re using a 27″ roll of wallpaper, you can deduct that the pattern match will occur roughly 20″ in from the edge of the paper.

Roll out your next piece of paper and find a flower or pattern roughly 20″ in that would make a match at both the top and bottom of the wall. Once you’ve identified the top and bottom matches, add an additional 2″-3″ on both the top of your paper and cut.

Now that we have the proper length of wallpaper, you’re ready to cut it down the center. Find your flower/pattern 20″ in, add 2-3″ and then make a pencil mark. Repeat the process every 2-3′ until you can use a straight edge to draw a line from the top to the bottom of the paper. Last, carefully cut your paper vertically with a fresh razor blade following the line. Now we’re ready to hang!

Roll you wall with glue and place your paper on the wall using a plumb line. From there go over to your corner where you should have the extra 2-3″ of excess paper wrapping around the corner. You can then peak behind that excess 2-3″ and slide the wallpaper in place (making sure to keep level with the plumb line) until you get a match.

Once you get your paper in place and get a good pattern match carefully trim the excess and smooth in place.

Getting Rid of Trapped Air Bubbles

At some point, you may find that you have an air bubble trapped under your wallpaper. No mater how hard you try, you’re unable to work the air bubble out one of your seams with your smoothing tool. What’s happened is, the glue has set on the edges of your paper and the air is trapped.

The best tool to get rid of trapped air bubbles is a hairdryer! Blow warm air on the bubble for 1-2 minutes and you’ll find the wallpaper will begin to shrink and the air bubble will begin to go away. As you warm the wallpaper use your smoothing tool to smooth out the area where the bubble once was. After working the wallpaper and spot for 2,3 maybe even 5 minutes, you should be all set to go!

This technique has worked for me about 90% of the time. Very occasionally it does not. As a last resort, take a razor blade and make the tiniest hole possible in your air bubble (preferably in a dark pattern on the paper where it can be hidden). Once you have made your tiny hole, use your smoothing tool and smooth out your wallpaper and the air bubble from numerous directions toward the tiny hole. Combine this tactic with your hairdryer to finish the job.

Hanging Wallpaper or Chair Rails & Crown Moulding First?

I’ve seen this question debated both ways – personally, I prefer to wallpaper first and hang my chair rail and crown moulding second. I find putting wood trim over top of the paper does two things:

1. Provides a little additional support in holding the wallpaper in place at the top and the bottom of the wall.
2. Provides a significantly cleaner line and look as you don’t need to cut the edge of the paper along the chair rail or crown molding.

In Conclusion

With a little bit of knowledge, hanging wallpaper can be a fairly easy DIY project and can do wonders to spice up a boring room! Check out the before and afters below of our small powder room.

If you enjoyed this DIY tutorial, stayed tuned for one of our upcoming posts on the full makeover of this tiny powder room that includes the addition of a new vanity, wainscoting, chair rails, crown moulding and more.

Also, just recently ShabbyChicHouse was ranked by Feedspot as #46 on their list of the top 100+ Home Improvement blogs. Thanks Feedspot team!

Join our email list below to get notified when our powder room makeover and other awesome DIY tutorials go live!

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If so, you’re in the right place! Not too long ago I was in the same boat – looking at model homes, talking to builders and I was just plain overwhelmed. I searched until I came to the end of the internet and found a few articles here and there, but nothing really too helpful. I was certain I was going to get taking advantage of, miss some important detail or make some sort of costly rookie home building mistake.

To compensate, my wife and I were beyond meticulous with each and every building decisions. Luckily we successfully navigated our way through the new build process. The end result – we built our Dream Home and it turned out a thousand times better than we could have ever imagined!

If you’re thinking about buying a new construction home, stick along for the ride and I promise we’ll help answer many of your new construction questions. Just imagine…singing on the dotted line with confidence and being handed the keys to your very own dream home!

How Much House Can I Afford?

Before you start talking to builders, figure out what you can afford and set a comfortable budget. A good rule of thumb and threshold that most lenders follow is the “28% rule“. This rule is states that you should spend no more than 28% of your pre-tax income on your mortgage.

Obviously this is just a guideline to use as a starting place. You actually need to understand the bigger picture which takes into account the other debts and expenses you are liable for on a monthly basis.

Sit down and document your household income, monthly expenses, retirement savings contributions, debts, etc. Then compare and see what money you have left over to put towards a mortgage while still maintaining a comfortable lifestyle.

Now while this exercise helps you establish a comfortable range for a monthly budget, it still does not answer the question – How much house can I afford?

Really the best way to figure this number out is by playing with a mortgage calculator. I like LendingTree’s mortgage calculator.

Just enter in a Home Price, desired Down Payment, Zip and the tool does the rest. I like this tool as it calculates property taxes, insurance and if you scroll down, it even has an amortization table.

Now that you have an idea of how much house you can afford, let’s talk about the fun stuff.

Choosing a Location to Build

One of the most commonly known real estate phrases is “location, location, location“. An obvious place to start is by evaluating what cities you would most like to live in.

Things to Consider:

• What side of town or neighborhood would be most ideal for your needs?
• What part of town do you love/like the best?
• If you have children – what are the best schools nearby?
• How far are your friends and relatives?
• How far is your job?
• What other amenities do you need and want to have close by?
• What do you expect the city and surrounding neighborhood to look like in 5-10 years?
• Do you want to build on your own lot or live within a development?

If you’re looking to build on your own lot – start by searching “Build on Your Own Lot“

If you’re like us and have small children, you might prefer living in a development, so your kids have friends to play with. In this case, try searching for “New Housing Developments” or “New Housing Developments Near Me“.

As we explored different builders, we found most had a map like the ones below showing all of their current developments in the area with available lots for new builds.

As you research different builders you’ll most likely find other builders and developments within a few miles of each other. Make a day of it and take a Saturday or Sunday to visit 2-3 close-by developments.

When you do, note their location relative to major amenities, how large the lots are, how close the houses are to each other, additional amenities (playground, bike path, pool, tennis courts, etc.).

What was on the land before?

Another very important consideration when looking at a new development or individual parcels of land is…what was that land prior to becoming a new construction development? Was is a swamp? Was it farmland? An old dump? A pet sematary?

All these things, could present potential issues down the road. A swamp could mean flood issues. A farmland area could mean pesticides and other chemical were sprayed for years.

We avoided one popular new build area in city because it was a dump in the early 1900’s. Data in recent years had show a significantly higher number of cancer cases in the area.

Also, don’t rule out a neighborhood that might be in a city outside of your comfort zone. Visit, evaluate and then decide. In our case, building the same house a mile South had roughly a $100K difference in price tag!

What will the city look like 5-10 years from now?

Another possible consideration if you’re having a hard time choosing between one of two new home developments is – what will the surrounding area look like in 5-10 years?

We were considering 2-3 different parts of town and ended up deciding to build right on the fringe of suburbs and country. Currently, our location is right outside of the building bubble, but with the vast amount of new homes and shopping plazas already popping up, it should be inside the next bubble in 2-3 years. Ultimately, increased amenities equals increased demand, which in turn equals increased property values.

Find the Right Model House & Layout

If you’re pretty ambitious (or have built a house or two) you may want to draw up your own blueprint. Another option is to search online for potential blueprints you can purchase and take to a builder.

If you’re like the majority of us, it’s probably easiest to pick from the several model homes your local builders offer and customize one to fit suit your needs.

Most builders will have between 7-10 different model houses that you can choose from for each particular neighborhood. Also, each home typically comes in 3-4 different elevations. Elevations are unique variations of the same house to give it a different look or feel. This helps make the same house look different from others in the neighborhood.

As you’re trying to pick a layout, your best bet is to visit several model homes. Typically each development will have a model home/sales office located near the entrance of each development. Also, we found that builders build a different model in each of their neighborhoods. This allows buyers in a single market to tour and consider numerous layouts/models.

Another awesome option that most builders have nowadays is a virtual reality 360 walkthrough that allows you to virtually tour a house online. You can click on hotspots on the floor and use your mouse to look around the different rooms.

This is a great starting point, but there’s no substitution for seeing a house in-person. Again, make a day of it with the family and stop out, visit model homes and as you tour each, take note of the features you like best.

How to Choose a Home Builder

Truly the best way to choose a home builder is by visiting various model homes and spending time with a sales agent(s). When visiting a model home take note of the quality of the work. Look at the carpentry, painting, flooring, tile work and overall quality of the house. After visiting a few models you can get a sense of each builder’s quality and begin to set them apart.

Also, prepare a list of questions to go through with sales agent, who most likely has an office in the model home.

Here are a few standard questions to ask a builder:

• What does your building process look like? Timeline for each step?
• What does communication look like throughout the process? Daily updates? Weekly progress meetings?
• What happens when something goes wrong (Trust me – This will happen!) ? What’s your process to fix the problem?
• What building techniques or materials do you use that are different?
• How are your houses different? What sets them apart from other builders?
• What options are available in terms of tweaking or making additions to the structural floor plan?
• Can you tell me about your design process? Can you hand pick all the final finishes? How much can we customize?
• Do you have a warranty program? How long on the foundation? How long on the other components of the house?
• What other major development plans do you have for the neighborhood in the next 3-4 years?
• Are there or will there be any additional amenities added to the neighborhood?
• Is there a map of the lots available? What are the typical lot sizes in the neighborhood?

Another great way to get info about a builder is by asking people that already live in the neighborhood about their overall experience. As you drive through you may see a person or two outside doing yard work. If you are comfortable, ask about their experience with the builder. And more importantly, if they had an issue was it resolved in an acceptable manner?

I do however caution you against Googling reviews on a builder. You will undoubtably find more negative reviews than positive ones, as it’s typically unhappy customers that will post a review. I took this route for a few days and it almost turned me off from buying a new construction home altogether.

In the end, you might not make your decision solely based on the builder. However, it can help you narrow down your options. We were able to narrow our choice down to two builders based upon the quality of their work and our comfort level. From there it was the location, piece of property, lot size and amenities that helped us make our final decision.

Choosing a Lot

As you’re evaluating different builders and new home developments, one of the most exciting parts of the process in checking out/walking different parcels of land. If you stop by a neighborhood’s model home or contact the builder you can most likely get a map that shows the size, shape and location of the lots for sale. On this map there may be some lots that are listed at different premiums and some that are not. This means some of the lots are considered to be in a premium location and you’ll incur an additional fee to build on them.

Once you have this map, take a look at the different lots and take note of what’s located around them. What will be next to or behind each of the lots. Which lots are located closer to amenities (pool, playground, tennis courts, etc.).

We chose our lot as there is a small field behind our property that will not be built on in the future. We liked the idea of not being 100% landlocked and not having neighbors surrounding every inch of our property.

Another small consideration might be what direction your house faces. Our new house faces slight towards the Northeast, which means our backyard faces Southwest. Most nights we can look out at the open field and get some pretty amazing sunsets. The open backyard and amazing daily sunsets were worth the small premium.

Pricing Exercise

After visiting numerous developments, models and lots you might be ready to start talking numbers. When you are ready, sit down with a builder’s sales rep and go through an initial pricing exercise.

In this step, you won’t be picking our cabinets, floors, countertops or making any of the big design selections. You’ll be making all of your structural selections. This means you’ll be focused on decisions that impact the initial structure during the framing stage.

So for example:

• What changes can you make to the original blueprint?
• Do you want a front entry or side entry garage?
• Do you want a sunroom our attached outdoor/covered living area? or both?
• Do you want a two-story great room on the first floor our would you rather have an additional bedroom or open game room?
• Do you want a fireplace?

These might be just a few of the decisions you’ll be able to make in regards to the structural selections.

Once you lock down these selections, your sales person can add those costs to the premium for the lot and give you a rough estimate of the final new build cost.

Although you won’t have a final cost, you’ll most likely be asked to make a monetary commitment to move forward. This small down payment will allow you to reserve a specific lot and move on to the design phase where you’ll be making all your color, cabinet, countertop and other design selections.

Once you have gone through this pricing exercise, add an additional 10-15% on to that price tag. So for example if your house is $200,000. Expect to spend an additional $20,000 – $30,000 and possibly beyond.

With our new house, we went all out and spent an additional 20-25% in the design center and could have spent ever more!

Additional Considerations & Questions Before Signing

There are so many questions and considerations to think through before you sign and make a down payment. Don’t be rushed by a salesperson, expiring promotion (often used to create fake urgency) or any other reason. This will be one of the biggest purchase of your life! Take as much time as you need to think everything through, weigh your decisions and move forward comfortably.

Beyond many of the questions above, here are a few others work asking before signing and placing a down payment.

1. Ask for documentation showing all easements on the lot

Will the lot have sewer drains, electrical boxes, internet service boxes, light poles or other easements on it?

2. Request a topo map for the property

You builder was required to submit a topography (“topo”) map to the city showing the final grade of the property for civil engineering and city approval purposes.

Interestingly, in our situation a swale (sloped ditch) runs through the our backyard where I planned on placing a shed. In addition, while our entire neighborhood is flat and even our lot was initially 100% flat, with the final grade our house is now on a slight (and unexpected) hill.

Short story – ask for your builder for a topo map before signing to play it safe. If you get pushback or “assurances” just say you’ll need that documentation before you can feel comfortable signing – “cause you have a friend (me)”.

3. Ask about the timeline and move-in date

You probably won’t get an actual date, but will get a rough timeline from the date you break ground. Even if you builder says they hit their move-in dates 95% of the time (our did), your best bet is to add 2-3 months on top of that timeline.

4. Ask each builder you visit about any promotions they may be running

Some of the builders we visited were including a sunroom as an incentive to buy a new construction home with them. Others offered an outdoor living area (attached/covered patio). Also, you can use a builder promotion from one builder to negotiate with others!

If you’re not interested in a current promotion such as an outdoor living area, ask if you can substitute it with a sunroom, finished basement, free lot fee or something else. Your builder will most likely be happy to write an equivalent fee off somewhere else to make the sale.

These promotions typically run a few months and after one expires, another typically starts. In most cases you can get your seller to give you a small extension (4-5 days on the promotion) if necessary. Again, don’t be rushed into a decision!

5. Ask to see a house or even photos with the structural upgrades you are considering

If you are interested in making a structural upgrade that is not present in the model home, ask your sales associate if there’s a house in the development or even another development that you can visit. If not, ask if they have photos or if they can work with their divisional or corporate office to find photos of the upgrade.

Another option is to Google you builder’s name and the model. If you’re lucky, you can see design and structural choices from other markets that can help you make your final decision.

Seeing these choices before moving forward is EXTREMELY important. To share how important – we ended up doing a coffered ceiling in our two-story great room which is one of my favorite features in the entire house. However, no one in our market had done a coffered ceiling before. There were no houses or photos for us to take a look at.

At the same time our sales person recommended we move the fireplace over and center it on the wall. We obliged. A few months into our build we found that while the fireplace was centered on the wall, it was not lined up with coffered ceiling. We nearly lost it and thought we were going to have to walk away from the house as we would never be able to live with such a mistake.

In the end, our builder fixed the error and it turned out amazing! Short story here – do you best to find a real-life or photographic example of every design decision before pulling the trigger.

6. Ask to visit the design center before signing

Even after going through the pricing exercise with our sales associate we were still extremely concerned about moving forward. We still had no clue how much we’d need to spend at the design center. We were afraid after making a deposit we would find out that we couldn’t afford any of the upgrades and would be stuck with all “builder grade” finishes.

Luckily, our sales associate invited us to an upcoming “Drees Days” event at their design center. This was a chance for prospective buyers to visit the design center, see the upgrade options and in an abbreviated session, get a pulse on the options and additional costs. This event allowed us to get a head start on the design process and feel comfortable enough to sign, make a down payment and move forward.

7. What are the HOA fees & Restrictions

Ask you sales person what the annual HOA fees are and what they will be expected to be in the years ahead. In addition ask about restrictions. In our neighborhood this included things like – no chain link fences, sheds must match house colors, no boats/RVs allowed on your driveway.

These HOA rules in our situation are only specific to our development and are 100% different from the rules for rest of the city where we live.

Most likely you builder will have this information printed and ready to give to you. If not, ask for it!

Making Your Final Decision

In order to make your final decision you need to weigh ALL of these factors and which are the most important to you!

Hopefully this post opened your eyes to a few new potential considerations when buying a new construction home and made you feel a little more confident in taking on your own new build!

If you found this post helpful or if you have questions, we’d love to hear from you. Please comment below!

Lastly, this post only covered the very first step of buying a new construction home. Below are some of the future blog posts we have in the works to aid you in building your very own dream home!

1. Designing a New Construction Home – Design Center Tips
2. Overseeing Your Builder & Subcontractors
3. Wait! Before you Move in
4. TOP Post Move-in Projects
5. Things We’d Do Differently in our Next New Build

Please let us know what blog post you’d most like to see and join our email list below to get notified when they go live!

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