E told me yesterday that I should not write posts when I am being indecisive as it tells my readers I have no idea what I am doing...That is the point, isn't it?? For those of you who have been following me (or have read the disclaimer at the bottom of this blog) I think you already know that I am not always perfect. It is rare to see my imperfections, I know, but they are there...E can assure you! For those new to my blog or for the rest who may have just "forgotten" - here is a few not so perfect ideas and plans that went south...
How NOT to pick a bedroom wall color
What fabric NOT to pick when making Super Simple window treatments
Waiting to clean your vents until a year after you'ved moved in...big NOT!!
Which items you SHOULD NOT get from Craigslist even if they are FREE!
How NOT to make a floating shelf and, better yet, how NOT to hang it
So, you see, I am always willing to share my DIY imperfections...I am only human after all. I do not feel my last 2 posts on my office psychodrama between me, the new desk/shelving, and a daybed are not really negative and showing my indecisiveness but rather they are positive in that I will not do the whole thing and then regret certain decisions later.
Due to my planning and over-planning THINGS ARE LOOKING UP...41 inches up to be exact! Yesterday we left off with my office looking a little something like this:
This morning I decided to nix that and go back to the other side...though I would have been able to keep the daybed in one piece the space felt really small when you walked in from the kitchen PLUS I wasn't gaining much space to work on. Here is today's events as they unfolded:
Taping the layout would have been helpful in the beginning before arranging and rearranging a thousand times all while scratching up our newly sanded and stained floors (seen here)...hind sight, peeps! Once I got the tape up I knew I finally got it right. Time to hang the cabinets...
For those of you who have no Ikea kitchen cab hanging experience and would like to give it a whirl but may be a little too shy to break out the ye ole' screwdriver...fear not! This is how it's done, folks!
1. If you are working alone I suggest you eat first in case you are frail like me. More on that below.
2. Ikea AKURUM cabinets are hung from a suspension rail. A long metal rail that looks a little something like the photo to the left. You will need to find your studs and mark them...don't get cheeky on me...I mean wall studs!! Mine are actually marked in the photo above - it just so happened each vertical green tape marked a stud. No need for you to tape up your whole wall - just put an x or a small piece of tape over the stud area.
3. Level your suspension rail. If you are hanging the rail by yourself you may need some help keeping it in place while you wrestle with the screwdriver and screws. Here is a little trickypoo... Put the rail in place and hammer a small nail in one of the holes to hold it up - no need to nail it flush or hit a stud. The picture is actually a giant nail but I was too lazy to find another...don't be lazy. Now level from the other side (one side is being held up by your nail!) and put another small nail in. Voila' - you are ready to screw into the studs.
6. Screw into every stud that your cabinet length has. Prior to this I actually put a few anchors and screws in the hollow wall parts just to be on the safe side - my last cabinet had about 10 inches without a stud on the end so I want to be extra safe. For the studs I used #10 2 inch wood screws. I am sure there are many other options out there but these seemed to work fine...2 hours and still hanging!
SIDE NOTE - it turns out I am weak...very weak. I still contend, as I did on the bracket hanging fiasco, that I had not eaten and perhaps was in a hypoglycemic hysteria but eventually one has to come to grips with there own Bull****. For the life of me I could not get the screw into the stud. I kept pushing and pushing and it would not budge. I was pushing so hard on my electric screwdriver that the ladder started to tip from the wall. This is when I figured out I am just not strong enough to do such simple things as screw something into a stud while on a ladder. I then called, text, and emailed every man in my life to see who would come to my rescue first. Enter Jim, my step-dad. Thank goodness for Jim!! Back to business...
7. Now insert the bolts into the square metal thing and slide 2 into the suspension rail to hang your first cabinet. This is the time to grab a friend if you need help lifting. If you are crafty you can stack some things up to the correct height and put the cabinet on top to truly DIY but that is some risky behavior meant only for such people as MacGyver and Indiana Jones. Don't ask me how I know this - I just do. Today I was thankful to have Mom and Jim there to help me.
8. Before lifting the cabinet up, measure the space between the holes on the back of the cabinet and pre space your bolts (already in the suspension rail) at about the same distance -this will make it easier once someone is holding the cabinet below and you are trying to fumble with the nut and washer thingy. Now lift it up and get the bolts through the holes, put the washer thingy on and then screw on the nut. Don't worry about getting it tight and level just yet.
How NOT to pick a bedroom wall color
What fabric NOT to pick when making Super Simple window treatments
Waiting to clean your vents until a year after you'ved moved in...big NOT!!
Which items you SHOULD NOT get from Craigslist even if they are FREE!
How NOT to make a floating shelf and, better yet, how NOT to hang it
So, you see, I am always willing to share my DIY imperfections...I am only human after all. I do not feel my last 2 posts on my office psychodrama between me, the new desk/shelving, and a daybed are not really negative and showing my indecisiveness but rather they are positive in that I will not do the whole thing and then regret certain decisions later.
Due to my planning and over-planning THINGS ARE LOOKING UP...41 inches up to be exact! Yesterday we left off with my office looking a little something like this:
This morning I decided to nix that and go back to the other side...though I would have been able to keep the daybed in one piece the space felt really small when you walked in from the kitchen PLUS I wasn't gaining much space to work on. Here is today's events as they unfolded:
 |
| Removed shelf I just hung earlier this week...arrgghhh |
 |
| Taped out the wall cabinets... |
Taping the layout would have been helpful in the beginning before arranging and rearranging a thousand times all while scratching up our newly sanded and stained floors (seen here)...hind sight, peeps! Once I got the tape up I knew I finally got it right. Time to hang the cabinets...
For those of you who have no Ikea kitchen cab hanging experience and would like to give it a whirl but may be a little too shy to break out the ye ole' screwdriver...fear not! This is how it's done, folks!
1. If you are working alone I suggest you eat first in case you are frail like me. More on that below.
2. Ikea AKURUM cabinets are hung from a suspension rail. A long metal rail that looks a little something like the photo to the left. You will need to find your studs and mark them...don't get cheeky on me...I mean wall studs!! Mine are actually marked in the photo above - it just so happened each vertical green tape marked a stud. No need for you to tape up your whole wall - just put an x or a small piece of tape over the stud area. 
6. Screw into every stud that your cabinet length has. Prior to this I actually put a few anchors and screws in the hollow wall parts just to be on the safe side - my last cabinet had about 10 inches without a stud on the end so I want to be extra safe. For the studs I used #10 2 inch wood screws. I am sure there are many other options out there but these seemed to work fine...2 hours and still hanging!
SIDE NOTE - it turns out I am weak...very weak. I still contend, as I did on the bracket hanging fiasco, that I had not eaten and perhaps was in a hypoglycemic hysteria but eventually one has to come to grips with there own Bull****. For the life of me I could not get the screw into the stud. I kept pushing and pushing and it would not budge. I was pushing so hard on my electric screwdriver that the ladder started to tip from the wall. This is when I figured out I am just not strong enough to do such simple things as screw something into a stud while on a ladder. I then called, text, and emailed every man in my life to see who would come to my rescue first. Enter Jim, my step-dad. Thank goodness for Jim!! Back to business...
7. Now insert the bolts into the square metal thing and slide 2 into the suspension rail to hang your first cabinet. This is the time to grab a friend if you need help lifting. If you are crafty you can stack some things up to the correct height and put the cabinet on top to truly DIY but that is some risky behavior meant only for such people as MacGyver and Indiana Jones. Don't ask me how I know this - I just do. Today I was thankful to have Mom and Jim there to help me.
Now - stand back and admire your handy work!! If you are putting more than one cabinet on keep workin' it till you are done. Then start at the end nearest the wall and get the cabinet level then tighten the nuts. There are simple directions on leveling that come with the cabs. Go to the next and do the same all the way down the line. Make sure to secure the cabinets to one another with the connectors that come with it.
So simple!! We had these up and hung in about 10 minutes...4 hours if you count the time I tried to do the studs myself to the time Jim got there and we actually got it done. Not bad for a day's work!
Here is a sneak peek at What's Happening Now (unfortunately I just got that theme song stuck in my head!! Don't remember it? Check it out here...)
Simply put - we have progress. I am looking forward to loading up those shelves and to start enjoying the space soon! My inspiration photo will soon be a thing of the past as the whole office is starting to take shape. I can not wait to see what I get accomplished by the end of the weekend. Monday is fast approaching!
Anyone else working on a big project this weekend? If you feel like sharing please leave a comment with what you are up to or a link to your project!!
As always -thanks for reading!!
Bianca
