Collected & Cozy

Tag: DIY project

  • The $50 Oak Table That Stole My Heart

    The $50 Oak Table That Stole My Heart

    I’ve been keeping an eye out for a small table to fit in our little café nook in the kitchen. Something with character, but not too big or too fancy.

    One Saturday morning, I was scrolling through Facebook Marketplace (as one does) when I spotted a solid oak table listed for just $50. The photos looked promising. A few scratches, sure, but nothing a tablecloth couldn’t hide. I didn’t think twice. My Papaw happened to be in town that weekend with his truck, so I sent my husband, my dad, and Papaw off on a little furniture rescue mission.

    Photo from Listing

    When they brought it home, the table looked a bit rougher than the pictures had let on. The top had definitely seen better days, but I shrugged and said, “I’ll just clean it up, throw a tablecloth on, and call it a day.”

    My papaw wasn’t having it. He told me it would be super easy to refinish the top and that it would look like a brand-new table with just a little elbow grease. And when my Papaw tells me I can do something, I believe him.

    So the next day, I ran out to grab some sandpaper and got to work. Luckily, we already had an orbital sander, so I started with what the 60 grit sandpaper we had on hand to strip off the old finish and smooth out all the scratches and marks. That part actually went faster than I expected!

    Next, I switched to 180 grit and sanded by hand (since I forgot to buy the right kind for the sander — whoops). It wasn’t bad, though; the 60 grit had already done the hard part. I finished it off with 220 grit for a silky-smooth surface before cleaning the top with a little soap and water to get rid of the sawdust.

    After Staining!!

    For the stain, I used the same one from our mudroom bench project. It’s always satisfying to use what you already have, and it ended up being the perfect match. After two coats of stain, I ran to the hardware store for a top coat. I ended up doing three coats total (my first two were way too thin), and when it dried, I stood back and couldn’t believe how beautiful it turned out.

    I’ve never refinished furniture before, but this little $50 oak table turned into something really special. It fits perfectly in our kitchen’s café nook and looks like it was made for the space. I’m so glad my Papaw talked me into tackling it instead of hiding it under a tablecloth.

    I did “borrow” the chairs from our dining room for now, so I’m officially on the hunt for replacements but honestly, they look better here anyway.

    There’s just something about bringing an old piece back to life that makes a home feel extra cozy. If you love a good before-and-after, you can check out my DIY mudroom bench next — I used the same stain, and it turned out beautifully.

  • How My Parents Added Character to their Builder-Grade Home

    How My Parents Added Character to their Builder-Grade Home

    My parents are always up to something creative, but their latest project might be my favorite yet. They built an accent wall in their living room. It started out as a simple paint refresh and turned into a full-on DIY adventure, complete with multiple hardware store stops, a few minor injuries, and plenty of laughter.

    The Inspiration

    When I asked what inspired them, my mom immediately said,

    “I saw it on Instagram! I’m just trying to get rid of that builder-grade look.”

    My dad, on the other hand, admitted,

    “I didn’t want to do it. It looks good. I’m just saying.”

    It all started with an empty wall that just felt too plain. They painted it first, thinking that would be enough but after living with it for a bit, they both agreed it still needed something more. So the idea for a box-trim accent wall was born.

    Planning the Layout

    They began the old-fashioned way: with pen and paper. My dad measured (and re-measured) the wall to decide how many boxes they wanted. Once they had a rough plan, they taped out the design on the wall and left it up for a couple of weeks just to make sure they liked the layout before committing.

    When it was finally time to start, they made a list of supplies and headed out for what was supposed to be a quick trip to Home Depot.

    Except… they accidentally drove to Lowe’s.

    By the time they realized, they were already at the back of the store in the tool section. So, naturally, they turned around, left Lowe’s, and went to Home Depot where they bought a new level, nailer, nails, and caulk. Unfortunately, the wood selection was a letdown. My dad tried cutting a piece himself, but it chipped. “Junk,” he said. My mom wasn’t impressed either.

    So off they went again. This time to Menards, which they both agreed had the best wood selection (and cheaper prices, too).

    After all that, they stopped by our house to borrow a saw and a battery… but ended up visiting the rest of the night instead. The next morning, they finally got to work.

    Building the Wall

    Once they got started, things moved pretty quickly. Between cutting, nailing, and double-checking every measurement, they worked from about 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with a break for lunch and some distractions from the football games (the project was completed on a Sunday).

    The wall features 12 pieces of 8-foot MDF base cap molding, about 1.5 inches wide, attached with a pin nailer and finished with paintable caulk.

    There were a few battle wounds along the way…my dad managed to cut his finger (no idea how) and hit another with the nail gun. Luckily, it didn’t go through. While recalling the nail hitting his finger, he went on a tangent about the time he stapled 2 of his fingers together. It was very traumatic so if you ever get the chance, be sure to ask about it. He swears it’s the worst pain he’s ever felt: the staple, not pin nail.

    What They Learned

    Like most DIY projects, there were lessons along the way.

    “Cut a little extra and dry fit before cutting again,” my dad said.

    “And if you’re doing a big wall, you can’t do it alone — those top boxes were five feet tall!”

    He also offered some advice for anyone trying this at home:

    Nail in the center of each board first to help line it up before securing the rest. Don’t rush the measuring: “Measure, remeasure, and then measure again.” Use a baby wipe to smooth out caulk for a clean finish. “It takes it right off the wall. No mess.”

    When I asked what the hardest part was, they both laughed.

    Dad: “Figuring out the spacing to make it look uniform.”

    Mom: “Listening to your dad complain about it and waiting on him to do it!”

    And the best part?

    “We bought exactly the right amount of wood,” my dad said proudly. “Didn’t cut a single piece wrong.”

    The Finished Look

    The finished wall completely transformed their living room. The clean lines and subtle texture make the space feel more custom and collected. Exactly what my mom was going for. My dad says,

    “It’s up there. It’s up there good. It’s up there straight. It looks good.”

    Which, coming from him, is high praise.

    Their next step is buying paintable outlet covers so they blend in seamlessly with the wall.

    My mom’s already dreaming up their next project: wood slats in the entryway. My dad’s a little less enthusiastic, but I think we all know how this story ends…with another beautiful wall and a few more laughs along the way.

    Final Thoughts

    What I love most about their accent wall isn’t just how good it looks (and it really does look great). It’s the mix of teamwork, patience, and humor that went into it. DIY projects can be messy and unpredictable, but they’re also full of stories and this one perfectly fits them: equal parts determination and comedy.

  • A Cozy Mudroom Built with Love (and Patience!)

    A Cozy Mudroom Built with Love (and Patience!)

    Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    When we moved into our home, there was this little niche by the door that just looked like it was meant to be a mudroom bench. You know those spaces that practically beg to be turned into something useful and cozy? This was one of those.

    Empty niche in our entryway
    The little niche that started it all – just begging for a bench.

    It only took us… about a year and a half to finally start the project. But once we did, my husband and I spent three weekends bringing it to life. It could be a weekend project if you’ve got uninterrupted time but with a toddler running around, we worked in short bursts during naps and whenever the grandparents could come over to play.

    Fitting the wood into the space
    Fitting the wood into the space
    Woman painting wall
    Me flexing my painting skills
    woman assembling the base of a bench
    Me helping assemble the bench base
    2 men placing bench in niche
    My dad and husband placing the bench!!

    The Not-So-Straight Walls

    One of our biggest challenges? The walls. They were not straight, and the corners were definitely not 90°. Sliding the wood bench pieces in was such a struggle. We had to shave off little bits at a time to make them fit. At one point I got so tired of the micro cuts that I just jammed it into the wall and called it good.

    Learning As We Went

    I also stained the bench the wrong color at first. It turned out way lighter than I pictured, so I ended up re-staining it darker and honestly, it made all the difference.

    For the board and batten, we tried to save money by going with cheaper wood. I’ll be honest: it worked, but it took a lot of sanding to get it smooth and presentable. If I could give one piece of advice: save yourself the extra work and go with the nicer wood.

    Bench assembled in garage
    Look at that stain. Absolutely not.

    The Fun Part: Finishing Touches

    Once the hard parts were done, adding the hooks, baskets for shoes, and cozy pillows made it all come together. I love styling the space. It’s the perfect mix of practical and pretty.

    Finished mudroom
    The completed mudroom
    completed mudroom niche
    See? It was begging to be a mudroom
    black hooks
    The simple black hooks contrast so nicely with the white board and batten
    close up of board and batten
    shoe baskets
    These seagrass baskets look pretty and smell nice

    Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase at no extra cost to you.

    What we used:

    • Seagrass Baskets – Exact baskets we used from IKEA
    • Throw Pillow Inserts – Exact pillow inserts we used
    • Throw Pillow Cover – Floral – I love our pillow covers! They work so well with the wall color
    • Abstract Art Print – I saw this in someone’s video on youtube that was like a “Shop with me” at Hobby Lobby. I literally went out and bought it the next weekend! It’s the perfect moody color scheme
    • Our floral pillow cover isn’t available at IKEA anymore, but it’s a waffle knit texture. I think it helps for it to just have a different texture to add more interest to the solid color

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    Now, I use the mudroom every single day. It’s right by the door we use to come and go, and every time I see it, it makes me smile. The green on the walls might just be my favorite color in the house (and it’s one of the few spaces we’ve actually painted so far!).

    We’re not professionals by any means. Just two parents making our home feel like us, one project at a time. This little mudroom corner has become such a warm, happy part of our everyday life, and I love that we built it together.

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    Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous