Project Diary #14 – Entryway, Stairs & Landing Before & After

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I’ve been sharing teasers for so long, it’s ABOUT THYME I got to the good stuff! Right?Time for a reveal, room by room of the project I’ve been working on. The main floor is my wellness studio, the upstairs – finally: A luxury AirBnB apartment I’ve nicknamed “Suite Thyme”. Ready? Let’s go! Here’s the before and after when we walk in the door and up the stairs.

The Reveal

Before when you entered, it was old industrial blue carpet, dirty dingy walls and a 2nd floor landing without personality. Now it’s a welcoming, inviting entryway with a place to sit and remove/put on shoes, doors with keypads for guest self check in and keeping the wellness studio off limits, a bookshelf with information on the services offered by the wellness studio as well as information on local attractions. That back door, we call it the “hobbit door”…seriously watch your head, tall people! It’s locked from the inside (it’s access to the wellness studio/back door). 

before – the banister and railing is original, probably at least 100 years old (beautiful!)

DIY craft studio // workshop - before room makeover @diyshowoffGood bye blue carpet. staircase before carpeting

after – the original pine floors are very scratched, marked up with paint and scuffs too. We’ll add that to the project list for another day and embrace the imperfections for now, okay? It adds character, my friends. lol

entryway airbnb butler pa suite thyme diyshowoffboho entryway

before:

DIY craft studio // workshop - before room makeover @diyshowoffbefore and after carpeting stairs

after:

stairs airbnb butler pa suite thyme diyshowoff

before: It seemed that this space and the entire upstairs was used for storage only in the recent past. It feels SO good to give it new life and purpose! 

DIY craft studio // workshop - before room makeover @diyshowoffcarpeting stairs

after: The stair landing is now an indoor porch area/comfy and relaxing reading nook for guests with a huge cozy egg chair, lots of pillows, a salt lamp and water fountain. The perfect spot to ‘getaway’ with a good book, to catch up on social media with friends or to take a little cat nap. There might even be room for two in that chair. 🙂 The electrical/light switch has since been updated. Oops! Just seeing that I didn’t cut that out of the shot. There’s a new wood beaded flush mount light fixture not shown. It has a very boho vibe and it’s one of my favorite spots in the apartment. Well, to be honest…wait ’til you see the rest. The entire apartment is my favorite spot!

reading nook

before: 

DIY craft studio // workshop - before room makeover @diyshowoffpadding for carpet on stairs

after: so cozy, so fun! A small thrifted basket gallery wall, 

reading nook stair landing airbnb butler pa suite thyme diyshowoff reading nook airbnb butler pa suite thyme diyshowoffreading nook makeover reading nook makeover reading nook makeover

before:

DIY craft studio // workshop - before room makeover @diyshowoff 

after: clean and simple!

enjoy every moment airbnb butler pa suite thyme diyshowoff

Share your thoughts! 

What do you think? Notice the wallpaper on the back window wall of the landing?Wallpaper fan? Not your thing? Not your style? Know what I mean when I say I sure loathe the removal? Willing to change your mind and take a risk when you fall in love with a print/pattern and it’s just want you and in mind for adding interest? I felt like this print was less trendy, the design is traditional. How about carpet on the stairs? I partnered with Shaw (see the info HERE) to replace what was there. I love the subtle design and features for it to be a long lasting investment. 

Let’s talk about that chair! It’s the OpalHouse Southport chair from Target. Something I really wanted but outside of the budget. And my entire family knew I wanted that chair. So when Mr. DIY asked what I wanted for Mother’s Day, he immediately knew the answer before I got the words past my lips. lol Then at our Mother’s Day dinner, I said to my girls “guess what I got for Mother’s Day?” and Evangeline “did you get THE chair?”, Alainee: “did he buy you the chair?!” Me: “I got the chair!” It was just like a “He went to Jared’s” tv commercial. Moral of the story: I got the chair. ::love:: And guests renting the AirBnB just might find me hanging out in it! (Just kidding!)

Next up:

One room combination living room/dining area/kitchen with a BIG WOW factor! AHHH! I can’t wait to show you! 

Upstairs apartment door…

apartment suite thyme door

Sneak peek looking the other direction from inside of the apartment:

apartment makeover

More about #helloredreno

The building has so much historical charm. It’s about one block from our town’s Main Street. The bus stop is literally steps away. There’s a gorgeous Butler, PA Bed & Biscotti across the street called Suite Retreat (how cute is that?!) and an antique shop nearby. There are breweries, the YMCA, shops, restaurants, salons, florists, candy/coffee shop, holiday parades and festivals within walking distance. So fun! If renovation from blah to ahhhhh is your thing, stay tuned!

So subscribe and be reminded of updates as the renovations progress! I’ll share before and after photos, projects underway and updates, plans and design boards, sources and links as they relate as well as fun events going on in and around the downtown area. I’ll be using a specific hashtag on social media to keep things all neat and tidy and organized.

#helloredreno and #suitethyme

I welcome your thoughts and ideas! And as always, thanks for your encouragement and support and for sharing in my joy and vision! 

The #helloredreno project diary:

Project Diary Entry #1 – Hello Red Reno!

Project Diary Entry #2 – Efficiency Apartment

Project Diary Entry #3 Color Passive Paint

Project Diary Entry #4 – Full Bathroom Demo Day

Project Diary Entry #5 – Sealing A Wood Plank / Shiplap Wall

Project Diary Entry #6: Bathroom Flooring

Project Diary Entry #7: Sealing Brick

Project Diary #8: Hardwood Floors

Project Diary #9: Carpeted Stairs

Project Diary #10 Vinyl Floor Tiles

Project Diary #11 – Living Room Before & After

Project Diary #12 – Christmas at the Studio

Project Diary #13 – Wallpaper Mural

Project Diary #14 – Entryway, Stairs & Landing Before & After

DIY Freestanding Mobile Pipe Coat Rack

Holiday season! That means some entertaining in our home, get-togethers with families, dinner parties (having a holiday open house today, in fact).  Time to get holiday guest ready! Did you ever notice that your own family fills up the coat closet (sometimes to the point of “avalanche!” when opening the door? Or is that just us?!)…and when guests arrive in colder months, coats are stored in the guest bedroom in a pile on a bed? Our solution: 

DIY galvanized pipe and wood mobile coat rack on casters @diyshowoff #lowescreator

A DIY moveable, mobile coat rack. I am so over the utility types that teeter, lean or fall over when filled up. Know what I mean? This industrial looking DIY coat rack is sturdy, not to mention adds a touch of rustic industrial style.

Materials I used:

  • (1) 48 inch stair tread (I used red oak but for a more budget friendly option, there was also pine)
  • Rust-Oleum Ultimate Wood Stain (color is kona and ebony)
  • foam brush for applying stain, gloves & rags, paint brush for applying polyurethane
  • Rust-Oleum Polyurethane sealer (finish is satin)
  • (4) heavy duty casters 
  • (2) 3/4″ flanges
  • (2) 24″ galvanized steel pipes
  • (2) 30″ galvanized pipes
  • (2) 3/4″ tee connectors
  • (2) 3/4″ nipple connectors
  • (2) 3/4″ 90 degree elbows
  • (2) 3/4″ 90 degree street elbows
  • (2) 3/4″ caps
  • (1) 36″ galvanized pipe
  • #12 1 inch hexagon washers (screws)

DIY galvanized pipe and wood mobile coat rack on casters @diyshowoff #lowescreatorDIY coat rack with galvanized steel pipe and casters @diyshowoff

What I did:

Soak the sticker parts of the galvanized pipes in hot soapy water. (It doesn’t take long.) Remove stickers. Dry pipes and set aside. 

DIY galvanized pipe and wood mobile coat rack on casters @diyshowoff #lowescreator

Finish the wood. Using the foam brush, I applied the wood stain (brush on in the same direction as the wood grain). Let sit for a few minutes then wipe away the excess with old rags. Unlike pine, the red oak wasn’t absorbing my favorite kona colored stain in as rich of a color so I also applied two coats of ebony in the same way to achieve a darker color. Stain then dries in about an hour. 

DIY galvanized pipe and wood mobile coat rack on casters @diyshowoff #lowescreator

After the stain was dry, I sealed the wood using a coat of polyurethane. Simply brush on (looks a bit milky when wet but dries clear). I let that dry overnight. 

I attached the four casters to the under (unfinished) side using the hexagon screws. Be careful with the screws on the cut side of the wood. Going too close to the edge may cause the wood to crack. 

DIY galvanized pipe and wood mobile coat rack on casters @diyshowoff #lowescreator

Flip right side up. Set aside the nipple connectors, two street elbows and the caps. 

Next I assembled my pipe pieces. Starting with the flanges. Screw 30″ pipes into flanges.

DIY galvanized pipe and wood mobile coat rack on casters @diyshowoff #lowescreatorThen add tees to the other end of each 30″ pipe.

DIY galvanized pipe and wood mobile coat rack on casters @diyshowoff #lowescreator

 

Then add the other 30″ pipe sections (one to each tee – you’ll have two poles at this point).

DIY galvanized pipe and wood mobile coat rack on casters @diyshowoff #lowescreator

Add a 90 degree elbow to the top of one pole.

DIY galvanized pipe and wood mobile coat rack on casters @diyshowoff #lowescreator

Connect the 36″ galvanized pipe (center) piece. Add a 90 degree elbow to the end of the center pipe piece then add the other pole.  

DIY galvanized pipe and wood mobile coat rack on casters @diyshowoff #lowescreator

Place the pole-contraption onto the wood stair riser (I found the center by using a yard stick).  Attach flanges to the wood using the hex screws.

DIY galvanized pipe and wood mobile coat rack on casters @diyshowoff #lowescreator

Add nipple connectors to the center tees, then elbows then caps. This creates a space for hanging purses, hats or scarves. 

DIY galvanized pipe and wood mobile coat rack on casters @diyshowoff #lowescreator

Now when we’re expecting guests, we can simply roll the coat rack near the door for hanging coats. Or use it as extra hanging space in a room without a closet (or one with a packed closet). Handy to have in the laundry room too! 

DIY galvanized pipe and wood mobile coat rack on casters @diyshowoff #lowescreatorDIY galvanized pipe and wood mobile coat rack on casters @diyshowoff #lowescreator

Store it in the basement, a closet, the laundry room, an office or guest room and then move near the door for parties and gatherings. Or if you have room, display near the front door entryway or mudroom area. 

DIY galvanized pipe and wood mobile coat rack on casters @diyshowoff #lowescreator 

DIYShowOff #lowescreator

I received a Lowe’s gift card to put towards this challenge. Opinion and above idea is 100% my own. More DIY ideas at Lowe’s Creative Ideas or follow Lowe’s on InstagramPinterest and sign up for the Creative Ideas magazine and app.

Entryway Envy

Our farmhouse lacks entryway pizzazz. Heck, it lacks an entryway. Period. Even if you do have a grand entrance to your home, you’re going to love one from The Three of Us

the-3-of-us-blog

Before was white. Plain. Bare.

entryway-before

Add lots of DIY fun for an awesome transformation…

entryway-after

Love the view looking down…what a change!

entryway-reveal

Gorgeous! See more awesome DIY from Ashley and Luke at The Three of Us. Loving the recent DIY dip dye curtains and DIY paint stick light.