Community Brag Posts

Ana's simplest console inspired my first build. I decided to make it a bit wider like one I saw on Shanty 2 Chic's website, and this is what I came up with. So excited about my first build - can't wait for the next!

This project took us four days. The biggest job that took us awhile was sanding and painting.

I started with the standard laundry basket dresser but went with shelves. I thought that the baskets would last liner this way. The baskets used are from IKEA and sit on felt runners to keep the noise down.

We built this farmhouse table for my Mom's house, to create a space big enough for our growing family to gather at holidays and birthdays. We added to the size- the final dimensions were 82″ (long) x42″ (wide) x 30″(tall). It is a huge, chunky table! My parents prefer natural finishes, so we gave the natural wood several protective coats of polycrylic. 

project for my niece's Christmas gift.

I love how this table turned out! This table was built for a friend of mine who wanted a rustic farmhouse table with "fancy" legs. The legs and apron are painted white and distressed. The table top is stained 2 x 6 pine. We love it! Thank you so much for the plans Ana! The legs are 5" turned maple legs. First, I painted the legs and apron "java brown" and then using Minwax furniture paste wax, I applied wax to the areas that I wanted to distress. After two coats of satin white paint, I distressed the legs using 220 grit sandpaper. Two coats of wax and the legs were silky smooth! The top is 2 x 6 yellow pine. I used two coats of Rustoleum dark walnut, one coat of sanding sealer, a final sanding with 220 grit sandpaper and two coats of wax. Love it!!

This was a custom build for a friend. It's nearly 8 feet long and I used the plans from the classic chair made simple for the back legs and support for the seat. Everything else was customized to fit her needs. =) Lots and lots and lots of pocket holes but this piece turned out better than what was pictured in my head! 

Love this shelf. We found we had to pre-drill holes since the wood we used was very dense, but in the end it was still a 1-day project (including buying wood and running other errands). It was perfect for our storage room since we really wanted a shelf to store totes, but didn't want to spend a lot on a room we never go in. In the end we spent $80 on wood, which is far less than comparable metal shelves for $160-$180 elsewhere. In addition this thing is STURDY. Thank you Ana!!

Our home (like many) does not have a fireplace or mantle. So, I decided to build one. Thank goodness for Lowes. They pre-cut all wood for me. I was afraid to use a drill (I'm a rookie), so I nailed all pieces of wood with 1 1/2 inch nails. Wood glue was fabulous prior to using the hammer. I omitted decorative molding too. I think I used too much antique paint, but I can always re-paint it next year. I don't think I'll have the mantle up all year long, but it's great for a Christmas decoration. I hope this gives hope to anyone out there considering this project. If I can do it, YOU can totally do it! Thank you SO much for helping a novice builder like me add something to our home.

I built this buffet table for our dining room using the Gaby Kitchen Island plans. I used some reclaimed boards I salvaged from a trash pile at work for the top and side aprons. I also used old pallet wood for the bottom shelf boards. This gave it the cool, rustic look I was going for and really helped set it apart. Really fun project. 

Thank you for the plans. It was a fun build and my girls love it!

I saw this adorable scooter on Ana's website and thought it would be perfect for my godchild's 1st birthday! (my kids are a little too big for it otherwise I would have made it for them as well). I didn't read the entire post before I started so I didn't read that you should use harder wood to avoid chipping and all that but it still worked out okay, certainly not perfect but a fun gift that I was proud to give.

The multiple paint colors added time as I was always retouching one color up and then going back to another color but that was more me being sloppy than anything.

This was a weekend project , lots of fun !

mortise and tenon joints with dado for breadboards

For my boyfriend's oldest niece, who is 13, I decided to make a jewelry stand for Christmas this year. I thought it would be fun to make a triptych with a place for earrings in the middle and necklaces on the sides, sketched out a basic design and got started building.

For the details on how to build it, check out my blog: http://homeandawaywithlisa.com/blog/2012/12/18/triptych-jewelry-stand.h…

Loved this coffee table ever since I saw it at Restoration Hardware. Thank you Ana & Jen.