Tag Archives: black and white

DIY Staircase Remodel

In my house, the staircase is the first thing you see when you come in. My stairs wasn’t in bad shape to begin with which was nice. However, I wanted something bold. I wanted to create a “WOW factor” if you will. Something that makes you say, “Dang that’s different and cool!” So, one day I was walking in Home Depot and I saw these vinyl peel and stick floor tiles. Then it was like a light bulb went off. It was a super easy, durable (and cheap) option.

LET’S TALK PRICE & MATERIALS

  1. Vinyl floor tiles – $15/box of 10 tiles X 5 = $75
  2. Utility knife – $8
  3. Tape measurer – $5 (I already had)
  4. Vinyl floor adhesive – $15
  5. 1 quart of black paint = $22

TOTAL = $125

My stairs already had wood treads and iron balusters, so an update wasn’t super needed. However, I’m so in love with the way this turned out. Also, it was super easy! 🙂

Step 1. Clean the stairs. Make sure all the dust and debris is all gone.

Step 2. Prep your area. I have painted so much now that I don’t need to tape off areas. I’m pretty good with keeping it in the lines. But if you need to use masking tape go ahead and mask off areas that don’t need paint.

Step 3. Paint the stair railings and posts. I did 2 coats. I used Behr paint color called Limousine Leather in the satin finish. I recommend getting a satin or gloss finish since this is a high traffic area. Matte paints chip easier.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/BEHR-MARQUEE-1-qt-MQ5-05-Limousine-Leather-One-Coat-Hide-Satin-Enamel-Interior-Paint-Primer-745304/310991614

Step 4. Applying the vinyl floor tiles. First thing you want to do is measure the height of your stairs. For my stairs, it took 4 tiles per step. I started right to left. You want to make sure you do each step in the same direction and pay attention to how the design goes. Use your measure tape and mark the spot on tile. Then cut the tile with your utility knife. I used a leveler to make sure it was straight and level. You will make the cut then bend the tile so it pops into 2 pieces.

Step 5. Apply the adhesive. So these tiles already have adhesive backing. However, these tiles are standing up and not laying down on the floor. So, to make sure gravity doesn’t take it you will apply vinyl adhesive.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Roberts-8-oz-Vinyl-Seam-Sealer-for-Sheet-Flooring-7500-8/307565677

AND THAT’S IT FOLKS! It is super easy and affordable! Here is a little tip though. After I cut my first piece I kept it to use as a guide for my next piece so I didn’t have to measure height for every floor tile. I would lay it on top of new piece so I knew where to cut also it made sure it was straight every time. I’m so in love with it! I feel like it brings so much style to the space and gives a great first impression when you walk into my house. 🙂

DIY Entryway Storage Area

Welcome home! Unfortunately, the first thing my kids (and husband) do when they get home is kick off their shoes and throw them everywhere. It usually ends up having shoes all over my house. It’s bad. Tripping over shoes happens all the time. So, before someone gets hurt in the house I decided to build this welcome area to help organize our things: it acts as a coat rack, purse holder, hats, and shoes. I didn’t have enough room in my foyer for a table or bench. So, I had to get creative.

LET’S TALK COST & MATERIALS

  1. Wood – (3) 1X4 $6 & (3) 1X6 $8 = $42
  2. Caulk -$5
  3. Hooks – $3/hook X 5 = $15
  4. Baskets – $12/basket X4 = $48
  5. Paint – (I already had) quart of paint roughly $15
  6. Welcome sign – $15 Hobby Lobby

Total = $140

First of all, I didn’t mention that you will need a miter saw or table saw (and a nail gun) to cut the wood and nail it to the wall. If not you can go to Home Depot with your measurements and request for them to cut your wood for you. Yeah! That’s pretty nice. The good thing about this project is that it isn’t that big. So, you could potentially get all of your cuts done at Home Depot. 🙂

Depending on how wide your wall is depends on how many vertical rows you would like to do. My space was pretty small so I only ended up needing 2 vertical pieces.

Step 1. Set your bottom piece. This will be one of the 1X6 pieces. Make it flush with the wall and the baseboards go all the way to the edge of the corner. After you have made your cuts then you will nail it to the wall with your nail gun. It is best if you can nail it into the stud to make it more sturdy.

Step 2: Set your vertical pieces (1X4). Since I only had 2 pieces, it made it easy to figure out the spacing. I just measure the width of the wall and separated it into 3 sections. So, I just had to have it the same spacing on the ends. On my wall it ended up 7″ on each side.

Step 3. Set your middle piece and top piece (1X6). You can choose how low or high your middle piece will be. It really depends on if you are doing the basket storage at the bottom or not. I set mine high since I knew I wanted shoe storage at the bottom. I basically just wanted enough room for my welcome sign.

Step 4. Set the little vertical pieces that goes in between the middle and top.

Step 5. Set the shelf. Lay one of the 1X6 pieces flat and nail into the wall. Then cut the little piece under the shelf to help for support and aesthetics.

Step 6. Caulk and paint. You will want to fill the gaps in between the wall and the wood with caulk to make the project look more complete. Once the caulk has set and dried. I let it dry overnight. The next day I completed it by painting everything with 2 coats of white paint.

Step 7. Attach the hooks and welcome sign. I used 5 hooks and evenly separated them. The welcome sign I bought at Hobby Lobby with a 50% off coupon. I just love that place!

https://www.hobbylobby.com/Home-Decor-Frames/Mirrors-Wall-Decor/Word-Wall-Art/Black-Welcome-Wood-Wall-Decor/p/80848244

Step 8. Attach the baskets. I bought these baskets at Ikea for pretty cheap. I liked that they had some dividing inserts you could add to it if your wanted to. I used 2 screws per basket and made sure to go into the middle of the wood. If you go to close to the end you do run the risk of the wood splitting.

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/pleja-wire-basket-with-handle-black-20348047/

And that’s it folks! Now you have a great entryway spot! I hope this helps keep you organized and gives your foyer a little style. 🙂