Tuesday, January 19, 2016

The Wall & The Drill

Well, over the holiday break Rob was a gem and repainted our living room, front entry, upstairs hallways and kitchen. We once again used our favorite colors of Anonymous Gray and Amazing Gray from Sherwin Williams. I swear you never realize how dirty life, children and pets make walls until you put a roller to the wall with the new paint. Yuck! Here is what our finished project looks like, and we have just a bit of touching up to do along the edges. But, that will happen probably when we are stuck at home this weekend as we are expecting a lot of snow.



Thankfully, Rob was in the full on redo mode and decided to do a full wall of wainscoting/paneling or whatever you feel like calling it. I was all for it. It had been on our wish list of things to do for a few years now, and he thought after four kids and being stuck inside with cold temperatures was the perfect time to take over the kitchen area. Here is the wall before from another project we did.

It started out with painting the wall in the darker Anonymous Gray.


 Rob drew up this design on Wynn's sight word practice sheet (whoops) and headed to Lowe's.

 He pulled out the floor trim, and began by placing boards all along the outside edges of the main wall.  Then he cut the wood to make 24 squares on the wall. Well, after square #1 was built he called me upstairs. I was holding the baby, and was not paying attention and did not see the drill with the long drill bit on the floor until the last second. Needless to say I then noticed some pain, because a few inches of the broken off bit was now lodged in my foot. Excuse the mess in the picture below. This is how we left the kitchen prior to leaving the hospital, and then I took a picture a few hours later when we got back and Rob had finished up.


 I yelled for Rob who had just gone in the garage, and then gave him the baby.  I hopped upstairs got a change of clothes & diapers for the boys , and then hopped around finding just one shoe for me.   Our neighbors (the third set of grandparents essentially) came to the rescue and took all four kids to their house. My mother in law came over after we left. We were at the ER for three hours, and they were able to remove it fairly simply. I am still in some discomfort, but oh well I still have my foot.


When we got home my mother in law graciously stayed an extra few hours to help, and Rob then finished the cutting of the wood and framing of the squares. I told him this better be the best project yet, or else the drill bit into my foot wouldn't be worth it.

To make the squares on the wall Rob used 1 x 6 foot pine boards  at the top and bottom of our wall.  Then he placed boards 18 and 3/4 inches a[art going from left to right vertically using 1 x 4 boards pine.  Then he split up the remaining 1 x 4 boards to go across horizontally to create the squares.  

Then he used drywall mud and caulk to fill in any gaps, and then gave it all a good sanding. Finally, he primed the wood boards and painted them in the same Anonymous Gray.  




6 comments:

  1. I hope you're enjoying your new wall with your foot up and you're on the mend. Ouch! Your husband did a great job on the wall, though. It's beautiful!

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  2. Anonymous Gray is fantastic! I need to try that color sometime.

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  3. What an awesome project Megan! It looks so neat. I love the color.

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  4. it looks INCREDIBLE!!!! wow! i would be kissing that wall, and my husband if he did something like that!

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  5. Sounds like something that would happen to ME! OUCH! I hope you are feeling better. And that is wonderful that you have neighbors who can come to the rescue! A lot of people do not. The wall looks FABulous...so worth the foot "incident".

    I am now reminiscing about some home improvement "incidents" in my past. YES...more than one...oy. LOL Only 1 sent me to the ER. (I have gone to the ER for "dumb injuries" not related to home improvement. Just saying.LOL)

    Last night I had the "diamond injury". The dog was looking under the couch and I thought his ball was under there. I got down on the floor to look, and hit my forehead on my engagement ring, puncturing my forehead with the prong. I actually HEARD the skin break. EW. Only a drop or 2 of blood. But a LOT of laughing! LOL That one is now my number 1 dumb injury....moving the "jumping over the couch (at age 20)and breaking my toe" injury to number 2.

    Helpful hint....Keep a supply of super glue on hand ...use it to seal up a "kitchen incident" on a finger. Then put the finger in one of those rubbery finger cover thingys and go back to cutting up the dinner.

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  6. Your wall project turned out great! I would love to create a wall like yours in my home's master bedroom.

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