Sawdust 2 Stitches

Blog

DIY Ceiling Camera Mount

I did it.  I slayed my Goliath, conquered my mountain, took the plunge, overcame my fears. What did I do?  I published a YouTube video.  I know this may seem like a small feat, but in my head it was the great unknown. I have had every excuse in the book.

“When the kids are in school full-time.” (The youngest  is currently finishing up second grade)

“When my workshop is complete.” (Completed a year ago, and for real when is a shop ever “finished”.  Amiright?!)

“When I have more time.” (Ha, if I was waiting for more time, I picked the wrong career.)

The list could go on and on and entail such menial things like, “washing my hair sounds like a lot of work”.  Honestly,  any excuse was better and easier than just diving in.

So, what changed?

Well about 3 years ago I met a friend.  Not just any friend.  One of those life longer, ride-or-die types. She is one of those friends who is willing to fly halfway across the country (only accepting a box of Cheerios as payment)  and hold your hand as she walks you through your own personal hell. In my case, YouTube.

 

If you don’t already know Jenn she has worked for some BIG deal names. Like …  I don’t know “This Old House”?!  She is actually so great at what she does, that  they asked her to head up a new branch of “This Old House” geared toward new home owners.  If you aren’t already tuned into “House One” you should be. If that isn’t enough, she also runs her own site “Build Basic” that is chocked full of creative content.  So make sure you head over to her site to see tons of fun new ideas INCLUDING plans for  today’s project.


We brainstormed some fun ideas, and came up with a very fitting project.  A project that would ultimately aid me in this new YouTube endeavor. We designed a new camera mount that would hang from the trusses in my shop.  By designing it this way, I would be able to move the mount/camera quickly, and easily to my different work stations. We also constructed it so that we could attach a monitor that would allow a live preview of what I was working on.   While we were at it, we also came up with a simple solution that would up my lighting game! So this project is really a “two birds with one stone” scenario. Not only are we sharing this project with you, but I also took the plunge into video content!

BUILD PLANS HERE

Without further ado.  Our first video produced specifically  for YouTube.

 

<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/NhpPFSGoNyg” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen></iframe>

If you wouldn’t mind taking a moment to subscribe to the new channel I would forever appreciate it!

Subscribe Here 

                                                                                                                                                                                        Take Luck,

                                                                                     Corey

R.V. Makeover Reveal

Today is the day, it’s  R.V.  Makeover Reveal day!  This project has been a labor of love, and I am so glad the test of my love is over!

In the event you are just joining us you might want to start at the very beginning of this journey.

R.V. Makeover Painting Process

R.V. Bathroom Makeover

R.V. Dinette and Sofa Makeover

This thing is ready to go, and that’s exactly what I plan to do!  Truth be told, as soon as I finish writing this final installment of the Camper Makeover Journey I will be packing  to take this little gem out for a camping trip! So, not only am I anxious to dive right in, but I also have things  I need to be prepping. So without further ado,  I give you the camper makeover reveal!

For comparison sake, let’s enjoy how far this camper has really come. 
Here is the new and improved sofa and dinette  area.   If you want to read more about this process you can get more details in regards to the custom furniture! 


 In case you missed it,  you might want to check out how I turned two standard ottomans into this awesome dinette set. 
Complete with hidden storage, booyah!

Would you believe this table is made using the leftover flooring? (Read more about that here.) Yup, and it is awesome, and waterproof.  Winning!




The kitchen I think was the best bang for my buck scenario. With a little bit of paint, a lot of elbow grease and some peel-and-stick tile this kitchenette is unrecognizable!  (You can read all about the paint process here.)

Isn’t  it beautiful? Yes.  Yes, it is. Now for the bathroom.   This thing was gross, and so I felt it completely necessary to recover every single surface in the entire room, and I did.  Did you know you can paint tubs?  Well you can and I  share all the fun details in regards to this bathroom makeover here.

One of the smaller areas that did not require much work was the kids bunks.   I ended up adding shiplap the front panel, and making custom curtains using track systems I purchased on Amazon.   I did end up replacing the kids mattresses,  because they were disgusting.  I ended up purchasing these mattresses and used an electric bread knife to trim them down to size.
 I even added a some wire baskets to keep their books and personal items. Last but not least, the “master bedroom”.   This space was mostly renovated in the “painting” phase.  I added shiplap around the base of the bed, and created small nightstands  using the excess flooring as table tops. Of course it also needed a new mattress, because eww… Lastly, I added a few homemade curtains for additional privacy and this area was all set!   ( The bedding and pillows were purchased at Target.)

Of course all the finishing touches like the signs and curtains are made by yours truly!  If you are interested in seeing more behind the scene details I highly encourage you to check out my Instagram Stories here.

Well folks,  that concludes  this saga.  It was a LOT of hard work and I am sure it will all be worth it.  Time to go put this beauty to work.

Thanks for following along  and Take Luck!

Corey

Just in case you are really curious, here are some side by side  before and afters. Enjoy!

R.V. Dinette and Sofa Makeover

This post is sponsored and does contain affiliate links*

Hey all!  Thanks for sticking with me on this crazy little makeover journey, and hey if you are just joining us, WELCOME! As most of you know I have been working on this project around the clock.  I have teamed up with the great folks at DAP and many of their awesome products to make this project possible. If you haven’t already checked out the initial “R.V. Paint Makeover”  then I suggest you start there and work your way towards the “R.V. Bathroom Makeover”, then you are pretty much caught up!  Today  I am sharing how I took a gutted R.V., and then built my own custom furniture to outfit it.

Camper Sofa

When we gutted the camper I had originally planned on reupholstering the original couch myself.  Well, if you have been reading along you know that those plans quickly changed. ( I don’t know how on earth the “gentleman” that sold us the camper masked the smell while we checked it out,  but  I HAVE got to find out what he used, because it smelled just fine. By the next day our gag reflexes were kicking in when we walked anywhere near it was then the idea of keeping the original sofa went out the window.) So the couch went to the dump and I went to IKEA.  I needed something as light as possible,  somewhat small in size, and if possible budget friendly.  IKEA by nature seems to accommodate all of those requirements.  I am happy to report I did end up finding this couch that would more or less fit the bill.  There was one other sofa (Karlstad), similar in size and was cheaper but I loved the dark color of the “Landskrona“.

 Instead of just putting this couch in a place and somehow anchoring , I decided to take a more labor intensive route that I hoped would be worth the work! (Spoiler Alert: It was!) I wanted to make this look like a built-inland not like an after-thought. To do that I built it up so that it would appear to be on a platform. By doing this it would still be lightweight and create plenty of space for storage underneath!    I built very simple legs out of 3/4″ plywood.  Again, the goal here is to just elevate it without adding too much weight.   This option was perfection. It fit plenty of storage, and should we ever choose to,  it would accommodate another twin size foam mattress. NICE!  So I have my platform, and it is functional, but now I want to make it look like it was a built-in.
 I was racking my brain trying to figure out a super impressive way to make this work.  I had considered hinges and glide and many other contraptions, but then  my inner voice of reason chimed in. “It doesn’t always have to be time consuming to be effective!” So,  I just ripped a piece of paneling to fit, and attached a small board that would serve as a stabilizer to the panel.  This was such a simple fix and yet SO effective. I just  used some Rapid Fuse and it was done in 20 mins, start to finish! 
 The last thing I needed to factor in, was how to keep it in place.  Again, my brain went straight to different mechanisms that I could use to make this work,  but again I rested to my “simple is best” (in this case).   I found some magnets in the craft section and used Rapid Fuse to glue them to the back of my cover panel and also to the support/legs of my sofa. Easy peasy! All of that storage makes my heart happy.  It will make for easy loading and unloading, and of course it will stay a bit more organized! 

Camper Dinette/ Benches

Next on the agenda, was the part that had me scratching my head.  I needed to replace the dinette set.  Again,  the original upholstery had to go,  so  I was starting  at ground zero.  Once I had found the couch I was going to use in the camper I started searching high and low for a fabric that would work for the dinette set. I was having a hard time getting excited about any of it, because…  I have a secret.  I may indeed be titled “Sawdust 2 STITCHES” but I truly hate sewing. I can do it, but I really, really prefer not.  So  I dragged my feet for a while.  Then one day I was considering some options and I had a “light bulb” moment.  What about an ottoman for the seating ?! Once the idea was stuck in my head it started to snowball.  I ended up finding a few different options on Amazon.  I ordered two different styles that I thought would work, and it was a miracle one of the styles was nearly a perfect match!  So those ones  I kept, the others were sent back.

So,  I put them in the camper and basked in the fact that they matched so well.  But the more I looked at them, the more they bothered me.  I had done so much work to make this camper look amazing, and here I was about to just toss in some seating. That simply isn’t me at all!?  Who even was I?! So, in true Corey fashion I started playing around with a more complicated idea. What if I were to use the upholstered lid, and create something a little more custom!?  Have you ever wondered where my tagline “where we can’t leave well-enough alone”?  Well, now you know. So I began breaking down my new ottomans and using them for parts.  The base I knew I could build easily… it was the fabric and the upholstered hinged storage lid that I really wanted to utilize.  I even reused the boards that made up the base  again!  The only thing that changed is that I needed  to build an internal bone structure for the the boxes.   Where as before the ottoman relied on the fabric to hold it together. Yet again I was faced with the challenge of creating  a sturdy  yet super light weight piece of  furniture.   As a “builder” I find I tend to “overbuild” everything. So creating a bench using paneling and 1″x 1″ boards  gave me slight heart palpitations. If you want to see more about the process, you can see my InstaStories here.
 Seeing as I was building this matchstick style, I wanted to give it as much strength without adding a lot of weight. In order to do that, I upped my adhesives game. I used both Rapid Fuse and DAP Wood Glue before fastening the structure together.  Can I just tell you how pleasantly surprised  I was at how sturdy these little benches are!?
Once the bases were built I moved on to the back supports.  Again, I needed to keep this LIGHT, so I had to get a little creative.   I used  1″x 1″ boards to make a skeleton (With a few strategically placed 1″x3″ boards so that I could attach my upholstered back (keep reading). Using my glue up trick, I was able to make a very STURDY and light weight frame that I would be able to attach paneling to.   Once the backs were attached I moved on to the aesthetic’s of this project.  I wanted this to look built-in.  So, I decided to tie in the look I created in the master bedroom of the camper. (You can see all the details here) I wanted to carry the Faux Shiplap from the front room, and though the living area and dining area. Also, by adding shiplap to the benches it would also give it a little more structural strength without adding a significant amount of weight.

When adding shiplap I DO like to use adhesive.  From past projects I have found that DAP DYNAGRIP works great!  (If you want to see a more detailed tutorial of my process to shiplap you can read all about it here.) Once all the shiplap was in place I needed to complete the look by trimming it out.  I SWEAR it is in these last few detail oriented steps that  projects truly start to look professional!  I always like to trim the corner of pieces and then I follow up with a thin bead of caulk.  Once the piece is painted it creates a flawless look!  I am telling you, caulk is the Magic Eraser of the DIY world.  I like to use Alex Fast Dry,  it has a great finish, is easy to work with and of course you can’t beat a 20 minute dry time!  

Next  I needed to add some sort of back padding. Remember that extra pice of fabric I tore off the base of my ottoman?  Well this is where that fabric will come into play. Using the ottoman seat (pictured left) as a template I mapped out “tufts” ( the small indent of the fabric) onto  a piece of paneling.I then using a drill bit to create small holes where I wanted to create tufts. I then added foam to the front side of the support/panel. I have found that the cheapest way to do this is to purchase an inexpensive foam mattress topper!  I picked mine up for around $9.00 at Walmart!  I had enough to do both back supports with plenty to spare.  I then pulled my extra fabric from the base of the ottoman tightly around the framed panel and stapled it  in place.  Now, you could easily leave the  back support as is, but I wanted to add the tufts so that it would match the seat.  To do that I used and upholstery needle and did a few stitches through the pre-drilled holes in the back.   I used a small piece of wood to hold the stitch taught. If you watch my InstaStories I go into a little more detail concerning the process. 

Camper Table 

Now that the dining area benches were completed I moved my sights towards the table.

If you recall in my last post regarding the camper,  I gave the nightstands in the camper bedroom a little facelift.  I ended up using extra floor boards as the table top, and it worked great!  So I decided to execute the same idea on a little bit bigger scale,  I would use flooring on my dinette table top.  To do that all I needed to do was determine my desired over all dimension and then subtract 1.5″.  This 1.5″ would allow me to band the edges with a 1″x 2″ board.   I used a 1/2″ board as my table base. Once I had it cut to the aforementioned dimensions I drilled pocket holes around the bottom side of the perimeter.  (This will allow me to attach the edge band later.)
 Next is the easy part, making this simple piece of plywood look like a custom table!   I simply glued the flooring to the board.  Yup,  it’s that easy! Using a paint brush I  I brushed on a even coast of DAP Weldwood Contact Cement over the area that I would be placing my first board/flooring.
Once the initial piece of flooring/board was in place I proceeded to paint on more of the Weldwood,  and then added my second piece of flooring as if I were laying it on the floor.  The flooring type I chose was click and lock and it is also waterproof so it would work great for the table top.  Continue repeating the steps until your entire table surface is covered.   I  purposefully made sure to have flooring overhang on both sides so  that I could trim  down all the sides and it would be flush with my plywood board. 
  I just used my tablesaw to cut off any excess board and it gave me a nice flush  edge.  I then banded it with a 1″x 2″ board.  After playing around with some layered stains I was able to get a color that closely matched the table top.  I then proceeded to stained all my 1″x 2″ boards and allowed them to dry.
Once they were dry I attached them around the perimeter of the table using DAP Wood Glue and the pocket holes  I drilled earlier. This will not only give it a finished edge but also give the table top some support and rigidity. 

Now that the table top was complete I was able to move on to the legs/support.  The tricky thing about working in a camper is that you cannot necessarily rely on the wall to support any weight. So I had to get creative with the leg situation.  My goal was to have as little under the table (as far as supports) so that we wouldn’t constantly be kicking or hitting them when we were sitting at the table.  So I created a table leg that would attach to the wall, but  all the weight of the table top would be resting on the floor.   I attached the leg/support directly to the wall.  Again, you cannot really rely on the camper wall holding weight independently, but with a handful of screws I felt confident that it would easily keep the leg securely fixed to the wall.   I designed the support so that the lip (the 1″x 2″ board  I banded the edge of the table with) would sit on the inside of the the top of the wall support.  It worked perfectly!  All the weight of table rested on the floor, and the wall mounted support was low profile and very sturdy!  WINNING! As awesome as my wall mount support was, I would still need at least one other point of support.  I just added a very simple straight leg using  a plate made to fit said leg.   Just screw the plate in place and then screw in the leg to the plate.  The one word of advise I would give… I did add a pokethole to the base/backside of  my leg.  Once I had the table in place and the leg of the table centered I secured the table leg to the floor via the pocket hole.  It worked great and the table is completely secure even if someone were to kick the table leg.  Isn’t it a beauty!?  This table cleans up perfectly, can take a beating and matches everything PERFECTLY! When you couple a gorgeous  cost effective table, with awesome storage seating, I’d say you have a pretty dang awesome dinette set!? So let’s take a real quick look at what we originally started with, shall we?

Now look how far it has come !?

Amazing right?! But guess what!?  I still have a few tricks up my sleeve and still need to add some finishing touches so stay tuned for the reveal coming soon!

Thanks so much for reading along.

Take Luck,

Corey

R.V. Bathroom Makeover

*This post is sponsored by DAP and does contain affiliate links. 

If you have been following the process of the R.V. Makeover then you are probably aware of the funky smell situation it had going on.  I did what I could to remove absolutely everything that wasn’t nailed down. Scratch that,  I removed everything that was nailed down too. My goal was  to get down to “ground zero”. In doing it DID seem to eliminate a majority of the aroma, and it just made me feel better to start from scratch.  Well,  when it came to the R.V. Bathroom Makeover things were a bit more complicated.  I couldn’t simply remove everything and paint everything like I had in the rest of the R.V…. or could I?? Whether I could/should, I decided  I was going for it, I teamed up with the great folks at DAP and gave it hell!

If you have been following the process of the  R.V. makeover then you may recall the original origins of the bathroom.   I know it is not my place to judge… but when I am scrubbing a situation like this and my gag reflex is kicking in,  I found it really hard not too. :/ Don’t worry. I humbled myself back down… but seriously how hard is it to clean your shower once a year!?  Ok,  I’m done I promise. 

Full disclosure: I kind of cheated in the timeline of this makeover. The majority of the bathroom makeover took place at the same time the rest of the camper was in “Phase One”. Sorry if I loose authenticity cred, but  I hate painting and I was not about to start that dreadful process all over again.

I began by taking it down to bare bones.  The light fixtures, cabinet doors, shower curtains, flooring, toilet… yup the toilet had to go!  I fully realize that the photos don’t fully emphasis how truly heinous this room was, but believe me, it was awful.  As I was pulling the R.V. apart I started to find lots of  reflags that indicated the type of lifestyle that inhabited this camper. In good conscious I could NOT keep the original toilet. I consider myself a tough girl, but I just couldn’t.  It made me feel a bit of relief when my husband was completely supportive of this idea. (Complete reassurance in my tolerance and toughness.) However I was a little terrified about the potential price tag. If you have ever price out anything for an R.V.  then you know that it is highway robbery for specialty pieces. THANKFULLY it turned out to be a fairly quick and reasonably cost effective upgrade. We found ours on Amazon, and I do not regret it!

Once everything was out I followed the same process explained in “Phase One”  in regards to painting. (If you want to hear more about how I went about  it, and learn from my mishaps make sure you check it out.) Make sure you take the time to really scrub,  sand, and rinse thoroughly before you even begin contemplating priming!  They built these suckers to be extremely washable, which also means shiny and slick, and MY CAMPER did not like to take paint on the cabinets. ( In all my research I have yet to find another DIYer that had this problem so don’t freak out,  just proceed with caution, and do your prep work!)

By the end of “Phase One” of the R.V. makeover I was left with a bathroom looking a little like this.  The cabinets and the walls had a fresh coat of paint,  nice clean flooring, and a NEW TOILET!!!! Woohoo. While the space was look infinitely better,  it still wasn’t quite there.  Next to the brand new white toilet, and freshly painted cabinets the shower and the sink were looking very yellow…  so I thought I would try something new. Why not refinish the shower/tub and sink?  So I pulled out the sink in the kitchen and in the bathroom and prepped them for a makeover as well. Once it was scrubbed sanded and prepped for  paint. I taped off anything I thought necessary.


I have never used “Tub and Tile” by Rustoleum before, but it seemed to  do the trick. It is a fairly straightforward process. It is a two-part system, and seemed to cover well.  The only advice I can give is follow the directions on the can to the “T”, and work quickly! Have everything  prepped properly, because I did notice that the  mixture did seem to get tacky very quickly!   Work fast, and try not to “over-work” it or it will create a bumpy surface.

I can not tell you how much painting the tub and sink changed my out look on the entire project, it was so light and bright! Once everything was dry I reinstalled the sink and added new hardware! I was able to find a set that was reasonably priced to replace the shower head and the sink faucet. SUCH A BIG DIFFERENCE!!!

When working in a space like a bathroom it is REALLY important to make sure that anything that will be susceptible to water be sealed well!  As I said earlier,   I did have to remove  what was left of the original caulk, so after the paint was cured I did have to properly seal it. To do this you need to compare different types of caulk.  The majority of the time that I use caulk it is to finish trim work that will be painted.  When trying to seal off water it requires something a little bit stronger.  I prefer to use DAP Premium 100% Silicone. There are many options for kitchen and  baths, but again I was working in a R.V.  that will be constantly moving!  I needed an option that would create a waterproof seal and would remain flexible.  Bonus: this one is water resistant in 30 mins!  I also used this to re-intall the sink after it dried, and it will prevent water from seeping under the edge of the sink and ruining the cabinet and anything stored in it. 

 

At this point the bathroom was looking pretty good.  A fresh coat of paint on literally every surface, and a new toilet.  I was feeling pretty good about life, but the party was just getting started.  I was about to take this R.V. bathroom makeover to the next level.  It was not only going to be a vast improvement, it was quite literally be prettier than any bathroom currently in my home. (Yeah, the bathrooms are on my to-do list.)


It is no secret I am a big fan of subway tile.  I have full intentions of using it in some, (if not all) of my interior bathrooms.  However, I have the whole “light weight”  and need for flexibility caveat I have been so exhaustively working around. Tile is neither light weight, or flexible by any means. So, I had to work around it. In my research I came across a peel-and-stick alternative. I  have heard others using  a flooring variety and had great success,  so I started to investigate further. After looking around the world wide web,  I was able to find a subway tile that I liked.   I read the reviews…  they were not really negative, but there were some reviews stating that some of the corners began to”lift” over time which sent me into a panic. So I started playing around with some ideas, and I have a real winner!

Why not glue it down? I started doing my research and found a great solution. DAP makes a  contact cement that fit the bill perfectly!  It is a basically a super strong rubber cement textured glue. It was thin enough to apply it on with a paintbrush but strong enough for a permanent flexible hold! So instead of applying the peel-and-stick tiles as directed,  I first painted the wall with DAP “Weldwood”.   I worked in small sections, and covered the entire area with adhesive before installing.  Let me tell you,  it is a FAST BOND.  This stuff dried quickly and keeps a flexible bond, which of course is important due to the nature of this project.  My only caution to this project is take your time! When applying your tiles,  take your time and make sure you have everything lined up properly the first time.  This stuff has a nearly instant bond!   I would suggest  drawing a straight line utilizing a tape measure  and a straight edge (no levels in a camper… there is a chance your r.v. isn’t on level ground to begin with) and making sure you use that line as well as the proceeding tile as your guide.

Once I had the first two in, I had the knack of it. (Another suggestion, if you have the ability to start in an inconspicuous area,  I would start there!) I don’t say that to scare you, it’s not a hard project,  I just wish I had thought to  work out the kinks in the application process before diving right in. 

Once the first row was in,  I was on a roll!  These tiles are easy to cut to fit any space,  I just used a my rotary cutter and a straight edge!

 I even had enough that I was able to use it in the little cubby space above my shelf.  (This would have been a great place to try it out,  but I wasn’t sure how  much waste I was going to have. )I loved this look so much that I actually used it as a backsplash in the kitchen. In the kitchen I opted for the white, and I love it!  My only hesitation/warning: It is not recommended for high heat.  I plan on making a “workstation” that will sit over my range while not in use, and I plan to lean it up against the backsplash when it is in use (creating heat).  I have already tested the theory and it worked out perfectly.

Once the backsplash was in I just reinstalled the cabinet doors and the cabinet/vanity and I was nearly done!   I have been working on a few details for the GRAND REVEAL.  Some of those details do include new curtains  for the shower.  I am sewing a custom one using the existing track and hardware. But until then, let’s take  a look at some awesome before and after photos!



 Thanks so much for following along on this crazy little project and stay tuned I have a lot more coming!  If you want to see more of the process hop on over to my Instagram account where I share daily updates in my Instagram “Stories”.  I have also saved all of my stories concerning this makeover in my highlights labeled “R.V.”

 Thanks so much for reading!

Take luck,

Corey

Source List:

Replacement Toilet 

Tub and Tile Refinishing Kit 

R.V. Faucet and Shower Set 

DAP Premium Bath and Kitchen Caulk 

Peel-and-Stick Tiles 

Tile Adhesive (WeldWood) 

Wall Paint Color – Sherwin Williams “Repose Gray” (lightened 25%)

Cabinet Base Color – Behr “Ultra Pure White” Semi Gloss

 

 

R.V. Makeover

This post is sponsored by *

It all started  when I was perusing Craigslist one day. Every so often an R.V.  popped up and would catch my eye.   I’d mindlessly click on it and take a gander at the layout.   I really had no intention of getting an R.V. but somehow I kept finding myself clicking on the dang links! Without even knowing it, I had formed strong opinions on what layouts I liked.  Then one day,  I found myself actively looking for an R.V. with all the features I wanted.  Naturally, the R.V.s that hosted my entire “want list” were ridiculously expensive.  What’s a DIY gal to do?! Haha, what a silly question.  I started looking for the perfect fixer upper.  It needed to have a front master, and a bunkhouse in the back.  The other tricky detail, was it needed to be a “Lite” R.V. to accommodate my truck’s towing capacity.  

Then LATE one fateful evening I came across THE  R.V. I had been searching for.  I set up an appointment to look at it first thing in the morning… by that afternoon this is what my front yard looked like…

Bringing Her (The R.V.) Home

We had struck a deal and brought this “beauty” home with us. We got a decent deal on it, but it WAS DISGUSTING!!!  I knew I had my work cut out for me, so I partnered up with a great team over at DAP to help me bring this R.V. new life!

Without any further ado,  let me show you what I was working with. It may not look awful in the images… but look at the sofa… now imagine how that might smell.   Yeah, it was BAD!  Everything reeked.   The “gentlemen” who sold us the R.V.  must have set off a scent bomb before he showed it to us, because we honestly couldn’t smell anything that would set off red flags.  By the next afternoon we could smell the inside of the camper when outside of it!   It was then and there that I decided to take EVERYTHING out. EVERYTHING. 

I thought I would work with the original dinette set…  that quickly  changed when my sense of smell started calling the shots. All of the carpet that was under it needed to come out, and honestly  I just got really carried away.  I could have probably made it work, but I knew I could make something that I liked even more.  So out it came. Same applied to the couch.  When originally looking I had full intention of reupholstering and going from there. Again, I got super aggressive and decided I would figure something else out,  honestly the thought of folding chairs was more inviting than the original couch.
It all came out!  Honestly, just having  it emptied out improved my outlook on life that day. ( I was having some serious second guesses as the smell started gaining strength.)

Prepping for Paint

Once all the furniture was out, I started to get everything prepped for paint.PREPPING FOR PAINT IS ALWAYS SUPER TIME CONSUMING, BUT IT IS ESSENTIAL!!! Take heart,  I know it is not really visually rewarding, but it’s important!!!

The first step in this case would be filling all the holes I had just uncovered when I removed everything!  So I grabbed my handy Plastic Wood by DAP.  It works great in this application and dries hard like a plastic, and it sandable and paintable.

Once all the holes are filled,  allow the Plastic Wood to dry. At this point I would suggest sanding all your surfaces at the same time!  When prepping for primer on a shiny surface  you need to scuff up all the surfaces even if the primer claims you don’t need to.  I have learned the hard way,  and I have never regretted spending a little bit of extra time prepping. (Keep reading to hear about my experience.)   Once all the surfaces were sanded  I then washed all the surfaces thoroughly.  This CAN be done with T.S.P. or just  soapy water,  regardless of the mixture make sure you rinse the surface really well!



After the surfaces were prepped for paint I taped off everything!   Again,  this is another situation where you will never regret putting in the little bit of extra time and money.  I have always been a huge fan of FrogTape (Full Disclaimer: They are one of my great sponsor I choose to work with!)  Their tape is a sure fire way to get a great seal and perfect lines.  I taped off everything that I didn’t want painted.

Priming

I don’t feel like I can emphasize this ENOUGH,  when in doubt prep some more.  When I first started priming it didn’t seem to be bonding properly. Once it dried I tested it, it was not adhering the way primer typically does. (I have used plenty of different primers and still swear by Zinnser.) I was freaking  out and tried painting it to see if it made a difference.  It just peeled off, it was the weirdest thing ever!  I tried a couple different things before I committed to a technique.   The walls themselves seemed to do just fine, it was the panelling on the cabinets (not the cabinet doors themselves) that did not like the paint.  Typically when priming I only have to scuff of the surface I am prepping for paint. Believe me,  I have painted a ton of laminate surfaces in the past with ZERO problems. So as a precaution I  sanded it  past the top layer on the paneling.  It took me several passes of sanding (with a sander) to get it to properly adhere.  

I had done my research and MANY  folks who have completed R.V. makeovers had ZERO problems having the primer adhere. I honestly believe that my camper is an anomaly. During the trial and error phase I did have one thought… after I had prepped the walls I did set off a series of “bug bombs”.  I kept finding bugs and they were freaking me out! While 1 maybe 2 bug bombs would have been sufficient, I figured 9 would be best…  yeah I don’t like creepy things.  My only thought is that maybe with the massive amount of chemicals it emits MAYBE it coated the the walls, and the paneling that is already a tricky thing to paint didn’t handle it well.  That is the ONLY think I can hypothesize, I have done my research and I can’t find one instance of this happening. I honestly was torn to share this experience,  I don’t want my bad experience to scare you away from doing this project, (like I said I have researched this and have seen hundreds of camper remodels completed without a hitch! However  I feel it is something to consider before moving forward.  Try out a test spot to  ensure you won’t be back tracking.

Once all the prep work was FINALLY  done for priming, things started looking different REALLY FAST!  When priming  I used Zinnser Oil-Based primer for tough projects. (I did try Zinnser water-based primer as well in the testing phase and both responded the same. Both are great products, and I continue to use them.)   I have read of people using sprayers in their R.V. makeovers and it probably would have been faster, but I think I was so anxious to start painting that I just grabbed a roller and went to town. I don’t regret this.  You can either spend a more time prepping to spray or more time rolling.  I opted for rolling this time around. It’s all a matter of preference.

I will say this my  outlook on life dramatically changed when I walked into the R.V. and it looked light and bright and the odor was starting to dissipate. Hallelujah!
As I was finishing up the priming portion of the project I decided  prime and paint the ceiling while I had the supplies out.   The smell was still fairly strong and  I decided that EVERY surface needed to be coated, and that included the ceiling.  I suggest using  “Yellow Frogtape” if you are  needing to tape up freshly painted projects. It is intended to grip the surface but gentle enough that it will not rip a new coat of paint.

Painting

After everything was prepped  I was ready to paint!  After playing around with color schemes for a few days I settled on Sherwin Williams “Repose Gray” lightened 25%. 
 I could not be more HAPPY with the color! ” Repose Gray” is definitely a designer favorite. It is a great “Greige”  that is neutral and seems to look great with all colors. I chose to lighten it because  the R.V. is such a small space and I didn’t want it looking too much like a cave .
For the cabinets I opted for  white upper cabinets and dark lower cabinets.  For the uppers I used Behr “Ultra Pure White” in a semi-gloss.  I also used this for all the trim in the R.V. as well.  For the lower cabinets I used “Peppercorn”by Sherwin Willliams. (I have to give a shout-out to my friend Holly that got me hooked on this color! I can see this being a reoccurring trend from now on!)  If you are looking for more in-depth details in regards to painting cabinets I have a full tutorial available here. 

Then of course the MOST rewarding part of paint,  pulling back that FrogTape to reveal perfect crisp lines! Ahhh.

Trim Work

The last thing in the R.V.  that I needed to paint was some of the trim work.  Most of it was in decent condition, but the two pieces of trim on the bump-out  seemed to have a lot of wear.  So I used a piece of “finger board” from The Home Depot”.  I planed it down to eliminate  as much weight as possible. Then I  used “DAP DynaGrip” for an instant firm hold. (This stuff is AWESOME for shiplap as well, it acts as a second set of hands!)
 Once the trim that was in disrepair was replaced I started caulking joints.   The tricky part of remodeling an R.V. is that it is mobile. I know that sounds like a no-brainer,  but when it travels down the road it does shift and sway.  All the joints can come apart.  So when selecting your caulk make sure you use something EXTREMELY flexible or you are at risk of tearing your joints and/or your paint.  I used DAP EXTREME Stretch .  It is extremely flexible and paintable.  It worked great to cover unsightly gaps in the original trip and gave me seamless joints where I added new trim. 

Cabinet Doors

While I was in the process of painting the interior of the R.V.  I kept things moving in the shop getting the cabinets doors prepped and painted. I prepped and primed them the same way I did  the interior of the R.V.  (Again if you would like to read more about the process I use to paint cabinets without a sprayer you can read all about it here. )

The only thing different about these cabinets is that some of them had a hideous textured glass panel. I was NOT  a fan, so I found a way around it. Instead of starting from scratch with a new door, I recycled the frame from the old doors.  All you need to do is cut out the existing glass frame,  cut 1/2″ paneling to fit and then use “DAP Extreme Stretch” to adhere the paneling to the face frame. Again, these doors move and sway so some extra flex is always a good thing! 

One other trick I HIGHLY recommend when painting cabinet doors, is to run a bead of caulk around the frame and the face of  your doors, it makes a WORLD of a difference. See what I  mean?  Makes a huge difference, and once painted it looks great!  

Flooring

Next step was adding flooring. I am not going to go too in-depth concerning the process.  It is the same as laying floor anywhere else. It is just on a smaller scale.  The one thing that is different in regards to flooring in a R.V.  over a home is the weight!  I specifically searched a flooring that was extremely  light weight and a low profile. I had originally planned on using a peel and stick tile, but I was honestly concerned that the tiles would eventually pop up.  Normally this would not be a concern, because there are a TON of great peel and stick options that are great quality, but based solely on the fact the R.V.  moves I was afraid it would take its toll on the flooring.  So I picked  a cork backed flooring.  Not only were they light weight, but they had a low profile so that the bump out would not hit the flooring in the main portion.

 If you want to see a little more about how I tackled the flooring in the bump out I would direct you to my Instagram account.  I have saved some of the process to my “highlights” in the “R.V.” file.
Once the flooring was in, it was really beginning to feel like a new camper.  The smell was almost entirely gone, and  I was ecstatic!

The Details

 I knew I wanted to add a little bit of character to the R.V. and I loved the idea of a subtle design.  The platform bed seemed like a great place to add some fun detailing, ( and getting the base of the bed sanded properly was a little tricky considering the placement of the media cabinet). Enter “Faux Shiplap” to the rescue!

  I wanted to carry the same look to the back of the R.V. as well, so I added it to the base of the bunk beds!This is  cheap and simple way to add a little “oomph” to any space. If you want to add some character to your space  I have a full tutorial available here.  Now that it is in place I have full plans to pull the look into the dinette set! 

The last thing I needed to do to complete “Phase 1” was add the floor trim.  I truly have a LOVE/HATE relationship with trim work. I HATE doing it, but LOVE how it completely finishes an entire  space. 

So without further ado, I give you the completion of “Phase1”



 I know you are probably eyeing that pretty backsplash, don’t worry I have more details coming “Phase 2”
Well what do you think?  Do you love it?  I am LOVING how it looks, but I still have BIG plans, you are going to want to stay tuned and follow along in my Instagram  stories to see all the fun stuff coming next!

 Take Luck,

 Corey

Workshop Update with Genie MachForce Openers

 

Hey all!   Over the past year I have been slowly upping our home’s  level of tech savvy-ness.   It all started when I switched out our front door key lock with a key pad entry. My minds was blown and  I have been loving  the ease that this “smart home” accessory  brought to our lives.  So I  started dabbling  with other fun gadgets that could make our lives easier. I am lucky enough to team up with the great folks over at The Home Depot, and  was able  to play around with some  awesome new garage door openers, and the timing could not be MORE PERFECT!

If you have been following along,  you are probably aware  I JUST  finished up my shop. Let me tell you, she is a BEAUTY!   I saved up to  pay for it outright, and THEN I poured  my blood sweat and tears into it. My husband and I built it from the ground up. It is every woodworkers dream.

Allow me to brag for just a minute…  the new shop has 1200 sq ft.  After the building process was completed, I built a ton of custom storage, PLUS 3 garage bays for plenty of natural light!  Hence the “perfect timing” for these new garage door openers.   Up until now my morning routine, is a healthy breakfast consisting of Diet Coke and a PopTart (breakfast of champions)  and then I walk out to the shop and open up all the garage doors using the good ol’ manual operator option. (A rope that came attached to the garage doors from the manufacturers.)   I  really can’t complain about it,  but oh my word the idea of garage door openers for these suckers made me giddy!

AND these babies did NOT disappoint! Let me introduce you to the newest member(s) of the Sawdust2Stitches team, the Genie MachForce.

  It was a fairly easy install, that ensured an easy morning routine, no more rope for me!  The instructions were  straight forward and easy to follow.  I will add this, I have 8′ doors,  which IS considered an “XL” door,  they do have one for standard size 7′ Genie MachForce openers as well.

Tip: Do as much prep work as you can while it is on the ground. Your arms will thank you later.
If you are installing these solo,  might I make a suggestion!?  Gratefully, I did have my husband around the afternoon I was installing these, and it HANDS DOWN made life so much easier. However,  my husband is as brilliant and lives by the motto “work smarter, not harder”.  He’s a smarty pants and he utilized  a tie down strap to support the motor while we installed them.  (Also very convenient if you are a blogger and you want to  get some process shots.  😉  The motor install is fairly standard for up until this point.  But this is NO STANDARD  piece of machinery it’s “Smart”!

Alright, here is the part that makes me a little geeky.  It has an app that goes with it! And not just any app,  it serves as a remote control for all of my Genie Openers.  As you can see in the image below,  I have access to all of my programmed garage doors.
Why is this so cool?   It’s not  like  the standard clicker that you keep in your car (although it does come with 2 of those as well),  with your phone app you can control  your garage doors from anywhere!  So,  if you ever pull a “Home Alone” and can’t seem to remember if you shut your garage door…  Ta-Da  they have an app for that!

So,  let’s explore the possibilities… Can’t remember if you shut the garage door? You can put your mind at ease.  Neighbor call and need to borrow the wheel barrow?  You can let them in remotely and then shut the door behind them!  Want to freak your wife out  and play with her head while you remotely open and shut the garage doors while she is working in the shop?  You can do that too! (True story)

One other thing I think is pretty awesome,  is it also notifies me when someone opens or closes the doors! It may SEEM a little stalker-ish,  but it’s nice when I am away and get a notification that alerts me that my house garage door has opened. It basically  announces to me that either my husband just got home from work, or if it’s an unusual time I know to check my Ring Cameras 🙂   You can read all about that smart home update here. 

Well folks, all good things must  come to an end.  This is my final “Smart Home Campaign” post.  It has been so much fun to up my tech game and heighten my homes IQ.  Over the period of this campaign I am realizing how much I ABSOLUTELY  love ease these little gadgets bring to my life. In case you missed some of the other posts take a gander below!

 

Ring Doorbell 

Ring Security CamerasHue Smart Bulb  Schlage Keyless Entry 

 Thanks so much fro reading along!

 Take Luck,

Corey

*I acknowledge that The Home Depot is partnering with me to participate in the Smart Campaign promotional program.  As a part of the Program, I am receiving compensation in the form of products and services, for the purpose of promoting The Home Depot. All expressed opinions and experiences are my own words. My post complies with the Word Of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Ethics Code and applicable Federal Trade Commission guidelines.

Latest ‘Grams