Adding board and batten to a half wall

February 04, 2011

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See how to add a board and batten accent with hooks to a half wall on the stairs.

dress up clothes half wall

I got a fun little project accomplished yesterday that I absolutely LOVE. :)

It started with some house envy, believe it or not. :) Yes, even I see beautiful homes in blogland and sometimes that little green monster starts rearing it’s head. You all know I LOVE our house, so it’s not a big monster, mind you -- just a little one.

I just love little corners, niches, interesting spots in homes, and I adore how some people use awkward spots to their full potential. 

Like hallways – I just love a long hallway with hardwood floors, a beautiful runner and woodwork as far as the eye can see. Add a gallery of family photos and I’m swooning.

I have a recurring dream about a house we buy and are fixing up, and in each dream I find a new little nook or a tiny room I didn’t know was there before. I LOVE that dream. :)

But alas, we have no nooks, no niches. Not even a hallway. Not one hallway in our entire house. That’s the new open concept for ya – plenty of open spaces (which we love), but sometimes I do crave a little nook.

About a month ago or so, I realized we a needed a storage solution for our son’s dress up stuff. 

So I thunk and I thunk, and I thought of the closest thing to a hallway we have – the half wall in our playroom/loft:

loft half wall

And the idea hit me. I knew exactly what I wanted to do!

First step was to paint the wall out in semi-gloss white:

half wall on staircase

Didn’t he do a great job?:

half wall at top of stairs

I kid! I kid! No child labor here folks.

Mostly because he wasn’t doing it right.

I kid! Not really.

You’ll notice I didn’t even paint the edges of the wall. I didn’t need to because it was going to be covered up with my next step. I took primed mdf from Lowe’s and started installing my vision:

adding board and batten half wall

I took some video to give some more detail, but it’s so straightforward – boards across the top, bottom and sides. Then I did some measuring to figure out the spacing between the rest of the boards.

The math went like this – the space between the two outside boards was almost exactly six feet. So I took:

6 feet x 12 (for inches) = 72 inches

The boards were 3.5 inches wide, so I figured out how many sections I wanted (five) and knew that would take four additional pieces of mdf:

3.5 (mdf boards) x 4 = 14 inches

Take the 72 inches minus 14 and you get 58 inches.

Divide 58 inches by the five sections I wanted, and you get 11.6 sections between each vertical board.

Does that make sense? Math and I are not friends, and I swear it’s easy. 

Once you do it one time, it’ll make more sense for the next time. :) I use that method for any spot where I’m adding molding to a specific amount of space (and I want it to look uniform.)

I took a quick video to show you a couple of my other tricks:

 

Sooo…anyhoo, after a couple more coats of paint on the mdf, some caulk (remember, it’s your BFF folks!), and hooks – I got this:

board and batten wall with hooks

Isn’t it gorgeous? I mean, really. I want it all. over. my. house. ALL OVER. It’s just classic and pretty and yummy.

I can’t believe how happy woodwork makes me. It’s just ridiculous.

Now we have a spot for all of the make believe outfits:

board and batten storage

I almost hated to cover it all up, but it’s for the sake of my sanity. Those hats have been laying around here and there for months because I haven’t found a good spot for them.

I especially love how it ties into the mdf board and batten I added to the staircase last year:

kid's dress up storage wall

And you smarties will notice that NO, I have not painted that railing yet. Only the bottom section is done:

That is how I roll. :)

I just love how it turned out! I took an empty wall that wasn’t doing anything:

half wall on stairs

And made it functional and pretty:

dress up clothes wall with hooks

Gotta love that!

The wood was cheap – I think I spent $15 on the mdf. I got the ORB hooks at Lowe’s as well. Love, love, LOVE!

Now I’m so pumped to get moving on the board and batten in the office! 


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February 04, 2011

Comments

  1. Cheryl @ a pretty cool life.February 4, 2011 at 5:53 PM

    Very nice.

    Just be careful because those hooks are right at toddler eye level!

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  2. AnonymousFebruary 4, 2011 at 5:54 PM

    I love it!!!!! I think we all need a wall just like yours :)

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  3. A Thrifted MarketFebruary 4, 2011 at 5:55 PM

    Loving the board and batten look!! Great job!

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  4. Thelittlebrownhouse.usFebruary 4, 2011 at 5:56 PM

    Knocked it out of the park as usual my dear!! But the math... ohh the math....

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  5. A Whole Lotta MagicFebruary 4, 2011 at 5:59 PM

    Awwww .... adorable!

    Sue @ Beach Bungalow
    xo

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  6. AngieFebruary 4, 2011 at 6:01 PM

    Sarah! I love this! I kinda wish i had done a double-decker board and batten in my entryway, cause i love it. I am going to add some hooks to our board and batten, but wish they were lower so the kids could use them easier. The short ones. Short kids. You know.

    angie

    ps. i loved your interview over at ModerBirdStudios today. I just bought you a plane ticket to come re-do her kitchen so that I can help.

    pps. no i didn't.

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  7. ErinFebruary 4, 2011 at 6:01 PM

    Pretty! Lots of math :(

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  8. CBBFebruary 4, 2011 at 6:04 PM

    This is gorgeous!!! So clever. Have to find a place to do something similar. Thanks so much for sharing with us.

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  9. Tonya @ Love of Family And HomeFebruary 4, 2011 at 6:04 PM

    Beautiful & functional...I LOVE it! Great job as always!!

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  10. AnonymousFebruary 4, 2011 at 6:05 PM

    Aaaaannnnndddd....she's done it again. Amazed me that is, with your creativity! Have a great Superbowl weekend! GO STEELERS!

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  11. KendraFebruary 4, 2011 at 6:11 PM

    Swoon! I love it, now I have to convince hubs that he loves it too ;)

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  12. cleverlyinspiredFebruary 4, 2011 at 6:11 PM

    Sarah it looks so good!! And it is sooooooo user friendly!!!! Btw you totally inspired me to pay off some smaller credit cards this week. Thanks!!!!!! I am doing board and batten too in my foyer http://cleverlyinspired.blogspot.com/2011/01/trim-coming-along.html.
    Love your blog so :)
    Tracie

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  13. ShannonFebruary 4, 2011 at 6:13 PM

    IT is beautiful, first of all...
    secondly, I love the little manly dress up clothes hanging on it!!!

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  14. RachelMFebruary 4, 2011 at 6:15 PM

    I love the idea!! i have 3 kids worth of dress up clothes and ive been trying to find a clever way to store them that isnt a huge rubbermaid container...

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  15. The House CreativeFebruary 4, 2011 at 6:15 PM

    LOVE! So pretty. I need to get on board, and do something like this in my house.

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  16. Carmen @ Life with Sprinkles on TopFebruary 4, 2011 at 6:16 PM

    Looks great! I have a very similar dream. That I live in a house and I keep finding new rooms and extra storage. Haha!

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  17. AnonymousFebruary 4, 2011 at 6:17 PM

    gosh i love this! i wonder how easy it would be to put it up and then take it down when we leave our rental!! i wonder if it would come off clean! hmmmm....

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  18. RonicaFebruary 4, 2011 at 6:18 PM

    Seriously, so fantastic! You are so inspiring. I love Love LOVE your blog.

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  19. JoniFebruary 4, 2011 at 6:20 PM

    I SO want to do this (only taller)in our mudroom! This looks great, Sarah.

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  20. Robin {keephomesimple}February 4, 2011 at 6:25 PM

    Holy Hanna! That's amazing! It's so fun when you can make little spaces more functional for your home/life/family. Love it!!!

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  21. emilyFebruary 4, 2011 at 6:26 PM

    Looks great! It'll even look great with out the hooks (when he's older), so that's a major plus!

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  22. Vintage Dutch GirlFebruary 4, 2011 at 6:29 PM

    Shut the FRONT DOOR that is stinkin awesome! I too have some woodwork addictions! We beadboarded and trimmed out our entire living room and now I. WANT. IT. EVERYWHERE! :)

    Great job, it is SUCH a great spot for organizing those kinds of toys that drive ya bonkers.

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  23. AnonymousFebruary 4, 2011 at 6:39 PM

    oh I {heart} board and batten and what a great idea... I especially liked the hanging firefighter stuff since the the hubs is a firefighter our little guy is already obsessing over fire trucks!!

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  24. Dana @ Cooking At Cafe DFebruary 4, 2011 at 6:48 PM

    Love it. Rather than having a pile of hats and stuff hidden in the closet - or laying in a pile on the bottom of the closet (or whatever) they are now accessible and DARLING!

    I mean, what ADULT doesn't walk past and wanna try on that fire helmet??

    Nice job!

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  25. Katie OlthoffFebruary 4, 2011 at 6:54 PM

    I'm so bummed that you beat me to this! I have been planning something similar for some time, using an old barn door found on our property and some old hooks.

    But mine has an added twist - we keep a lot of toys in backpacks...trains in a Thomas backpack, dinosaurs in a dino backpack, cars in the bag the Cars sleeping bag came in, etc. etc. and I am going to hang those on the hooks, too!

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  26. ColetteFebruary 4, 2011 at 7:06 PM

    What a GREAT idea! Looks awesome!

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  27. Rebecca@This Present LifeFebruary 4, 2011 at 7:10 PM

    What a great solution to a problem we ALL struggle with! And I'm sure your son will play with his stuff more now that he can actually see and get to it! Love it!

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  28. SheilaG @ Plum DoodlesFebruary 4, 2011 at 7:12 PM

    This looks really nice! The math, not so much. I was always good with math in school, but trying to figure out things like this always makes my brain go into a coma. One question, does the stuff get in the way of the door I see in the background?

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  29. Lettered CottageFebruary 4, 2011 at 7:13 PM

    Rad. Rad. Rad!
    SUCH a great idea!

    :-D

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  30. alisonFebruary 4, 2011 at 7:17 PM

    It turned out beautiful, great job!

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  31. JennyFebruary 4, 2011 at 7:23 PM

    So stinking adorable!! Love, love, love it. Well done, once again. I too, swoon over woodwork like that. How can you NOT? ;-)

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  32. AnonymousFebruary 4, 2011 at 7:29 PM

    Very cool :)

    I LOVE the Home Improvement reference!!

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  33. JenniFebruary 4, 2011 at 7:35 PM

    LOVE it! :)

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  34. AnonymousFebruary 4, 2011 at 7:43 PM

    Such a neat solution!

    Di

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  35. SandyFebruary 4, 2011 at 7:57 PM

    What a great idea to take an unused wall and turn it into one that is very useful... nice job!
    Sandy

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  36. DailyExplorerFebruary 4, 2011 at 8:05 PM

    I love it! That is a great idea. I think I need to go buy some wood and a nail gun now!

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  37. Lisa's Creative HomeFebruary 4, 2011 at 8:07 PM

    Awesome job! You are so creative! Its amazing how easy projects can add quite a punch in design. Looks great!

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  38. Erika . . . with a KFebruary 4, 2011 at 8:30 PM

    I love love LOVE it! How do you come up with these great idea! Fabulous! I also just love the color of the walls... and you might not have a long hallway but you have the most gorgeous stairwell EVER!

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  39. Angie HoldenFebruary 4, 2011 at 8:33 PM

    Love those hooks! And those boots! My little guy has the same pair! Gotta love Target! :)

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  40. michelleFebruary 4, 2011 at 8:51 PM

    I love it!! What a great vision and idea and you nailed it perfectly!! Love the boots! We have Lightning McQueen!! :)

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  41. lotts to doFebruary 4, 2011 at 8:54 PM

    i thought this was funny. My 4 year old was looking at this with me. He seen the pics & said "mom, I have the same boots & hats. Me & that little boy should be good friends." His world revolves around fire fighters.

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  42. Cassie {Hi Sugarplum}February 4, 2011 at 9:07 PM

    such a fun and clever space!!! I'm sure your son likes his 'hidden corner' as well!!

    (ps -- thanks for following...made my day!)

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  43. Comeca JonesFebruary 4, 2011 at 9:24 PM

    I am so going to buy those hooks for my laundry area! love blog land everywhere I go inspiration!

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  44. Mommyto3andahuskyFebruary 4, 2011 at 9:29 PM

    Very cute!!!!!!!! LOVE IT! I met your friend Bonnie from Shaklee from a post you did once. I signed up to sell Shaklee!!! :)

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  45. MelissaFebruary 4, 2011 at 9:30 PM

    It looks great!!! What is on the other side of that door? I'm just the type who would walk into the hooks a hundred million times and end up with bruises on my legs!

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  46. danielleFebruary 4, 2011 at 9:37 PM

    Looks awesome! How did you attach pieces to the wall? Did you just use a nail gun?

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  47. Laryssa HerbertFebruary 4, 2011 at 9:49 PM

    I really like it. Turning something un-used into something practical....perfect!

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  48. Decorchick!February 4, 2011 at 10:11 PM

    OMG one time I had a dream there was a WHOLE other section of our house and it was HUGE!! Like 5 more rooms that I had no idea existed. I remember I was SO disappointed when I woke up. Still makes me sad. :(

    But I sure do love the B&B treatment! :)

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  49. Janell @ House of FiftyFebruary 4, 2011 at 10:19 PM

    Well, who would have known to do this! You. Amazing, love it!
    Janell

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  50. Southwest Cottage DesignsFebruary 4, 2011 at 10:28 PM

    Oh, how neat! I love it!

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  51. ChaneleFebruary 4, 2011 at 10:30 PM

    Genius! I love this and will definitely keep it in mind- really great!

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  52. Amanda @ Serenity NowFebruary 4, 2011 at 10:37 PM

    Can you come do some for me? ;)

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  53. Rarely David usually LisaFebruary 4, 2011 at 10:43 PM

    Loved the step-by-step instructions. I want to do the same thing to a wall in my boys' room with a shelf on top. That helps me think "I can do it."

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  54. Miranda @ Pressing OnFebruary 4, 2011 at 11:23 PM

    GREAT job! I love it. All that MDF sure makes a statement. Dress up areas are so nice to have for the kids. I wish for you it always stays so nice and organized!

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  55. KaylaFebruary 5, 2011 at 12:00 AM

    It's so awesome, Sarah! What a perfect little spot for him to get into character! I can never find dress up clothes for our son... where do you find yours?

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  56. The Sterling CherubFebruary 5, 2011 at 12:32 AM

    Now that is an impressive solution to a problem - its beautiful, its functional, and its a very well done DIY! *applause*

    Best,

    Kimberly

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  57. Katherine @ Grass StainsFebruary 5, 2011 at 12:54 AM

    I love it, Sarah! If I'd known a couple of years ago what a trend (GREAT trend) B&B was going to become, I wouldn't have spent the money on the Pottery Barn mudroom shelving unit. I would have just built it into my kitchen myself! Love the costume nook. :)

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  58. So Sunny DayFebruary 5, 2011 at 2:54 AM

    Thanks for all the tips for installing the moulding and hooks. Love the end result!

    ~ Emily N. from "too Blessed to Stress"

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  59. UnknownFebruary 5, 2011 at 5:01 AM

    *sigh* just another reason for me to love your house!

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  60. SabrinaFebruary 5, 2011 at 9:08 AM

    Love the way this turned out! I've been thinking about a similar idea for my laundry room or entry way area. Hooks at kids height....FAB!

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  61. Miss Mustard SeedFebruary 5, 2011 at 9:14 AM

    It looks awesome!!

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  62. barefootinthesandFebruary 5, 2011 at 9:32 AM

    That looks AWESOME!!!! I love the color- what is it?

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  63. MichelleFebruary 5, 2011 at 10:16 AM

    I love it! You did good, girl! With kids, I am all about using every useful spot to organize.

    ReplyDelete
  64. Richella ParhamFebruary 5, 2011 at 10:17 AM

    This is great, Sarah! I love the difference woodwork can make. And I especially love the fact that even a great house like yours can be made EVEN BETTER with simple additions like this one.

    We live in a "new old" house--it's only six years old, but it's in an old neighborhood, and it's built to look like an old house. But there are a few places that bug me, and I think maybe it's because they're so plain! Some of our rooms have tons of woodwork, while others have none at all. You've got me thinking that I could add some real interest to those plain rooms my very own self. Hmmm. Maybe you want to come to North Carolina and we could have an add-interest-to-plain-rooms party??

    Love ya! Hope you're staying warm!

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  65. Katie's how toFebruary 5, 2011 at 12:19 PM

    GORGEOUS!!! Thanks for sharing this tutorial

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  66. PamFebruary 5, 2011 at 12:43 PM

    What a great idea and it looks wonderful! I love it.

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  67. Audrey @ Goodbye DignityFebruary 5, 2011 at 1:16 PM

    I love this! I have three girls who LOVE dress up. I may have to use your idea :) Love your blog!

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  68. Katie's how toFebruary 5, 2011 at 2:54 PM

    I love love love reading your blog. I have awarded you "The Versatile Blogger" award. Come and visit my site to check it out: katieshowto.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  69. TonjaFebruary 5, 2011 at 3:53 PM

    Very neat idea!! I'm just afraid that I would constantly run into those hooks!! I always have bruises on my legs where I just can't seem to make it past those little corners, edges....
    Can you tell me what color the wall was before you painted?? I'm looking for just the right color for our living room :o)
    Thanks!!!
    Tonja

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  70. Chandra ChinnisFebruary 5, 2011 at 4:58 PM

    I love the idea. I also long for nooks and niches in my home but don't have any. I love everything you are doing in your home. TDC ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!
    www.chandrassouthernlife.blogspot.com

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  71. Coach AFebruary 5, 2011 at 6:00 PM

    Awesome! And as a math teacher I love the math!

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  72. RachelFebruary 5, 2011 at 6:02 PM

    It looks SO nice!! I understand what you mean about the green eyed monster! I love your honesty!

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  73. Frugal JenFebruary 5, 2011 at 6:47 PM

    OK now I have house envy! Great job and what a functional use of space.

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  74. AnonymousFebruary 5, 2011 at 9:31 PM

    That is so freaking cute! And love all his dress up outfits. I need to get some dress up clothes for our daughter and do something similar to what you have done. How is your "Bub" for putting things back in their place? Our "honey babes", not so good. How ironic, her mother (that would be me), is quite psycho about it.

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  75. Leslie {Goodbye, house. Hello, home!}February 5, 2011 at 10:07 PM

    C
    L
    E
    V
    E
    R
    !
    !
    !
    !

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  76. Sue JacquetteFebruary 6, 2011 at 7:32 AM

    You know, I always suffer from house envy. I live in a split and don't love really like splits. I like Tutors for that same reason, I love nooks and architectural interest... none of that in a split. But we actually just did some renovating, we knocked out the walls between the kitchen and the living and dining rooms on the main floor, and I just caught myself thinking how much I love our house now. It's so funny, but I haven't felt that in a long time. Maybe I'll do a post about the reno someday. I just ordered a sofa yesterday, maybe when it comes in...

    ReplyDelete
  77. PrincessInMsFebruary 6, 2011 at 7:56 AM

    so beautiful!!!!
    *sigh* you are my she-ro!

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  78. Allison @ Quaint OaksFebruary 6, 2011 at 8:20 AM

    This is beautiful! I was thinking of doing something similar but I wasn't sure of the plan of attack. This has inspired me! I also love the function. Kids' dress-up clothes are so cute...on low hooks! LOVE IT!

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  79. BetteFebruary 6, 2011 at 11:25 AM

    Sarah, that looks fantastic!!

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  80. Carli-Made by CarliFebruary 6, 2011 at 1:53 PM

    This is awesome, such a great use for an underused area! WHy is it that I can never find these primed mdf boards at my HD or Lowes?

    ReplyDelete
  81. Mindy @ Heart Maine HomeFebruary 6, 2011 at 6:55 PM

    Ahhhh, love it! The bright white and the ORB hooks are gorgeous together. There's something so satisfying about turning an unused space into something handy and pretty at the same time.

    ReplyDelete
  82. KatrinaFebruary 6, 2011 at 8:42 PM

    Oh. My. Gosh. What a wonderful idea!

    You are awesome -- to think of that. Seriously, my brain is just not that creative. That's why I need blogs like yours to inspire me!

    ReplyDelete
  83. Janette @ The2Seasons.comFebruary 7, 2011 at 3:36 AM

    I wish you would come give lessons on the tool part of your projects. Love them.

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  84. AnonymousFebruary 7, 2011 at 8:39 AM

    Sarah, it looks beautiful. My question: Did you use 1/2 inch MDF or 3/4 inch?

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  85. Jensamom23February 7, 2011 at 8:42 AM

    Looks terrific!

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  86. Jordan@the2seasonsFebruary 7, 2011 at 9:30 AM

    Wow what a great idea. I need to find an area in my home to do this. Looks wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  87. Julia @ Hooked on HousesFebruary 7, 2011 at 9:35 AM

    What a clever idea! I love this! We have a half wall just like it upstairs, so now you've got my wheels turnin'... :-)

    ReplyDelete
  88. AnonymousFebruary 7, 2011 at 10:04 AM

    brilliant!
    kids always seem to use storage that they can see, much easier to convince a little fireman to hang up his coat when it not shoving it into a bin somewhere.

    ReplyDelete
  89. GinaFebruary 7, 2011 at 2:14 PM

    That looks great, but I would have bruises on my legs from running into the hooks each time I walked by!

    I too have had dreams over the years about finding rooms or nooks hidden in my house that I didn't know about. My house is very small and I guess sometimes I feel closed in!

    ReplyDelete
  90. DFebruary 7, 2011 at 4:29 PM

    ok, just found your blog this past week and oh.my.goodness how did I not know about you before???!!!! First, I'm totally with you in the debt free living, but still love you home thing. *Then* I see your post about the gumball machine. How did you know I scored the awesomest gumball machine with stand at a thrift store for $3!!! I've been looking for something quirky to do with it - the fish thing is genius! But then - the dream about extra rooms in the house! Get out of my brain! I love that dream. till I wake up. But I'm with ya on finding extra room, even if you don't have extra rooms. Can't wait to click around and see what else is here!

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  91. Christine TrebendisFebruary 7, 2011 at 4:40 PM

    Love, love, love it. What a great idea and it looks wonderful! I also enjoyed your video. You are too cute.

    Congrats also on being debt free. You are truly an inspiration in every way. Thanks so much.

    ReplyDelete
  92. Tatum @ Tatum's TakeFebruary 7, 2011 at 8:30 PM

    Super cute! I too love niches and corners but I have ZERO in my home. Great utilization of space. Oh, and math hates my head spin lol. Not my forte, but thanks for the details!

    Have a great evening!

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  93. LeilaniApril 24, 2012 at 8:40 PM

    That is amazing!!!!!!

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  94. AnonymousAugust 22, 2012 at 6:39 PM

    Love it.
    I have a question. How did you attach the vertical boards if there was no stud behind it?
    Thanks,
    Lisa

    ReplyDelete

If you have a specific question I will do my best to answer you back here!

You can find our paint colors and links to items at the "Our Home" tab at the top of my site.

THANKS so much for reading!