Friday, March 19, 2010

Crown Anyone?

It's DONE!!!  I don't know if I am more happy that my work is done or that I am finally enjoying it!

No this one is not mine!  This one is actually around $3,000 when you factor in shipping and decor!

This is mine!  Total cost for this piece is $300 including decor!

How did I do it?  Well, let me first start off by saying that I am NOT a carpenter and I have never built a piece of furniture from scratch!  I learned as I went with this piece thanks to Ana over at Knock Off WoodShe has a ton of plans offered on her site, free of charge, so that people like us (practicle DIYers that drool over name brand furniture in the catalogs but would never spend a penny on the over-priced manufactured wood) can build them ourselves to enjoy in our homes!  This was a huge undertaking for me but I accomplished it from beginning to end all with my own two hands!!!!  If I can do this, so can you!  I challenge all of you to check out Ana's site and pick a project!  She has so many to choose from and you can start out with something as small as an end table or a chair! 

The last two weeks, I have focused on decorating and personalizing my storage wall! 

I started out by purchasing these super cute Closet Maid fabric drawers at Target!  They were on sale last week at 2 for $10!  I bought 8 navy, 4 chocolate and 4 dark khaki.  Total for 16 was around $90.

How I personalized!

This is set-up just like the one in the picture.  Ana designed her own plans to add a hutch over the TV so of course I couldn't leave that piece out!

Here she is with the hutch

I just couldn't leave well enough alone!  I had to personalize it just a tad more so...

I purchased this foam crown moulding at Lowe's!  The corner pieces allow for no miter installation.  I purchased a 12' piece of crown for $34 and the corner pieces for $6 each.  This foam stuff is soooo cool!  Our grandfather actually installed it in his home and you would NOT even know it is foam!  It has some type of primer on the front so it paints very well!  It is also very dense and feels durable!  Best part is that it is sooo much cheaper than wood moulding.  I would have spent twice as much on wood crown that is identical to this stuff!

 
This stuff is so light weight that I just used several finishing nails to hold it up!

 
It really makes a statement in the room now!

My favorite part about this system is the storage!!!  I am so OCD (no joke) so the storage this wall offers really makes my heart skip!!!  Yes, I am a nerd!  My fellow OCDers, these pics are for you!  Everyone else please bear with me:)

 





Everything organized and in it's place and the best part about it is....

it's HIDDEN!



I owe a big thank you to Ana!  I would not have this beautiful, fully functional piece of furniture that I built with my own 2 hands if she had not created the plans to begin with!  I have always drooled over this piece in the catalogs and online but I knew that I would never purchase it from the retailer.  Even if I could afford it, I could not justify the price tag!  I spent 10% building it myself and I was able to personalize it with Leapfrog by Behr and moulding!  Thanks so much Ana!  I can't wait to move on to my next project!

If you would like the step by steps that I took to build this piece, here are the links in the order I went!  There are links to Ana's plans in each post as well!


If you take it one step at a time it is VERY managable!  I did one part per week and only needed wood glue and a drill!  The building part was the most fun!  Painting was my least favorite ~ it took an entire gallon of paint but the fruits of my labor make it all worth it!!!  The family loves it and I get such joy looking at it knowing that I actually made it!!!  Thanks so much for following me on this journey!!

~Ashley



 post signature

120 comments:

Ann Marie @ Twice Lovely said...

Looks tremendous!! Great job. LOVE the color combination.

KrisKay said...

Beautiful! I love your color choice. Awesome job!

fleurcottage said...

WOW! good work & you deserve all the credit you can get! :)

Sara said...

Holy cow...that looks SO good!! You do deserve a crown :)

I'm still drooling over the Pottery Barn Kids and Land of Nod catalogs. You've convinced me. I'm going to visit Ana. Thanks for the inspiration!

Alisa D said...

This looks amazing! Love the color combo. We are hoping to do this in our future playroom!

Great job. Hope you and your family enjoy your hard work!

Heather Henderson said...

it looks awesome!! If I never had to look at a DVD case, game controller, etc. ever again, I would be so, so happy.

Leanne said...

It's beautiful. You did an amazing job. I love the totes too and the color is amazing. I love her site, but haven't tackled any of her plans yet. Great inspiration!

Karen said...

you have done an amazing job. I love the color and the crown is just the touch I'd use too. Great job!!!! I am getting up my nerve to try it building myself.

TaDa! Creations said...

Wow! I am so impressed you made this. I've been following her site for a while but have yet to pick my first project. I love the added touch of fun color and moulding. great job!

Jill said...

that is AMAZING! I love the color, the crown, the bins, the drawers! You did a great job!! You should be VERY VERY proud of yourself!!!! Love love love it!

Marla said...

I am so impressed! I can hardly believe that just anyone could make this! I may have to get brave and try one of the projects. Thanks for sharing, I am giddy for you. Marla

Unknown said...

wow - it really turned out amazing!! I love it! great work- you must feel SO accomplished!! :) I have been wanting to try out Ana's plans but I don't have a garage to work in or the tools necessary at the moment. Maybe someday! :)

JBird's Garden said...

I am so utterly and completely impressed! I am now a blog buddy and left you a comment on Facebook. Talk about being inspired!!!

Anonymous said...

I will be the first to tell you that you did an amazing job. If I didn’t know you made it, I would assume you paid a BUNDLE for this. I love how well the cowboy’s colors and the green go together. Wonderful job!

Heather said...

That looks amazing! Great job! Are you planning on personalizing the canvas bins at all?

House Queen said...

I am SOOOOOOOOO Jealous!!!! I so wish I could do this!!!!!

Funky Junk Interiors said...

This project is insane! In a good way of course. I've yet to build something from total scratch to this magnitude so I bow down to your courage!!

Amazing. Really. You deserve a crown for this too. :)

Donna

Mrs. Wright said...

W.O.W. I just spent the last 30 mins catching up on all the steps. I am TOTALLY going to make this!! How easy and cheap! I LOVE Pottery Barn but live in Alaska so that adds $500 to the already crazy prices and shipping. You make it look so easy!

Miss Mustard Seed said...

It looks so great...except for those gross cowboy helmets in there. Go Skins!

Ana White said...

Ashley, we need to crown you the queen today, because you are amazing! And can I say, much, much better than the original!

Congrats! Ana

Drew's Mom said...

That came out so great. And I love that you added your own personal touches. Great job!

Kelly said...

It looks wonderful!

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

Congratulations, this is just gorgeous. I am so impressed. I so agree with you, any and all storage I can get just thrills me to pieces. You did a fantastic job. Hugs, Marty

Heather said...

Looks awesome! Way better than the original from PB.
I heard the foam crown molding was the way to go, but I have never seen it in Lowes or home Depot. So I will be asking about it today. Thanks for the great ideas, keep them coming!

Claudia said...

Fantastic job!! It looks even better than the PB one! The crown is amazing....I want to go to Lowe's NOW just to touch it because I can't believe it's foam. Good stuff!

Oh, and you can't say you aren't a carpenter anymore!

Melanie@TheOldWhiteCottage said...

I'm too lazy to tackle some thing like that but it looks amazing! I think yours is nicer than the expensive original.

duchess said...

Beautiful! I'm in awe of your handiness. Great job.

Life in Rehab said...

You rock! I've been thinking about attempting this when my boys get their room back, and now you've totally convinced me. The foam molding is pure genius.

Debilou ~ Mississippi Mama said...

HI, Ashley,, i love how this turned out.. and it really made it look great when you added the molding, just what it needed.

Kelly @ Make It Sparkly Mama said...

Wow, that looks so fabulous! I am in AWE!

Knudsen's said...

WOW! That looks wonderful. The crown moulding really finishes it off. I would have done the same thing. Give yourself a HUGE pat on the back girl! You are awesome! Camille

Taija said...

I'm nearly speechless!! What a HUGE accomplishment! This must be one of the most rewarding projects you've done. It looks absolutely FABULOUS!! You rock!!

Jeannine said...

I love it - don't you just love Ana's site. I am so inspired - building a large worktable right now - not specifically one of her plans but using some of the building info. Going to be building 2 of the Bedford Secretaries soon!

Love the crown moulding detail!!

Mommy of 3 said...

I agree..way better than the original! Great job, it's fabulous!

JAG said...

You are freak'n AMAZING. I've been following your project for sometime and am so glad it is done and you get to enjoy it!!!

Nicely done, very inspiring!

The Salisburys said...

WOW! AWESOME JOB! I want one:) I am so not a handy woman with tools. Who knows...maybe I can get my hubs to put this together!:) Blessings!

Unknown said...

Congratulations on finishing it!!! It looks AMAZING! I like it BETTER then the one in the Pottery Barn picture!!! Good job...your amazing!
~Bridgette

The Owen Family said...

That looks great! My husband and I are actually finishing ours up. Found it on your site then went over to Ana's, love her site (and yours too). We will hopefully be done with ours this weekend. I've been looking for bins, so now I need to head over to Target and pick some up! Thanks for sharing your projects :-)

The Owen Family said...

That looks great! My husband and I are finishing up our unit this weekend. Found your site and saw you were doing it, headed over to Ana's and saw all the amazing stuff she has. Love both of your blogs! I've been looking for bins, so now I'll be heading over to Target to pick some up. Thanks for sharing your wonderful projects!

Joy@Thrifty Parsonage Living said...

It looks great-what a huge accomplishment!I'm sure you and your family will enjoy it.

Mimi Hornberger said...

You are my hero! Way to go. I actually like yours better than the store bought one. Nice touch with the crown molding!

Julie Johnson said...

Woo hoo...this is awesome! I love it...and your touches are one up on PB. ;) I too hate seeing visual clutter...can not stand plastic. So, those bins have been wonderful in our home too. Check out my organizing on www.juliejohnsonblog.blogspot.com...everything in its place makes me feel so much better!
Julie

Lolly Jane said...

looks great! good work! i would have quit long ago...lol!

Jenn said...

Love it!

Megan said...

Wow! Just...wow! It turned out absolutely gorgeous. Thanks for sharing the tip about the foam molding!! I had no idea, and it looks so beautiful!

Samantha2818 said...

Wow Ashley - I've been dying to see the finished article and you didn't let me down! It looks amazing - I am so ispired by both you and Ana and can't wait to start my own teeny weeny version (I'm just going to make the media unit)!
Fantastic job as usual!
~Sam

Dianne said...

WoW! Great job! Your's looks better than Pottery Barn's!!! And you can say "I made it myself".
Thanks for sharing.

Katie Olthoff said...

Yours is AMAZING! I love the bright green and navy. Great job!

Lara H. said...

This looks amazing! We are almost done with ours as well! We did the same exact one except we are staining ours. Great job yours looks fabulous!

Goings on at the Glenn's said...

Great job! I love how it turned out. My sister would be drooling over the color you used too. If I had a "crown" I'd give you one. The molding looks great!

sahmqueen said...

I have been following you along this project the whole time. I am so impressed and inspired. I have wanted to do one of Ana's projects for a while, and now I just might. I will probably start with an easy bench or something. What you just made is priceless, in my opinion. I love the feeling I get when I have tackled something that seemed too hard. I know you are going to get endless compliments. I actually like your version better than PB. Seriously. Well done, fellow momma!!!

Indiri Wood said...

Wow, it turned out beautifully! Love the color and molding touches. Perfect!

Traci@ Beneath My Heart said...

Ashley, it's gorgeous!!! Great job. I know you are so glad it is finished and now you can enjoy the fruits of your labor! :)
Blessings,
Traci

Kristi M. said...

I've had fun following you along this project. I've drooled over many of Ana's plans and my husband and I plan on tackling the armoire as an entertainment center pretty soon. You did an awesome job! Beautiful!

Vanessa said...

That is so awesome! Yout did a great job, you should be proud of yourself. It looks great!

Finest Moments said...

Wow! Great job! I have been following Anna's blog for a while and have been wanting to try a piece of furniture soon. I love all the baskets too. My wii foam sports equipment has bite marks in them too! :)

Heather said...

I LOVE it!! You did an AWESOME job! I LOVE the price too! You go girl! ;-)

Bekki said...

LOVE. LOVE. LOVE your version!~ That moulding at the top and the extra center piece add so much to the piece. What a great accomplishment!

Ann On and On... said...

My hat is off to you!!! It looks great!

Sylvia (at) Lily's Pad and Petals said...

AMAZING job - you did a great job and so much fuction, love the colors you used too.

AKA Rosa said...

Okay..... I really NEVER leave comments on blogs but, I simply must this time. I have to tell you for someone who has never done anything like this you must have a natural gift. This is amazing. It looks better than the original and for 10% of what it cost. Good job!! Wish I had it in me to do the same!!

Frugal Home Designs said...

That came out perfect! Great job. I love the added crown. You should be very proud of yourself.

Anonymous said...

I love when people take chances with color! Your piece rocks! I love love the trim piece along the top as well.

Devin & Ruthann said...

I'm too intimidated to try something like this. I know I could do it, but I'm nervous to try! You did an amazing job and Ana is awesome for making all the plans she does!!!

Devin & Ruthann said...

I'm too intimidated to try something like this. I know I could do it, but I'm nervous to try! You did an amazing job and Ana is awesome for making all the plans she does!!!

KatrinkaJane said...

That molding makes it so luxe! Very well done.

KatrinkaJane said...

That molding makes it so luxe! Very well done.

Sandi @the WhistleStop Cafe said...

Your's looks so much better than the first photo... I can't believe it!
This is a Friday Furniture Favorite

Georgi said...

Unbelievably awesome!

Kolein said...

It is so beautiful that I want to kiss it! The color makes my mouth water! I've followed all along. And honestly I've gotten tired watching - thinking, man, I'd never be able to do that. Glad it's her! Now, I'm jealous!

Do you find yourself going in that room and just staring at it? Yea. I know. I do that too!

I officially CROWN you, Queen DIYer!!!

Shelby said...

Job well done!! It looks great!

Unknown said...

You did an amazing job! Yours is so much better than Pottery Barn's. The crown molding really finishes it off. I had no idea that there was foam molding. I always learn such great stuff on your site. Keep the great ideas coming! I may try to tackle this project while I am off this summer. Thanks for sharing all of your great projects.

Paula said...

Great job!!! I have been following you since Ana first linked your project. I am encouraged by your efforts and beautiful results.

I love how you personalized it with the fun color, accessories and the crown molding. oohhhh the crown molding. brilliant!

Thank you for sharing!

Karie said...

Wow! I love it!! Especially with the molding. I've been following every step since you started and I was not disappointed. Great job!

Charlene said...

Great job!!! :)

I printed out plans from her website for a bookcase. I'm excited to get it started and get things organized!!!

Love the crown molding - I didn't know they made it in foam, how cool is that???!!!

Tina said...

Ashley, it is gorgeous!!! I love it so much more than the 'other' one! You must be so thrilled (and relieved) that it is done and looks so fabulous:) I love that foam moulding, I have not seen it here in Australia. Great job Ashley. Hope you have a wonderful weekend ~ Tina x

Suzanne Sergis @ TCOYou.com said...

Absolutely amazing. Way to go!!!!

The organization of the game supplies makes me smile. :-)

Anne said...

I LOVE IT!!!! Looking at Ana's plans, it looked so overwhelming, but after following you build it and making it look so easy, we went for it and we're almost done with ours. Need 2 more cubbies, hutch and paint... so I say 50%? You're an inspiration! It looks totally awesome!

My blog: hvenlysent1.blogspot.com

Jenny said...

Yours is way better than the original! I can't believe you made that from scratch! Where did you get the patience?

I so wish I had the patience to try something like that!

Toni Alexis said...

Wow. You did an amazing job! I LOVE the storage! Yes, fellow OCD'er here. Ha Ha

Marie said...

This looks great! Can you please tell me what kind of wood you used for this? We are in the process of building it...thank you so much!

Chris said...

Congratulations! It turned out fantastic! I can't imagine how much work must have gone into it, but now you can sit back, relax, and think about how much money you DIDN'T spend! ;)

AutumnBrooke said...

Ashley, this looks AMAZING!!! I've been waiting and waiting for you to post the finished product and I have to say, it was worth the wait! Fantastic job. I think the crown was definitely the right choice.

Jen @ Sunshine4Teachers said...

The media center was amazing on its own, the leapfrog paint made it awesome...but the crown molding...WOW! That's all I can say is Wow!

Rhoda @ Southern Hospitality said...

I've been following along on this one & wow, what a great job. Love the green paint you chose too. Great idea that Ana had to put out the plans. I'm sure lots of girls will be trying this at home. Bravo!

{Carrie} said...

Awesome! You rocked it! Can't wait to get the time to make my first "Knock of Wood" Project, just have to decide which one it will be.

Jan said...

Hi there! After watching the process and reading all your comments, you have done a bang up job!

There is no way in the world that anyone could think that you've never done this type of work before!

I'm looking forward to your next project! You are VERY creative! :)

Carmen @ Life with Sprinkles on Top said...

I love it! It is awesome. I love all the storage. We totally need something like that at our house. I especially love the colors you chose.

Just Wedeminute said...

It looks AMAZING! You did an awesome job...so proud of you!

Cyndi said...

Great job! I am so proud of you!!! You did an awesome job from start to finish. Even the paint color is outstanding. And, the storage bins you bought are great. Yours looks so much nicer than the original. I like the crown molding, too.

Green Eyed Girl Crafts said...

Great job... and the Cowboys stuff and colors made it all the better!

Carrie said...

Wow I just love it. I have just started to get my things together to start one of Ana's project now I can't wait. Just a quick question how do you hold all of the sections together? I can't seem to find out how in the plans. Thank you for sharing.

Tales From My Empty Nest said...

You did an amazing job!! It is beautiful and I know you are so proud of yourself. You are a real inspiration to the rest of us to try something like that ourselves. It seems overwhelming, but you make it sound so easy. I am so happy that it turned out well for you. Way to go! Love & blessings from NC!

Molly said...

It turned out beautiful!

orange sugar said...

Can you share what kind of primer and paint you used?

Kelly Tillotson said...

This is soo awesome!! It is so beautiful and way better than snarky pb's version. I love your site--I love Ana's site....so much inspiration!! Great job!!!
*Kelly

Le Petit Amour said...

Just amazing! What a great job! The crown molding was the perfect touch to finish it off. It's DIY at its finest.

Le Petit Amour said...

Just amazing! What a great job! The crown molding was the perfect touch to finish it off. It's DIY at its finest.

Lolly said...

As someone who has known you your entire life, let me just say that this is UNBELIEVABLE!!! It looks fantastic and I would have never in a million years guessed that you would be making furniture one day. It is beautiful! Very professional looking.

marie said...

I love it! You did a good job!

Anonymous said...

Ok so the molding REALLY makes it... the green color is beautiful, I love the cubbie bins, and GO 'BOYS 2010!!! (Hahaha, the Cowboys fan in me couldn't allow that one to go unnoticed, lol... LOVE IT!)

Unknown said...

Beautiful! Love the color, and love love love the crown! Great job, thanks for sharing the process with us.

Anita Van Hal said...

Wow! Very cool! OCD? I don't think you're OCD at all! Personally I prefer to think of my OCD as extraordinarily dedicated or tenacious. My husband is always saying something silly like, "does everything HAVE to match?" Seriously?

Great job!

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

Great job! I did not know about that foam molding with the corner pieces! I need to figure out how to make that work with my kitchen cabinets.

Sarah said...

Your custom furniture turned out AMAZING!!! I'm so super impressed. As a matter of fact, you may have just inspired me to give it a try! Thanks for sharing with us.
God's blessings,
Sarah :D

Suze said...

This is EXACTLY what I want to build for my basement and I LOVE that you painted it green!

Thanks to Ana and your project I'm more inspired. Thanks for building and posting this!

Anonymous said...

Awesome!! Great job!! I've never heard of the foam crown molding. Just showed it to my hubby. We're excited now because I'm planning on adding crown molding to my living room and this sounds like a cheaper alternative. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

You GO girl! Fantastic job!

Unknown said...

I love it! The moulding is a really great touch!

Little Miss Sassy Pants said...

It looks absolutely fabulous! I am considering making this and if i do I will definitely ad the crown moulding- amazing touch! Great job!

Allison @ House of Hepworths said...

It is beautiful and amazing!! You did an fabulous job.

shara said...

love it. you did awesome. so jealous. nothing wrong with a little ocd! have some/alot/tons myself. have a great week~

Kim said...

It looks awesome! You truly did a fabulous job.

Unknown said...

I love it. Funny that I feel some element of satisfaction with the finished product, just after following the process. Ha. I can't imagine how gratifying it was for you to actually do. I love it. I need to get off my patootie and do it!

Verba_ said...

Очень стильно и красиво! Хороший цвет, прекрасный вид! Magnificent case! Very beautiful and convenient. Good work!

Megan @ Megity's Handmade said...

AWESOME!!! You did a fantastic job! That foam crown might be exactly what I need! I've been itching for crown in my bedroom (well the whole house) and can't figure out how to get it up on my own. I'm going to check it out for sure. Thanks for the tip!

Kristin @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia said...

I am so impressed! This is better then the $3000 one, you really have some amazing talent, I'm your newest follower! Love the two of you and all that you have accomplished!!
Take care-
Kristin

Kristin @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia said...

I am so impressed! This is better then the $3000 one, you really have some amazing talent, I'm your newest follower! Love the two of you and all that you have accomplished!!
Take care-
Kristin

Carrie @ Dittle Dattle said...

Well Done! I love the extra shelf you added at the top. I need to do this!

Jess@craftiness is not optional said...

this is awesome! I'm thinking about making one like this-but wondering what size TV you have? Thanks!

 
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