November 30, 2014

Sunroom Makeover: DIY Board and batten

So, today was a good day. I arrived at a great stopping point for the new board and batten in our sunroom or Florida room as the "Floridians" call it. When we moved in, I loved a few key details of your house that you just don't get anymore or at least not unless you wanna pay bookoo bucks! The real hardwood floors, the cove ceilings and this amazing sunroom! But it was lacking somewhere, something was missing. I would sit on our sofa and just brainstorm about what I wanted this room to be. Now, over a year of being in "OUR" home… this is the room we are in about 80% of our time besides the kitchen, dining & master. We watch TV in here, hang out in here, play with the pups in here & even nap here on the pretty days and gloomy. So, I wanted it to serve US. But look pretty too.

I was searching for a great "before" photo which I am horrible at remembering when the time comes. But I did come across this photo I took of the sunroom before we closed on the home. The furniture was the previous owners but you can see most of the space for what it is. There are windows to the right also and wrap around until you get to a solid wood door we eventually want to replace with a french door. It's a great size and can accommodate a generous amount of furniture, thankfully.


So, what's a girl to do? Be spontaneous of course! And that's exactly what I did. Within a few hours, with a nail gun, an air compressor, a lot of Cokes, HGTV and some Lowes Home Improvement wood… I got started on the "injecting some character" into this space!

Enter board and batten! There are PLENTY of tutorials all over but I simply measured each wall, length and width and we determined how much would we would need. It is probably a good idea to over-estimate just in case. I always under-estimate. :) Unless you live 5 minutes from Lowes which is a blessing and a curse! Back to this blog post for now though!


Within about an hour or two, I had my entire tv wall done. The supplies you'll need if you want to accomplish this project are as follows. Also, please keep in mind that every home will be different. This project did throw us some loops as it was built in 1957, thus, the level became our best friend and we embraced the imperfections! I suggest you "attempt" to do the same!


Nail Gun
Wood (Measured to your space)
1x4's for the boards across and vertical
The ledge & top pieces are optional, I decided to go big or go home!
Level
Painters Caulk
Primer
Measuring tape
Paint Brush
Paint Roller
A positive attitude
Music or HGTV
Paint (Your choice of color, mine is bright white)
Drop cloth
Air Compressor
Extension Cords
Hooks (Optional)

Here's a quick shot I took. Behind the air compressor, you will see a base 1x4 that I nailed directly above the "baseboard" so it almost sits on top of it. I didn't want my board and batten boards to overhang above my baseboards thus why I added this. This is optional but I highly recommend it as I believe it gives it a more finished, defined look!


Below is a photo of the main television wall with two coats of primer. No caulking had been done at this point or paint but I could really see it starting to take shape!


Finally…. here's the reveal. And I am in LOVE with how it turned out. The color of the walls would be Valspar Oatlands Subtle Taupe although I am thinking now of going a shade or two darker in this space. Each board is 12" apart from each other. The long vertical boards measured 48" in length up until the first vertical board. After that, I also went another 12" up until you get to the large cap of wood with the ledge. As you can see below also, we have gotten rid of our tv stand. I wasn't really digging the color against our new board and batten so we sold it! Now, I am getting inspired on what I want! And I'm actually thinking I am going to try to build something! Here's a photo of what this wall used to look like just for fun back a few months here at Home by Ally. 


I also sold the shutters that went on either side of the tv and I am toying with selling the antique rocker as well. Our large dog got sick and threw up all over this rug below so we purchased a new one which I will show you at a later point! I felt like the shutters really were making the space darker and that's not the direction I wanted to go with this space… Light and bright is where it's at.


Here's an up close and personal view to the left of the tv. A little antique chair is sitting here for now until I figure out what I want!


The dresser has yet to be re-done since it is housing our tv but I scored that at an estate sale and I can't wait to re-do it. It has sat for a few months in our guest bedroom. My husband swears I have a problem.


As you can see, I also continued the board and batten over to our patio door all the way to where the windows start. I definitely knew I wanted to add some functionality near the back door since obviously that's where our dogs exit the most. This will definitely serve as a hub of sorts for leashes, jackets and later down the road… little ones jackets & sweaters. For now, my cute little advent calendar that I love.



I searched for awhile for the type of hooks I wanted with no luck. Then, just the other day…as I was going through my decor stash… I found a coat rack with these hooks that I had purchased a year or so ago at Ross with these hooks on it! I immediately got my drill and took them off! Here's an up close view! I wanted something with character once again but also something that would lend to the home's age…all while serving a purpose and looking pretty!



So, overall I am SUPER happy with the space! Now to find a tv stand…


What do you think? Have you been thinking about this project? Thanks for stopping by as always!









18 comments:

  1. I just dragged my husband away from his project because I was so excited about this! He was super impressed too. So when we start our wall can you come over to consult? :)

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  2. It looks great!! we want to try something like this in our basement.. Thank you for the inspiration!!

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  3. Love the look!!! You are not afraid to tackle anything!!

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  4. danke für die inspirationen, liebe grüße von angie

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  5. I think that looks amazing!! We do live 5 minutes from Lowe's - thank goodness! Every project we do takes multiple trips and more money than I would estimate. :)

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  6. Oh my! That's a very handsome looking sunroom, Ally. Your DIY sunroom makeover is definitely a success. I'm feeling very inspired to give mine a makeover as well. Hahaha! Thank you for sharing that with us! All the best to you! :)

    Lynne Hollaran @ SGS

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  8. It's amazing how a simple addition of board and batten in a sunroom can give quite a dramatic transformation. Dismantling the coat rack you had, and making several new pieces of hooks from it is a great and creative idea. I think that DIY feat just completed your sunroom. You did an amazing job there, Ally! Kudos and all the best to you! :)

    Bob Ward @ Allure

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