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Cost Effective Tips For Your Spring Landscaping
As you know, I can be quite handy when it comes to DIY projects, woodworking and tiling, but I can’t keep a plant alive! This stands true for inside but outside, believe it or not, is a different story!! Two years ago, when we bought this house, we inherited a property that was pristine! The landscaping was perfect; plush grass, bright flowers everywhere, big bushy….bushes! I knew that I had big shoes to fill to make sure I kept it this way and coming from an apartment in Hoboken to nearly an acre of property…we had a lot to learn…the first thing being, how expensive plants can be! With winter [hopefully] nearing end and Spring right around the corner, I’m going to provide you with some tips for cost effective yet beautiful landscaping ideas!!
Depending on what you’re in the market for, compare prices at your local nurseries, but a big tip is go directly to the source. We have an actual farm about 45 minutes away that supplies all of the nurseries in the area with their goods. While this can be a tad inconvenient, it’s worth it for the big ticket items like trees, boxwoods or grasses to line the house or property. We did a mixture of dwarf boxwoods [I wouldn’t recommend] and graziella aka maiden grass to line our porch. We chose these because boxwoods are what you call forever greens, meaning, they stay as they are all year round. The maiden grass is big, hearty, tall sea grass in the later spring to summer and then turns brown and blooms these gorgeous plumes [I’ve pictured them on my instagram] in the fall into winter. If we didn’t get all of this heavy snow, they’d still be that way! The boxwoods and grasses cost us about $12/pc, which is great considering they’re a forever plant! The reason I wouldn’t recommend the dwarfs, are because while they cap out at our desired height and width of 2-3’, we didn’t realize until after the fact, that means that they only grow about an inch a year and will take almost 12 years to mature! We would have rather gotten the next size up, about 3-5’ and trimmed them to what we needed.
The next tip is regarding privacy and aesthetics. Grasses, all the grasses! Now, I am from the beach, so I definitely have a bias towards dune grass, but these bad boys are so beautiful and inexpensive! The best part is, once they’re rooted, you can split them and turn one into 1000! You can cut these down in the fall or the spring, but because I like the plumes, we keep them until spring. As soon as the weather turns, we will cut them down to a little hay bail size and then literally take a spade and split them up! I am moving some hydrangeas and replacing them with the grass along our back fence line. They also grow so quickly, that by summer, they will be large bushes already, perfect for keeping privacy between us and our neighbor!
If you’re looking to bring in some color, Petunias, Impatiens and Begonias have become three of my favorite annuals, specifically New Guinea Impatiens. For perennials, I love Lavender and Astilbe! I spent $600 our first spring here [and yes, I remember the price because my husband reminds me of it often] but since then, I have learned what works and what does not in our hardiness zone. If you don’t know what zone you’re in, google it! It’s so helpful to avoid certain plants not taking and doing well! Now, at most, I spend $1-200 a year on our light landscaping and they grow nice and hearty and stay well into the fall!
Another project that we are in the beginning stages of is planning our hardscaping! We are redoing our patio, pool area, driveway and walkway. It seems most people prefer to have natural stone, such as Travertine or Bluestone; we have friends who have this and it is no doubt, beautiful! Unfortunately, these price points don’t fit into everyone’s budget and for larger projects, like what we’re looking at, we found some more affordable options that provide the same look but offer an added benefit. Since natural stone isn’t as durable in the changing seasons, here in the Northeast, as the engineered materials, options like high-density concrete are nice to have. We will definitely be bringing in a professional for this job!
Some projects can be fun and are well worth the invested time but some can become quite the headache! We choose to have a landscaper mow our yard weekly because it is well worth it for the time saving aspect. Our biggest takeaway, when we think of landscaping, is 1. Can we do it ourselves? and 2. How long will it take us relative to the cost of hiring someone. I enjoy planting but when it comes to edging or prepping our larger garden beds, we bring in the pros for that too. Get a free estimate for your Spring landscaping ideas from Onorato Landscaping LLC to complete your dream outdoor living space. This lawn service company is located in Bergen County, NJ and offers all of the services listed below:
- Lawn Care & Maintenance
- Yard Drainage
- Retaining & Rock Walls
- Walkways & Masonry
- Stairways & Stoops
- Commercial Landscaping & Snowplowing
- and MORE!
Thank you to Onorato Landscaping LLC, for sponsoring this post! As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
XO Kelli
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Winterizing Your Home
Updated: Apr 7, 2021
While this is a sponsored post, all opinions are my own.
We renovated our home less than a year ago and we lived through it, with 2 toddlers, a dog and a very pregnant me! It WAS NOT fun living with plastic hanging and that cold weather kicking in! While I don’t recommend doing a major renovation in the dead of winter, what I do recommend is seriously preparing your home FOR winter, renovation or not! We came across a lot of things that needed attention or just to be thought out before we closed our home up! So, to begin, I should mention that we renovated the exterior as well as the interior; new roof, siding, built a porch and added peaks to the roofline. Below are just a few of the very important issues that arose for us!
1. Check the roof, inside and out! As I stated, we added peaks to the roofline and in doing so, also changed all of the shingles to black. We found that we needed to replace some of the plywood once they ripped off the old shingles. Now, you may not be replacing your roof, but you can certainly still check this out by going in your attic and looking at it from the inside. Check for any water stains that may indicate you have or had a leak. Something else to check for is flashing around a chimney [if you have one]. Ours was fine, but a friend of ours just bought a house and after the first snowfall was melting, he realized he had a BIG problem, as water was pouring into his master bedroom!
2. Gutters are another big thing. We replaced all of our gutters because we were told it was just easier, since we were redoing everything. Something that we added, which was a fabulous idea by my father in law, was gutter guards! These are just a mesh clip on, that lay on top of your gutters and keep all of the debris out! No more leaves, sticks or anything getting in them, to clog them up! If you don’t go this route, I would highly recommend getting up there or hiring someone to come clean them out, especially right before winter! Something that goes hand in hand is definitely keeping tree branches away from your home. Trim them back or remove them totally. They can not only cause physical damage, but also cause mold and mildew to grow because they provide shady spots, where the moisture doesn’t dry!
3. Make sure your attic fan or vent is working properly. When we redid the roof, we actually got rid of our attic fan and built in a ridge vent. This way, we didn’t need the thermostat to tell the fan to kick on to help control the temperature. The ridge vent just runs the whole length of the house, in the attic, so that the air circulates and stays regulated. If you don’t have this, make sure your fan is working properly. This will seriously help costs stay down, so your system isn’t running unnecessarily! A great recommendation is Peter’s Roofing. This Hudson County business specializes in attic fan repair and other services to make sure your roof is ready for winter and in the best condition possible. They are truly one of the most trusted and reliable companies to help when you need it the most.
4. The fireplace. We have a beautiful, dual sided fireplace, that’s the focal point of the home. I couldn’t wait to get it going for our first winter here and now we’re staring at it, looking oh so pretty and can’t use it! We obviously had a ton of construction dust from the renovation, but I cleaned it out, along with the logs. After I was done, I reassembled it and turned that baby on, so excited to sit down on my chaise, with a glass of wine and enjoy the aesthetics and warmth! Unfortunately, I smelled gas almost immediately and noticed a black substance forming on the logs. What we should have done and now will do, is call in a professional to check the fireplace, clean it and check the flu and chimney!
I hope you found these tips helpful and wish you the warmest, coziest and carefree winter yet!
Xoxo
Kelli
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Pink Lily Must Haves Perfect for Summer Into Fall
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Updated:Â Aug 13, 2021
Sweater I Denim Shorts I Belt Bag I Bracelet I Bralette
We all know I love basics and comfort…well Pink Lily Boutique has yet to disappoint. I have never returned or even wanted to return something I have ordered, which is something I can not say about any other establishment! I wear true to size in their bottoms, but in some of the denim could probably size up one. Their tops tend to run a bit oversized [which I love] so I either go true to size or I size down one, if it’s exceptionally oversized. The above sweater would be great sized up because you can roll the sleeves and wear it on or off the shoulder!
These pieces that I’m sharing here are some of my favorites because I wear them all year round. Layering is such a great way to get more life out of your closet faves. I’m linking everything you see here!
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Green Bodysuit I White Top I Oatmeal Top I Denim Shorts I Sandals I Sunglasses I Belt
The material of these tops are like nothing I’ve felt! They’re so silky and smooth! You can’t go wrong with an oversized top for any season. It looks so chic with sandals and denim shorts or booties and jeans! I also bought two pair of sunglasses, what seems like eons ago…the ones pictured here, which are a gold and tannish lens and another which are black and gold. I have one to go with everything now!
I can’t get enough of these corded sweatshirts. The graphics are so adorable and they have so many options! The material is smooth and the perfect weight for cool nights, in the AC or a crisp fall day!
White Top I Denim Shorts I Sunglasses
I was not expecting this shirt to feel like it does! It’s smooth and silky and a great lightweight option for summer but would be perfect for fall with a layered jacket! You can also roll the sleeves, which is my favorite thing to do because then it doesn’t stretch them out, like when you pull them up on your forearms.
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Sweater I Open Knit Sweater I Tank
The above three are some of my long time favorites. They are soft, versatile and are perfect for transitional pieces from season to season. Wear them by themselves or layered in the cooler weather! Sizing: Both sweaters can really be sized up or down, depending on the fit you like. I always prefer the slouchy, oversized look. The tank is oversized and I have the small. You can size up for an extra loose fit and wear a bralette or bandeau for the armholes.
Thanks for reading!Â
XOXO
Kel
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Honest Wantable Review
Updated: Oct 24, 2021
I have experience with styling boxes that come to your doorstep from years past, so I wasn’t totally nervous when Wantable reached out and asked me to collaborate with them. I have to say, while the concept is the same, there’s no comparison between the company I had used and Wantable. In fact, while I do receive some credits for my collaboration with them, I always end up buying way more [I don’t have to buy anything, mind you.] In this post, I am going to break down the concept and hopefully help you feel more comfortable jumping into your first box!
Let me first explain my collaboration. Basically, I get one Edit [box] a month, with the $20 styling fee waived. They give me a fixed amount of credits to use towards an item[s] in that box, but I am not obligated to keep anything, and if what I want to keep is more than the credits, I pay for it myself.
What is Wantable?
It’s an online service with personal stylist waiting to dress you! You take a short quiz on your style preference, size etc and leave a note with any specifics you may want the stylist to know. I always write, “I love neutrals or muted tones, I’m a teacher and mother of 3 young boys” yada yada…because I’m not going to wear some bright orange top or clothes that need to be ironed, etc…Then, they get to work doing their thing and a few days later you have a new wardrobe at your doorstep!
How many things do you get?
7! This is more than I’m use to. As I open my box, I find myself asking how many things I’ve pulled out because they just keep coming!
How does is work?
You try on all of the items and anything you want to keep , you keep. Anything you want to send back, you stick in the pre labeled bag and leave it on your doorstep for USPS, drop it off in a mailbox or slap the UPS label on that they also provide and drop it off there! Whatever is easier!
One pair of jeans, 3 ways!
How much does it cost?
There is a $20 styling fee when you place your order, but this gets applied to anything that you keep. For example, you love the $60 pair of jeans? Now they’re only $40 more out of pocket. If you keep 5/7 items, you get 20% off the total and the $20 STILL gets applied to whats left. It’s a great deal! As for pricing of the items, they offer tiers that you can choose from. How much would you be willing to spend on jeans, sweaters, jackets and so on. This way you’re never shocked by the price points of what you get.
What are the benefits?
In my opinion, it is a great way to try things you might otherwise not. For instance, I am not a huge dress wearer, so I wouldn’t go looking for one without an occasion. This month, I got the CUTEST boho olive green dress for fall and when I put it on, it felt like butter and I instantly wanted to wear it everywhere! The other major benefit is, if you’re into a capsule wardrobe, this is an amazing place to start or even to build on it. They send you 7 items that can all be mixed and matched, so you end up with 12 looks in one box, let alone how could style them with pieces you already own in your closet!
Do you have any control over what you get?
Yes! You can either leave it up to the stylist or you can scroll through the “stream” of items in their edits. I sat down and went through everything, declining things I would never want and you can even request specific pieces you do want, just as if you were online shopping. I prefer the element of surprise, since it is a different concept. So, I definitely declined things I wouldn’t want, but you can also label things, LOVE, LIKE, DISLIKE. They will never send you something you dislike; only what you love or like.
My overall takeaway is, I have become pretty obsessed. I recognize a lot of their brands and they are top notch, such as Thread & Supply [one of my favorites]! The ones I didn’t know, I am now in love with. It’s no secret, if you follow me on social media, that I live for all things soft, cozy and easy to wear [meaning, with 3 kids, I don’t have a lot of time to play around, but still like to look chic]. I have yet to be disappointed with anything I’ve been sent. I’m now to the point where I order multiple Edits a month! I get my style, active and just recently placed a sleep and body edit.
Below are some of the most recent items I got from my Fall Edit!
Everything but the shoes & accessories were in my box!
Simply put, I would highly recommend Wantable. It’s easy, convenient, affordable and I love how tailored to your style and budget it can be. I’ll include a link here, that gets you a discount on your first box! Ask me any questions you may have in the comments!
Thanks for reading!
XOXO
Kel
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How To Incorporate Custom Artwork Into Your Home
In case you didn’t know, I’m actually an artist! I went to art school and was a graphic designer in NYC before switching to teaching art. I paint and sell and like to do stuff for myself to keep as well…but as much as I love abstract art as decor, there’s nothing like reliving some of life’s greatest moments, big & small, every time you walk into a room.
I honestly forget how I first found Smallwood Homes, but it was probably on Pinterest or Instagram. It was those extra large custom frames and the second I saw them, I had to have them. After our first ever family trip to LBI in October of 2020, I ended up with three amazing photos of the boys, that I thought would be amazing for these custom frames. We were also completing our shiplap wall in the stairwell and I just had such a vision; these frames would be so perfect!These are the XL, 25″x44″ custom photo frame in the Almond color.
The quality of the canvas was so exceptional, I was truly blown away. It’s different than I expected but they’re fabulous. It’s thicker and harder than I imagined it would be and the pixels are mind blowing. I can see every detail of the photo crisp as if though I zoomed in! The grains of sand on Jack’s face make it.
I also dabbled in their custom wrapped canvases just a bit….they’ve kind of exploded all over my house. The problem is, I have 40,000 photos on my phone and I hate that I never see the photos! I spent countless hours sifting through and thinking back to moments I enjoyed, from when Bert was a baby and so on. I was able to come up with some of our simplest but most treasured moments….at Oak Hill Farms, in the wild flower garden, at the beach…simple.This is our home office and these are the XL Square, 25″x25″ custom wrapped canvas.
I love the wrapped canvases because they have dimension and you get to see the photo from every angle. Again, the quality is second to none. I have these, the small squares which are 13″x13″ and some of the 17″x25″ rectangles. See below!
This is our stairwell to the playroom, playroom, upstairs hallway entering our room, Bert’s room and the other corner of the office. [Don’t mind the rooms, none of them are completed yet!]The phrases, sayings and custom wording that you can create are also a favorite of mine. You can play around with fonts, sizes, colors and add a personal touch to accompany your beautiful photos!
Use CODE GRACE20 for a discount!
Thanks for reading!
XOXO
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The Foyer
Updated: Nov 3, 2020
While a small and simple part of a home, the foyer is the first impression people get, when they walk in. What do you want your home to say about you? I want ours to say, “We’re simple and organized”, even if only the simple part is true. The foyer in our home was already spacious, but being a colonial, it was closed off to the rest of the downstairs. You could enter it from either the front door or the garage [still can] and it had 4 openings; one to the formal dining room, one to the kitchen, one to the sitting room and one was the landing. to the stairs. Our before picture is from when we had just bought the house, so don’t mind all of the clutter! You can see how I originally had it set up as well. I’ve since spray painted the metal on the console table black, in the interim, until I get a new one.
In this bottom photo, you get a sneak peek of my DIY kitchen and through the plastic, the start of the major reno! When we first bought the house, we painted [most of] it natural gray, by Behr. I was on this gray kick and we attempted to achieve the perfect shade so many times, our home literally ended up 50 shades of gray! Not exaggerating, every room was different. My husband, Rob, and I took turns picking out the shade because we “knew what we were doing”. In the end, we landed with the natural gray, and while it was definitely gray, as you can see in the picture, in certain light it looked purple. Drove us crazy. So we decided for the renovation, to make it simple, we would go “white” but “not white”. And so the saga continued…
SPOILER ALERT – we chose Polar Bear by Behr from @thehomedepot and we love it! In fact, we literally get EVERYTHING at The Home Depot. Walt, who ours kids now call Uncle Walt, either loves us or hates us, he’s had so much interaction with our family. He’s been with us through good times and bad, well behaved toddlers and moments where they were at the brink of a mental breakdown. 8pm deliberation over windows when bed time is 7pm. 6am Saturday morning door discussions, and last minute run ins for the random stuff…speaking of, I can’t wait to share my homemade built-ins with you, that I made from Home Depot cabinets! I’ll post our process!
Getting back on track, here’s the rough after of the foyer. The kitchen is now gone and you can see what was happening behind the plastic. I’ll post about it later, but two major walls were removed and the porch was enclosed to become part of the house. The windows, ALL THE WINDOWS! [13 to be exact and a set of french doors]. I remember the day the plastic came down. I felt like I could breathe again!
Here she is! Still not quite done yet…I’m anxiously awaiting a new front door, which I’m hoping is a double door, a new rug and finishing decor touches. Don’t mind the price tags on my baskets…or my not streaky mirror [slapping my forehead]. I’m also in search of a new console table. I’m thinking something with darker wood, like an oak, taller and with no bottom piece. Just when the reno is done and you think so are you…the real work begins; design!
As a matter of fact, I am SO excited about the new HGTV show coming out by @theramblingredhead. Do you follow her? If not, you NEED to. She has a gorgeous home that she showcases on her instagram and her show is going to be No Demo Reno. We are planning another major addition and renovation of the upstairs, but most of the bedrooms are staying the same, including ours. So, I’m super excited to get some inspiration from her about how to transform your current spaces into something amazing, without major structural changes or mega bucks. I have some ideas already…but one thing at a time!
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Front Door DIY Makeover
Updated: Oct 10, 2021
I posted a picture of my foyer and the compliments that flooded in regarding my front door were incredible. I laughed because we’re currently looking for a new front door [in fact, we’re looking into double doors] and in the interim, I gave it the good ole DIY makeover. I didn’t want to just paint it, because I wanted it to appear like it had wood grain and not flat, so I started looking into products that could do that. I found this amazing kit on Amazon. It was super affordable [about $35] and so easy to use!
The kit literally provides everything you need, even the painter’s tape! You start by painting the door, letting it dry and then using the mitt that they give you, dip it in the “magic” top coat and rub it on, following the natural wood grain direction. You can do one coat or 3, depending on how intense you want it to look. VOILA! That’s it! It took me maybe an hour or so to do my entire front door and sidelights. They have a few color options to choose from. I used the Black Walnut. The kit I used for the garage covers 2 doors for about $70. Way less than new doors!
Also, I should mention that you DO NOT have to sand down your door prior. I did not sand the actual door itself. We only sanded the sidelights because my original intent was to stain it all, but I wasn’t loving the color [bottom left] which is ironic, because it probably would’ve looked like the paint job! The sanding and removing of years and years worth of paint was just so much work. So, we made it all this way and threw in the towel as I changed courses and ran with the painting kit option.
Meet Jake 🙂 I even painted the white, vinyl storm door to blend in and look like wood. I didn’t do anything to prime it either; no sanding, nothing! Below is a photo of my first round, the Black Walnut.
I was really experimenting here, because I wasn’t sure if I wanted black or natural wood front and garage doors. After doing the garage doors the same way, with another color, I decided to go with the natural wood look. Below is an updated photo! I used English Oak.
I should add that, I painted both my front door and garage doors over a year ago, and they are still as perfect as the day I did them! It allowed us to achieve the look we wanted while we wait to be able to afford actual new garage doors and the double front doors of my dreams. 🙂
Let me know if you have any questions and make sure you subscribe to never miss the inside details on my home projects and easy, everyday style tips and deals!
Thanks for reading!
XOXO
Kel
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HGTV Dream Home 2021 Event with Belgard Outdoor Living
I was fortunate enough to be invited to participate in the HGTV Dream Home 2021 Event, however, due to COVID, this year it was virtual. Normally, they would’ve whisked my husband and I away to a fabulous weekend at the Dream Home 2021, wined and dined us and showered us in lavish gifts! I will say, while we couldn’t physically be there, I felt like I was! I got a chance to hear, firsthand, from Brian Patrick Flynn [the interior designer] and Joe Raboine [the Belgard Outdoor Living expert]. They explained their processes that went into designing this home and why they made the decisions they did. I have to honestly say, I feel so educated and soaked up every word they said! Clearly, home design is a passion of mine and I really enjoyed hearing these talented experts explain how it all came together.
Watch this video to get an up close and personal look at all of the details with Brian Patrick Flynn!
A few days before the event took place, I was greeted at my front door with a pleasant surprise! As I approached the door to get a closer look at the package, the beautiful navy blue Belgard logo started to take form. Upon opening it, I found all the things to instantly transport me to Newport, RI [which is where the Dream Home 2021 is located]. Belgard Outdoor Living had sent me this gorgeous and thoughtful gift of Famous RI Clam Cake and Fritter Mix, a crab smasher, crib picks & cracker, some sea salt and a scoop, a beautiful navy yeti for my coffee and a signature cocktail recipe which I CAN NOT wait to try!! I’ll post that later!
During this event, I learned all of the behind the scenes design processes and how/why certain products were selected. Hearing how Brian planned out his color schemes and how he staged the area was SO interesting! For instance, predicting the year’s trends based on a popular music album cover! The hardscaping for The Dream Home 2021 is like nothing you’ve seen before! Each paver was carefully selected with a purpose to compliment and tie together the entire space, and it really did just that! I fell in love with so many of Belgard’s products and it really got my wheels turning when thinking about our yard.
Below are some photos of the interior and exterior.
We are redoing our backyard this Spring and that includes installing a rather large, 1700 sq ft patio. We are going to create an outdoor kitchen, dining area and hopefully have room for a lounge space as well. I found myself not knowing where to start. I know what I want, but want to make sure I can execute it properly. While listening to Joe Raboine, the Belgard expert, I learned about their Belgard Rooms Planner! I felt like I was on an HGTV show! This thing is so cool, as it allows you to select the space you desire [kitchen, dining, living, office etc] and then they offer ideas based on your home’s style. You can play around with product and see what it will look like, in a virtual, 3D design. It really brings the concept to life so you are left with little to no unwelcomed surprises at the end!
Amidst all of the Belgard products, my husband and I fell in love with quite a few! We are doing a mix of white and dark around the exterior of the house, from the pool deck to the roof…so I want to tie it all together, to create a cohesive look. Belgard has so many options that are a perfect blend of warm and cool tones and their design elements are just beyond.
I’d like to truly thank everyone involved for inviting me to participate in this unique experience and a big thank you to Belgard, for their generous gift! Joe Raboine was inspiring and shared so much wonderful information.
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Installing a DIY Stair Runner
Updated: Jan 1
The time spent mentally preparing myself to install this runner took longer than installing the runner. I can’t express enough, how truly simple this was! I did my research beforehand, which certainly helped and hopefully this post can save you that much and lay it all out there for ya! I used a Dash and Albert rug, by Annie Selke and I can’t say enough great things!
What you’ll need…
- I hope this is an obvious one, but measure your space two
- or three times and order more than you need, by at least a few feet! My runner came in 2’6″x8 or 2’6″x12′ and I used 1 entire 12′ and then probably another 4 or 5′ of the second runner. Don’t worry, I’ll go over how to combine two together.
- Make sure you have rug pads for each tread. My stairs were finished hardwood so we didn’t have anything. I actually found a 2×8′ runner pad with a rubber backing on amazon. I loved this for multiple reasons; I didn’t have to adhere anything to the hardwood because the rubber keeps it in place, it was so easy to cut through to make the individual tread pads and it was only $25!
- Tape measure, staple gun, crown staples and a flat tool. [A spackle knife or wallpaper smoother will work; I used my wallpaper smoother]
- Pliers , to remove any staples that may go in wonky.
How you do it…
- Center rug pads on steps, all the way down and double check it with tape measure, on the sides.
- Lay the runner out to get an idea of placement and have all of your materials ready to go.
- I lined up the binding of the runner [because I wanted it to show] with the top of my step’s kick plate. I angled the staple gun upward and shot staples into the top corners of the rug, on the kick plate, to hold it in place. Afterwards, I used my fingers to keep the rug even and stapled it along the top, 2-3 more times.
- Use the flat tool to tuck the runner into the back bottom crease, taut, and staple as close to the crease as possible.] I turned my staple gun sideways to get it as close to the tread as I could. Again, I avoided stapling into the tread. Do this on the 2 ends and then fill in the middle with as many staples as you need. I used about 4 across every pass.
- Using my hands, I kept the runner aligned on the bullnose of the tread [because my pattern required that] and then holding it taut again, stapled underneath, repeating the above steps.
Watch the below video to see how I did it…
What to do if you run out of…runner…
- Using scissors, cut across the runner, leaving enough rug to cover the last kick plate on your bottom step. [Better to leave even more; you can always trim it further]
- Fold over the start of the new rug, aligning it and layering it over the cut edge of the first rug. Staple the same way as you’ve been. You may need to use extra pressure to get through the multiple layers, depending on how thick your rug is. [I didn’t love how this was looking with my pattern, so I actually just stapled the raw cut edge on top of the new piece.] It blended in enough and I chose a height that no adult would really see if they were standing near the steps.
- When you get to your last step, you’re going to cut the runner again, and bring back that last bit from the first, that you saved. Attach it the same way you did above. Then, making sure it’s straight and taut, staple in the bottom along the base trim. We had quarter round lining every step, which is why I kept the binding. It just fit nicely into the recession of the trim. If you don’t have this, you may want to pop off your trim and put the runner behind it! It all depends on the look you’re going for!
That’s it! It took me less than an hour and I did it while all 3 kids were playing upstairs. I may go back in and staple some more, as the cotton stretches a little with the constant pull and I also went VERY light on the initial staples.
Helpful Tips…
- Keep the rug pads evenly sized and the front edges straight. I would keep them almost as deep [within an inch] as the stair tread. If it’s a 10″ tread, cut them 9-10″
- The rug pads shouldn’t be as wide as the runner; you want the runner to lay flat at the edges.
- I used an electric staple gun. Less man power needed.
- Take your time and make sure you’re pulling as tight as you can, keeping the pattern even, if it applies to your rug.
- Use a rug tape or adhesive to help hold it in place, if you don’t care about your steps’ surface.
I am so happy I finally dove in and completed this project. It has brought warmth and dimension to our home and the whole family, especially the dogs, is enjoying the transformation. Thanks for reading and as always, comment with any questions!
XO
Kel
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My Monthly Grove Collaborative Order
I love clean living and using products that work but are safe for my boys and pets! I slowly and accidentally fell into this plant based, natural world and now I can’t go back! I will use the occasional Clorox wipe for the intense messes that I feel requires the extra gusto, but overall, I am totally in love with the level of clean that these products bring. I’ve been using Grove for years and love them because they offer products that you can’t always find in the store, but mostly because you get them at a discount, they come right to your door AND you get free gifts!
Below are my revolving monthly order staples. The links are below the photo collage.
Carpet and Upholstery Stain Remover
Grapefruit Brightening Facial Wipes
My Random Finds. Links are below.
How it works:
– When you sign up, you get 60 days of a free trial, so that’s 2 monthly orders!
– After that, should you decide to keep it, [because you can cancel for free] it’s $20 for the year!
– You can skip months altogether, change your order whenever you want, add, remove etc.
– You also set frequencies, so I have some things automate every month and others every 2-4 months.
– You can not only change the dates but if you need something asap, you can ship it that day.
– When you spend certain limits, you get free gifts and usually there’s a great signing bonus gift too!
As always, feel free to ask any questions!
XO
Kel
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