Rustchic Living

small house

DIY Rustic Hat Rack

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I’m a hat girl. John is a hat guy. Hats take up a lot of space! Long gone are the days of our walk-in closet the size of a bedroom to store all of our hats. When downsizing you need to let go of a lot of things. Apparently, we both think our hats are important enough to keep around.

When we first moved into our house, we were renters (you can read more about that here) and didn’t know we were going to end up buying our little house. I threw together this rustic hat rack as a temporary solution. Part storage and part just something to hang on the wall.

Now that we own the house, it has ended up being the inspiration piece for my upcoming bedroom renovation. I even plan to make a second one soon–because there are still more hats that to be hung!

Supplies:

  • 3 boards – I used a couple six-foot boards salvaged from an old fence
  • 12 2-inch wood screws
  • 6 coat hooks

Tools:

  • Measuring Tape
  • Saw – I used a chop saw
  • Drill with a screw bit
  • Screwdriver
  • Pencil or chalk

Wash

If you are using salvaged boards like I did, make sure you wash them really well. I scrubbed mine with a firm brush using dish soap and water. Allow them to completely dry. Note: my boards are not dry in the following pictures. Do as I say, not as I do.

 

Cut to Size

You can adjust the size to fit your space or around the size of the boards you use. If you need exact measurements, these are mine to copy.

2 boards at 45 inches long

3 boards at 24 inches long

Put Together

Lay the two longer boards parallel on a flat surface. Be sure to lay the side of the board that you want to be the front facing down. I chose the most beat upside to enhance the rustic look.

From the top measure 5.25 inches down.  Draw a line where you will attach the first board going across. Then from the top measure 21.25 down and draw your line for the middle board. For the bottom board, measure 5.25 inches from the bottom up.

Line your boards up to the chalk marks. Stand back and make sure everything looks even. Once, you’ve got all your boards where you want them, attach using screws.

Add the Coat Hooks

Flip the boards over. Using the measuring tape, find the center of your boards and mark where your coat hooks will go. Attach the hooks using a screwdriver. These hooks are a discontinued style from Ikea. So bummed–if you see them there again, let me know!

Hang on the Wall

I screwed my hat rack directly into the wall. Heavy-duty picture hangers on the back of the hat rack and molly screws in the wall will also do the job.

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The Celebration Table

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“Nonnie, are we going we going to be eating at the outside table or at the celebration table?” This was the question from my oldest granddaughter when she was just four. It had never been called the celebration table before, but that describes it perfectly. And so, it would be called forever more.

You see, since becoming a mother, I always dreamed of the big family table. A table that would seat my children, their spouses, and their children around it. When we purchased our big house 12 years ago, we had a large formal dining room and I was on the hunt for the perfect table. The big family dining table of my dreams.

I fell in love with a 60-inch square table that had two leaves and extended out to be five by thirteen feet. This table would be big enough for everyone to fit around. They all fit and we used the big family table a lot!

Many memories were made around that table. Thanksgiving dinners, Christmas breakfasts, Easter brunches, and birthdays were all celebrated there.  The most memorable celebration was my oldest daughter’s wedding.

My daughter and son-in-law were married in our living room with 50 of their closest friends and family. The celebration table served as the wedding party table for the reception. At the table, my daughter and her brand-new husband were toasted, given blessings, and laughed right after tying the knot.

A few short years later, the seats around the celebration table started to fill up. My first granddaughter (the one who named it the celebration table) joined us. She was followed by her sister and her brother. A couple years after that a daughter-in-law filled a seat. That made 10 of us around the table. My family had doubled!

The dream I envisioned when I was a young mom had come true. My children with their children all sitting around the table. I loved that table so much. Not because it was a nice piece of furniture, but because of what it represented. Family, a dream come true, and love.

 

When we relocated to California, I brought the celebration table with me. Because we were not able to buy a house before the move, it came along. I knew my house would be drastically smaller. But, I didn’t know if it would have a dining room or not. Maybe I would get to keep it.

When we have purchased our little 920 square-foot urban cottage, the celebration table was going to have to leave me. This was THE hardest thing I had to let go of when we downsized our home. It still makes my heart ache writing this.

I can tell myself it is just a table. Material things don’t matter. New memories will be made around different tables. However, my heart isn’t following and I miss my celebration table.

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How To Hack Ikea Magazine Boxes

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Living in a small house, I have to find storage wherever I can.  There is one built-in shelf in my hall that I use for storage. I have got all kinds of goodies hiding in those gray Ikea Kvarnvik boxes: wrapping paper, ribbon, the glue gun, essential oils and more.

But this is how I updated some Ikea Knuff magazine file boxes and I’m thrilled with how they turned out. Inside of them, I keep a few of my favorite magazines, a couple books on my reading list and a backup supply of an obsession of Leuchtturm 1917 notebooks.

Let’s dive into how I hacked these into cute shabby holders. Some of the supplies are affiliate links. I’m supposed to tell you that…just so you know, it doesn’t cost you any extra.

Supplies

Check Fit

Before you get going, make sure the Knuff magazine boxes are going to fit on your shelves. Whew–good thing I checked, mine barely fit.

Prep

Give the magazine boxes a little sanding with a fine sandpaper. They may be a tad rough here and there. Sand just enough to get the baby splinters and the rough edges off. You don’t need to go crazy.

Paint

Apply a couple coats of chalk paint. I picked this one up at my local Walmart. Make sure you let the paint dry between coats.

Sand

Allow the paint to dry completely. Using fine sandpaper, begin to sand off the paint exposing a little bit of the natural wood here and there. Be sure to sand around the edges. This helps give it a time worn look. Keep going until you find the look you like.

Paint the Numbers

Hop onto your computer and print out your numbers. How cute would it be to use alphabet letters in a nursery or initials in a shared children’s bedroom? Make them your own. Choose a font you like and play around with the size. Print the numbers, then cut them out. Did you spy that I also hacked an Ikea Skogsta box?

With a pencil, lightly trace around the numbers, then fill in with craft paint with using a small paintbrush. Allow paint to completely dry.

Add the handles

Here is the tricky part I didn’t take pictures of before I started. Because the file box has a finger hole, you will need to cover this up and give something for the drawer pull to grab onto.

I just happen to have some little cardboard gift tags that were already painted black on one side. A small piece of chipboard would work great here as well. Put a couple little dots of glue or adhesive around the outside of it and cover the finger hole from the inside. You don’t even need to let it dry because when you attach the handle, it will pull the chipboard against the file box.

 

Because the file boxes are fairly thin, I did not pre-drill holes for the handles. I just lightly traced where they would be so I could see where to begin the screw from the back of the box. I used these handles and you can see that they almost cover the finger hole.

 

 

9 Ways to Find Extra Storage in a Small Kitchen

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Like many, you are ready to eat better and cook more from home. Having the right appliance and kitchen gadget for the job can chop cooking time in half. However, finding a place to keep all of those time-saving devices is a challenge in a small kitchen. Here are 9 tips to help you find the extra storage you need.

1. Crates

A wooden crate on the countertop is ideal for holding items such as cutting boards. If you cook from scratch, you probably use multiple cutting boards per day. Keeping your cutting boards right on the counter makes for easy access and frees up an entire drawer. Crates are also fantastic for storing randomly shaped items such as a food scale and rolling pin.

2. Add an Island

Adding an island in even the smallest of kitchens can add much-needed storage. This island is a repurposed bookshelf I found at an outlet store. A repurposed dresser, desk, or filing cabinet can even work. Not only can the smallest of kitchen islands provide extra storage, but it can give you extra countertop space.

3. Hang a Pot Rack

Pot racks are not just reserved for hanging from the ceiling. Hang a pot rack against a wall. This used to be my bathroom towel rack. A coat rack, an old ladder, or a mounted curtain rod can also do the trick.

4. Leave Out Commonly Used Items

Why bother putting away the olive oil if you use it every day? Keep commonly used items such as olive oil, salt, and pepper, butter, honey, stirring spoons and spatulas out on the counter. Not only does this save space, it saves time. This spatula container was a fun garage sale find and the olive oil is kept in a repurposed vodka bottle.

5. Between the Studs Shelving

Taking advantage of unused space inside the wall can add extra storage. Once finished off with some trim and shelving, the possibilities are endless! That little bit of space between the framing studs is ideal for holding narrow items such as a broom, mop, toilet paper, wine bottles, or even a prized collection. These shelves hold my cooking spices. Not only is it functional but it doubles as a piece of art.

6. Display Your Fruit

Most fruit doesn’t need to be refrigerated. Add a little warmth and a pop of color to your kitchen decor and keep your apples and oranges is a cute bowl or basket. Here are some tomatoes, avocados, and a pineapple finishing their ripening in my window sill.

7. Use Hooks

Hooks are perfect for hanging over-sized or awkwardly shaped items such as barbecue turners, ladles, and frying pans. I attached a towel rack to the side of my kitchen island. There are several ready-made hook systems available on the market. If you aren’t handy, I suggest checking into this system from Ikea.

8. Display Your Teapot

Much like the olive oil, if you use your teapot often, then just leave it on the stove. Teapots are big and oddly shaped and can take up a lot of room. Hunt garage sales or the thrift stores and find one that fits your vibe.

9. Donate Unused Appliances

A small kitchen shouldn’t inhibit you from having the right tool for the job. You should be able to keep your favorite appliances and tools. Much like we track what clothing items we wear most in our closet, do a similar inventory of your kitchen. If you haven’t used an appliance or kitchen gadget within a year, consider donating it and free up the much-needed space.

 

Why I Chose A Small House

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The Big House

I chased the American dream of the big house and got exactly what I wished for and worked hard to achieve – over 4000 square feet of an American dream.

Right away, deep down, I knew it was too much house. My husband, John, and I tried selling it just a year after we bought it. We had a sign in our yard for two years and then the housing crisis hit. We decided to hunker down and make the best of it. We did for 11 years.

I did love my big house. We raised three kids in it, hosted oodles of parties, always had room for guests to stay and even had my daughter’s wedding in the living room. But, it takes a lot to live in a big house. It uses a lot of utilities, it is a lot to keep clean, it is more to maintain, and it is a lot to fill up – and fill it up we did – with lots and lots of stuff.

Tiny Houses

Somewhere along the way John and I became obsessed with the tiny house movement and the ideals that come with it. Fewer bills, less stuff, more time, and more freedom appealed to us. We seriously considered going that route. We purchased books, I started a Pinterest board, and I subscribed to tiny house YouTube videos.

In 2009 we purchased a used motorhome to tour the United States for a month and then ended up keeping it for six years because we enjoyed the freedom and relaxation that travel provided. It had everything we needed but was basic and simple. We loved that. Could we really live tiny?

Small Houses

Why did I feel like I had to live either big or tiny? Somewhere in the middle between 400 and 1000 square feet is small. Small house living offers the best of both worlds. This seemed to be the answer for us. There were a few factors that lead us toward small.

The child. I watch all of the tiny house shows so I know you can live in them with children. It can be done. We are still raising our youngest, who is in her teens. She is an artist. Canvases, paint, knitting needles cover her bedroom floor. And, of course, she produces laundry. That stuff needs to be kept somewhere. In a small house, she can have a room of her own.

The parties. Cooking and throwing parties is my way of showing love. Spending time with family, friends, and neighbors is a major part of living. My knack for design spills over into my cooking and entertaining. In a small house, I can have a full-size kitchen with (some) room for guests to roam.

The garden. I am passionate about growing my own food. Moving dirt, pulling weeds, planning how much I need for preserving, and dreaming about the meals I will make with the harvest grounds me and makes me happy. In a small house, I can have my own plot of dirt to garden and plant fruit trees.

The Move

Sometimes, life ends up shoving you into a decision before you are actually ready for it. In late 2014, John was offered a job in the same California town we had left 10 years prior.

Many late night talks, early morning walks, and notebooks full of pro and con lists were made.  Nine months later we broke the news of our relocation and a year later we moved. This was a really good time to downsize.

We were going to buy smaller. And we did. It took us 6 months of hunting, bidding, and patience to land in our 920 square-foot urban cottage.

I would like to inspire others who want to downsize or who already live small. Having a full satisfied life doesn’t have to be restricted by the size of your house. Do you live small? Do you want to live small? Share with me why in the comments. I would love to hear from you.