Garage Organization Glow Up!

I'm excited to share with you my recent garage organization glow-up! As someone who loves DIY projects and spends a lot of time in my garage, it was time for me to tackle the clutter and create a functional and organized space. Whether you're someone who loves to tinker with tools or simply looking to get your garage in order, this post will provide you with some practical ideas and inspiration to help you transform your space. So, let's get started and dive into the details of my garage organization project!

It feels like we’re always in a battle against the garage shop becoming total chaos, but we made a huge upgrade in the storage situation with these Wall Control panels!

We originally had some screws and nails in the OSB wall that we hung some tools on haphazardly, it worked sort of all right, but it certainly wasn’t anything to write home about. Adding an entire wall of Wall Control panels and hanging accessories made this space work 1000x better, and we’re able to store all of our smaller tools on the wall, giving us so much more floor space in the garage (which is desperately needed).

We were also able to use the cabinets that we salvaged from our kitchen remodel, and used those as base cabinets. These were originally the wall cabinets in the kitchen, so they’re 12” deep (standard base cabinets are 24” deep), which is really nice because things don’t get lost in the back of them and they take up less floor space.

We still have plenty of plans to make this garage/shop as useful and practical as possible, but for now this glow-up has made it feel so much more usable. Now the only challenge is actually getting myself to put my tools away where they belong instead of leaving them in piles around the house…

Here are all the Wall Control products we used to transform this space!

Black Vertical Panels | Black Horizontal Panels | Hooks | Drill Holder | Shelves | Spray Can Holder | Angle Grinder Holder | Hanging Drawer Cabinet | Screwdriver Holder | Long hooks

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Unique and eclectic sofas under $1000

Couches can be a big expense, and while the quality for sure increases as the price increases, sometimes a several thousand dollar couch just isn’t in the cards yet. Or maybe you do want to save up for a pricer sofa, but in the meantime still want one that matches your design vibe at a lower price point. Here are a few options that are under $1000 that still have a really fun style to them. They’re unique and eclectic, will add to the design of your space, but might not take up your entire furniture budget for the year.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

I think my favorites in this group are the top one, the blue one, and the bottom one. I’d for sure get that top one if it was offered in some more colors. Dirty corgi paws + white couch just isn’t a math equation I want to put in my house. I love the color of the orange one, and the fabric looks interest and unique as well. I don’t think it’s a boucle, but it gives that look, which I like.

6 | 7 | 8 | 9

The orange and yellow ones in this group are slightly over that $1000 cap but I loved them and I think they probably are a slightly higher quality being from Urban Outfitters. I really love the spherical legs on the pink couch though. Such a fun detail that really adds a lot of design interest.

Something fun you can do to customize existing furniture is to replace boring legs with stuff that’s more eclectic. My go-to shop for furniture legs is Pretty Pegs. They make tons of uniquely shaped furniture legs designed for both IKEA furniture and other furniture. They also make drawer/door handles and knobs so you can customize those on your dressers and cabinets as well! It’s a really great resource for DIYers and furniture flippers alike.

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The 2022 DIY Awards Bash

I cannot get over how amazing this night was. So many new and old DIY friends came to celebrate, for the first time ever we were able to present trophies to the winners in person, and it was all around just a super fun night of celebrating the DIY community. This years awards didn’t only have an in-person awards ceremony, but it was also broadcast live online so everyone who wasn’t able to attend IRL was still able to tune in and celebrate as well! We’ve got that broadcast saved so you can go back and watch it and feel like you were right there with us!

Meet your 2022 DIY Awards Winners! Remember, each category has three account size tiers to give DIYers with smaller accounts an opportunity to be recognized alongside those who have larger followings. Just because someone doesn’t have a lot of followers doesn’t mean they aren’t doing incredible work! We had such amazing nominees this year, if you want to see all the folks who were nominated, pop over here to meet (and follow) all the nominees!

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Best DIY Room Transformation:

0-10K Winner

@parisashleyhome's bathroom

10-50k winner:

@nestbyjess' Home Office

50k+ Winner

@thehonesthome_'s Playroom

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Best DIY Paint Transformation

0-10k winner

@reclaiming_lacy's Painted Wallpaper

10-50k winner

@percivalinbloom's Floral Mural

50k+ winner

@banyanbridges' dining room

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Best DIY Outdoor Transformation

0-10k winner

@reclaiming_lacy's greenhouse

10-50k winner

@unclutteredhouse's deck

50k+ winner

@banyanbridges' Exterior Mural

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best budget friendly diyer

0-10k winner

@honeydohoney_home

10-50k Winner

@firstgenhouse

50k+ winner

@desiraeathome

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Best Rental Friendly DIYer

0-10k winner

@aurorabyjacqueline

10-50k winner

@bangonstyle

50k+ winner

@hotpinkpineapples

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Best All Around DIYer

@deardarlenee

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The DIY Awards Bash was a blast! In addition to the awards ceremony, we also had a photobooth, a mini red carpet, a delicious signature cocktail (make it yourself at home!), a (REAL) tattoo booth with DIY themed mini tattoo flash, and a pop up shop from Moorea Seal! As per usual, I made my own DIY dress for the event and there were a bunch of other folks who joined in and DIYed their looks as well! It was so much fun seeing the outfits everyone came up with. Scroll down to get a peek at the festivities.

The DIY Disco Mirror

This is what happens when you buy a mirror off of craigslist to customize, with no real plan, and then go completely off the rails. I had a few different concepts when I was trying to decide what I wanted to do with the mirror and of course landed on the most time consuming and expensive option: melty disco ball frame.

What I used:

Disco Mirrors (I used appx 40,000 mirrors)
GemTac Glue (I used appx 2 4ox bottles)
Spray Foam (I believe I went through five 12oz bottles)
Joint Compound
Cheesecloth

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A post shared by Liz | DIY HQ (@liz.morrow)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Liz | DIY HQ (@liz.morrow)

I explain the process in the above videos, but basically: the base shapes are made out of spray foam, then joint compound to fill in any gaps and smooth the surface. I sanded to smooth the bumps, then primed, and from there on out it was just a never ending process of sticking mirrors on. I bought 5mm mirrors, which were smaller than I’d anticipated, so if I was doing this over again I’d probably get 10mm mirrors. I do love the density of the 5mm mirrors, but it took forever to put that many mirrors on.

The mirrrors I used had adhesive backing, but I didn’t trust that adhesive to stick well enough, especially with the undulating shapes I was applying them to (they felt strong enough to apply to smooth, flat surfaces), so I used GemTac glue to apply each one. In the larger areas I could apply strips of 4 or 5 mirrors at a time, but in the tighter curves I definitely needed to apply them one by one.

DIY Fireplace build with Ambe Fireplaces

Thank you to Ambe Fireplaces for sponsoring this project

When we first bought this house, it originally had a wood burning stove which was placed super awkwardly in the middle of what was at the time the dining room (we turned this area into the living room). It stuck pretty far into the room and took up quite a bit of square footage, so we ended up removing it and scheming a replacement that would fit the space better both in terms of size/placement, as well as design.

I came up with an idea to transform the whole wall with a modern concrete fireplace and built-in bookcase. After a few years of updating this house, it’s taken on an eclectic modern look so I knew this combination would not only fit the style of the house, but also add a ton of functionality.

I decided to recess the right side about 10 inches to create a raise hearth, as well as create space for a mantel so that the mantel wasn’t sticking out into the room, since the fireplace would be along the main traffic route through the house. It also made it so that if we (or a future owner) ever wants to put a TV above the mantel, it also won’t be sticking out into the room. This design feels like it takes a wall that was blank and unused and gives it so much storage and usability.

Ambe Fireplaces are electric which meant that we didn’t have to do any kind of messing around with the existing chimney, or putting in gas lines. There was already an existing outlet right where we wanted to place the unit, and since Ambe Fireplaces use a standard 120v outlet, we didn’t have to do any electrical to wire it up. They have a few different shapes and sizes, but I really loved the linear style and the 50in was the perfect size for our spot (though they also have a 72in version too!).

The directions were straightforward and included all the dimensions for framing out the hole for the unit, so I sketched up a framing plan and we got to it!

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We started by cutting out the flooring where the fireplace was going. since it’s a floating floor, we wanted to remove it so we could attach the framing directly to the subfloor. With the floor out, we framed up the wall for the fireplace. It’s just a decorative wall, so it doesn’t need to be a load bearing wall. We had to move the light switch for the room because otherwise it was going to be behind the area we framed it, and we added an outlet for a TV (which for the time being will be hidden behind the mantel).

Once the framing was done, we did a test fit to make sure the fireplace unit fit and everything was correct, then we drywalled the whole thing in. I covered the raised hearth with plywood instead of drywall so it’s more durable for folks to sit on there.

For the concrete finish, I used Henry Feather Finish and troweled it on. It took two coats and I sanded it down in between coats and at the end to make sure it was nice and smooth. Then the fireplace could go in for good!

The fireplace comes with a variety of different stones to put in to customize the look of the faux embers, as well as some faux logs. I loved the white stones, so I used those as well as the logs for a really cozy look. Once those are in, you can put the front glass on and it’s ready to install.

Before sliding it in, plug it in (the cord is long enough to make this easy), then slide the fireplace in, making sure each side goes in at the same time. Then you can attach the face frame, and you can turn it right on!

You can customize the color of the flames, as well as an uplight and downlight, which illuminate the rocks. I love a really authentic look so I picked the orange flames and red embers, but they’re super easy to change up with the remote.

The fireplace has a heater which blows warm air out the top of the front, so it does heat your space, but I love being able to have just the “fire” on throughout the day for the ambiance! You can adjust the temperature of the heater, and on super chilly days it was a great supplement to keep the living room warm.

The coziness of a fireplace is so much easier to add to a space than I had previously thought. You could even use an Ambe Fireplace to build a temporary fireplace that’s removable if you’re a renter! Since all you need to do is frame up a box for the unit to go in, and a standard 120v outlet, it can just sit against the wall, without having to permanently attach it to the home.

A fireplace can add so much coziness and be the perfect way to add a focal point to your space. If I had the square footage, I would 100% add another fireplace to my bedroom too!