DIY Utility Sink Skirt | New Sink + Faucet for the Fish Room!

The Fish Room is done!  I'm working on the full "before" and "after" post, but it's really difficult to photograph this space, especially now that the skies have turned dreary, snowy, and grey.  While I wait for the perfect sunny day, I wanted to start sharing some of the changes we made in this odd little room.

The last time you saw the Fish Room, it was just a sea of brand new DIY plywood floors (although I did give you a pretty big sneak peek in this post).  Now the room has furniture, shelving, storage - even a new sink and faucet!  The sink and faucet is what I want to talk about today, because I am so smitten with the faucet we found.  It was such a challenge to find the right size faucet to fit the sink we bought, which is really only designed to fit the ubiquitous chrome utility sink faucet.  I had my eye on a few different designs (like this beautiful kitchen faucet), but they wouldn't fit!  Lucky for me, Delta came to the rescue with this classic single handle bar/prep faucet that's sleek and gorgeous - and just happens to be the perfect size for this utility sink!



The Fish Room originally had a pretty dreadful sink, in a janky old cabinet, but even once we removed the rest of the cabinetry, I actually contemplated keeping the sink and just painting the cabinet because a new sink (even a cheap new sink) was more than my tiny budget could handle.  But at the last minute I decided to rip it out - and I'm so glad I did!

Seriously, what was I thinking trying to work with that?  Now that same angle looks like this:

After impulsively ripping out the old sink and cabinet, I contemplated one of those fancy laundry tubs built into a sleek cabinet but those rang in at around $200-300.  I couldn't justify that price tag because when we eventually renovate this space we won't need a laundry tub (we're getting a dog washing station that doubles as a sink), so it seemed wasteful to buy that kind of cabinet now.  Plus, who knows what kind of mess I'll end up making in here - it is a craft room after all.  In the end, we found a really nice utility sink for super cheap in a local big box store, and something about it feels more modern than the typical laundry tub (see the old townhouse laundry room sink for a comparison so you can see what I mean).  The only problem was those ugly legs!  Yikes.  I stash paint under there too, so I wanted to cover it somehow.



We contemplated building some kind of encasement with the leftover watercolor stained plywood pieces but we both agreed that's too much of a good thing.  With the budget in mind, I re-purposed the fabric from my failed shower curtain hack (in the link, it's the ruched monstrosity we tried before my Mom and I sewed the simple tweed-look curtain) and we sewed a simple skirt for the sink.  I had seen some very traditional, fluffy looking utility sink skirts, but I wanted something more sleek and modern.



Making this DIY laundry tub skirt was so easy but it really helps the space feel more polished.



Because of the location of the plumbing, the sink is right up against the wall so the sink skirt only needed to cover two sides, but we made it long enough to wrap around a little bit so it looks like it covers all four sides.  It's basically just a rectangle with hemmed edges and to make it look a little fuller, but we also sewed a small pleat into the corners to give it some oomph.

(Don't mind out rough hemming job - no one will see it but blog readers, haha).

Then, using a zipper foot, we sewed on the velcro - the other side was backed with peel and stick tape and easily affixed under the lip of the sink.





I love the pale blue/grey hue of this linen because it's quiet and simple.  Plus it always feels good to use up something instead of buying new - not that it isn't nice to replace something broken and ugly with something shiny and new once in awhile! 

Along with the gorgeous faucet they sent me, Delta also provided the Compel towel ring (I hadn't even thought of where I'd hang a hand towel) and three of the Trinsic robe hooks (which come in lots of finishes, including this gorgeous champagne bronze).  Because this room isn't accessible from inside the house, I usually don a coat or jacket to run over here, so it's nice to have a place to hang my coat, keys, scarf, dog leashes - whatever.  The Trinsic collection also has really beautiful faucets, like this modern wall mount bathroom faucet and this matte black tub faucet combo kit.

You know my penchant for simple fixtures in matching brushed nickel.  Even though this room isn't accessible from inside, I still like that the faucet and accessories have the same modern feel and similar shape as the hardware and faucets inside.  It makes the space feel less like an afterthought and more cohesive.  Plus, when we do renovate out here, it will be easy to transition these pieces to somewhere else in the house because although the utility sink likely won't find a new home, the faucet and accessories definitely can!  Knowing this makeover is temporary, I've been trying to make my design decisions strategically, with re-purposing in mind.

I can't wait to show you the rest of the room, along with some more before and afters!

Sources: Bar/Prep Faucet | Trinsic Robe Hooks | Compel Towel Ring | Hand Towel (similar) | Utility Sink (similar) | Grey Linen Fabric (similar) | Velcro Tape | Fabric Storage Bins (similar)

P.S. Be careful online shopping because when a deal seems too good to be true, it might be a miniature that you almost mistakenly order, lol.

DIY Fabric Clothespin Bag

Wayfair recently posed a challenge: tackle a DIY project that makes life easier!  One of those, "why, oh why, didn't I do this sooner?" type of projects.  I had just the project: a DIY clothespin bag!

Truth be told, last spring I had one:

But it was a disgusting one that came with the house.  It smelled bad and was filled with spiders, but it was better than the torn plastic bag my Mummu was using to hold her clothespins.

Hanging laundry outside is something the women in my family are fanatic about.  My Mummu, like a good Finn, hangs her laundry outside all year round.  My Mom and I, while still deeply committed to outdoor line drying in the warmer months, stick to indoor clothes racks and lines as soon as the snow flies.  Thoroughly disgusted with both of our clothespin holders, last spring my Mom volunteered to help us each sew a pretty cloth clothespin bag.  Before we had completed the first bag, my Mummu gleefully threw out my skunky old bags and pins.  (I don't think she appreciated that I had set them on her dining table).  She scooped the first clothespin holder bag we sewed and we made plans to get together and sew a second clothespin holder later that week.  Well, life imploded and we never made that sewing date!

So I resorted to using an old plastic bag.  Cue the sad trombone.

On the bright side, we learned that the clothespin bag we sewed weathered living outside really well.  Sheltered under the eaves, it looks brand new a year later!  Confident in the design, my Mom and I finally whipped up a clothespin bag for me!  Below is the how-to, but I will warn you that my Mom is an ambitious DIYer and she's upped the ante by making this clothespin holder self lined - with a pattern that lines up perfectly!  The end result looks beautiful, but it has a few extra steps which I've tried to explain thoroughly.  Just let me know in the comments, though, if any of the directions don't make sense and I will happily clarify.

Supplies:

• Child-sized hanger (this is nearly identical to what we used, but you can also use plastic)
• Outdoor fabric (leftover from my back tab curtains - see the post for info on the fabric)
• Thread
• Sewing machine
• Sewing gauge (optional)
• Marking pencil
• Small bowl (for tracing)
• Cute clothespins! (like these retro looking ones or these pretty floral ones)

How to Sew a Self-Lined Fabric Clothespin Bag:

To determine the shape, place the hanger on the fabric, near a corner so as not to waste fabric, and measure the center of the hanger.  Approximately two inches below the bottom of the hanger, use a bowl to trace a circle for the opening - choose a size that fits your hand comfortably.  We used a bowl with a 5" diameter (the overall diameter of the finished opening is 5"):

Using a gauge, mark 1" all the way around the hanger and then draw a straight line down from the outside edge of the hanger.



The idea is to create a snug fit around the hanger, and then allow for 5 to 6 inches below the opening.  My finished clothespin holder is 17" tall and 12.5" wide. 

With the shape cut out, trace and cut out three more identical clothespin bag shapes so you have four in total.

Place the piece with the circle and one of the other cut outs together, right sides facing in:

Pin around the circle and sew around the circumference:

Tie off the thread, cut out the middle, and then snip in toward the sewn line, careful not to cut the thread:

Reach through the circle and pull one layer of the fabric inward, to turn the hole inside out:

Ta da!  Next we'll pull a rabbit out of a hat...

Iron the fabric to smooth out the circle opening and then pin down and sew the circumference once again - this will help it lie flat:

And that's the front, which has two layers: 

To attach it to the back, grab one of the remaining two cut outs and place it right side up, underneath the front half you sewed earlier:

Pin the top layer of the fabric out of the way, and sew together the bottom layer and the additional piece, leaving a small opening at the very top for the hanger to poke out:

Then place the fourth cutout on top of the front of the clothespin holder, right side facing down.  Pin it together with the side you pinned out of the way earlier, and sew it together.  This is my Mom sneaking it into place to demonstrate:

Now then turn everything right side out:

See how the hole now has the right side of the fabric showing behind it, as opposed to the wrong side of the back showing?  Self-lining it took a few extra steps and twice the fabric, but the end result looks so good!

For the top, you can hand sew the opening, try adding a grommet, wrestle with it under the machine to do a button hole, throw in the towel and just apply some fray check, or ram in under the machine and sew around the opening - much like you would around the slit of a wrap dress - which is what my Mom did.

With the bottom still open, slide the hanger into the clothespin bag up through the body of the clothespin holder through the hole left in the top.  Then simply pull the bottom edge back up through the hole, stitch it closed, and push in back in.

Whew!  You're done!  Now stuff it with pins:




By using indoor/outdoor fabric, this clothespin bag can definitely be kept outside, but it's pretty enough to hang on a hook in a laundry room to keep it bug-free until laundry day.



I'm pretty thrilled!  Living lakeside, it can be pretty windy some days, which totally messes with my hair but, combined with a gloriously sunny day, dries my laundry in a snap so I can't complain. 
 

 
This post was sponsored by Wayfair.  Any thoughts or opinions expressed are my own.  P.S. if sewing your own clothespin holder looks like piddly work, you can always just buy this cutie from Wayfair.  Just sayin'.   

Read more »

Laundry Room Eames Hang-It-All in White

 
Yesterday you saw our track-hack (I love writing that), plus the drop-dead gorgeous drapes my Mom sewed to hide the washer, dryer, and our laundry rack (which we didn't hack).  Today I'm sharing the progress we've made on the other side of this wee little room, including the addition of an Eames Hang-It-All . . . Rack (I'm having a lot of fun today).



It's a far cry from how this side of the room looked before:

We're planning on building a nicer cabinet to hide our electric panel as soon as the kitchen is done.  For now I've focused on easy fixes.  I couldn't find a container for dog food that I liked, so when I stumbled across this huge stock pot at a restaurant supply outlet I decided it would be cute (and practical) for storing Szuka's kibble.  I also couldn't find a pretty, washable rug for the space so my Mom and I made a little washable quilt for Szuka in lieu of a rug.  One of the things I love most about DIY is making something custom: this mat not only matches the drapes, but it also fits the space perfectly - even slipping under the doors just so.

Szuka mostly likes to sleep on bare floor these days, but if she wants to cozy up she can.  At the very least, the mat offers some more colour (for me) and keeps her bowls from sliding around (for her).



The process was sort of trial + error, so I didn't take photos but when we sew the bedroom drapes I hope to make another matching mat, and will write up a quick tutorial then. In a nutshell, we found a washable, cotton quilt liner (Nature's Touch eco-cotton blend batting, in the Queen size which we folded over) at Fabricland and essentially sewed a giant pillow cover for it.  Mom sewed the edges with the mat cover inside out and when it was nearly sewn, she flipped it the right way around, inserted the batting and hand sewed the final seam closed.  She ran two sets of stitches along the channel where the fabric changes to anchor the batting, but a pattern could be sewn anywhere (along the edge, in zigzags - anything to keep the quilt from bunching).  The whole thing can, theoretically, be tossed in the washer because both the cotton batting and fabric were pre-washed.



Because this room sees so much traffic (as Szuka's space, the mudroom, the laundry room, and the only access to the powder room), when it comes to accessorizing I want most things to be both a workhorse and a show pony.  I've always liked the Eames Hang-it-All (who doesn't?), but the colourful version isn't really me.  When I spotted an all-white one in the Ottawa EQ3 store I immediately envisioned it in the lakehouse - especially after I found the polka dot curtain fabric and the curvy Marimekko fabric for the living room pillows.  My friends at EQ3 generously provided the Hang-It-All for the laundry room spruce, and it's perfect for the space.  To me the white-rack-on-white-walls looks sculptural.  I really don't think I need to convince you of its aesthetic merits, but practically speaking this rack is sheer genius.  The large, solid wood balls are perfect for drying snow-soaked mittens and hats, without pulling them out of shape.  Everything from Szuka's towel to her collar find a temporary place to land, and we always have a spot for guest coats.  In a pinch, I've used it dry clothes if our dry rack is full - it's just so handy.  It also helps the room feel more cohesive with the rest of the house, and the mid-century feel I'm after - this no longer looks like a neglected utility room.

I hung up two paintings by Hubby's grandpa for some more colour, but I'm still swapping art around.



There's still work to do (isn't there always?), but for now I'm so thrilled by how much we've updated the space, with just paint, some fabric, and a few well-chosen accessories from high (my new Hang-it-All) to low (the $24.99 Ikea light fixture). 

For more laundry room progress: see how the curtains were made, check out the difference paint alone made in freshening up the space, and take a peek at how much the new hardware changed the look of all of the rooms.

Read more »