DIY Tiled Planter Box Tutorial

This post is sponsored by The Home Depot. 

They other day I shared the news that I was working with Team Depot at a 2015 Celebration of Service Event here in Detroit. The project is to help a local Veteran with a home makeover that includes a new kitchen and bathroom, as well as home repairs and improvements to the exterior of his home. Part of my contribution to the project was to make a Custom Planter Box to gift our Veteran for his front porch. 

Here is what I created…

My inspiration for my planter box design came from beautiful black and white tiles that I found at The Home Depot. Without knowing ahead of time what the color scheme of our Veterans home was, I decided that black and white would be my best option (because black and white looks great with everything). 

This project turned out to be one of my favorite DIY Projects to date. Much of the reason for that was obviously because of the special person it was being made for. But also because working with tile is so much fun. It's not as difficult as one might think. If you would like to create A DIY Planter Box like this for yourself, here are the instructions...

Tools you will need:

A circular saw

A power drill and bits

Nail Gun

A caulking gun

Utility knife

Sand paper block

A paintbrush 

Tape measure

Pencil

Gloves 

Safety goggles

Sponge

Trowel

Materials you will need:

(4) 13"x13" pieces of plywood

(12) pieces of decorative molding cut in 13" lengths

Two 8ft 2x2s

A box of 3" exterior screws

Stain and polyurethane or outdoor paint

(4) Curtain Rod Finials (painted or stained to match planter box)

Construction Adhesive

Newspaper

Simple Mat Tile Adhesive

Tile

Grout

Caulk

Start by putting on your safety goggles and cutting the 2x2s into four pieces of 16" and eight pieces of 12". Using a sheet of fine grit sand paper sand each piece until it is nice and smooth. Wipe with a damp cloth to remove sanding dust. Apply your paint or stain and polyurethane finish according to the instructions on the product and allow it to dry.

Next, pre-drill and countersink the 2x2 pieces together with the 16" pieces forming the legs and the 12" pieces forming the support between the legs. Apply construction adhesive and then screw in the 12" support pieces in so that they sit at 12" down the legs. Then, grab your remaining four 12" 2x2"s, pre-drill, apply some  glue, space them evenly across the bottom and screw them into the frame.

Using the nail gun, secure one piece of 13"x13" plywood to each side of the frame to form a box. Cut the simple mat adhesive sheets to fit each plywood square and apply them per the manufacturers instructions on the simple mat packaging. 

Arrange tiles and press into place. Add decorative molding around the outside edge of the tiles using the nail gun. Caulk all of the seams (between the trim and frame) to give it a nice finished look. Once the caulk has dried, follow the manufacturers instructions to apply the grout to each side using your trowel and wipe away access grout with a damp sponge. 

Allow to set for 24 hours. Once grout is completely cured, give all wood pieces a light sanding to remove any qrout residue. Predrill a hole in the top of each corner piece and twist the finials into place. The last step is to paint over all trim pieces and allow to dry before filling with your favorite plant. 

I filled mine with a potted mum. If you would like to switch out the plants seasonally, using potted plants is the easiest option. Or, if you prefer a longer lasting option, you can line your planter with landscaping fabric secured inside the box with a staple gun, and fill with potting soil and plants of your choice. 

Stay tuned for all the details on the Celebration of Service Event in Detroit where  I delivered this planter to our very special recipient. I will also be sharing my experience working alongside Team Depot making over our Veterans home where this planter now resides. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Don't forget, for each #ServiceSelfie shared during Celebration of Service, Team Depot will donate $1, up to $1 million, to nonprofits that help veterans in need. Follow Team Depot on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

I acknowledge that The Home Depot Foundation is partnering with me to participate in this Celebration of Service program (the “Program”). As a part of the Program, I am receiving compensation for the purpose of promoting The Home Depot Foundation and its non-profit partners. All expressed opinions and experiences are my own words. My post complies with the Word Of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Ethics Code and applicable Federal Trade Commission guidelines.

Kitchen Makeover~Come Behind The Scenes With Me

This week I'm busy in the studio working on some really exciting projects.  One of which is a custom kitchen remodel that I'm assisting with finish selections.  I can't wait to share this transformation.  We are still in the planning stages, however the installation will be happening in just a few weeks.  

Until then, I wanted to share some of the gorgeous material combinations I'm proposing…

I would also like to invite you to follow me on Instagram to get the behind-the-scenes scoop on some of these exciting projects.

These photos were taken at a trip to our local specialty tile and granite shop.  Playing around with tile and granite combinations is so much fun.  Shopping trips like this are meant to be shared!  

There is a lot that takes place during the design process that isn't on the blog.  Instagram is a fun, easy way to document my daily adventures as a designer.  My hope in sharing these moments is that you may find inspiration for your own home.  

In addition to nitty-gritty design details, I like to use Instagram to share interactions I have with my clients and their pets.  Working with families in their homes,  I'm able to capture really sweet moments. Like this...

 …while on-site snapping "before" photos for this kitchen project, I stole this shot of Kona the puppy watching over his front yard.  If you follow along on Instagram, be prepared to see photos of some of pets I meet along the way.   You can follow me here, http://instagram.com/theyellowcapecod.

Stay tuned for more details on this kitchen project.  

A design board is coming soon!

For information on my affordable online design service please click here. 

Contemporary Bathroom Featuring Gold Fixtures

Today's featured design plan is a master bathroom created for our client, Anita.  

During our initial consultation I learned that Anita is drawn to clean, contemporary design.  After viewing photos of her master bedroom we got to work creating a master bathroom that compliments her beautiful bedroom decor.  

Here is the true to scale floorplan illustration of the space:  

We did not change the layout of the bathroom, but we did come up with a plan to give it a brand new look by making aesthetic changes.  Our starting point for the design was a gorgeous vanity mirror that Anita just purchased featuring golden-champagne and black highlights. We chose a beautiful granite for the vanity top that looks amazing with this mirror.  From there, we pulled a new color for the walls (BM Northern Cliffs) and a new paint color for her vanity (BM Black Satin). 

We recommended replacing her current builder-grade tile with this gorgeous tile from Daltile.  It's a natural porcelain tile that brings out the new wall color and the warm gray tones in the grantie as well as the golden-champagne highlights found in the mirror.  

We chose a simple but striking shower curtain that looks fabulous open or closed.  

What I love about this bathroom color scheme is that Anita can easily give the space a fresh new look by simply changing out the shower curtain and accessories.  

Speaking of accessories, we suggested a few pieces from this collection from…wait for it…Bed Bath and Beyond.  What we loved about this collection is how amazing the champagne colored sparkling glittered metallic grid design looks with the new granite vanity top. The square shape of each piece is clean and contemporary, just the look Anita is going for.

For color, we brought in this pair of large prints in black frames from ZGallerie. These prints compliment this design and also bring in the gray and yellow color palette she used in her adjoining master bedroom.  

I mentioned earlier that we chose a new paint color (black) for the vanity.  Anita's existing vanity is new and in great shape.  We suggested that she give it a makeover with paint as opposed to replacing it.  This change along with the addition of the new granite countertop will give it a whole new look.  

The last element we incorporated into Anita's bathroom is one that makes a big statement.  Anita found beautiful champagne-gold fixtures at Delta and wondered if they would look nice in her bathroom. Our answer was yes, yes, yes.  The contemporary shape and champagne-gold finish of these fixtures lends a high end modern look to her new bathroom. 

Thank you, Anita for giving us the opportunity to design your master bathroom.  

Enjoy your new space!

For information on my affordable online design consultation service, please click here. 

® The Yellow Cape Cod