I recently decided that it was time to start tackling projects around the house that have been on my to-do list for years (yes, years). One huge problem though, I didn't have any of the tools necessary for any of the projects that we had in mind! Can you even believe it?! I guess it just goes to show how much we've gotten done in the past couple of years, ha!
I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to work with
Canadian Tire on our powder room makeover. Not only because I love their store, but because this is just the beginning of us updating our house! Thank you, Canadian Tire for sponsoring this post! You made this makeover possible!
I set out to start with the powder room because it was a small space and I knew that we would have a thing or two to learn when it came to working with trim and wallpaper. There was indeed a bit of a learning curve (read a big learning curve lol), but I tell you that the tools most definitely did not let us down and we had a blast!
Here's what we started with:
And this is how the room looks now!!
This is how we got there!
For this project we used an amazing
mitre saw (never did I ever think that I would be referring to a mitre saw as amazing, but I now have a new appreciation for this tool), as well as a
brad nailer with
compressor (similar compressor). We had
this hose for the compressor and bought
this accessory kit, which allows you to attach the compressor to the nail gun and the accessories will also come in handy for future projects!
I can't lie, I was a pretty nervous when it came time to use each of these tools as they were all new to me and never in my life had I cut trim. But as I mentioned, I was amazed by how easy they were to use. My favourite features on the mitre saw are the laser (first and foremost, the laser is everything! One thing that my husband called me on was my lack of precision and well, it's very important! Caulking and wood filler doesn't cover everything lol).
I also loved the clamp, the fact that it's a sliding mitre saw and that it has a 12 inch blade (this will be great for any backyard projects). I also appreciated how it cuts on various angles, so necessary when installing trim, especially crown moulding.
The
compressor did not disappoint, it can certainly handle any projects that we have in the coming months. We chose one that was a little more heavy duty, only because we wanted a compressor that could handle any job, including adding air to tires.
As for the
nail gun, gosh, they are incredible, aren't they?! We used both 2" and 1 1/4" nails for this project, love how the nail gun allowed us to change the depth of the nail. The quick release was also super handy since we tackled this job over a couple of days. We could easily and quickly remove it from the hose to put away.
After we learned how to use the tools, it was on to adding the trim. The mitre saw made it easy to get the necessary cuts. We used this gorgeous panel moulding by Metrie for the large rectangles (which
are 4 inches from the wall, baseboards and chair rail) and simple pieces for the chair rail (also from Metrie).
Because this is a powder room and not a full bath, we went with MDF for our trim. I'd definitely use wood trim if you were installing in a room with high humidity and where the walls would get wet.
Once installed and after we caulked all of the joints and nail holes, I painted the lower portion of the wall in Polar Bear from Canadian Tire's Premier Paint. Now we made this paint work because it's white and was going on over a dark grey wall. I added 3 coats and they went on beautifully!!
I think when someone shares a project that they tackled for the first time, a good question to ask is “would you do it again”. So, my answer to that question, the moulding and trim, yes, 100% I would do it again and plan to in the near future. Wink wink! As for the wallpaper, I'm also going to say yes to this, with a bit of hesitation lol. I think this was a tricky space to wallpaper, which I didn’t realize until I had started. It wasn’t that wallpapering was difficult, if it was a feature wall let’s say, it would have been much easier.
The small workspace and the tricky cuts made it a little frustrating for this first timer. That being said, the wallpaper did go on much easier than I thought it would. It is forgiving in some regards and not so much in others. And well, there's no denying that the wallpaper (I used this one!) completely transformed this space and so perhaps for that reason alone, I'd totally do it again!
Something that completely surprised me when I was searching Canadian Tire's website for tools was discovering that not only did they have great tools, but that they also have an incredible amount of gorgeous faucets and bathroom accessories! Did you know this?! I didn't and can't believe that I didn't! So yes, the stunning Delta faucet is also from CT and you guys, I can't get over how much of a difference it's had on the space!
The only things that stayed in the room from before the makeover were the sink, toilet and light, everything else is a new addition, which I picked up from Canadian Tire! From the soap pump, to the basket, toilet paper holder and towel holder! One stop shopping is honestly sooooo good, isn't it?!
I can't even begin to tell you how satisfying it feels to have completed this project on our own! There's something to be said about stepping back and knowing that you can make this type of upgrade on your own!
I can't wait to share more projects with you soon!
Cheers,
***This post was sponsored by Canadian Tire, all opinions are my own and you guys, I'm SO excited to tackle more jobs around the house!!!***
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