More posts from our house building adventure!

But looking for options proved to be an expensive route.

The gable would have to be custom to get what we want and cost  more than our budget allowed, so I figured we'd do it ourselves.  I climbed up there to figure out the overall height I wanted from the peak of the roof.  I also knew our roof was 6/12 pitch (meaning every 12 ft the roof goes up 6 ft).

I mapped out the design on thick pattern paper.  This helped me stand back and see how I wanted the curved arms on the diagonal.   I started out coming 45 degrees from the intersection, but realized the curve needed to go more vertical and end closer to the middle. 

I climbed up and taped up my design on the actual house to make sure I liked the angle.

TO CONSTRUCT:

The center vertical beam is a rough cut 4x6.

The base was a 16' 2x4.

Curved arms cut from rough cut 2x12

The only piece that is flush against the house is the vertical center, the base was notched out to hold the 16' base in front.  The base and arms are flush with the front, making a 2" gap behind them.  

A NOTE ON ROUGH CUT LUMBER: 

Rough cut is a preliminary cut, and is obviously rough showing saw markings, which is ideal for the rustic or weathered look.  It's actual measurements, so a rough cut 2x 4 is 2" thick and 4" wide, unlike dimensional lumber off the shelf which is 1.5" thick and 3.5" wide.  You can't find rough cut lumber at big box stores like Home Depot or Lowes, you usually need to find an actual lumber mill.

If you're in Utah, my favorite Fishlake Lumber in Beaver, Utah.

Our gable beam was around $60.

TO INSTALL:

I don't have any photos of the install, as we were all involved.

We chose to install the lag screws from inside the house, so the exterior didn't show bolt heads and washers.

All the pieces were cut, and finished while on the ground.

I used Thompsons water seal stain, semi-transparent, in Acorn Brown.

In one step you stain and seal the wood, which will be nice for future coats where I'll be on the roof.

To install, we pre-drilled through the exterior of the house into the attic space.

My husband was on the inside, and then pre-drilled into 4x6 center post while my huge little brother and I held it up from the outside.

My husband then cranked lug screws into the post from inside the house.

After the first one, we didn't need to hold the weight, but just supported it until 4 screws were holding it to the house.

To secure the long ends of the base, we repeated the process, using a 18" long drill bit to pre-drill through the beam, directly through the house.  Then my husband fed the next lag screw out, and cranked it into the wood.  

Lastly, the small curved arms were also attached individually and screwed through the attic and into the back of each piece, one toward the base, and another at the roof line.

Installing was kind of a beast.

Working through the attic wall was a pain, in addition to being on the roof with the incline and height of the gable.

I love the finished look, and think it adds a lot to the overall style we're heading with the exterior.

We plan to later add rustic shutters, and the posts will be trimmed out with rough cut lumber as well.

I guess I'd describe our goal as rustic cottage for the home and future landscaping.

My kitchen doesn't get enough sunlight to keep fresh herbs in the kitchen, so I built this simple bench with a concealed plant light to grow everything I want. I used grey stain for the rustic finish.

We have an attic bedroom in our house that has become the guest bedroom. I built a lovely little bed for the space. I decided to make the whole bed slightly shorter than a standard size so that it wouldn't make the attic bedroom look even smaller than it is.  It's just a simple platform style. I used grey stain to get that driftwood look that I love. 

Our house has been in the process of being reorganized and remodeled all year. My sewing area was originally in the basement but after all was said and done, it has ended up in my over sized closet. It's a lot less space that I've been accustomed to for the past five years, but I've actually enjoyed being forced to simplify. I downsized to 3 machines and I got rid of two thirds of my fabric which filled an entire car.

The crowning jewel of my new work space is the tailor's bench. My brother Herschel and I designed and built it together. It has storage shelves, a large smooth work area, and a press board on hinges that can easily be lifted out of the way if needed. I decided to build the tailor's bench this way to consolidate space, that way I don't need to have three separate work areas like I used to.

This is a project that has taken me months, and I'm so proud to finally have it finished. I built the bookcases for my husband's giant book collection. I built two 4' wide cases, and two 2' wide cases. I built the narrow ones back in December in our garage when it was freezing. I would work for about 20 minutes before I would have to go back in the house to get my hands warmed up. I waited to work on the big ones until spring, which was a good choice. I was able to work much more efficiently without my hands going numb. 

I used Minwax Jacobean stain for the wood, and I backed them with hardboard that I painted grey. I love the grain of the wood, and I also like how the dark colors make the books look like they're floating.

Big project. All done. So happy.

About a year ago, our mom built a beautiful giant 4' x 8' dining table and I wanted one for our new house. Our dining area isn't quite as large as the space at our mom's house, so my table is 3.5' x 6' with a matching farm-style bench. This table was my very first building experience. Our mom planned everything out, then stood by my side while she showed me how to use a drill, a kreg jig, and a pad sander. 

She drove the four hour trip to my house and she set aside two days for us to complete the project. We had just moved into our new house, so things were still a total wreck and I had been sick for two weeks. It was the type of sickness that doesn't bother you too much in the daytime, but at night you cough so much you can't breathe. So basically, I wasn't getting enough rest, and with a little baby to top things off, my head was about to fall off. Our mom's endurance is astounding and I was doing my best to keep up with her and not let her just build a dining table for me. 

Well, we got the whole thing put together without too much trouble, until we had to attach the pre-carved finishing strips. The table was put together and sitting upright on the back porch (which is wooden). I was sitting cross-legged on the porch with the baby sitting in my lap, pounding in finish nails and sliding along to each section that needed to be nailed. When the job was about half-way done, I slid over to a new section and got a 3 inch splinter stabbed in my ass. It did hurt, but if you saw my reaction you probably would have thought someone just shot my kneecap off. I started bawling hysterically, I think mostly because I was just completely exhausted and stressed and sick and that splinter just sent me over the edge and I lost it. So, like always, mama comes to the rescue. She removed the splinter, took the baby, and sent me to bed. I collapsed and slept like I was in a coma for four hours. When I woke up Herschel (our brother) had finished attaching the finishing strip for me and mama had made dinner. I would never say I love the hard days, but I love realizing how amazing and helpful my family is.

After I felt well enough I stained the table. I used Minwax Jacobean stain. My favorite details are the carved edge and the gorgeous wood grain. I just think it's so beautiful. Now, all I need to do is plan out four chairs and some suitable dining linens! (and paint the walls, because I don't like that green color that the house came with).