Simply Beautiful By Angela – creating simple beauty on a budget

Hello friends! A couple weeks ago I took a small break from furniture to work on a corner of the garage that has been an absolute thorn in my side!

I had a can of spray primer that had gotten clogged and I asked Anthony if he could take a look at it. It was decided that it couldn’t be saved, but instead of throwing it away we set it on the workbench and walked away. About a hour later, I came back out to find that it had exploded EVERYWHERE!

I had been wanting to repaint the cabinets for awhile so I took it as a sign that it was time! But of course I couldn’t stop there…

Supplies Used:(Affiliate links may be provided for convenience. For more info, see my full disclosure here.)

The first thing we did was create a wood surface for the workbench. Using a project panel, we traced the existing surface as a template and then cut it out using the circular saw.

We attached it using countersunk screws, then filled the holes and sanded it smooth. I applied a couple coats of paint wash to warm it up a bit.

Next up was the cabinets. Even though I’m a neutral loving girl, I decided that I wanted to add a fun pop of color in this space— surprising, right?

I chose the color Bonsai Trunk by Behr which is a very rich sage color. To be fair, it is probably considered the most neutral green I could find!

I scuffed sanded everything, wiped it down and then applied a coat of primer, followed by three coats of paint.

I also decided to paint the filing cabinet to match.

In between coats, I began on the backsplash. I started by laying down paint sticks to create a small gap at the bottom that would be caulked later on. This allows for expansion and contraction. I also made sure that the surface was level and did not need to have the spacers adjusted.

I applied the adhesive in small areas at a time using a notched trowel.

I kept going until I got to the end where a cut needed to be made.

I marked where I needed to cut and then using a simple tile cutter I scored, then snapped with the breaker bar.

The next day we were ready to grout and I recruited a little helper! He began by taking out the spacers.

I like using premixed grout since it takes the thinking out of it.

We forgot to buy a float so we improvised using a plastic bag and essentially piped it in like frosting. A little messer, but got the job done!

After wiping the grout clean, it was time to move on to the finishing touches. I first applied some pine veneer around the edge of the counter to make it look like one solid piece.