Cara Hazlewood Archives - At Home in Arkansas

Fall Porch DIY #1: Cara Hazlewood

October 12, 2015 by ark_admin

When At Home in Arkansas asked if I would be interested in designing a fall front porch for their October issue, not only was I flattered that they thought to ask me, but it gave me the perfect excuse to build a quick and easy console table that I’d had my eye on for quite some time. I was totally onboard.

While I’m not a designer by trade, I jump at the opportunity to share an easy and rewarding a do-it-yourself project in hopes of inspiring others to create a home space they are proud of. At Home in Arkansas’ fall front porch challenge sounded like the perfect opportunity to spruce up my friend Alicia’s Hillcrest front porch for fall AND try out this super simple DIY console table, made from just 5 boards. This table is plastered all over Pinterest and I was ready to give it a shot for myself.

Here is a great step-by-step tutorial from thriftyandchic.com.

This table had been on my radar for a while, so I was excited to put my toolbox to work and build one for my friend Alicia’s fall front porch. In fact, this little table was so easy to build, I built two for my own house while I was at it!

Supply List:

1 – 1×12 pine board cut to desired length of the table top (the table in this post is 46” long)
2 – 1×12 pine boards cut to desired table height (the table in this post is 33” tall)
2 – 1×6 pine boards
4 brackets
Drill/Screws
Hammer/nails
Wood glue
Paint

After deciding how tall I wanted the table to be, I cut the top and two side “legs” to size and attached them together with a couple of brackets to make the table frame, using wood glue at the joints for added support.

Then, laying the 2 – 1×6 boards diagonally across the front and back of the table, I knew where to make the cuts before nailing them into place.

A quick coat of pale blue paint later, and we had the backdrop for our fall front porch scene. Not only was this table a breeze to build, but now Alicia can use it year round in her home.

Read the article online to see all three autumn porch decorating schemes > HERE

See Cara’s past DIY projects with step-by-step photos > HERE

Cara Hazlewood is a real estate broker with The Property Group and a devoted do-it-yourself-er. She writes about her home transformations on her blog, Live the Home Life

Inviting Fireplaces

September 24, 2014 by ark_admin

Fall is here! It’s finally here! Football, cooler temps, gorgeous leaves, cozy sweaters–there is so much to love about this season.

As a child, many of my memories took shape around the fireplace in my parents’ home. Mastering the art of roasting marshmallows to the perfect shade of brown. Watching my architect dad spend the weekend giving our fireplace a new look. Warming our hands by the fire during one of the many memorable Arkansas ice storms. With fall officially upon us, let’s take a look at a few fireplace before & afters that will be sure warm your heart.

Before, this brick fireplace felt out of balance, but with the addition of new built-ins, a fresh coat of white paint and a new mantle, this fireplace makeover took the overall feel from dated to darling.

Over at The Pear Tree Cottage, you can read all about how this fireplace underwent a serious facelift. With the addition of a new mantle and the ever-popular couple of coats of white paint to conceal an overload of pink brick, this fireplace transformed into an instant classic.

And then there is this masterpiece of a fireplace makeover. Bliss at Home went all out when they decided to give their stone fireplace a serious spruce. New tile, white paint (surprise!) and a freshly updated mantle. Talk about a head turner.

And now for my favorite fireplace transformation. Cool fall breezes AND the warm glow of a fire? Sign me up for relaxing in this screened porch pick-me-up. The addition of a stacked-stone fireplace to this outdoor space was spot on.

Whether you decide to give your fireplace a completely new look or opt for a fresh coat of paint for a quick boost, a fireplace makeover is a fun way to give a focal point in your home some fall TLC.

Cara Hazlewood is a real estate broker and a devoted do-it-yourself-er. She writes about her home transformations on her blog, Live the Home Life.

Bookshelf to TV Stand

May 28, 2014 by ark_admin

I don’t care who you are. No one absolutely 100% loves moving. Sure, you may crave a change of scenery. Yes, you may be all for the intense purge of items no longer used. I get it. I’m cool with those sides of moving, too but the one thing that drives me directly to the nearest wall to bang my head against is finding a spot in the new house for everything that fit so well in the old house.

Case in point, this chunky bookcase…

In the old house, this tall drink of water found the perfect fit in my guestroom, but at the new house? No such luck. After nearly six months of scratching my head, I just couldn’t find the right gig for him in the new casa…until one day while laying sideways on the sofa across the room, I saw this guy in a whole new light. Flip him on his side, add some legs and we were in TV stand heaven! Just what the hubs needed for his man cave in the making. Let’s do this.

First things first, I used a mallet and jigsaw to remove the apron around the bottom of the bookcase.