Using Our Tiny Greenhouse as an Adaptable Sunroom
How we styled our ~114 sqft greenhouse to function as an easily-adaptable office, an activity space for our child, a quiet reading lounge, a dining / gathering space, and a grow zone.
Summary: How we styled our ~114 sqft greenhouse to function as an easily-adaptable office, an activity space for our child, a quiet reading lounge, a dining / gathering space, and a grow zone.
Our tiny greenhouse is a T-shaped design that straddles the sunny field of the prairie and the cool canopy of the oak trees. It’s propped up on a tall deck, resembling a house on stilts, as it’s required to sit above the flood zone in this region.
The goal behind this space was never for it to be used purely as a grow zone, though we do intend to use it for seedlings and select greenery.
Instead, it is meant to be fluid and adaptable, just all of my favorite small spaces.
Its uses already include an office, an activity zone for our child, a quiet reading/writing lounge, and a dining/gathering room.
This post contains images of the default set-up, which contains areas for working, lounging, potting and playing. The post does not contain images of the dining set-up, though it’s not hard to envision. (It also doesn’t reflect the recent railings we added to the platform the day after I captured these photos.)
Almost all of the pieces in the space are collapsible, from the standard chairs, to the second-hand potting bench from the cottage, to the corner shelves, and the desks/tables.
The remaining furnishings are lightweight and easily mobile. The focal points on either side — with a stunning view of both the woods and prairie — are two long, slim loungers from Serena & Lily.
We also have extra folding tables and chairs so we can create a farmhouse-style dining setup inside the greenhouse (after relocating the loungers), or just beyond the platform in the grass leading to the prairie:
By leaving a few extra feet in front of the greenhouse door, we’ve been able to create a useful stoop, where we rehabilitate and grow plants from/for elsewhere.
Two spare folding chairs sit out front, offering views of the prairie and a place to take off muddy shoes or drop bags of soil.
For pops of playful and functional decor, we placed gardening gloves, tools, aprons and bags to the framework along the walls.
We added beautiful bolster pillows (in moss/white ticking) from Serena & Lily, an extra-long doormat (inside the sliding glass door), cafe lights, a patio rug, and a fan to help the ceiling vents and front door cool the room a bit when needed.
We also have useful items such as reusable cleaning cloths, candles, tablecloths, matches, etc. tucked out of sight but easily within reach.
We rounded everything off with a gardening-related selection of books, games and tools for growing and learning in both French and English for our five year old.
I’ve found that I truly am so much more creative and content when working with small spaces. This little greenhouse has reignited a feeling I’d lost track of this year in my stress and uncertainty, and I’m excited to get to fully use and know this space with my family throughout the upcoming cooler, festive months.
Bright(er) Lil' Kitchen
This post was sponsored by The Home Depot. All opinions and images are my own. All photos including our son and/or the pups were taken as they happily interacted in their own, natural ways.
Clearly I love our tiny home. Very rarely do I long for material items or major changes— I’m usually extremely content with what we have, and aim for our belongings to last us a lifetime. One glaring exception to this has, for YEARS, been our major kitchen appliances.
Our refrigerator, range and dishwasher fit our space quite well, but they weren’t the right fit for our style and needs. The fridge had a massive back-coil that consumed several inches of its counter-depth design, rendering the interior smaller than one would expect by looking at it from the outside. And the exterior was black on both sides, which stood in stark contrast to the rest of our airy lil’ home.
Immediately next to the fridge is the dishwasher, which sits about 6’ or so from my desk, and it was so loud that I never wanted to run it. Plus I disliked that the stainless steel cover and large front-panel of buttons were the first details I noticed every time I entered through our front doors.
But the stove was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The electric panel kept dropping out of its frame, and the design wasn’t particularly safe for West. Of course young children should always be supervised in the kitchen, but the compact nature of our space means that our 22 month-old West is constantly passing by the stove. We added safety knob covers on the dials, but our son’s proximity to the flames was an issue— particularly with his unruly curls brushing up against everything. Plus we don’t have a vent in our kitchen. Our ample windows and doors move the air constantly, but our burners were always covered in spatter and stray dog hairs.
So, in our 7th summer here, we finally swapped out all three appliances. (Hallelujah!) Usually it takes me a while to get used to notable changes in our home— at least a week or so. But I was instantaneously overjoyed with our newest residents: a white GE top control dishwasher, a GE slide-in electric range and self-cleaning convection oven, and a ever-so-slightly deeper but enormously more spacious white GE refrigerator, all from The Home Depot.
The Home Depot delivered and installed the new appliances, and removed the old ones. The entire swap took about an hour, as they had to adjust a few external elements within the kitchen to accommodate the product changes.
The GE refrigerator has the most impact on the space. To have an all-white front and sides changes the look and feel of our entire home, since you can basically see the fridge from almost every point in our miniature home. It’s technically not counter depth, so it sticks out about an inch further than our previous model. But It has far more usable space within it, thanks to the fact that there’s no coil in the back eating up precious inches.
It’s still very compact, allowing us to store dishes in wire mesh baskets up top. (And, thankfully, the baskets no longer rattle, as they did with our old fridge. They sit tight thanks to the steady and quiet nature of this ENERGY STAR appliance.)
The GE top control dishwasher is by far superior to our old one. When I first turned it on, I thought it was broken because it was so quiet. I prefer everything about this machine— from it’s cleanly designed exterior to it’s three user-friendly racks inside. Plus it has wash zones, so we can now wash just a half-load when needed.
Due to the positioning of the dishwasher, it’s visible immediately when you walk in the house, and the white really brightens up (and thus visually enlarges) our space— even at night.
Lastly, the range. We are thrilled with it. I know people get really intense about the gas vs electric debate, and I get it. But our new slide-in electric range and self-cleaning convection oven is designed in such a way that it is significantly safer for West to pass by it in our tiny cottage. (Sophee is another matter—she somehow manages to get onto e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g.)
It is SO MUCH EASIER to clean, and there’s no clunky back panel. Folks can continue to grumble over the gas vs electric issue— meanwhile, we’ll be here making eggs on (and clinking glasses by) our cleaner, safer, lighter, and happier lil’ kitchen!
Tiny Toolboxes
When I left for college, I inherited several tools from my parents. I felt sentimental about the pieces that they generously gave me, and I used those hand-me-down supplies to assemble furniture and make minor repairs in nine of the ten places I’ve lived since leaving home at 18. The last major project in which I used the tools was West’s nursery nook.
Over the years, the tool collection evolved and grew. I added more and more little things to it— particularly when I was set styling over recent years. Eventually I found myself with a multi-level, wheeled cart that I dragged around our cottage with me, despite the fact that I usually only used a handful of items within it when at home.
As we began working on the front tiny cottage, I realized— I only need a small, specific grouping of tools and hardware. Everything else is always brought and handled by the professionals with whom we work. So why was I struggling to store a 3’-tall toolbox in our tiny house when I didn’t have to? True small space dwellers know— there is absolutely no room for something like that in a compact home. The poor thing was was a mess inside, and it was routinely left outside for days on end, crammed onto one stoop or the other, and shoved into the back of our 2’ shed. (It was so oversized that West would even climb into the bottom 1/3 of it so we could roll him around the house. It was adorable, but ridiculous.)
I got to thinking about the individual items within my collection. The ones I used regularly could be condensed into a multi-tool, and most of the other products I could do without entirely. (And, surprisingly, I was missing a tool or two that would’ve been extremely helpful to have here on a regular basis.)
I realized that a toolbox makeover was in order. I had to separate the sentiment behind select items and part ways with them. Plus, I needed to come up with out-of-the-ordinary ways to store the necessities. I played around with a few ideas, testing out what ACTUALLY worked (not just for photos), and what was easily accessible, without standing out in our tiny house or consuming space needed for other uses. I combined few methods of storage, and thus far, this mix has been practical and hassle-free:
1. Small Tool Roll (Rather than Box)
A tool roll has proven much easier to store than a box of any size. It’s portable, it can easily be kept out of West’s reach, and it’s neat and organized even when left out in the open. I use these waxed canvas pockets to store the handle of our new Husky 16-in-1 interchangeable screwdriver set from The Home Depot, our new Husky pick + probe set, our hammer, touch-up paintbrushes, and a miscellaneous multi-tool that I use on our bikes. (The Pick & Probe set was one of the items I realized I needed but was missing. Our cottages are from the 1920s and have a lot of imperfections, and West somehow finds them all, and then gets all sorts of stuff trapped in the smallest slivers of space. The picks help Adam and me reach and clear those spots.)
2. Hardware Notebook
It’s easier to make room on our bookshelf than anywhere else in our home, because books can live countless lives by being re-gifted onward to friends and family for their enjoyment. I couldn’t find a hardware organizer that worked well on our built-in bookshelf, so I upcycled a 3-ring binder for the job. I used a combination of basic plastic bags and binder pouches to hold a mix of hardware, along with the various heads for our screwdriver and drill.
3. Large Tool Hanging Bag
After giving away anything I no longer needed, then outfitting the tool roll and notebook, I was left with a few compact yet larger items that were scattered around the house: a 30’ tape measure our Ryobi multi-tool base (which I use to build our suspended shelves and to cut/sand wood), our Hex Key sets, and extra water-resistant gloves. It got obnoxious to have all these items separated, so I gathered them together and dropped them into a washable garden bag that I can hang on the wall. Not only is the bag easy to tote around, but it hangs mere inches away from the notebook, and can also contain the tool roll.
No longer having to track down and lug our nomadic, oversized toolbox has saved time me and frustration. I now have everything organized side-by-side in a way that really works for our funny little space. As we finally wrap up months of repairs to the front cottage this week, I realize that I now have delightful new memories associated with our updated tools.
My advice to anyone in a small space who's looking to get a fresh start on their tool/hardware/craft collection is to carefully select multi-tools, and to think beyond the usual toolbox when it comes to how to store them. Find means of organization that work well for the spaces you have available, keeping size, shape, accessibility, and aesthetic in mind.
Select tools from this post were gifted to me by The Home Depot. All words/opinions are my own.
Tiny House Closet Nursery - The Details
My favorite part of putting together the nursery was finding all the little, practical details to use in the space while our son is an infant. My main shopping resource was ETSY, but I discovered incredible products (both new and vintage) from a variety of other makers and vendors as well.
CRIB | The first piece we picked was the crib. We needed a VERY specific size, and this Alma Bloom Mini Crib (on wheels, which is a feature we love and use frequently here,) ended up being absolutely perfect. The crib's platform height is adjustable, and the entire thing is easily collapsable. We couldn't have dreamed up a better design for the baby's Bay.
CLOTHING STORAGE | Next we needed a vertical storage solution for the remaining cubby (to the left of the crib). And again, it had to be a super-specific size. I found a lightweight, simple set of rolling drawers on Amazon. They're well-suited to the space, and we're thrilled with the piece's functionality.
LARGE ITEM STORAGE | The last major element of the Bay to consider was the top shelf. We needed durable storage containers that were roomy enough to hold several items, but we also needed them to be small and soft enough to slide onto and off of the top ledge. (We also had to ensure that whatever we selected would remain secure during an earthquake.) I found three gorgeous jute baskets from The Dharma Door (USA), and not only are they ideal in terms of use, but they're completely beautiful:
OPTIONAL CLOTHING RACK | We removed the dowel rods from the closet, as we don't intend to hang the baby's clothing in the space. However, in case we do need a place to hang items from time to time, I found a wooden bead garland (to act as a clothing line) via ETSY that I shortened to fit our needs, and then secured to the inner lip of the Bay's top shelf. I can pull the strand out whenever we need to hang something up, and then tuck the strand away again when it's not in use:
As such, we also needed some small, light hangers. I opted for these adorable cardboard clouds from Little Dundi, as we can recycle them once they're no longer needed:
ARTWORK | Then came the artwork! I wanted the nursery to have dedicated imagery, but for the pieces to compliment the other art within our bedroom. I also toyed with the idea of dark accent walls and/or wallpaper for the Bay. In the end, however, the bright, clean walls decorated simply with the art won me over. (Plus, we want the Bay to be easy to adapt, so it can evolve as our son grows.) I chose the following pieces for the Bay and the bedroom, and kept the possibility of earthquakes in mind when choosing how and where to display them:
Sources:
1. "They Delayed the Workings of the Day..." by Elly MacKay as "Theater Clouds" on ETSY (Link)
2. "Legends" book cover (Vintage)
3. "Homestead" by my friend Gregory Beauchamp as "Beauchamping" on Instagram and ETSY (Link)
4. "Peace Leaves" pen + ink by Britt Fabello as "Sea of Atlas" on Instagram and ETSY (Link)
5. Medium, vintage-reproduction nautical map of the "Reefs of Florida" from Archive Print Co on Instagram and ETSY (Link)
6. Large, vintage-reproduction nautical map of "Old Santa Monica" from Archive Print Co on Instagram and ETSY (Link)
(Also pictured: Handmade beagle plush toy by ADToys via ETSY)
FUNCTIONAL ACCESSORIES
Next on the to-do list was the delightful task of selecting functional accessories to help us easily access and stash various necessities.
I selected these lightweight Otis Wire Wall Baskets that I found on Domino to help hold miscellaneous cloths, tiny clothing, and toys. (As our son grows and begins to be able to reach these baskets, we'll relocate them.)
(Also pictured: Small driftwood, burlap and hemp baby mobile-- another ETSY find, via Wiggly William.
I wanted new hardware to hold Stanlee's and Sophee's leashes next to the Bay. This pair of hound hooks (also from ETSY) were spot on, and blend well with the decor when paired with the nautical rope leashes by Resq Co:
We needed to find a place to stash my prenatal and postpartum paperwork, as well as the baby's ultrasounds and future health records. Rather than opting for another "storage solution" I wanted to find a pretty lil' something that could be left out in the open like an art objet. I stumbled upon a vintage picnic basket at Tower 20 (by Tim Clarke Design) in Santa Monica, and repurposed it into a medical files box:
I then decorated the nearby heater cover with lightweight mirrors to help brighten and enlarge the appearance of the space:
(Also pictured: Handmade Loch Ness monster plush toy by MEVVSAN from etsy // Small wooden stool (vintage) // 2-toned Umbra hub ladder // Daphne white garden stool from home decorators collection // Sailor swaddle by Woolf with me)
We also needed a new, cozy rug to sit on while spending time with the baby. I found the Sahara Rug in Sand via Loloi Rugs, and it's my new favorite item in the bedroom:
(Also pictured: Handmade Loch Ness monster plush toy by MEVVSAN from etsy // Small wooden stool (vintage) // Daphne white garden stool from home decorators collection // Sailor swaddle by Woolf with me)
Another item on the checklist was a baby monitor. But we also wanted something that could act as a general security and pet cam when we're out of the house. We love the look of this Withings "Home" camera, and that it has several audio features that we can control with our iPhones. (We've started using it already to speak to the pups when we're out, which is always entertaining.) We'll have to find the perfect place for it once the baby arrives!
CHANGING AND BATHING TABLE (+ ACCESSORIES)
Last but definitely not least, we needed to find a changing table and baby bathing solution. While we could've used any place in the house for changing diapers, we wanted something dedicated and mobile. I am nearly 6' tall, and Adam is even taller, so the idea of bending over a low surface for changing and bathing was completely unappealing to us. Meanwhile, our sinks (bathroom and kitchen) are too small and not properly designed for baby bathing. We don't have room for a changing table AND a bathing solution, but luckily we found a rolling combo piece.
... and no, we aren't keeping the combo table outside-- it's just easier to photograph out of the house! It will be a mobile piece within the Cottage.
How cute is this greige sailor changing pad cover by Woolf With Me?!
We've already stocked up the cart with multiple diapering systems from GroVia. (We've used them on our nephews who are here frequently, and they've worked wonderfully.)
When we're on the go, we'll use this handmade changing mat from Fawn + Cub. (I bought this a year before we decided to get pregnant. Crazy, I know, but I just loved it so much.)
Our diaper tote is also made by an ETSY vendor-- a married couple who run a shop named Kith and Kin. Adam and I love how this unisex bag is both durable and beautifully designed:
LOUNGING | We don't have the room for a glider inside, so we placed a wicker rocking chair from Joss & Main in the garden just off the bedroom/nursery stoop. We dressed up the space with outdoor rugs, throws, lanterns, and a 5' handmade mobile by Sea & Glass. If the baby isn't in our arms while we're enjoying the garden, he'll be in this gorgeous Moses Basket from Plum + Sparrow:
WHEW. Now I think the only thing we still need is... THE BABY. Hurry up, October! We are can't wait to meet our son and introduce him into this loving, little world of ours.
Tiny House Closet Nursery - The Baby’s Bay
When selecting a dedicated area for our son’s nursery, we did what many small-space dwellers do and opted to convert our closet into his little room. I didn’t intend to have a “theme” for the space, but it happened on its own over time. The colors, textures and prints I selected were sandy and neutral, and the artwork I loved most reminded us of our lives here along the ocean. Before I knew it, we had a subdued coastal vibe going on. As such, I started referring to the little alcove as "The Baby’s Bay."
There were some basic updates that needed to happen before we could safely and practically convert the closet into the Bay. Thankfully they were all simple:
1. Deconstruct the built-in shoe rack, and fill in the gaps left behind after its removal. We hired a local handyman to do this. He ripped out the built-in shoe shelf, and then used a mix of old and new materials to fill in the gap in the floor where the shelf previously stood. Meanwhile, I visited The Home Depot to pick a trim that matched the rest of the closet, and had it cut to fill in the gap in the molding left over from the shoe rack removal:
2. Remove the internet cable cord, which was fastened to the molding on the perimeter of the closet. Our internet provider sent a technician to help us with this process. He removed the ugly cords that sat inside for years, and relocated them to the crawl space under the cottage.
3. Cover the breaker panel, while still leaving it accessible: There’s a standard grey electrical panel on one side of the closet. We need to maintain easy access to the door, but I wanted to cover it up for the nursery. I used a magnetic sheeting overlay to mask the hardware, and painted it to match the color of the wall:
4. Remove the heater control panel box, closet dowels, and miscellaneous hardware. We had an electrician help us with all necessary wiring modifications. Beyond that, it was a simple matter of applying spackle and wood-filler where necessary before repainting everything.
5. Leave the remaining built-ins (a high, closet-wide horizontal shelf and vertical divider) in place to help protect the baby from items that could displace during an earthquake, but better-blend those walls into the overall space. We always planned to leave the remaining built-ins within the closet for safety, and aimed to work with them when outfitting the space. But the dark wood lines drew attention to the dividers, and made the alcove feel even smaller than it is. So we chose a paint color that’s a few shades lighter than our bedroom walls to brighten up the previously shadowy Bay. I selected “Polished Marble” by Behr. I love how it appears to blend with the rest of the room, even though it’s actually quite a bit whiter:
Once we had this new, blank canvas, I could finally visualize the nursery. I found a little white garden stool from The Home Depot’s décor brand, Home Decorator’s Collection. I placed it by the crib, and I sat there rearranging and restyling the room in my mind for hours. The space then came together easily, despite its size.
Before we updated the closet, I used to obsessively close our curtains to avoid seeing the overflowing contents behind them. Now the closet is a bright, airy, and happy component of the Cottage. It feels as though it should’ve always been outfitted this way.
You don’t need to start from scratch to transform your existing square-footage into a space that better suits your evolving needs. With a bit of creativity and paint, you can turn a box into a Bay. You don't need to live large to live beautifully!
I acknowledge that The Home Depot is partnering with me to participate in this nursery makeover project. As a part of the project, I am receiving compensation in the form of products for the purpose of promoting The Home Depot. All expressed opinions and experiences on this blog are my own, and are written in my own words. My post complies with the WOMMA Ethics Code and applicable Federal Trade Commission guidelines.
Tiny House Closet Nursery - The Garden Shed Wardrobe
When Adam and I decided to have a child, we knew we wanted to stay here in our tiny home. As we already share the space with our two dogs and my small business, we knew it would be a challenge to add a nursery to the mix, but we were so excited to make it work. Given our budget, we basically had two choices when tackling the nursery project in our tiny house:
Leave nearly everything as-is, downsize our belongings in existing storage spaces to make room for baby care necessities, and rely solely on mobile/rolling nursery components.
Create a dedicated nursery within an existing space by downsizing and relocating our other belongings from that area.
We went with option two, because thanks to the sunny, dry SoCal climate, we knew we could get creative with indoor/outdoor lifestyle and storage solutions. (If we lived somewhere that gets a a fair amount of rain or any snow, we would've stuck with option one.) We decided to convert our bedroom closet into the nursery, by downsizing and relocating part of our wardrobe to a 2'x4' cedar garden shed from The Home Depot.
It's important to note that it VERY RARELY rains in Los Angeles, and the weather usually hovers somewhere around the 50°s to the 70°s. As such, our patio furniture stays outside and uncovered year-round, while select garden decor and accessories come indoors in the unusual event of rain. We've been using our outdoor spaces in this manner for over 5 years now, which gave us the confidence that we could pull off an unusual outdoor closet solution. Here’s how we did it.
DOWNSIZING
While storage solutions are obviously important in homes of all sizes, the clearest path to living simply is to not own too many things. While we extended our usable storage space at the Cottage via our new 2x4’ shed, Adam and I were able to make the wardrobe relocation project work by getting rid of nearly 1/2 of our clothing. Giving away belongings is second nature to us now, but it definitely took some practice at the beginning. For those of you struggling to let go with your unnecessary belongings, I recommend exploring The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. (Try reading the digital version rather than the print edition and VOILA! You’re already on the path to reducing your physical possessions!)
We removed everything from our shared closet, and created four piles:
The Giveaway Stack - I keep a folding bin from The Home Depot’s décor brand, Home Decorator’s Collection, in the laundry unit we share with our neighbor. Adam and I place our donation items in the bin weekly, and then drop its contents off at Goodwill and/or our local community housing organization about twice a month. We filled this bin (along with several other bags,) when cleaning out our closet for the nursery. I found that the start of my third trimester was the ideal time to tackle this undertaking. I hadn’t been able to wear my “regular” clothes for months due to the baby bump. It was therefore fairly easy to assess what I missed and needed, vs what I did not.
Infrequently Used but Useful Clothing - We put our winter/travel coats, scarves and other such infrequently used but handy clothing in two plastic, lidded storage bins. (The bins are now stowed at the bottom of the shed, beneath our hanging clothes.)
Weekly Wear to Hang - I had about 18”w of hanging clothes (dresses, tunics, etc) that needed to remain on hangers. We suspended those in a cedar wardrobe from Home Decorator’s Collection within the new shed, alongside Adam’s work shirts and sweaters. (Photo below.)
Daily Wear to Fold - I eliminated everything I didn’t need, and fit all of my daily casual dresses, tops and pants into one of the two trundle-drawers built into our bed. (Photo below.) The neighboring trundle was, and still is, our hamper. Adam bested me by downsizing his clothes even further— he managed to find a home of the rest of his pieces in the drawers that are part of the bed frame, beneath the bookshelves on his side of the bed.
We now keep all of our shoes in the built-in cubbies beneath the couch. (Photo below.) Socks, swimwear and underwear fit into the drawers that are part of the bed frame, beneath the bookshelves on my side of the bed
The fun (yet tricky) part of this project was finding a shed that was juuuuuust riiiiight for our little garden. We didn’t want to build on to the house— we just needed a simple shelter that was about 2’ deep by 4’ wide by 6’ high. Luckily we found this shed from The Home Depot, which was the perfect size for our needs:
We carefully weather-proofed the shed’s seams, and painted the exterior to match the Cottage with contrasting Behr Paint colors on the panels and trim. Next, we installed a custom-cut dowel rod for our hangers, and selected this cedar wardrobe in which to stash our hanging “weekly wear.” Lastly, we secured the shed to the side of the house for safety, in case of earthquakes.
The entire process took about a day, from unpacking the shed at the start, to hanging up our belts and hats at the finish. We added some accessories— such as this outdoor rug— to make this part of the garden feel more like a room, and to tie it into the nursery’s outdoor lounge area.
The shed is only five steps from the bedroom closet, so it’s no inconvenience. Adam and I joke that our clothes are probably actually better protected now that they’re living outside in a sealed shed and garment bag, seeing as how we keep our house wide open 10 months out of the year. Our clothes have pretty much been living an indoor/outdoor lifestyle for 5 years anyway!
I acknowledge that The Home Depot is partnering with me to participate in this nursery makeover project. As a part of the project, I am receiving compensation in the form of products for the purpose of promoting The Home Depot. All expressed opinions and experiences on this blog are my own, and are written in my own words. My post complies with the WOMMA Ethics Code and applicable Federal Trade Commission guidelines.
Tiny House Closet Nursery - The Heater Cover
We moved into the Cottage over five years ago, and every day since then our vertical wall heater (located in the bedroom) has driven me insane. Not only is it a total eyesore, but it collects dust and dog hair, and needs to be cleaned off regularly. We rarely need a heater in our home, as “winter” in Los Angeles doesn’t really exist. In the past when we’ve used the wall unit, it only seemed to blast hot air to the top of our bedroom, frying our bookshelf, drying out our plants, and leaving the temperature in the rest of the house seemingly unchanged.
When redoing our bedroom to accommodate the nursery, we didn’t want to remove the unit completely— we’re legally required to have a heating source built into the house anyway. But since the grate is only about a foot from the nursery, I wanted to update the facade so it wouldn’t continue to stab at my eyeballs. Plus the ugly temperature gauge stuck out into the closet, preventing the crib from rolling in and out of its dedicated space, so the little control box had to go. We opted to create a custom heater cover with basic materials that we found and and customized at The Home Depot, which is just down the road from our home next to Adam’s office.
Of course we were very careful to make sure that the heater was completely off and disconnected from the gas before covering it. And we had an electrician visit the house to safely manage the wires beneath the heater and behind the control panel before we sealed everything up.
In order to create the custom cover (which basically acts like a shoebox top over the heater), we really only needed the following items, all of which we got at The Home Depot:
Three custom-cut plywood panels to cover the sides and front of the heater
Decorative and functional molding to join the seams of the panels
Paint (and corresponding paint supplies) for the panels and molding (we chose to match the bedroom walls and trim with Behr paints)
The drill and screws to hold it all together
The whole process of covering, painting and decorating the heater took about three hours. You can see nearly all the steps required via the images above. I can’t believe I waited YEARS to it.
The end result is a simple, smooth surface from which I can now hang wall decor, linens, plants, artwork, and/or lightweight storage pockets. Until the baby starts walking and grabbing things, I’ve opted to hang 2 lightweight mirrors, which help bounce light off the wall and make the room feel more spacious. I also added a 1-pouch magazine rack, where I’ll keep the baby’s daily health log during his first months:
The heater now blends perfectly and purposefully into the nursery, and I love it. During the brief, mild LA winters, we’ll use a modern, compact, energy-efficient space heater instead of the wall unit to better keep our family of 5 comfortable. Win-win!
I acknowledge that The Home Depot is partnering with me to participate in this nursery makeover project. As a part of the project, I am receiving compensation in the form of products for the purpose of promoting The Home Depot. All expressed opinions and experiences on this blog are my own, and are written in my own words. My post complies with the WOMMA Ethics Code and applicable Federal Trade Commission guidelines.