DIY Erin Francois

C O O L ,C A L M & COLLECTED

First-time homeowners take character cues from an old house and give it even more soul with projects like a revamped kitchen and handcrafted furniture.

WORDS + PRODUCTION KELLY KEGANS PHOTOGRAPHS ADAM ALBRIGHT

AS A NEW MOM, ERIN FRANCOIS GAVE HERSELF A BREAK WHEN DAUGHTER SYLVIA WAS BORN. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE AGE OF 7 SHE WASN’T MAKING THINGS. “For the first six months of my daughter’s life, I bought (rather than made),” she says, adding, “#SurvivalMode!” Today, Erin’s sewing machine is happily humming again, designing decor and making improvements in the 1936 Tudor duplex that she and her husband, Ken, bought in Minneapolis a few years ago. “We knew we wanted to live in the city, but as we began house-hunting, we realized we were coming up short with what we could afford,” Erin says. “Ken found the duplex the night it hit the market, and we were intrigued by the financial sense it made.” (They rent out the upstairs unit.)

Erin was immediately sold on the gable roof, half-timbered facade, and arched opening between the living and dining rooms. Although the house had plenty of built-in charm, it needed decorative upgrades and a kitchen overhaul. “We DIYed every inch of the space together, from adding insulation to the walls to tiling the backsplash, to planking the ceiling,” says Erin, who blogs about her projects at Francois et Moi. “The No. 1 reason I DIY is if I can’t find what I’m looking for in stores or if it is out of my price range,” she says. “But, inevitably since having my daughter, I’ve become much more likely to buy something if the process to make it is super time- and labor-intensive.”

FRESH FINESSE Erin Francois strategically deployed small DIY updates inside and outside her 1936 Minneapolis home. The entry, above, got a style boost from a pair of planters she assembled from store-bought wooden boxes, crown molding, drawer knobs as feet, and iron pulls. Erin revived her living room, opposite, with rug-hook pillows and a cerused paint treatment on a pedestal table her grandfather made decades ago.

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“I’M DRAWN TO A MIX OF A FEW FAVORITE STYLES: SCANDINAVIAN, EARLY AMERICAN, MIDCENTURY, AND MODERN. IF I HAD TO DESCRIBE MY HOME IN A WORD, IT WOULD BE COLLECTED.” ERIN FRANCOIS, HOMEOWNER

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MIX AND MINGLE

“The bones of our house are Tudor, so I love complementing the more traditional architecture with meaningful pieces from different eras and styles,” Erin says.

She made the Danishstyle coffee table, this photo, by repurposing the top of a kid’s table she found at Salvation Army and attaching 16-inch pine legs (from tablelegs.com) with three angled brackets.

After sanding the tabletop, she gave it a smooth and durable finish with three coats of appliance-grade white epoxy spray paint from Rust-Oleum.

HOW TO CERUSE

Erin gave her grandfather’s honey oak side table a new life with this grain whitening technique.

Step 1 Remove the existing paint or stain from the furniture by applying wood stripper with a disposable foam brush. (Wear gloves and work in a wellventilated area.) Allow stripper to penetrate the surface for the amount of time recommended by the product instructions.

Use a plastic scraper to remove the old finish, pulling in the direction of the wood grain.

After finish is removed, use a cloth to wipe off any excess residue, and allow to dry.

Step 2 Scrub with a brass-bristle brush (A) in the direction of the grain. This helps open the wood’s pores for the liming wax.

Step 3 Stain the wood in your desired color (B). Use a cloth to

generously wipe gel stain onto the surface. Allow the stain to penetrate for about 15 minutes, or according to the stain’s instructions. Next, use a clean cloth to wipe off excess stain.

Allow to dry four to six hours.

Repeat the staining process one or two more times until desired color is achieved.

Step 4 Sparingly apply the liming wax with a clean cloth in the opposite direction of the wood grain (C), working the wax into the wood’s pores. Allow to set for five minutes. Then use a clean cloth to buff off the excess wax across the grain. The liming wax should stay trapped in the wood grain, highlighting the dynamic oak, right.

A

PUNCHED PILLOWS Rug-hook pillows add pattern and cozy texture in Erin’s living room. She made these pillows, left, by stretching burlap onto a wood frame, drawing her design, then needle-punching the yarn in 1/4-inch increments.

“It’s good practice to rug-hook the outline of shapes first for clear definition, then work your way toward the middle,” she says (A).

DO IT BETTER

PRIMITIVE-LOOKING HOOKED RUGS (AND THE PILLOWS ABOVE) USE A NO. 10 REGULAR NEEDLE PUNCH. OTHER NEEDLE SIZES, LIKE THE NO. 14 MINI, ARE FOR FINE, DELICATE NEEDLEWORK.

WELCOME HOME The low-slung chair, right, is visually balanced with a tall blanket ladder and a lower timber side table, both of which Erin made. The ladder is built from two closet rods and six dowels, gradually diminishing in length, spaced 10½ inches apart along the 7-foot ladder.

She finished it with a two-tone look— stained (Varathane Wood Stain in Sunbleached) and spray-painted glossy white (Rust-Oleum’s White Lacquer). She created the side table by cutting four 20-inch-tall pieces of pine from a 6×6×96inch post, then used a circular saw to make angled cuts in each of the legs. The pieces are attached with wood dowels glued into place. “The key power tool here is a belt sander as it smooths out a multitude of sins—unlevel legs, uneven top, and rough edges,” Erin says.

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RELAX & UNWIND Erin and Ken created a floating media console, left, by attaching IKEA’s Besta cabinet to the wall. The piece also stores Sylvia’s growing toy and book collection. They finished the cabinet with a walnut herringbone top and brass hex knobs and pulls.

A WOOD TOP CUSTOMIZES THE CABINET.

Barkaboda walnut countertop, ikea.com

SITTIN’ PRETTY Ken, a

commercial contractor, often partners with Erin on their home projects, including this raw-edge bench, right, the couple made for dining room seating. Ken sanded smooth the top of a 3½-inch-thick slab of walnut and attached metal legs Erin found on Etsy. Erin made the seat cushion using a Kufri cotton fabric that she sewed with an envelope closure and inserted a premade pillow form.

She cleverly secured the cushion to the bench with two skinny belts she found online. “I love creating projects that serve a function in daily life,” Erin says. “I get such satisfaction out of putting to good use the things I’ve made.”

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DINE ON Sewing is Erin’s first DIY love and the first maker skill

she learned. “It’s helped me make a lot of custom soft goods for our own place, and I also sell pieces at a local boutique,” she says. In the dining room, this photo, Erin worked with her mother to make the Roman shades. Erin also remade the IKEA cabinet with paint, wallpapering behind the shelves, and adding new brass hardware. The Duncan Phyfe table was Erin’s great aunt’s and the Windsor-style chairs are an affordable find from Target.

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LIGHT, BRIGHT & JUST RIGHT Aside from the electrical and plumbing, Erin and Ken DIYed every inch of their once brown and dated kitchen, this photo. They added character to the space with a planked ceiling, new white cabinetry, subway tile, and marble counters that contrast with charcoal-painted windows and bronze hardware. “One of my favorite moments of the overhaul is the slatted sink doors we retrofitted from the old kitchen and painted to match the new cabinetry,” Erin says. (The couple reused the remaining original cabinets in the upper-level rental unit.)

POLISH TARNISHED BRASS HARDWARE WITH A METAL POLISH (ERIN USES BRASSO). BEHR’S POPPY SEED CHARCOAL PAINT DEFINES THE WINDOWS.

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ERIN MADE THIS TOTE USING FAUXLEATHER PAPER THAT’S WASHABLE, FABRIC PAINT, COTTON ROPE, AND CURTAIN GROMMETS.

WELCOME HOME Erin’s back hall, right, is a typical but awkward 1930s stair that leads from her kitchen down to either the basement or out the back door to the garden and detached garage. She needed the space, though tiny, to work harder. Her solution?

A Shaker-style peg rail atop wainscoting that wraps around the stairway. Painted in Kilz International Gray, the zone is now a colorful welcome and useful entry that’s made special with a vintage portrait of Erin’s mother when she was 5.

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GUEST(BED) HIDEAWAY

Erin’s idea for a Murphy bed, right, in her studio was a no-brainer to avoid overnight guests crashing on the sofa.

After installing the bed (which came in 1 million pieces, Erin jokes), she and Ken added IKEA shelves to one side for a builtin vibe and to store guest room sundries.

Recently, Erin added the wall-mounted bolsters to create a headboard for the bed and to narrow the gap between the wall and mattress. Other homey touches include the macramé wall hanging made by friend and fellow blogger Sara Banner, and a wood bead garland and block-print pillow, both of which Erin made.

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FAUX-LEATHER STRAPS ATTACHED TO THE WALL BY SCREWS CAN BE UNHOOKED SO THE BOLSTERS SLIDE OUT WHEN THE BED IS PULLED UP.

STUDIO SPACE Erin’s studio, left and below, is housed in her dual-purpose guest room and overlooks the backyard. White metal tables on casters easily move out of the way when the Murphy bed is down. Erin keeps the room’s look playful with a black tassel garland she made with Banner of The Forest Fern.

Wall-mounted shelves above one of the tables keep supplies at hand and tidy. Larger items and more craft supplies are stored in the nearby closet.

“One of my tips is to gather all of your materials before starting on a project,” she says. “It’s a similar mentality to cooking shows where ingredients are premeasured and ready for action. The project just runs so much smoother.”

“I WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL COMFORTABLE AND WELCOME IN MY HOME. HANDMADE, PERFECTLY IMPERFECT PIECES HELP ENCOURAGE A COME-ASYOU-ARE VIBE.” ERIN FRANCOIS, HOMEOWNER

MASTERING ART For a finishing touch in the master bedroom, this photo, Erin wanted art, but needed it to be a particular size to scale with her furniture. She created this 2-foot-square color-block canvas using acrylic paint in colors to complement the room.

The piece’s graphic design and colors pull out the hues in her bedding and contrast with the dark gray-blue walls. The room’s traditional touches come from an iron bed frame, which was a discontinued IKEA piece Erin found on Craigslist, and a thrifted sewing cabinet at the bedside.

DO IT BETTER

ERIN GAVE THE ART IN HER MASTER BEDROOM A POLISHED FINISH

BY MAKING A FRAME FOR THE CANVAS. SHE CUT PAINTED CRAFT PLYWOOD STRIPS AND USED A NAIL GUN TO ADHERE THEM TO THE EDGES OF THE CANVAS.

THIS WHIMSICAL WALLPAPER IS THE PERFECT MIX OF SWEET AND SOPHISTICATED.

Nethercote by Julia Rothman, $140 per roll; hyggeandwest.com

SIMPLY SYLVIA Sylvia’s

nursery, above and left, is a peaceful respite at the back of the house away from the action.

Scandinavian-inspired wallpaper is a nod to Erin’s roots, and the modern folkloric pattern is like a fairy tale unfolding around the room. Erin and Ken installed boardand-batten wainscoting on all four walls, and Erin hand-stitched lace on the appliqué pillow she made for the glider.

FOR RESOURCES SEE PAGE 100.

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