Katie: Hi! Thank you for having me. Jenn: So I thought that we would start out and have you tell us a little bit about your blog and about how you got started. Katie: I got started about four and a half years ago. I started because we didn’t have any furniture in our house. We were a single income family. We had not enough money to buy anything. So I kind of pitched to my husband, “Hey, let’s build it.” We started working on projects together and then I just kind of ran away with it and started doing it on my own and decided to create a website. What can people expect to see on your channels? Katie: So there’s a lot of furniture projects, small projects for the home, but there’s also remodeling projects because our house is a constant project. So we’re always looking for ways to save money and remodel it ourselves but then also furnishing it ourselves. So it’s really just about trying to do it all and save some money in the process. What are you best known for? Katie: It’s one of my favorite projects but it’s also one of my most popular. It was a murphy bed that I built. It was a project out of necessity. I wanted a guest room but I still needed to keep my office, so I was trying to kill two birds with one stone. I built the murphy bed. I modified it to add an 8-foot desk on to it. So it doubles as a guest room and an office. It was really challenging. There were parts of it that I wasn’t really sure I could take on, but I ended up– Jenn: That’s a big build. Katie: It is. It was a really big build, but I love the challenge of it and I learn so much along the way What video styles or makers inspire you? Katie: There are so many. It’s hard to really pick just one. Jen Woodhouse, her projects are amazing. They’re always gorgeous. Jamie Costiglio, Corey Decker from Sawdust2Stitches, really those ladies are so talented so– Jenn: Some of our favorites. Yeah Katie: Yeah. So I look at a lot of their projects and it’s like, “wow, that’s amazing.” And they really inspire me every day. What is your best advice for new DIY’ers? Katie: You know the biggest thing, and for me personally, what I was most intimidated by was the tools. There’s so many tools that you can buy and if you’ve got a huge budget, it’s easy. But for us starting out with a very small budget, really, I mean every home needs a drill. Jenn: Yep. Katie: Circular saw can get you a long way. And there’s like the Kreg Jig, there’s several of them. And pocket joinery is really, it’s the bare bones easiest way to get started in woodworking but it’s still really a great joinery method. Jenn: And a strong connection, so it’s quality. Katie: Yeah, so I recommended a couple of different types because they all have different price ranges. But really it’s– try to start and not think that you have to buy every tool in the store. And just start small. Jenn: Thank you so much for being here. We really appreciate your advice and if you guys want more information about Katie or her projects, you can visit addicted2diy.com.
