A Beautiful AC Unit- said no one ever!! Until now that is. Im so excited to share this project with you. I’ve been busy with lots of orders, custom pieces, and now we are in the middle of updating some spaces at church. I feel like my head is spinning with projects, ideas, and orders. There are moments when I just want to stop, lay down, and call it quits… and then I remember. I remember how very hard I have worked to get my little business off its feet and walking.. now its running and Im trying to keep up, but I feel so incredibly blessed by all of you who encourage me and love on me in the ways you do. I know I will continue to learn and find my balance.
This project is one of the many I have worked on in the last few weeks, but its also one of my favorites. My client purchased a beautiful farmhouse table from my dad a couple of months ago and the space it went to live is beautiful. With white washed bricks, Jasmine Plants, and a slow trickle from vintage inspired fountain, the AC Unit was throwing off the vibe, if you know what I mean.
My only concern with this project was ventilation. I don’t want to be the one responsible for anyones air conditioning breaking, especially in a SO Cal Summer. Nicole (my client), had found inspiration in a church palette like backdrop with large gaps and different sized wood. I agreed that the gaps were attractive to the eye, but would also prevent the unit from overheating without proper ventilation.
This project was created with Pine Common Board
3 1×4’s @12ft
3 1×6’s @12ft
2 1×2’s @12ft
&
2 4×4’s @ 8ft Douglas Fir
I know that it is almost impossible to fit this in your car so have your home depot man (or woman) cut the wood at 3 ft pieces… or even cut just a couple 3 ft pieces off so you can fit them in your car and then cut the rest at home. I have made some great friends at my local Home Depot. They all love my boys and help me when I need something cut or carried to my car, which is almost daily by the way. My Lumber guy is Steve-Steve is the best and always cuts all of my wood for me, and Venus is the best with making sure its a quick and easy check out with my boys… seriously make friends with the Home Depot employees and they will always help when needed because they are amazing!
First I cut my lumber into the pieces I needed.
FRONT
(3) 35″ 1X6’s
(2) 35″ 1X2’s
(3) 35″ 1×4’s
(1) 40″ 4×4
SIDES
(6) 33″ 1X6’s
(4) 33″ 1X2’s
(6) 33″ 1×4’s
(1) 40″ 4×4
After I cut my wood, I used Varathanes Dark Walnut to stain my planks. I made sure to stain everything prior to assembly.
Next I laid the front panel down with the 4×4’s on each side as a support. I used my nail gun to secure the boards to the 4×4’s and left a 1 inch gap between each plank. I started a pattern of the wood on the front and continued the same pattern on the sides.
After I stood the front up, I secured the back 4×4’s with the first plank on the opposite side of the front plank. Once the plank was secure, I propped the 4×4 and attached plank up to connect to front piece and nailed it together. Simple. Seriously… simple. Don’t overcomplicate this one. Once you have both sides up, to should feel secure.
After it was up, I glazed it with a 450 exterior semi gloss glaze from General Finishes. We added some of my herb boxes to give it a little extra character, and there you have it.. an air condition unit worth looking at.
Happy Creating.
