Is your toe kick feeling neglected? Does it just sit there and look at you without any viv and/or vigor? Have you seen your toe kick being rejected by other toe kicks on the playground for its lack of color and interest? If so, stop what you are doing, join my national ‘Pimp Your Toe Kick’ movement and read this post.
At Joy’s studio we knew we needed storage … although normally when I see that word coming out of somebody’s mouth I fall asleep. It’s not exactly that need that you are excited to hear about BUT, as a designer with hoarding tendencies I need a lot of storage myself so finding clean, inexpensive storage is never a bad exercise. The big challenge we always have is how to make the storage look cute, or even really good. You don’t want to call attention to it necessarily but you still want to, you know, jazz that sucker up, pimp it out a bit, bedazzle that little mother.
For Joy’s closed storage we decided to add a decorative little toe-kick on the bottom with contact paper and tape. Super easy and cheap. It may not last forever, but you also may not want it to. IÂ mean it is gold, mint, and pink after all and while IÂ love those colors, I think in five years Joy will probably want to switch them out for burgundy, sage, and chocolate brown (or whatever colors that now seem ludicrous but we’ll probably all be begging to cover our bodies in).
The toe-kick is that bottom part underneath the cabinet that your toe might, yes, kick whilst opening said cabinets. There was A LOT happening in that space indeed, so while we considered doing something to the front of the cabinets, we were really afraid that it was going to go a little nuts. So we added handles and then jazzed up the toe-kick to pique your curiosity and add interest but still keep it relatively quiet in this design studio.
We got the gold contact paper from Designyourwall.com, and it’s awesome. I’ve used it like 25 times, to the point where Orlando can’t look at it … but I can. It’s re-positionable and super easy to cut and apply. So we measured the bottom of the toe-kick and then just stuck that sucker up there. It’s basically just one big sticker so you peel off the back and then SLAP! You are done.
We wanted to add some stripes, as you do, so we used gaffers tape (it’s crazy strong and durable) and mint washi tape, which isn’t as durable but sure is popular and easy to find great colors in. You just tape it on in whatever pattern you want and then cut off the excess, like below:
So easy, friends. So easy.
We put it there and in the kitchen (which I’ll blog about later this week).
SAVE your toe kicks the torture of eternal boredom. Pimp that thing out.
Would you guys try this? I mean, it’s the easiest, cheapest, and most non-committal customization I can imagine.
After photos by the amazing Zeke Ruelas, and DIY photos and graphics by the lovely Tessa Neustadt
Resources (Storage wall) left to right: West Elm dining table; Industry West chairs; Ikea Pax cabinets with Anthropologie hooks; Casa de Perrin vintage rug; Target pouf; Jonathan Adler for JCP side table; Eric Trine chairs; striped pillows by Lab Boutique. Bottom detail made with: Gold contact paper from Design Your Wall with assorted masking tape.
Kitchen resources: Design With Reach coat hook; Target stools; Ikea cabinet with Anthropologie knobs; Ikea shelves with Signature Hardware brass anchors; FEED for Target ceramic/wood canisters; DIY painted glass mason jars; Wind & Willow Home wood bowl; Joel Penkman krispy kreme print; vintage Beatles print; SMEG fridge from West Elm; World Market dustpan; SimpleHuman trash bin. DIY on cabinet toe kick made with gold contact paper from Design Your Wall and assorted masking and washi tape.
For more Oh Joy Makeovers: Oh Joy’s Nursery | Storage & Shelving | Oh Joy’s Studio: The Living Room | Oh Joy’s Home: The Living RoomÂ