We’ve all been there:
It’s Friday and you’re finally trying out that new restaurant for happy hour with your girlfriends. It’s exactly as you expected-
the drinks are $15, the food is just OK and the interior design is STUNNING!
You’re first round arrives and even the drinks are beautiful. You take a photo and post it to Instagram. Doesn’t the glass look really good against this wooden table?
And you start to wonder: is this table oak? Are those plants real? How did they build the table around this marble planter?
To your friends horror, you’re now crouching on the floor to see how the table was built.
No?? Just Me?
Ok, fine. You might be able to appreciate the interior design, maybe you’re even interested in the materials. However, you’ve probably never ended up crawling on the floor of a dirty restaurant.
I guess I’m a little bit different…
Oh yeah, this is an About Me page…
Hi, I’m Rachel. aka What BB Built.
I’m a self-proclaimed DIYer who specializes in rearranging things RIGHT when you’ve gotten used to where they were before.
For as long as I can remember, the idea of building my own furniture has been a curiosity of mine. I’ve also been passionate about a multitude of other things: fitness, finance, keeping plants alive, Christmas, just to name a few. I think at the heart of most of my passions is an affinity to know how everything works. Once I bought a house, this became a full-out obsession and every house “problem” that came up turned into a DIY lesson.
Some Examples: We have a beautiful screened in porch, but it didn’t have any railings, so I bought a miter saw and built some. I wanted our outside lights to turn on automatically when it got dark out, so I learned about electric online and installed a smart switch. The first year or two continued like that, I replaced light fixtures and trim, I hung cabinets and built shelves.
I began following DIY influencers on Instagram and YouTube and binged their stories and highlights like they were shows on Bravo! At the same time, I was slowly building a legit collection of woodworking and power tools (for a while, every Christmas and birthday present was a Lowes gift card!)
Fast forward to now-
I’m finally getting comfortable doing some of the bigger DIY projects I’ve always dreamed of and taking some interior design risks. By sharing my projects, I’m hoping it will help you decorate and organize your home in an intentional way (and with some light construction.)
Here are a few things you might be wondering:
“Who is BB?”
Bebee is my maiden name (pronounced, Bee Bee, otherwise, that would be weird). It just felt right to personify my online presence with BB which is way more unique than Rachel. I don’t know, “What BB Built” just flows. Don’t you think?
“What is this place?”
This is a place where you can find free, step-by-step home design tutorials. All projects on the site are ones that I’ve completed to update my 90’s home from boring and uninspired to current and cozy!
“Why should I care?”
You don’t have to. But if you could use more home inspiration in your life while keeping some money in your pocket and being able to impress your friends with how handy you are, all you need is here. I got you!
“But I don’t own any power tools/have never used them”
That’s OK! Whether you’ve tested the waters of DIY or you’d rather take a Razor scooter to the ankle than operate a table saw, I have posts for everyone! Some of my projects require power tools (like my DIY Custom Closet) and some are more about design theory and accessibility (See: 3 Ways to get Affordable Artwork).
Everything I post includes information that is immediately actionable to start curating a home that will get all your friends wanting to step up their game too!
“Is it true.. you’ll get on the ground in a dirty restaurant?”
Sure will! It’s a wonder I have any friends left.
Once, during a night out, I sliced my hand open trying to measure the height of a barstool with my purse measuring tape. (Not to be confused with my office measuring tape, or my bedroom measuring tape- don’t be nasty).
Want to get to know me better? Come hang out on Instagram!