Move Mountains In Your Home
Here's the next color in my line of Milk Paint! I'd like to introduce you to "French Enamel." Here's the dresser before... (You can take a moment to revive the wood lover next to you who just passed out at the sight of this beautiful wood being painted.) I know it was beautiful, but it wasn't in great condition and needed to be fully refinished or painted. So, I … [Read more...]
I'm so excited to introduce the first color in Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint line..."Shutter Gray." So, maybe you're wondering why I'm calling it Shutter Gray. I've decided to name the colors in my line after things I love and decorate with. I have a few awesome chippy gray shutters, so when I thought of a name for gray, shutters immediately came to … [Read more...]
I picked up my t-shirts yesterday! I absolutely love them. Reni did an amazing job with the design and I'm so happy with the printing and the quality of the t-shirts. They are Champion brand and are 60% cotton and 40% polyester, which makes them a little stretchy and will prevent shrinking. I'll be setting up an online shop soon and the t-shirts will be available for sale … [Read more...]
For those who don't know, my business started as a decorative painting/mural business. About a year into it, I realized I didn't want to paint stuff on everything. Sometimes I just wanted to paint something and leave it at that. More and more, that's what I wanted to do, so I adapted my business to better reflect my personal taste. I have held onto my artist brushes, though, and every once in a … [Read more...]
Here's my little project with the antique film holders I bought last week... As soon as I saw them, I envisioned making them into mini chalkboards. So, I taped off the frame and spayed the film directly with two coats of chalkboard paint. Very simple and very cute (in my opinion.) (And I decided to keep this little alarm clock and I'm selling a … [Read more...]
Thanks so much for all of your sweet comments and encouragement in response to my recent big announcement! I really do feel like I have a huge group of friends who have been with me through this journey and you're cheering me on. It's an awesome feeling and it means a lot to me. The next three weeks are going to be insane. I'm getting stocked up for the Lucketts Antique Market, which … [Read more...]
Unfortunately, I do not have a before picture of this chair. I bought it last summer off of Craig's List and never snapped a picture of it. It had a wood frame and lavender plaid upholstery. It was in great condition, but it just wasn't "me", so I gave it to Ruthie, my upholsterer to let her work her magic. I also gave her two antique grain sacks to use as the fabric. I can hardly take … [Read more...]
For those of you who have missed my furniture before & afters - this post is for you! Today I'm sharing a classic Miss Mustard Seed dresser makeover. I bought this dresser off of Craig's List a couple of weeks ago. It looks like it's natural wood, but it's actually painted brown. It did have the original hardware, though and it's solid as a … [Read more...]
Over the past couple of months I've been working on my work office (not to be confused with our home office) for a magazine feature. It's been so fun moving things around and adding some pops of color to inject a bit more personality into the space. The art director asked me to move the fabric from my mirrored armoire, which wasn't being photographed to my French armoire, which was. Well, … [Read more...]
For those of you who are familiar with me, you know it's torture for me to just sit and rest. Home decor is my hobby and my business, so it's hard to keep me from it. Well, when I checked into my hospital and was faced with this room, I knew it needed my help. A little painting here, some sewing there and ta-da... traditional bedroom design by los angeles interior designer … [Read more...]
I'm still plugging away on all things book right now and getting some things done on my house is a nice bonus. I had a chalkboard project I needed to finish for a freelance job and for the book (two birds with one stone), so I had some fun with it today. I have been admiring the amazing work of artist Dana Tanamachi around Pinterest for a while and then saw her work highlighted by The … [Read more...]
Welcome to another "Best of MMS" post. A few of you offered up the brilliant idea of sharing some of my past posts while I'm busy working on things for the book, so that's what I'm doing. (I'm sorry about the wonky spacing in the post. Something funny happens when I put code from my old blogspot blog on my new site.) I painted these French chairs before I had tried ASCP or Milk Paint … [Read more...]
The renovation that wouldn't end has finally come to an end. As I was looking back over the pictures to prepare this post, I realize it's taken a YEAR to get this 4' x 8' space finish. In our defense, we've had a pretty busy year and the half bathroom was just not a priority. We did hear some grumblings from the teenagers that frequent our home, because they had to hoof it up the steps to use the … [Read more...]
Most of the time I take my furniture to Lucketts or a fair, it sells and I don't ever see it again. It's always nice when I "hear from one." (Especially when it ends up in the home of a professional photographer who sends me photographic proof that it found a good home.) This dresser started out as a typical Craig's List find, but there was something about the quality of it, the … [Read more...]
There are times when I find something and I know it's junk. I know I might not be able to salvage it, but I think it's worth a shot. This chair is one of those pieces. I found it at Lucketts, marked down to $25 from $70. I knew immediately why it was discounted. It had a fabulous shape, was painted a great green, but... ...well, you can see the problem in this blurry … [Read more...]
I had a very productive day today and it felt great. I made three pillows, upholstered an arm chair, painted a piece of furniture and caulked and primed some trim. Whew! There are a few things that are contributing to the flurry of activity. First of all, we have a big photo shoot happening over the next two days. Second, I need to take some more shots for the cover of my book. Lastly, … [Read more...]
I'm sorry for disappearing for a day! It's so rare for me not to post, but I've been working on a special (and very exciting/terrifying) project and it took all of my time yesterday. I've been in video-uploading, picture editing, error-receiving purgatory and just didn't have time to get a post up. I also spent three hours (and a ridiculous sum of money) at the hair salon yesterday. I've never had … [Read more...]
After a whirlwind week of activities and festivities, we dropped my parents off at the airport this afternoon. We got so much accomplished, it's amazing. I started getting a little teary-eyed today when I saw so many projects complete. I know that's silly, but some of them have been five years in the making and now they're almost done. Before I show some progress on the house, I'll share … [Read more...]
As the year is winding down, it's a good time to reflect on some of the best things that happened in 2011. Today, I'm going to share my favorite projects we tackled in our home. I did a lot of projects and makeovers, but I sold most of them, so I really enjoy projects I get to do in my own home. We're almost done with two that have been a long time in the making, but until those are … [Read more...]
I am in search for the perfect coffee table for the living room. I want something interesting...maybe a skirted ottoman with curvy legs or something on wheels. Whatever it is, I haven't found it yet. I've had this round side table in the room for a few months and really liked it there, but it was even more perfect for my family room, so I was left with a hole in the living room. (This is a … [Read more...]
This bathroom renovation has just about bested me. We've been working on it since...oh...January. If you've been following my blog for a while, you probably remembered when I entered my half bathroom in a DIY Disaster contest by True Value. Well, your votes made me the winner. Here's what the bathroom looked like when I submitted it for the contest. (Before pictures … [Read more...]
Remember this? This is one of those pieces that people like me have nightmares about. The dresser that is so saturated with smoke that it needs a bath in bleach. The upholstered chair that was used as a dog bed...and then a cozy nest for a mouse. Or the sofa that was stuffed with dried grass. When I opened this one up, I know I was in way over my head and needed to call in … [Read more...]
I bought these chairs back in January from an estate furniture shop. I loved the shape and, while the upholstery was done well, the fabric was not my thing. I intended to upholster them myself, but once Ruthie came into my life all of that changed. I turned over every upholstered piece I had in my queue, including this pair of barrel-back French chairs. I painted the frames in ASCP Old … [Read more...]
I always hate the anticipation of having to drag a piece of furniture up my basement steps, rearrange my dining room and set up a photo shoot, but I am always so happy when I take the time and effort to do it. This is my latest dresser makeover, that is going to be the "pop of color" in my room for the Lucketts holiday open house. I've been calling her the "Swiss Miss", for obvious … [Read more...]
