If you read my blog, you’ve heard the word “Lucketts” thrown around. It’s a small town in Virginia and, more importantly, it’s one of the greatest antique stores out there – The Old Lucketts Store. I am honored to be a vendor there. Well, they have started a new blog and are celebrating the upcoming May Antique Market by having a $100 gift card giveaway for The Old Lucketts Store. If you’re local or planning a visit, you’ll want to get in on that action! If you’re not local, you can check out the blog for “vintage hip” inspiration.
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It’s fun for me to look back at the dark pictures that were snapped of my home when we first considered buying it. It’s come a long way. This is what the dining room looks like today…
I consider this room done, but I do still have some minor tweaking I want to do.
This is how the dining room looked the day we moved in. Pretty amazing, right? Would you believe I refinished the floors myself when I was five months pregnant, the dining room set cost $100 from Craig’s List and the chandelier was $4.00 at a yard sale? You really can create beautiful, custom spaces on a budget.
This is the view of my guest room that I have shared most often…
I recently borrowed the vintage white matlasse spread for my master bedroom and put my great grandmother’s bedspread in the guest room. She made that huge spread by hand, so I’m glad it’s being used and I love the texture it adds to the room.
This is how the room looked before we bought the house. Seriously. That’s the same window!
This is the corner I haven’t shown, except to share my painted dresser. I’m planning on reupholstering the French chair in cream and red grain sacks and the old split door that is currently leaned in front of the closet will be mounted, so they are functional.
Here’s the same corner before we moved in…
There still a lot I want to do to this house, but this reminds me to be thankful and content when I see how much we’ve done.
64 Responses
Amazing before and afters! I just incorporated a lamp that my grandmother owned into my master bedroom, I love having those pieces of family history in my home.
Thank you for sharing your amazing talents with us.
Your home is beautiful! Can you throw a few tips my way for "distressing" the flat surfaces of furniture? I do ok w/ removing some of the paint from the sides and detail areas using sand paper, but it is the flat surfaces throw me for a loop…how to remove some of the paint without it looking like I rubbed it with sand paper?! Just posted about my first chalk paint experience…thanks for all your help!
Cindy
theheartofyourhome@gmail.com
This just goes to show what you can do with a little hard work, style and ingenuity. I'm so impressed with your work on the floors. They look professionally done. You're doing great work here and inspiring us all.
April
Wholesale Flooring Diva
Your home looks so warm and beautiful. I love the dining room.
I just said the other day how my blog keeps a record of before photo's…yours are amazing!
Love your work and I'm learning and becoming for confident because of you…don't blush…it's true!
Love your room transformations….hard to believe it is the same house!
Julie x
I love the gratitude that follows through this post. It's uplifting to look back and see how far you have come, whether it be your home, your family or yourself…It makes you take all the effort you made and be able to celebrate how far you have come…Thank you for uplifting me and making me want to reflect on my own life…
Hugs, Meme from Screaming Meme
Love your dining room…beautiful!
Janie
Romantic Domestic
Lovely, Beautiful transformations ! Thanks for sharing.
CONTENT….is such a wonderful word! It helps us appreciate the beauty we have NOW. We can certainly still strive for better/revised but be ok with now! Thanks for sharing the REAL befores and showing the possibilities!
BEAUTIFUL TRANSFORMATIONS! LOVE THE BLUES. JUDY
I love the before and after pics! And thanks for the tip on the Old Luckett's giveaway. I drive by there all the time (we live in NoVa) and love stopping in when I don't have the wee ones. 🙂
On another note, can you email me? I have an offline question for you and the email link on your site doesn't work with my email set up. Thanks so much!
Amazing! Your home is now warm and inviting. And, of course, beautiful! Elbow grease and inspiration make a world of difference. Thanks for the inspiration!
Love, love love those corner cabinets!!!! I've been searching high and low for something like that! Were those a Craigslist find??
Wow, these are amazing pictures your house has definatly come a long way it is beautiful!
Amazing! You really have an eye for potential! Doesn't even look like the same rooms, wow! They were so dark and dingy before and now they're so light and fresh. Love it.
I don't know of anything more fun than seeing the progress of ones efforts come to fruition. You have created a wonderful space for you and your family and how lovely of you to share the joy with the world. Beautiful!
WOWOWOW you are my hero. Tell me all your secrets!
Wow, amazing transformations!
Your Grandmother's handmade bedspread looks very settled in the bedroom. The framed crochet over the bed goes so well with the bed. Thank you for posting before and afters. A good reminder that a lot of work went in to the changes and that changes are possible with consistent effort.
– Joy
Wow, just lovely. I am considering refinishing my wood floors which are currently covered with carpet. Seems impossible, but evidently not! I love the budget. Anyone can have lovely with lots of cash, it's the budget that makes it challenging and more rewarding! Wood floor refinishing would make a lovely blog topic!
Fantastic, MMS!!! Your vision is inspiring and I love that you have the right perspective on contentment. It is so easy for us to want things right NOW! Especially when we see others beautiful homes(like yours :-)) but God has blessed us with so much already! Thank you!
PS I am totally going to (try to) copy your guest bedroom for my girls…DROOOOL!!! 🙂
WOW, Marian! You have breathed life into that house! How fresh and light it is now.
I didn't realize your trim in the diningroom was not painted when you bought it. I need your opinion/help! My house is 74 yrs. old and has that unpainted trim (pine, nothing fancy there) and I have been on-the-fence about painting it for years now. I don't want to become a slave to having to wipe down white baseboards!!! Help, please! Our furnace is old therefore we have a lot of dust in our home.
Thanks!
Is this not one of the best parts of blogging?….to look back at all the before and after pictures you have taken and see how far you've come? You had really given your home new life and it's just lovely. I love your style and that you have incorporated meaningful items into the design, like your great grandmother's bedspread!
you have great vision!
Amazing! God Bless your home!
Wow! Really impressive! I love that spread!
absolutely gorgeous
Hi Little Miss Mustard Seed…..your dining room looks amazing and I love looking at the befores and afters.
Linda
You sure put the wow in before and afters!! I love what you are doing to your house, and seeing it change constantly. Good luck with finishing all of those pieces you bought for Luckets!
What is the wooden trough type thing on your dining room table called? I've been wanting one for years, but I don't know what they are called, or where to find one.
Thanks!
Oh, how I can relate! We have an old stone farmhouse. Our list just seems to get longer instead of shorter. So, it does bring peace to look back and see that we HAVE actually gotten some things done!
-{darlene}
fieldstonehilldesign.com
Your home is gorgeous. You can see the time and effort that has been put into it.
Oh Marian they are wonderful, you've done so much! I love it! You can come to Wisconsin anytime and decorate mine. Vicki Page
OMG…beautiful!
You have such a wonderful eye for design! And color! And texture! Nothing matches, yet everything goes together like it was meant to be! I love it and I"m not even a blue person, but your dining room just beckons me to come in and sit and have a cup of tea! Hopefully I can meet you when I come out there to visit my 3 girls – I'm thinking very soon! I will have to ask my daughter if she knows about Lucketts. She is getting ready to redo her living room after August. I will have to introduce her to Lucketts!
Wow! Your dining room looks like a trip to Lucketts to me! I love how you were able to find beautiful things from various places and at great prices! I am all for "if it works but needs revamping, go for it!" Love the guest room too! I can tell from the architecture that your home is older, or is new made to look old – such character! Love it! Keep up the great work and continue to enjoy the fruits of your labors! ~Leena~
You continually amaze me, Marian! Love it that you captured your grandmother's memories by placing that coverlet in there. 🙂 Your dining room is so beautiful! That turquoise just pops! 🙂 May I ask where you usually get your red striped grain sacks?
xoxo laurie
I love your before and after pictures!!! The dining room is so lovely. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the rug under the dining table, did you make it?
It is all so sweet you can tell you have put a lot of work into it.
Thank you for sharing!
Suzann ~xoxo~
Your guest room dresser is EXACTLY the same dresser I had in California. I bought mine at a yard sale with a "matching" bed. And, by matching they were referring to the black spray paint, with sprayed gold spots on both pieces!!!
We threw away the bed, not salvageable, and my father and I worked for a whole month to restore the dresser. My Dad even had to remove and replace the drawer bottoms. Back then, the early 70s style was DARK wood, so we did it in walnut. Interestingly, because it was a depression era find, it was made of about four different kinds of wood, and the "wood grain" was APPLIED to make all the woods look the same!
Is yours also constructed of many types of wood? We found oak, maple, cherry, and something with little eyes in top drawers. I kept it until we moved cross country three years ago. Kinda wishing I'd held on to it, and yet, my friend REALLY needed it… 🙂
Thrilled to have found your blog. It's so refreshing to look at a beautiful room such as your dining space and discover how frugally you were able to make it INCREDIBLE! Also love what you did with the bedroom. So cozy and relaxing, a place to throw off the cares of the world and rest. Stop by and say hi if you have a chance!
Blessings & Hugs,
Karen
I love your home it is beautiful. Where did you find the rug in the dining room? Did you do it yourself? Love it Love it Love it.
Thanks, Lynda
Love your before and afters! I have a dark dining room, and would love to see it flooded w/ light like your lovely room!
Wow, you make all things look better! I love your style!
Everything looks so much brighter and beautiful now!
Oh my word! My heart is all a pitter patter looking at these before and after pics. What a stunning home you've created. Love your blog, Kerri
So gorgeous!!!!
Look at you and how you've made such a striking difference in those rooms!!!
Beautiful!!!!
Deborah xo
Your touch is obvious in all the rooms you have done, elegant yet comfortable and liveable!! I admire your taste very much. Can't wait to see the bathroom when it's finished. Take care, VBg
I adore Lucketts! I need to make a trip back out there again.
Thank you for posting so many helpful details! Would you post more about the rug under your dining toom table? Did you stencil it? What is it made of?
Simply stunning!
AMAZING!!!! You have increased the property value of your home SOOO much. I love the before and after pics – what a great inspiration.
You have done such a great job with your home. Your grandmothers bed spread is absolutely gorgeous. I'm sure it must mean so much to you that she made it. How amazing.
Did you sell or move your Gästehaus sign? I kinda miss it :). Your afters are amazing, of course!
WOW! I'm impressed, 5mos. pregnant and you refinished that floor!#* Talk about "Super" woman! Your work is amazing. I love your blog. Thanks so much for sharing. I've actually just started a blog. I have a lot to learn, and a long way to go, but I have followers! Dawn, from The Feathered Nest introduced me, within seconds of her mentioning my blog on her blog I got 15 new followers. You gals are amazing.
Beautiful home! I love the soft blue…. nicely done on the furniture re-finishing projects. I do the same, and I enjoy seeing what others do as well. Thanks for sharing on your blog! Best wishes as we come into another junkin' season with spring finally here!
Tammy
http://www.junksituation.blogspot.com
facebook…. "junk situation/tammy hodges
beautiful.
Wow, those are some crazy transformations!! Everything is so much brighter now, great job! 🙂
Charming! Love the nook and hideaway look, so cozy and comforting.
I think maybe I'll take a nap……
Rose
Amazing transformations! I'm always excited to see what you do!
Pam
oh my word, i love these rooms so much!! you may have already answered and i missed it, but where are your dining room curtains from? thanks!
Oh I love seeing the before photos! What incredible transformations!!!! I could look at pictures of your dining room over and over and over! It is always makes me drool. Well, even though the baby is still sleeping in my lap Lillie just woke up from her nap so I am not going to get to finish catching up on all of your posts I have missed! =(
Your home is simply AMAZING! I want to live there 🙂 You make decorating look so effortless, I want to be you when I grow up. And when you are tired of your house, can we move it to Texas? Love it!
the bed in your guest room is a 3/4 isn't it?
we have the EXACT same one, (it was my grandmother's)
ours has a metal spring and metal roller wheels on it.
i was so shocked when i saw your bed, as i've never seen another one like ours!
vi