This post may contain affiliate links.

Last week I worked on organizing all of the junk (and good stuff) in my basement.  I then worked on sorting and pricing and ended up with two main piles.  One is the pile of stuff that I need to do something to – paint, upholster, fix, etc…

The other main pile is stuff that is priced and ready to go…

…and now my basement is starting to fill up with things that are ready to be repaired, reupholstered and painted…

I’m selling my dining room set, so we’re going to sure up a few of the chairs and I still need to put some finishing touches and upholster the seats of two of them.

I just brought home this French settee to upholster with some of my Hungarian linens (I’m a glutton for punishment)…

…and a dresser and the primitive cabinet from my office are waiting for repairs and refinishing.

I also just brought home this amazing table base…

…a sweet child’s hutch…

… and a typewriter…

Tomorrow is going to be a work day, so I can start making a dent in the pile of things that need to be “mustardized.”

And this is just the beginning of the craziness that is the weeks leading up to Lucketts!

For those who are interested in buying stuff online (t-shirts, glitter, signed books, boxwood wreaths, etc.), I will open an online shop after the fair.

 The winners of the Vintage Pearl Giveaway are…

Kim (huselr), Allison Barber, and Winnie Lung.  Congrats!

Receive a Daily Dose of Encouragement and Inspiration!

Stay Inspired with Marian's Daily Blog Posts

Sign up to receive uplifting blog posts directly in your inbox! Join our community of like-minded individuals and start your day with a burst of creativity, motivation, and positivity. Whether you’re seeking decorating tips, DIY projects, or simply a dose of inspiration, Marian’s daily posts are sure to brighten your day and ignite your creativity. Don’t miss out on your daily dose of encouragement – subscribe now!

    73 Comments

    1. Katy

      That settee is perfect as is. I usually hate it when people say that, but I am in love with the upholstery.

      • Evie

        Yes!

      • Doreen

        Funny I had my eye on that French sofa , but could not make the auction. Great find ! Hungarian fabric- sounds interesting. Please post the finished product.

    2. kristin

      What amazes me is that you will plow right through that stuff AND it will all look fabulous. I had a lady writing down your site yesterday…I don’t know how I get chatting to the point where your name is coming out of my mouth??? You are fabulous–wish I still lived in VA. I would be making a trip to Lucketts Fair:) Please show us the pieces after you have “Mustardized”–would love to see!

    3. Jeanette

      I love that trunk table in the first photo.

    4. Jami

      That little child hutch would make a great stash for my seeing stuff now that I’m turning my office will become our master b. So sweet! This is my favorite time of year on your blog. I love seeing you work your magic in high volume. Can’t wait to see you again. Wishing you smooth sailing as you prepare.

      xo
      Jami

      • Jami

        Um. That would be “sewing” stuff.

    5. Brenda

      It looks like you’ve got a lot of work ahead of you! But there is a lot of potential! I hope you take pictures as well. My favorite is the love seat. Are you going to keep the tufted back? If you are that would be an awesome tutorial! Do you know when the runched (Did I spell that right?) pillow tutorial will be? Can’t wait to see all your new tutorials! I loved your blog from yesterday. It made me think and challenged me to want to try something new. It sounds like Lucketts will be a fair to remember!

    6. Michelle Robertson

      Bet you don’t have time to do tuturial on the settee. Would love to see that as I have a settee (not quite as nice as yours) that needs reupholstering. Love everything you do!

    7. Deann

      wait…what? you’re selling the newest dining room set? did you get another one already?

      • Miss Mustard Seed

        No, not yet. I have some new chairs I want to buy, so I’m going to sell my set to trade for them. I then want my husband to build a table for me.

    8. Virginia

      Great stash! I see a few pieces I’d love to get my hands on!

    9. Dijana

      Hello Marian,

      Just wanted to let you know that my milk paint has arrived and I will be working with it for the first time. I carefully watched all of your tutorials and feel as if I was ready for this since I was born :-).

      Question, where do you score such beautiful finds. Especially the settee and the child’s hutch.

      Much love,

      xoxoxo Dijana

    10. Rhonda

      Love everything! I especially love the setee, and would love to see a tutorial on how to upholster that! I should’ve say this but I would love to learn how, the tufts scare me!

    11. Denise

      Hi Marian, can’t wait to see the French settee upholstered with the Hungarian linens. You have some great things to work on!

    12. Barb @ The Everyday Home

      I was so looking forward to Luckett’s and seeing you and your beautiful “Mustardized” stuff, but Sunday is my granddaughter’s 1st Birthday. Priorities. 🙂 Best of luck at the show.

    13. Kathryn

      love ALL your fun stuff .Your selling your dining set what? I can see someone buying it and having you sign it…you need a label you can put on your MMS

    14. Audrey Zumwalt

      Oh Marian … I just love that table base. I want to make some tables and have been searching for legs. Those legs are so perfect. You really have your work cut out for you before you go to Luckett’s Fair. Wishing you the best of luck … I know you will get it all done.
      Blessings,
      Audrey Z. @ Timeless Treasures

    15. Lindsy - The Open Window Roseville

      I love everything!!!!!! Is this your garage? I would love if you would stop by and become a follower theopenwindowroseville.blogspot.com

    16. Renata

      Oh what a great stash. I would spent there hours and hours just watching at that beautiful pieces. I love the French chair, my dream, I love that curves. I saw also a stash of canvases and grain sacks, OMG. I would love to be your friend next door, would stop by every day, just look around :))
      Wishing a pleasant day. Renata

    17. martha garrett

      Hi:

      What a beautiful “stash” love the french setee. I love your dining room, did you get a new one, show us pictures!!!

      I wish I live closer to lucketts but I don’t so I hear it, and read the blogs, its a very fun place.

      We just have to dream around here.

      Its all good and fun, I love the table too.

      Don’t work too hard, just enjoy it.

      Martha

    18. Susie

      The child’s hutch…the table…every thing looks great. I go to Lucketts weekly, makes me happy. They are hard at work getting ready for the big event, super excited. MMS, thanks for being you.

    19. Lorraine@MissFlibbertigibbet

      Every time I see that basement I miss having one! I have to walk past my big “treasure pile” in the garage all the time….which can be a bit stressful! I am SO looking forward to plowing through the crowd to (maybe) get a chance to say “hello” at Lucketts!

    20. Susan

      OK, while I don’t usually comment I love reading your posts… but this one… when I saw that settee… so yummy! I can’t believe you will get it upholstered before Lucketts, you are amazing! I will be at Lucketts this year (my second) I hope to meet you if you aren’t completely surrounded by adoring fans 😉 – Susan

    21. Sarah

      I am amazed by the volume of inventory you must sell at Lucketts, and in the end, I bet there will be more! It is like stocking an entire store for one weekend. You manage it well. Praying for your endurance to finish the race!

    22. Arda

      Wow, you look pretty organized to me! You have to see my basement! I’m trying to convince my hubs to drive the 8.5 hrs to Virginia so I can come to Lucketts this spring!

    23. patti g

      Good morning!
      I am amazed at all you know how to do.
      Uphostery is what I want to learn to do –
      I have a storage ottoman that needs help bigtime.
      Would that be an easy piece to start on ?
      Or should I enroll in a class –
      You are awesome, I met you in La Porte.
      Hugs and blessings, patti

    24. Ashley

      Man oh man you always have such good stuff! That table base is fantastic, and the dressers?! I don’t know how you find so many of them for decent prices. You have a gift!

    25. Lora @ PatinaGeneral

      Do you have to lug all those treasures up and down a stairway? Ugh! My dream is to have a walkout workroom someday…driveway to basement door…scrub, paint, fix…all on one level!

    26. Georgi

      I kinda fell over when I saw that GORGEOUS old wooden toolbox standing on end in the 2d picture. I really think I heard God say, “Grab that, Georgi!!” Not sure if He remembers how far San Diego is from you, but……
      What are my chances of purchasing it and having it shipped to me?
      …..just had to ask…..

    27. Tammy Gilleland

      A fine looking stash! I can’t wait to see the finished projects and the new dining room set.

    28. brittanyMakes

      I miss this side of the blog! YAY to new things to redo and repaint and reupholster!

    29. theresa a.

      you might not know this yet so no worries if i’m jumping the gun, but how much will you be selling the boxwood wreaths for in your online shop? thanks!

    30. Ivena Dehl

      MMS.
      I think you just saved my marriage. Thank you for showing YOUR basement!! Mine looks very very similar and my hubs is about to explode as I prepare for Springfield Extrav. I am showing him these pics when I get home and hopefully, a peace truce will be drawn up! Of course your prizes are amazing!!
      THANK YOU!

    31. Audrey

      Marian, I have a question that maybe you can answer. I have a two piece china hutch on the small side, it’s only 36″ wide. I am going to have someone paint it for me and she has never charged anyone for doing this. What do you think is reasonable? I know there are tons of factors, but I basically want her to just paint it a satin white and do some slight distressing (very slight!). Where do we start with pricing??

    32. Pauline from Twin Oaks Studio

      You have a “ready to go” pile Already??!! Wow! I still am generating inventory. Plus I really need to get a tent! My youngest will miss your adorable typewriter! (She will be at Kings Dominion that weekend!) Keep on going! Take care! — Pauline

    33. Marilin Larken

      I’ve been looking for nice french sette. Will you be selling it in your online shop?. -Marilin

    34. Jill Flory

      So fun to see your stash Miss Marian! Would you please, pretty please do a video tutorial on reupholstering that piece? My chair is still at the torn-apart stage – I am too intimidated to get going on it! LOL! I’m too busy too – too many custom sewing projects going on at the moment.

    35. Monika

      How much do u think the typewriter would be worth?

    36. Monika

      How much do u think the typewriter would be worth?

    37. Kristi Ripley

      Hello!!
      Adore you!! Love your book! It’s helped so much in what and how I do things in my home! Will you be doing a tutorial for the reupholstering of the settee?? I would love to learn!!!
      Thank you!

    38. Jayne

      Wow, great stuff! That childs hutch is so cute and I love that French settee 🙂

    39. Mel

      Oh, the potential in all of that furniture! I’ll bet there isn’t a settee like that to be had in my entire state.

    40. Jelena

      Can’t wait to see some of those wonderful goodies in your online shop! You might have a faithful customer here…

      Hopefully, by that time I will be ready to start decorating our new house. Right now, there are still quite a few rooms in it that need painting before I can begin getting furniture in.

      Once we are all wired and plugged into the cyber-world again, I will have to post some of the “before & after” pictures of my house painterly handiwork on my blog for those who are interested in seeing what all the hoopla is about.

    41. Winnie

      If you feel overwhelmed, I understand. I’ve been working all day so far on re-settling my HUGE amount of ‘stuff’ in my new Sewing Room. I recently moved across the country and this is the last room, but surely the most difficult!! Best to you in the pre-Luckett’s endeavor.

    42. Melissa

      Why go to Luckett’s when you can sell your stuff on-line to your blog followers. I would love to buy your birdcage, I am looking for one for my daughter’s wedding reception to put cards in. Have fun at Luckett’s – can’t wait to see your finished projects.

    43. julie

      Everything looks wonderful…but what *I* am drooling over is all the SPACE you have to store such amazing finds!! THAT’S what I envy most. 😉

    44. Jill Cooper

      Oh my gosh I want want want that table base LOL And the child’s hutch. And……why can’t I live closer LOL

    45. Kathryn

      The table I think perfect idea is Do you have have a old door…Hmmm with a glass top,old door makes it easy but the glass makes it hard….

    46. Donna Allgaier-Lamberti

      Would you consider doing a tutorial on how you open an on-line shop? I need to do this but am feeling overwhelmed…..and unsure….

      Small House / Big Sky Donna

    47. Denise T

      Love this amazing table… I thought reclaimed wood – big plank would be nice.

    48. Jill

      Awesome stuff! I’ve been reading the post’s leading up to the Luckett’s fair, and finding that I wished CO wasn’t so far away! And for that reason, I am very excited that you’re opening up an online store! I don’t know how you do it all, but keep up the inspired work! This blog is one of the high points of my day!

    49. Rayna

      I am so excited to hear that you will be having an online store!

    50. JaneEllen

      So many people seemed to love the settee but I’m in love with an old mirror in background of first pic and both the dressers. I love them best as I can see using them for several places in our home.
      I want an old dresser or buffet for our kitchen, take out bottom/top cupboards on one wall. Hubs would build a cabinet for the top and use the buffet for bottom.
      Thought I had a buffet but we got to Habitat 10 minutes too late, oh I wasn’ t real happy as hubs had said it needs too much work but 2 days later I said to heck with it I want that. By the time we got there it was gone. Hard lesson learned, if I see something buy it right then. The buffet was not as big but perfect for my kitchen and only $45, sigh.
      I’m practicing redoing pieces on some of my own older stuff to get some practice for when I finally find something I can afford and resell.
      Good luck to you, I so wish I lived close so I could go to your sale. I’ll look forward to your online store. Still want to buy some milk paint and other items to go with it. Bless you Marian. Happy days Want to buy your book also.

    51. Nancy

      Just reading about all you have to do makes me tired. But I do love seeing what you are up to and that just leads me to wishing really hard that Luckets was a possibility. You are fabulous,

    52. Gail Frost

      Your basement looks like my 2 1/2 car garage! ONLY dry! Today we had torrential rains and my sump pump burnt out. Lucky for me only 2 inches got in and my wonderful son got the new pump in so the 4+ inches outside the garage door went down the outside drain! Tommorrow we access the damages! I am hoping the Lane Cedar Chest and old vintage dresser mirrors are not ruined! Any suggestions for salvaging wet wood? If we had better weather I could air things out but we are still getting some wet weather!!

    53. K. Novak

      Omg, you’re basement is full of goodies. I am finding that I get such a rush when I go to thrift stores and consignment shops. A “glutton for punishment” is an understatement. My famous last words are “I don’t need it, but it has so much potential.” Being able to see beauty where others can’t is such a gift. Btw, is it possible to send pics to you if I don’t have my own website? Would love to share some stuff on Furniture Friday but I’m much better with a paintbrush than a computer.

    54. Mary Syron

      Dog-Gon-It!!! Wish I was closer — I’d love to lend a hand…

    55. Jillian {Her Split Ends}

      SO much great stuff!! I love the “child’s size hutch”, how adorable!!

      Good luck with everything!!
      ~ Jillian

    56. Melissa Linnenburger

      Seriously considering a road trip from Colorado for that settee… 😉

    57. Marlene

      Just wish I lived closer and had the sewing talent–I can paint – however, zero sewing skills!

    58. Sherill

      Sure would love to buy some boxwood wreaths or topiaries…or better yet, see a tutorial on HGTV before spring is over:)

    59. Patricia

      Oh My ! You are industrious !! Thank goodness you have a big basement !!

    60. Karen

      Oh so seriously drooling over your settee!

      Karen

    61. dawn

      I must have that settee. I’m in Delaware. How much and where will you be selling it???

    62. Danielle

      All so gorgeous. Can’t wait to see what you do with all these wonderful pieces. x

    63. Sonya

      LOL..I have GOT to let my husband read this post…see your pictures…then he’ll know that I’m not the only female that does this!!!!

    64. Sue Pagels

      I agree with Sonya – I always feel so un-Martha like and unworthy when I see my other building full of things getting ready to sell. This just ups my feelings of self worth just a weeeee little bit!

    65. may

      Love all your finds! I just bought a very similar french settee and want to reupholster it too…I was thinking turquoise velvet but can’t wait to see what you do with yours… 🙂

    66. Jennifer

      Would love to know what your plan is for that table base!!?? Just recently bought one myself and before I do anything with it I want to know what you are thinking for yours. You know, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!

    67. Sheila

      Gorgeous settee-I don’t think you should recover it. It’s very shabby chic. I think it would sell as is.

    68. Judith Turner

      Wow! I love your stash! Would love to have some of those pieces. I am not in the business, but have a stash. I’ve told my son that if I haven’t cleared out my stuff when I leave this earth, just to dig a bigger hole and put it in with me – that’s really taking it with you!

    69. Andrea

      Please, please, please take a picture of the dresser from your office when it is done. I have one nearly identical with the major exception that mine has one drawer on top instead of two. Though I love piece and its finish, it has seen better days and really needs some work. I would love to see your take on the refinishing of the piece.Thanks!

      Hope you have a blockbuster sale.

    Pin It on Pinterest

    Share This