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Decorating
All Things Home

a harvest table, a dough bowl & succulent pumpkins

A few of the freelance projects I worked on late this summer for HGTV.com are live now, so I wanted to share a preview and links.  I love how these turned out.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…I could set tables and take pictures of them all day long.  And sometimes I do. Harvest-inspired fall table This one came together with so many rich layers.  Kriste and I were working on it together and I kept stopping and making high-pitched sounds of delight. I bought those grapes because they were so beautiful, but they were delicious, too. Click HERE for the full photo gallery and details. fall dough-bowl centerpiece This was another fun one that came together based on what I found when I was out shopping.  Wheat, yellow and green floral stems, figs, bittersweet…  It all came together in such a pretty and simple way. Click

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October 10, 2015 14 Comments
All Things Home

kim’s coastal bedroom | part 1 | the concept

When I mentioned that I had taken on my first design client, Megan, my mom quickly jumped in, “Well, you have to do my master bedroom!” There are two things you might be thinking right now… 1.) Your mom is the reason your business is here and she has been with you every step of the way.  This is an amazing opportunity for you to give back.  Yay! 2.) Working with your mom on a design project?  Iceberg.  Dead ahead. So, it may be crazy, but I’m going to walk the tightrope of working with my mom as a design client and we’ll hopefully end up with a beautiful room and still be on speaking terms when we’re through with the whole thing. I’ll share “before” pictures soon, but here is what she wants… She loves the beach and wants a coastal, restful feel to the room, but doesn’t want it to

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October 9, 2015 63 Comments
All Things Home

room makeovers | putting your money where it counts

I received a question in response to Megan’s office makeover and I thought it would make a great post.  So, here we are. The question came from Christie… “I would love to see a post on how you make your initial budget.  Did you prioritize curtains and storage ?   How do you know what things to go cheap on ?” Great question! Working on Megan’s office was a totally new experience for me, because I was working on a space for someone else with a set budget as well as a set time-frame we had in mind for completion.  There wasn’t anything it had to be finished for, but Megan wanted to be able to use her office again and I have other design clients waiting!  Both the timeline and the budget made me nervous.  My rooms have developed over years with lots of trying things out and swapping what doesn’t work.

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October 7, 2015 11 Comments
All Things Home

decorating dilemma | massive, masculine furniture

Leigha has been a thrifter her entire life.  The talent to find a good deal was used to furnish her home and she eventually sold her finds out of two booths at antique malls.  She’s recently been honing her style and realizes that “her home no longer speaks to her.”  While Leigha’s ready to sell it all and start over, the fact that she has a busy life (works as a librarian, married to a firefighter, three boys), it’s a little more than impractical. She would really like to make her bedroom a haven, though.  A place she really loves. Right now, there are only two things she likes in the space…the pictures of her boys (not the thrifted leopard frames) and the tall secretary her parents gave her.  That’s it. Leigha wants a lighter, brighter, cozy space.  She wants to move away from the heavy, masculine furniture.  She loves green, crocheted cream

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October 6, 2015 42 Comments
All Things Home

Painting with White

When I see someone who doesn’t know what color to paint something, they almost always default to white.  It’s neutral.  It’s easy. Right? I will admit that it is hard to go wrong with white.  I love white and mix a lot of different whites in my home.  All three of the whites from the MMS Milk Paint line are represented. Ironstone on the dining table base and chairs… Linen on the jelly cupboard… …and Grain Sack on the 1800’s marble-topped dresser and Gustavian sofa frame to point out a few. So, I’m a fan. But, white is actually one of the hardest colors to paint with.   It doesn’t matter what kind of paint it is, white just doesn’t cover as well and almost always requires more coats.  This is especially true with milk paint, since it’s thinner than modern paints.   Here are some tips and tricks I’ve

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October 2, 2015 19 Comments
All Things Home

steal-worthy office organization

If you missed it earlier this week, I finally finished Megan’s office and revealed all of the details.  You can see the full post and series HERE.  But, in this post, I wanted to share some of the amazing office organization happening in this space… As I shared in the post, Kriste and I worked together to develop an overall floor plan and feel for the space.  We worked on the specific pieces of furniture, the Craig’s List wardrobe, the revamped desk chair, slipcovered arm chair, etc.  I shopped and selected accessories for the room, like the rug and antiques. When it came to really pulling it all together and making it personal and functional, that was all Megan.  Other than nudging something in one direction or fluffing a skirt, we left things as she put them.   And I think she made some very clever choices that were both

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October 1, 2015 13 Comments
All Things Home

dear reader | to the one who’s waiting for the next house

Dear Reader, Have you ever had a moment when you look around your current place of residence, make a mental list of things you’d like to do, things that would make you really love the space, and then you resign and decide to just wait for the next house? You can’t execute your vision or live out your dream in this place, so you’re going to raise the white flag and imagine the day you can pack up and move on.  The next house will be better. You’ll love the next house. I feel like I’ve been looking to the next house my entire life. As an Army brat, I grew up in military housing.  Enough said.  When we moved back to the states from Germany, my dad bought a house and we didn’t see it until the day we moved in.  My mom cried when we walked through the front door.  And it

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September 29, 2015 63 Comments
All Things Home

Megan’s office makeover | the reveal

It’s finally time to reveal Megan’s office makeover! Kriste and I met Megan, of the blog Mercy in the Middle, through one of our milk paint workshops.  She then volunteered her time to help as we were getting ready for the Lucketts Spring Market earlier this year.  She mentioned wanting some help with her home, so when I decided to start working with design clients, she immediately came to mind as an ideal guinea pig. Of course, she’s a little cuter than a guinea pig. It would take me way too long to recap the entire makeover, but you can catch up by clicking through the links below… part 1 | the before part 2 | the “franken-chair” part 3| the plan part 4 | wall colors & design elements part 5 | the slipcovered desk chair reveal part 6 | the Craig’s List wardrobe part 7 | the Craig’s List wardrobe

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September 28, 2015 39 Comments

I’m Marian, a painter, writer, and lover of all things creative. From art and antiques to home projects and everyday life, I share my journey in hopes of inspiring you to embrace your own creativity and make beauty in the spaces you live.

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