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Decorating

All Things Home

the bookcase & the hardware cabinet

Today, I wanted to show you how the marriage between the hardware cabinet and craigslist bookshelf look in the studio now that the piece had been organized and styled. When I first sketched out the idea, I thought it might work and it was at least worth trying.  There was some doubt, though! When the bookshelf was set in place on the top of the hardware cabinet, it confirmed that these pieces at least worked together.  The wood tones and the patina on the pieces looked like they could’ve come from the same place. (As a note of safety, the first thing we did was attach the bookshelf to the wall with L brackets at the top.  You can see the edge of one sticking up on the right side.) And now that I’ve moved in, I am sold. Even the lamps and ironstone milk pitchers and brushes worked just

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All Things Home

hanging art on a bookcase & styling tips

Since Jeff did all of the furniture moving for me last week I have been working on moving back into my office and studio.  Don’t worry!  I’ve been pacing myself, taking lots of breaks, and working mostly with my left arm.  It’s been slow going (like moving one or two books at a time), but I can’t tell you how awesome it’s been being productive again.  I just am the sort of person who needs that in my day. So, one of the things I worked on over the weekend was moving into the new bookcase in my office.  It’s the from .  It’s sold out right now but will be back in stock in June.  (They also have this bookcase in a and .  Use code “GEORGE” to get 15% off for President’s Day.) Anyway, this bookcase has been sitting in my cart on Birch Lane’s website for weeks,

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All Things Home

home office plans

I’ve already shared the plans for two spaces we’ll be working on this winter and spring (the guest room and studio) and today, I’m sharing the plans for my home office. This is a space made up of a mix of pieces, most of which were brought from our last house and my former studio.  I bought the shelf second-hand off craigslist almost a year ago and the small table used for my printer at a flea market.  While it all looks good, I’ve realized I don’t have the kind of storage and function I really need in a home office. I found myself increasingly frustrated with the workflow in my office that I finally sat down and made a wish list of things would address the issues… Larger desk surface, so I can have my larger monitor and a couple of “working piles” out and still have free desk space.

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All Things Home

picture ledges

There are some decorating decisions you make that look nice and you think they will function well, and then they don’t.  Such is the case with a few areas in my studio.  I shared the overall plan HERE and we will start rearranging the furniture and working on those larger projects soon, but I’ve started on some of the smaller changes. One of those changes was making this skinny wall between the two doors work a little smarter… I hung two bulletin boards with the intention of pinning resources, inspirational pictures, color charts, etc.  I’ve pinned this and that, but I never really use it.  I also realized the top bulletin board was too high for me to reach all but the lowest part of it, so it remained mostly empty. With wet paintings leaned up all over the studio, I really needed some picture ledges to use for paintings

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Decorating

Home Style Saturdays

I don’t usually post on Saturdays, but I am making an exception to join Home Style Saturdays!  It’s a collection of bloggers who simply share one of their favorite projects or posts.  So, here are a few links for you to enjoy if you’re looking for some weekend reading… Miss Mustard Seed | Laundry Room Makeover • Sources & Inspiration On Sutton Place | Paint Colors & Fabrics Shabbyfufu | Home Office Design Plans So Much Better With Age | Clay Heart Dish for Valentine’s Day StoneGable | Easy Valentine Hand Pies Designthusiasm | Dramatic Kitchen Renovation without Removing Cabinets

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All Things Home

butler’s pantry drawers & the gardenia topiary

We’re still all hanging out at home because of the arctic vortex and just learned the boys have tomorrow (Thursday) off as well.  We did have a bit of fun and threw boiling water off our deck to watch it evaporate, but otherwise, we’ve just been lounging around and I’ve been trying to get work done as I can.  I’ve done some painting and I typically would’ve taken time like this to get some more cleaning, organizing, or home projects done, but my shoulder has been preventing that.  Well, we make plans and have to adapt when things out of our control won’t conform to our plans!  I’m having an MRI tomorrow, so they can see what’s going on and the boys should be back in school on Friday.  Hopefully next week will be normal. So, today I don’t really have anything new and super exciting to share, but I thought

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All Things Home

guest room design plan

Now that the foyer project is nearing completion, I’m focusing on a few other rooms I’d like to work on this year.  I’ve already mentioned some building projects and rearranging that will be happening in the studio in order to provide more storage and make the space more functional.  I’ll also be working on my home office to address my lack of filing, need for more desk space, and better storage.  Both of those rooms have to be hardworking and I’m looking forward to addressing some of the functional issues I’ve noticed over the past year and a half of use. The “fun room” I’ll be working on is our guest room.   Right now, it has a couple of really lovely anchor pieces of furniture – the French-style bed and the antique German wardrobe wearing original mustard yellow paint. Otherwise, it’s bascially a cream/beige box.  I’m taking those two pieces as

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a slice of life

easy chicken and dumplings recipe

Today was another snow day for the boys and they’ve already canceled school through Wednesday due to the cold.   (The high on Wednesday will be -20 degrees F!)  So, it’ll be a bit of a tough work week for me!  I need an empty house to really focus and reach my maximum level of productivity. But, while we’re socked in with the snow and cold, I decided to make chicken & dumplings.  I made them last week to use up a rotisserie chicken that was on its last day and many people asked for the recipe, so I thought I would share.  I also wanted to show how easy it is.  I think chicken and dumplings has the reputation for being complicated to make, but it’s pretty easy!  At least, this version is. When I made it last week, I started with a rotisserie chicken, so that sped things up

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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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May 20th, 2026 at 1pm EST

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