Preorder Move Slow & Make Things, and enjoy a collection of thoughtful bonus content created just for you!

All Things Home

All Things Home

craigslist counter

Over my years of buying and selling furniture, I have learned to trust my instincts on pieces.  If I’m all a-flutter when I see something, I know I should jump at it.  If it elicits that response in me, it probably will in others, too. Such was the case with this antique hardware counter I spotted one night as I was browsing craigslist… It’s 7′ long and I knew it would be a beast, but I couldn’t shake it out of my head, so I e-mailed the seller and asked my dad if we could go pick it up in his truck. The piece is an antique counter out of an old hardware store in Resisterstown, MD.  The seller knew the owner of the store and offered to take the counter to sell when they were considering throwing it out!  So, it ended up on craigslist and then it ended

Read More
All Things Home

Antique Crib Daybed

Years ago, I spotted an antique crib used as a daybed in a magazine, I think Country Living or Country Home, and I was immediately in love.  I hunted for one and finally came across an antique metal hospital crib for $50 at the Old Lucketts Fair (not to be confused with the Lucketts Spring Market). Here’s some retro Miss Mustard Seed… Just for fun, here is what that window looks like today… Oh, how things change, right? Anyway, that crib was one of my favorite I-will-never-ever-sell-it pieces.  We even used it as our “sofa” when we lived in Jeff’s parents basement as he worked on his undergrad degree.  Jeff loathed the thing, mainly because it made an entirely impractical and ridiculous sofa, but space was limited and it’s what could be wedged between his desk and the wall! When we moved into our townhouse, I used it in the guest

Read More
All Things Home

French Daybed

If you’ve been coming here for a while, you’ll notice that things look a little different on my blog now!  I actually had this design created over a year ago, but it’s taken this long to get all of the technical ducks in a row to implement the new design and entirely rebuild the backend of the site for the sake of speed and efficiency.  We still have some minor tweaks and cosmetic changes to make, so hang in there if things are missing or a little off for the next few days. So, last week, I drove out to fellow antique dealer’s home to buy some ironstone, but I ended up buying an antique French daybed instead!  It was pretty much impossible to resist.  It does need some work, but I know it will be fabulous when it’s finished. Here is how it looks now… I will paint it, because

Read More
All Things Home

white ironstone heaven

During my 15+ year love affair with white ironstone, I have come home with some pretty sweet ironstone hauls. Child’s play. Yesterday, I walked into white ironstone heaven at a local thrift store.  One of my “picker” friends tipped me off on the treasure trove and I couldn’t resist making the drive to check it out. My friends, what you are looking at is stacks and stacks of Buffalo China from the 1960’s at a thrift store and the picture above only shows a fraction of it.  (You can find .) So, a little lesson on Buffalo China.  It’s called that, because it was made in Buffalo, New York.  It’s marked on the bottom, usually with a green buffalo, and conveniently has the year it was made included in the hallmark, which is how I know these pieces are from the 1960’s.  Buffalo China is also called “restaurant ware”, because it

Read More
Antiques

ironstone heaven

During my 15+ year love affair with ironstone, I have come home with some pretty sweet ironstone hauls. Child’s play. Yesterday, I walked into ironstone heaven at a local thrift store.  One of my “picker” friends tipped me off on the treasure trove and I couldn’t resist making the drive to check it out. My friends, what you are looking at is stacks and stacks of Buffalo China from the 1960’s at a thrift store and the picture above only shows a fraction of it. So, a little lesson on Buffalo China.  It’s called that, because it was made in Buffalo, New York.  It’s marked on the bottom, usually with a green buffalo, and conveniently has the year it was made included in the hallmark, which is how I know these pieces are from the 1960’s.  Buffalo China is also called “restaurant ware”, because it was used primarily in diners, restaurants, etc.

Read More
All Things Home

cleaning a grubby piece of furniture

I have recently acquired quite a few awesome, but very dirty pieces of furniture and I’ve been asked how I clean them, so I thought I would share. I’m all for diving in with a brush and getting straight to the fun part, but grubby pieces really need to be cleaned first. (Just a note before we get started. This post is about cleaning pieces, not about dealing with chipping lead paint.  The pieces we worked on had old, worn paint, but they were not actively chipping.  For details on working on a piece that you think may contain lead paint, visit the EPA’s website.) So, the first step is to call your mom, who is amazing at cleaning and is a very hard worker and ask if she can clean a couple of pieces of furniture for you. Just kidding.  My mom actually did clean these pieces for me,

Read More
All Things Home

Hand Painted Stencils

“Where did you get that stencil?” I’ve been asked that question so many times when I share one of my hand painted pieces.  And that has led to people asking if I ever planned to come out with a line of stencils. I have always loved the idea of it, but as someone who works in a freeform way, I had a hard time figuring out how to translate my patterns into stencils.  It probably wasn’t as hard as I was making it, but I got stuck on it for a long time.  I also wanted to find a way to make my stencils unique. I finally decided to just paint some designs and see how they looked as stencils.  Some worked and some didn’t.  I worked with a stencil manufacturer who did a fantastic job of guiding me through the process, though, and the result was stencils cut from my

Read More
All Things Home

how to fix “sticky” drawers

Have you ever had words with a piece of furniture that just would not cooperate? Well, I had to have a few words and get physical with this bottom half of a step-back cupboard yesterday.  The drawers that came out of it, so they could be cleaned, just would not go back in.  And, when I tried to force them in, they wouldn’t come back out.  This resulted in lots of grunting and “good griefs” and using my feet to steady the piece as I pulled with all of my might. Unless you’re a furniture dealer, I bet most of you haven’t had a piece this extreme, but you might have come across a few drawers that are sticky and stubborn. Here is how I fix them… #1 I figure out where the drawer is sticking.  This is sometimes easier said than done and can take a bit of trail and

Read More

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.

next art sale

May 20th, 2026 at 1pm EST

Now Available for Preorder

Move Slow & Make Things

A book about creativity, intention, and making things with care. Sign up to receive updates, preorder details, and exclusive bonus content.

From the Studio

Artful pieces for your home and everyday life.

From original paintings and art prints to Pup Club releases and curated goods, each piece is created or chosen to bring warmth, creativity, and character into your home.

From the Studio and Home

Shop the Feed

A handpicked collection of items styled and shared throughout posts, projects, and social feeds. Every product is thoughtfully chosen to reflect a timeless, collected aesthetic.

Recent Video

Spring Posts

Explore the Shop

Explore the Blog

Categories
error: Content is protected.

Pin It on Pinterest