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All Things Home

All Things Home

styling tips | for retail

I’ve written several posts about styling over the years, but I’ve grown a lot and learned a lot along the way and it’s probably time for an update.  (I have also received a few comments and e-mails about it lately.)  Styling is a broad topic, so I’ll break this up into a series.  In my work, I do three kinds of styling – for photography, for the home, and for retail.  They all have similarities, but I approach each of them differently.  Let’s start with styling for retail… This is a “retail vignette” I put together using furniture and accessories that I brought to sell at Lucketts… As I’m pulling and arranging things, I’m aiming toward three main goals… styling for retail | tell a story Whether it’s a story of color, texture, a specific space, theme, season, geographic location, etc., I want to curate a group of items that relate to one

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All Things Home

ironstone, a tool tote, bottles & tags

After all of the craziness of Lucketts, I decided to take the week off.  I knew I probably would, so I cleared the calendar.  Sometimes I think I’ll want a break and then I don’t. I feel the momentum and I am raring to go.  This time I thought I would want a break and I was right.  I really needed it.  So, I had a “jammie day” and splurged on a massage and I even did a little antique shopping just for me. I thought I would share those finds as well a few things I picked up at Lucketts (when I was “walking around to warm my feet.”) One of those Lucketts purchases was this large ironstone footed bowl.  My mom and Kriste shook their heads when I pulled it out of the bag to show it to them.  Mom asked, “Don’t you already have one like that?”

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All Things Home

shopping guide & T’was the Night Before Lucketts

This is it!  The official guide to shopping the Miss Mustard Seed booth at the Lucketts Spring Market in 2016.  I wish I had more pictures to share of how everything is laid out, but that just didn’t happen this year.  The weather was beautiful today and I could almost hear my booth calling me to come and play, but I had a lot of errands and last minute things to do, so it’ll have to wait until morning. This is Lucketts second year as a three day event, so I feel like I know more of what to expect, although this year feels like there is more anticipation leading up to Friday.  Maybe it’s just me, but that’s how it feels. Here are some tips, suggestions, information, answers to FAQ’s, etc… PARKING I was at Lucketts on Thursday and, even after all of the rain we’ve had in May,

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All Things Home

on the truck to Lucketts | the smalls & littles

Thanks for all of the encouragement in your comments on yesterday’s post.  As I’m in the heat of last minute details, it was really uplifting. So, yesterday I shared the furniture.  Today, I’m sharing the smalls & littles.  I’ve shared a few times that these are the pieces that bring life to a space, whether it’s your home, a styled photoshoot, or a retail space.  My smalls used to be more of an afterthought…things I would trip across on my hunt for furniture.  But I have learned that all of those smalls really add up and most of them I can just buy and tag. I focused this year on smalls and littles that fit with the Farmhouse White theme and also ones that would bring a lot of texture to the booth, since the palette is pretty monochromatic. I also curated things that were utilitarian and pretty at the same time.

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All Things Home

last minute Lucketts haul

It’s getting down to the wire. I had an errand to run yesterday, so I decided to do some last minute shopping while I was out.  The day away from the studio was good for me, anyway.  There is still a lot to do, but sometimes I just invent more things to do when I’m in the studio! It ended up being an amazing shopping trip.  I found a few things that made my heart beat a little faster… I really like to take pretty, styled pictures of the things I find, but we’re running out of room in the studio and work hours in the day!  So, I just snapped some pictures as I unpacked and tagged my recent finds. The video covers most of the items, but there are a few I didn’t mention in order to keep the video shorter. I couldn’t resist this concrete statue.  It looks

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All Things Home

how to make a ruffled bed skirt (with a no sew option)

I had several questions on how to make the ruffled bed skirt I had on the antique iron bed frame, so I thought I would make a tutorial.  In addition to sharing a tutorial on how to make a ruffled bed skirt, I am sharing a no-sew option for those who either don’t have a sewing machine (or sewing skills) or simply don’t want to bother.  Really, no one will ever know! Bed skirts are the kind of thing I’ve always preferred to make myself.  I feel like most store-bought versions are skimpy on fabric and are rarely exactly the right “drop” or length, so I’ve opted to make my own for years.  Even before I was sewing with any amount of proficiency. This is the kind of thing you can no-sew your way through and no one will ever know.  I’ll let you know the no-sew steps when we

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All Things Home

a new seat for the “bamboo” chairs

A few weeks ago, I traded for some furniture and ended up with these two faux bamboo chairs as a part of the deal.  They are very unique chairs and I felt immediately drawn to them, but they were problematic.  The caned seat on one of them was entirely punched through and the other one was damaged and sagging. I moved them to the to-do stash and put them out of mind for a while.  As I’ve shared before, upholstery is not my favorite thing to work on and I procrastinate.  Such was the case with these. Since I don’t do caning, the best way to deal with these was to make a new seat and upholster it. They’ll be sturdier and more comfortable in the long run, anyway.  I always hold my breath a little when I sit in a caned seat.  I’m just waiting for the day when

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All Things Home

slipcovered wing chair & grain sack ottoman

This poor hand-me-down wing chair has been hanging out in my stash for months.  I tend to procrastinate when it comes to slipcovers and upholstery, if you haven’t figured that out, yet. I can do it, but it’s not my favorite thing.  I do it just because I like the end result and I have a hard time turning down a piece that just needs a little cosmetic love. So, I gave myself a few pep-talks and worked on this chair slipcover in doses throughout the week until it was finally finished. Here’s how it turned out… It’s a really comfy chair with a pretty shape, but the fabric was the victim of some cat claws and looked a little tired.  I made the slipcover out of my usual, antique hemp sheets. This might be one of the hardest pieces I’ve slipcovered, because of the detail on the arms.  Those were tricky!  They

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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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