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

All Things Home

All Things Home

wicker market cart

One of my sweet readers has been asking me for several weeks to share more about the antique wicker market cart in my kitchen and I looked for a blog post about it and couldn’t find one!  I have had this piece for several years, so I thought I wrote a post about it at some time, but I haven’t.  I decided I would fix that today and share the details about this charming antique shopping trolly. I bought this particular wicker market cart about 10 years ago at one of my favorite PA antique shops.  I think I paid around $90 for it, which I thought was a good price for the condition of such a functional antique. A wicker market cart like this one would’ve been used during an age or in a culture where you walk to the butcher, then the baker and the greengrocer to hold

Read More
Artistic Endeavors

antique shoe cart reproduction & inspiration

Over the years, I have bought and sold more antique “shoe carts” than I can properly remember.  These antique shelves on wheels are called shoe carts because they were often used in shoe factories to transport shoes around the factory.  I have found carts that are all different shapes and sizes and made in different styles.  Some have spindles making the “shelves” instead of a board (like the first shelf.)  I always preferred the ones that had solid shelves (or could be adapted with boards) so they were more versatile.  I’ve mostly used these antique shoe carts for retail display or storage in my old studio in PA, but I did use one or two in my home over the years in my kitchen and home office. When I was an antique dealer, I bought and sold a lot of ironstone, so these carts were fantastic for displaying stacks of

Read More
All Things Home

caring for wood floors in a kitchen

I’ve been asked a few times over the years about having wood floors in the kitchen, so I thought I would share my experience as well as how I care for them.  We inherited wood floors in the kitchen of our previous home in Minnesota, but I selected wood floors for our current home when we renovated.  We also installed hardwood floors in the kitchen of the first townhouse we owned.  We’ve had linoleum and tile in other kitchens, but wood is my favorite.  My Opa, who was a builder, selected hardwood flooring for his kitchen when he designed and built his own home, so it was never an odd choice for me.  Of course, there are downsides to wood floors and I’ll get to those, but there are downsides to any floor you select, so you might as well pick what you love if you have the choice. As

Read More
All Things Home

put a rabbit painting on it

I have learned over working on many rooms in the homes we’ve lived in through the years that there are always little loose ends that languish until you get sick of looking at them.  For me, it’s often installing shoe molding or touching up trim for some reason.  I was pretty good at keeping a list of the final touches on our kitchen renovation so I could complete them and check them off the list.  I wanted to be able to call the kitchen completely done instead of having to add an asterisk every time I shared the room.  It’s done except for this, this, and this.  That just gets annoying and I wanted it to be done period.  But, there was one lingering thing that I’ve been simply ignoring and removing from photos – the doorbell.  See it above the doorway to the hall? The doorbell is hardwired, so

Read More
All Things Home

studio moments

I spent some time last week moving the new bookcases in (you can read about that HERE) and getting the studio tidied up and I realized I hadn’t shown my studio in a while.  Last year, I tried out a few different arrangements (mostly swapping the desk and easel) and this is where it has ended up.  It’s pretty much right where it started, but playing with the configurations of workspaces is always useful to see if something would be more efficient.  I learned that I missed having the desk at the window and that location was optimal for working at my computer and filming tutorials.  I actually wasn’t filming tutorials because I didn’t feel like I had a good spot to do it!  It’s a great example of how the arrangement of a room can be a huge factor in the creative process. While the studio was picked up

Read More
All Things Home

antique cane stand & collection

I blame the cane collection on my six months in a boot when my foot was broken in 2022.  I bought a couple of them to actually use when I was getting used to walking on both feet again, but I bought most of them because I thought they were little works of art.  Some of them were handmade out of wooden sticks while others are more refined.  With a small collection of canes, I was looking for a stand for about a year before I found one I liked at a price I was willing to pay.  I don’t mind splurging on things, but I want to splurge where it matters and a can holder, which is purely decorative, isn’t a place I want to splurge unless it makes my heart flutter.  So, I found this one at a local antique store at a nice price. I had a

Read More
1970 home renovation

project plans for 2024

In yesterday’s blog post, we looked back at some of my favorite projects of 2023.  Today, let’s look ahead to 2024 and the home projects we have on the list.  They might not all get done this year because other priorities might pop up or we might be unable to fit some of the bigger projects in our 2024 renovation budget, but it doesn’t hurt to aim a little high! paint the dining room This one has been on the list for a while and I already have paint for it, so there is no excuse not to get this one done, soon!  A part of the delay is I have been waffling on which color I want to use and if I want to attempt another full-room landscape mural.  I initially thought I would paint the dining room in Light Blue, the same Farrow & Ball color I used

Read More
1970 home renovation

2023 favorite projects

While I enjoy looking forward to the coming year in January, I think it’s also important to look back.  It can be easy to focus on the to-do list and ways we want to improve, but, even if the previous year has been difficult or hasn’t been everything one hoped, there are always things we’ve learned, things we’ve accomplished, and things to celebrate.  Since the main things I write about on this blog are projects I’m working on, I figured I would share my favorite projects from 2023.  When I still feel like so many projects need to be done on our home specifically, it’s a good reminder to see how much we’ve accomplished in just over a year since we’ve lived here!  And, 2023 was a huge year because we tackled the two biggest projects on our to-do list when we bought the house. As I’ve shared before, we

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