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All Things Home

All Things Home

basement family room makeover | decisions

Over the last few weeks, you’ve seen me meander through decisions about my basement family room makeover.  And, let me say, I am so glad I have given myself the freedom to change course and switch directions,  I believe that freedom – that relaxed, unhurried approach, will end up making for a better room.  Not that my initial plan was bad, but I needed to shift gears based on the materials I was able to source and what felt right in the room as changes started to be made. As a reminder, this was the plan at the beginning… And here is where we are now… The first photo was the inspiration.  It was theory.  The second photo is the reality.  It’s fabric I have in hand that is the right texture, color, and feels right for the room and the direction I’m heading. The best part is that these

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All Things Home

basement family room makeover | the stairs

After reviewing a lot of your feedback on Monday’s post and thinking about it a bit more, I am pretty sure I know the direction I’m going to go with painting the trim in the basement family room.  Again, the good news is there is no rush and I can take it one step at a time, changing my mind as I go.  Thank you for all of your feedback, though.  It was all helpful! Speaking of changing my mind, I actually returned the checked curtains I bought from Target.  are the curtains I got… I don’t have any complaints about them.  They are great curtains for the price, the fabric looked good in the room, the size was right, etc.  I just wasn’t feeling them.  They seemed a little too light for the look I was going for.  I have some blue linen that I have draped from the

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All Things Home

Basement Family Room Makeover | Priming & Painting the Walls

I made some more progress on the basement family room makeover late last week and over the weekend.  It’s feeling good to see it come together, little by little. The first thing I did is I played around a little bit more with things I already had.  We’ve decided that we do like the arrangement of wing chairs, so I’m going to be on the hunt for a round pedestal table and a chandelier to hang over the table.  I had a dry sink that belonged to my Opa that was displaced in the furniture shuffle, so I tried it just to the right of the stairs.  I added a mirror and lamp from my stash and some old chairs from our last kitchen table (they belonged to Jeff’s grandparents.)  The vacuum, of course, balances out the arrangement. I would paint the dry sink, but the scale of everything is

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All Things Home

how to clean & hydrate old wood | diy furniture cleaner

Several years ago, I wrote a post about how to clean and hydrate old wood and it was one of my most popular posts for years!  I decided it was time to do a refresher post on this DIY, homemade natural furniture cleaner and write an updated post that answered a lot of the questions asked on that original post.  I’ve also been using this recipe and technique for years, so I can speak to its efficacy and longevity. First of all, this DIY Furniture Cleaner will work on any old wood that has lost its luster and shine as long as the mixture can penetrate the finish.  If the piece has a thick polyurethane topcoat, the mixture will just sit on top and won’t be very effective.  If the wood is raw or the finish has worn away/evaporated, this DIY Furniture Cleaner will polish it up beautifully.  It is

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All Things Home

basement progress | removing & rearranging

Progress in the basement is slow and steady, which is becoming the norm for me when it comes to large projects.  I’ve learned the power of chipping away at something instead of tackling it all in one shot.  It removes so much of the overwhelm and it forces me to be more methodical with each step.  Instead of pushing through to get something done, I can take slow and careful steps, reassessing all along the way.  While it drags the project out, it does so in a way that is beneficial and I think the end result will be better for it.  I will say, though, it is against my nature.  I’m generally impatient and just want to check it off the list.  But, I’m getting a little older, a little wiser, and definitely a little slower! In the basement, we’ve been putting in about 30-60 minutes of work each

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All Things Home

painted klompen shoes

When I organized the basement storage room, I made a use-it-or-lose-it pile.  I have been holding onto some decor pieces since before we moved and if they’ve been in a box, closet, or basement for 4+ years, then it’s time to either find a good spot for it or let it go.  The whole point of decor pieces is to be decorative!  They are not doing anyone any good if they are in a storage room.  Making some self-imposed rules and boundaries can sometimes sound silly, but they can be very helpful if you’re willing to be bossy and firm with yourself.  Creating this use-it-or-lose-it rule finally gave me the push to give these vintage painted klompen shoes a makeover. The small pair is a souvenir pair that we picked up somewhere…I’m not even sure where or when.  I just remember having them since I was a girl.  I would

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All Things Home

Feels Like Home | Work Spaces Chapter Preview

I’ve shared that the process of writing my new book, , was an easy one.  I mean, it was a lot of work, but it was one of those projects that felt life-giving.  It was exciting and fulfilling.  The words came easily and I was practically giddy during the photoshoots.  It was good work and maybe some of my best work. The hardest part of this process has been the waiting; waiting for September 7, 2021, to finally arrive so the book can be out in the world.  It’s a long breath of anticipation that happens between the creative work and getting to experience the results – to physically hold the book and to receive feedback from more than just a handful of select people who have seen it digitally. But, the official book launch is just eight weeks away, which will be here before we all know it.  Until

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Antiques

marian parsons – hobby historian

“Great thoughts go best with common duties. Whatever, therefore, may be your office, regard it as a fragment in an immeasurable ministry of love.” ― Brooke Foss Westcott I received a new parcel from Julia of Ponder & Purchase.  We initially connected through the antique sketchbooks of G. Herbert Kitchin and, since then, she’s been on the lookout for antique art supplies and other goodies for me.  It works out great for both of us since she is frequently out shopping to supply her Etsy shop (and selling things directly to me saves her the time of listing the items), and most of the antique and vintage art supplies seem to have congregated in the UK.  Maybe Americans just pitched theirs?  Maybe hobby art wasn’t as big in the late 1800s – early 1900s here?  Either way, she has a knack for finding little antique treasures to outfit my studio –

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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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