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All Things Home

QuickStep Flooring Review

A couple of weeks ago, I shared the QuickStep laminate flooring I selected to install in a corner of the studio to use for photo shoots.  I have been wanting to do this for a long time, not because the old floorboards in the studio aren’t cool, but because they are #1 – very orange and #2 – there was a large plywood patch on one side of the room.  If this was my house or a space that I owned, my approach may have been different, but for a rented space, floating a laminate floor in one area was the best option to address those issues.  It is now installed and looks gorgeous and I wanted to share a review about the installation process and show how it looks in the overall space. As I shared in the last post about the flooring, I selected the QuickStep French Country

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All Things Home

DIY window valance

Good evening from New York!  I spent the better part of the day driving through the rolling hills and small towns of PA and NY and even got to stop in at an antique store and eat dinner at an amazing restaurant, so I can’t complain. Anyway, earlier this week I worked on a valance for the dormer window in Calvin’s room and I thought I would share how to make this simple window treatment… (I’m still figuring out the cord situation in this desk area, so don’t judge!) I started out by cutting a board the width I wanted the valance.  In my case, it was the width from one wall to the other, since it’s a dormer window.  I just used a scrap board, but a 1 x 2 would be perfect. I then cut a piece of fabric about 3″ longer than the height of the window

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All Things Home

30-day watercolor challenge

Hang in there with me while I experience my own personal renaissance!   I am just having such a wonderful time allowing my creativity to spill into other mediums.  This seems to be what happens to me and I’m going to embrace it fully with a 30-day watercolor challenge.  Music and theatre were always my creative outlet when I was younger, but when I finished college and decided not to pursue a career in performing, I needed a new outlet.  So, I started working on my home and learned how to sew, paint, and refinish furniture, and became obsessed with all things decorating. I picked up decorative painting when we lived in my in-law’s basement, as Jeff finished his undergrad degree, and I didn’t really have a space to decorate.  I picked up cooking and baking when our first townhouse was painted and decorated and I needed something to learn

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All Things Home

creating with confidence

I have been watching a lot of video tutorials on painting, and sketching, and trying to improve my knowledge and skills.  In one that I watched, a famous watercolor artist (I’m new to this world, so I don’t know who he is) said something like, “The thing that most paintings lack is confidence.” That comment reached into my creative soul and touched a nerve.  Like he was speaking to me.  It wasn’t a comment made in judgment or superiority but in encouragement.  Like all artists, painters, creators, doodlers, drawers, crafters, and makers should have confidence in their work.   I wonder how many of us really do… So, I’m working on that.  Not being overly critical and learning from my mistakes instead of balling up the paper immediately and pitching it.  See what’s good and what can be improved. I don’t think we often think about practicing when it comes

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All Things Home

artwork for Calvin’s room

I remember a conversation I had with Jeanne Oliver a few years ago.  We were talking about art and the classes she offers through her website.  At the time, she was offering a painting class that was based on copying the work of masters.  I remember not knowing quite how to feel about that…a class that is encouraging a student of art to copy the work of someone else.  Isn’t that a no-no? Well, that conversation was such an encouragement to me.  Jeanne shared how copying can be a wonderful way to learn new techniques and explore your own style within the framework of someone else’s work.  Copying is a bad thing when you just rip someone off and don’t give them credit or when you’re delving into the world of copyright infringement, but when you’re using it as a learning tool, there is a lot of value in it.

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All Things Home

watercolor herbs

When I get into something, I get into it.  I don’t mess around.  If I get into a TV show, I will binge-watch it.  And, yes, sometimes I get impatient and read the synopsis for episodes ahead of where I am, so the suspense won’t be so intense and I can go to sleep at a reasonable hour.  This is one reason why I don’t read very often, although I love reading.  I just get engrossed and irresponsible! As I shared last week, when I took the watercolor class at Haven, it clicked for me.  I haven’t found a paint I loved so much since I started working with milk paint. In many ways, they are alike.  What makes them different is also what makes them wonderful and challenging all at the same time.  When you get them, though, and use their quirks and unique qualities to your advantage, magical things

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All Things Home

how tidy are your drawers?

Some of you have noticed and commented on the fact that I paint pieces while the drawers are still inside their recesses/cubbies.  (Drawer holes?)  And yes, I do leave the drawers in when I paint and I wanted to share the method to my madness. The habit of leaving the drawers in started due to a lack of space.  When I worked out of my house, every square foot needed to be used strategically and I just didn’t have the luxury of being able to spread my drawers all over the floor.  (This post is getting a little personal, isn’t it?  Can’t help myself.) So, I learned I could paint with them in and the world didn’t implode and, actually, things end up looking nice and tidy when it’s all said and done. I paint the piece, as we’ve established, with the drawers in.  When I’m painting around the edges

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All Things Home

an opinion piece on painting upholstery

I’m often asked for my opinion on painting upholstery, which I usually field as they come, but I decided I would finally share my opinion in a post. Before I share my opinion on the subject, let me say that I get it.  As an unabashed paint enthusiast, I get it.  You have an old sofa or chair that’s in good shape, but the fabric is ugly or totally the wrong color or has seen better days.  You have no interest in sewing a slipcover or delving into the world of upholstery.  And you just can’t afford a replacement right now.  So, painting it is tempting. Second, I know that you can paint a piece of upholstery.  Many people have done it and I admire them for having the guts to do it! Actually, at one of my furniture-painting workshops, one of the attendees asked if we could paint her

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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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