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All Things Home

green velvet seat covers

While I had the sewing machines out and my mom’s help, I decided to make seat covers for the barrel-back French chairs I’ve had for years. I have wanted to cover the vintage cushions on these chairs since I first bought them. They were cream, but the leather was dingy and there was no amount of cleaning that would make them look nice. Since they are cream, though, they weren’t too offensive if you didn’t pay close attention to them, so they were easy to ignore. And that’s what I decided to stop procrastinating on them. I covered them in a yummy green velvet fabric that I traded for some furniture before our move. It was such a great fabric that I knew I would find a use for it down the road. I have earmarked it for the dining room curtains, but I had enough to use some for

September 19, 2023 16 Comments

All Things Home

making a slipcover for a recliner

Shortly after we moved in, I bought a manual wingchair recliner off of Facebook Marketplace for $40. I had a feeling it would be a “placeholder” for a nicer recliner in the future, but it seemed like a good tester piece. We could see how much we used it, see how it fit in the room (while fully open), and help us make a more informed decision in the future. I intended to make a slipcover for this recliner, but after using it for a few weeks, it became clear that it wasn’t worth the effort or the cost. The chair wasn’t comfortable and piece by piece, the mechanism was falling apart and got to the point where it would just randomly pop open. So, for almost a year, I looked around at recliners. I looked at new and used and was very wishy-washy and undecided. I didn’t mind saving

September 5, 2023 29 Comments

1970 home renovation

1970 kitchen renovation | installing cabinet hardware

Last weekend, Jeff and I took some time to put the hardware on the cabinets We have put a lot of hardware on furniture and cabinets over the years, so we knew this was a task we could manage ourselves. We were also working with two different styles and a few different hardware sizes, so I wanted to ensure I could take my time to determine the correct placement on each cabinet and drawer. It would be somewhat tedious due to my own uncertainty on a few things, so it would be better for us to install it ourselves instead of dragging someone else into the lets-try-it-in-the-center-again process. As a reminder, THESE are the crystal and brass knobs I selected for the cabinets and a few of the drawers and THESE are the unlacquered brass pulls I ordered for the drawers, appliances, and select cabinets. I did a lot of

June 5, 2023 29 Comments

Furniture Makeovers

stripping an antique pine baker’s table

Who is ready for a furniture makeover tutorial? I haven’t had one of those in a while, but you can find a bunch of old ones HERE! If you’re new here, working on furniture used to be my specialty. I do refinishing, painting, upholstery, repair, slipcovers, and all types of rehab. When I moved to Minnesota, though, I shut down that part of my business and I only work on pieces here and there for my own home. I do still enjoy it to a point, but it’s not what I want to do all day every day anymore. After working on this table, my back and arms confirmed that! So, I bought this beautiful antique baker’s table at Lucketts to use as our new kitchen island. I knew that I didn’t want the black-painted base, but I also knew that was something I could address pretty easily. While I

May 23, 2023 41 Comments

home improvement

my favorite tools for painting (homes)

When I typed out the title of this post, I realized I needed to make a distinction. “My favorite paint tools” was a bit too broad given that I do a few different types of painting! In this instance, I’m hot off the heels of priming the new trim in the hallway and the ceiling and walls in the kitchen and it seemed like a good time to share some of my favorite tools for getting a professional result. Speaking of the kitchen, it is really starting to come along. I primed and painted the ceiling on Wednesday and Thursday to prepare for the electricians to install the new recessed lights on Friday. Oh man, having a clean, white ceiling and lots of light looks amazing. With just two overhead light fixtures, this room was sooooo dark. Bringing in natural, task, and ambient lighting was a top priority. It’s possible

May 1, 2023 18 Comments

1970 home renovation

tips I learned from the pros stripping wallpaper

I told you I would only write a couple more posts about stripping wallpaper, so let’s just get one out of the way. This post is prompted by the people asking if I snooped and picked up some tips from the pros who were stripping off our wallpaper and glue. The bad news is that they didn’t have some magic product or technique that made the paper and glue magically fall off. It was still messy, laborious, tedious, and challenging just as it has been for me and every other human who has had the misfortune of having to strip wallpaper. There is just no way around it. I did pick up a few things, though, that I thought I would pass on. If you missed it, you can read how my mom and I removed the wallpaper glue in the primary bedroom HERE. We’ve since been using a steamer

January 24, 2023 30 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

customizing a boring sketchbook/notebook

Over the Christmas break, I wanted to take some time for creative play. It’s a meandering that doesn’t have a real purpose but almost always ends up being productive. I was eyeing my sketchbooks in a pile by my desk and decided it was time to do something with those black, faux leather covers. I know, for some people, the exterior of a sketchbook or notebook isn’t a big deal, but I have found that aesthetics are important to me when it comes to creative work. If a sketchbook feels in tune with my style, it’s more enjoyable to work in. The other end of that spectrum is if a sketchbook is too expensive and feels too precious, then I am not as free in it. I put way too much pressure on myself to do “good work” that the purpose of the sketchbook, which is practice, play, and experiment,

January 9, 2023 21 Comments

crafts

salt dough ornaments 2022 | Christmas crafts

This salt dough ornament-making is going to be an annual thing, I think. They are just so fun, easy, personal, and pretty. I made them last year, both traditional salt dough and cinnamon “gingerbread” salt dough, and I enjoyed it immensely. I always thought of salt dough as sort of a kindergarten craft material, but it is definitely elevated when it’s put in pretty molds or even molded and cut by hand into custom shapes. While it can look fancy, it’s also still a great craft for young kids. It’s just a winner all around. Salt dough ornaments can be stored, but I knew that our belongings would be sitting in a hot container for an indefinite period of time, so I decided to let them go and make some new ones. This also gave me the opportunity to try out some new molds that I bought over the summer.

December 14, 2022 31 Comments

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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Tutorials

green velvet seat covers

making a slipcover for a recliner

1970 kitchen renovation | installing cabinet hardware

stripping an antique pine baker’s table

my favorite tools for painting (homes)

tips I learned from the pros stripping wallpaper

customizing a boring sketchbook/notebook

salt dough ornaments 2022 | Christmas crafts

next art sale

May 20th, 2026 at 1pm EST

Now Available for Preorder

Move Slow & Make Things

From the Studio

Artful pieces for your home and everyday life.

From the Studio and Home

Shop the Feed

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