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French Chair Reveal, Glaze Mix, & Simple Upholstery

There’s a lot of good information and inspiration in this post, so get ready!  First of all, the beauty shot.  Now, the before shot.  I’m so happy with how these turned out.  I’m taking the pair of arm chairs (only one is pictured in the before shot) to the Ground Hog Day Sale at Lucketts (Feb 4-6).  If you’d like to read about the paint technique I used on these chair frames, click here. And, as promised, here is my “secret” glaze formula.  It’s Ralph Lauren’s Faux Effects Glaze tinted in  Espresso Beans by Behr.  It gives a soft, aged finish that’s perfectly brown.  I have found most “mocha” or “antique” glazes look really orange.  Orange like a bad bronzer or self-tanning spray, so I have one custom mixed. Click on the picture to enlarge.  I use a lot of different antiquing techniques, but this one is good for a worn look.  It’s also easy to

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French Chairs – Painting Technique

I’m picking up where we left off yesterday with my newly acquired French arm chairs.  So, the upholstery was removed and the frames were painted Georgian Revivial Blue by Sherwin Williams.  This color is a little shocking at the moment, but just wait.  Before moving on to the next step, I want to point out the texture I left on the frame.  I did not sand this piece before painting it and that was intentional.  This texture is going to work in my favor.  Once the darker blue was dry, I used a brush loaded with a very small amount of Light French Grey (Behr) and hit the high points of the frame.  I made sure to brush with the grain of the wood and kept the brush “dry.”  Now, remember when I said a couple of weeks ago that there is a point in every “faux” technique where it

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Living Room Paint Techniques

I received a ton of e-mails, comments, requests and pleas for a tutorial on how I achieved the paint treatment used on my trumeau mirror and reupholstered French chairs.  Well, I aim to please, so here it is! For the chairs, I started off with a thin coat of Light French Grey by Behr.  For the mirror, I started off with a base of Georgian Revival Blue by Sherwin Williams.  It’s OK if there are some brush strokes or places where the wood shows through.  Just watch for drips and keep this coat light and thin.  Allow it to dry.  For the second coat, I used a “dry brush” (meaning it doesn’t have a lot of paint on it) and lightly brushed on French Grey Blue by Deco Art.  (This is an acrylic paint that can be purchased at a craft store.)  Work the paint with the grain of the wood.  While the

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Apiary & Fresh Butter

In the frenzy of getting things ready to take to my retail spaces, I turned my attention to two neglected pieces of wood in the corner of my office.  They belonged to a drop leaf table that had seen better days.  For the first one, I pulled some inspiration from The Graphics Fairy, where I found this beautiful bee graphic. I’ve been thinking about making an Apiary sign for a while, so I enjoyed finally putting brush to board on this one. This one is going to the Old Lucketts Store to sell.  The second sign was inspired by what I’ve been eating far too much of lately… …and now I have to start Weight Watchers online and working with my “personal trainer” on the Kinect.  You’d think I’d lose weight with all of the work I do, but when you replace running on the treadmill with blogging…well…enough said.  Anyway, I

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Sofa Transformation

I promised I would share all of the details of my living room makeover, so here is the second installment.  This sofa was given to me by my awesome Aunt and Uncle.  They brought me a truck load of furniture in May including the corner cabinets in my dining room, a great chandelier that’s in Wild Rose and this sofa.  It belonged to my Uncle’s mother and it’s got some good age to it.  It was damaged in a fire, though, but was professionally restored, so it was in outstanding condition.  The foam and upholstery were in perfect shape, as was the wood frame.  Here’s the rub.  Although the upholstery fabric wasn’t bad, it wasn’t going to work with my curtains.  So, I did what any self-respecting DIYer on a budget would do…I slipcovered it in drop cloths.  My father-in-law gasped at my covering up the beautiful upholstery, but even he agreed it would

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Preparing Your House to Sell…to You

Every once in a while, I look at my home with a critical eye.  Most days, I walk past all of the things that are undone and I don’t really notice them.  It’s easy to get used to something in your home that is unfinished, broken, or downright ugly.  I’m living right now in the second house we’ve owned.  The first one was a 1980’s town house that needed some major cosmetic work.  We painted every wall surface, refaced the cabinets, installed Brazilian cherry floors, updated all of the fixtures, put up molding and installed pot lights.  It was a two year labor of love that we finished the week we put it on the market to sell.  I was sad that I never got to live in the place when it was totally finished.  Someone else enjoyed the fruits of our labor.  Our current home has been a four year

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Mirrored Side Table Tutorial…kinda

I received a lot of requests for a tutorial on how I made the mirrored side tables.  Well, I was a bad blogger and didn’t take pictures every step of the way… …so, I made a video for you.  I explain the process and share the information about cost, etc.  This was a spur of the moment video, so you’re getting a glimpse of how I look most days.  Bandanna, sweatshirt, jeans…oh yeah.  Now, go make your own! PS – The $35 price I quoted is for both side tables, not just one. 

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Finding & Embracing Your Style

This post is about style.  Your style.  Great style.  And how to figure out which is which.  Do you find that you love transitional  beach modern French bohemian country shabby chic log cabin Edwardian cottage junk style?  Do you get your home set in one style and then a magazine or blog will sway you in an entirely different direction?  Do you feel like your style is a moving target?  You’re not alone.  You’re not suffering from IDSPD (Interior Design Split Personality Disorder.)  It’s ok to love a lot of styles.  Here’s the important question you have to ask yourself: Do you love this style or do you love this style for your home?  That’s a very important question.  As decorating fanatics, we all appreciate great design and chic style, but we don’t have to use it all in our homes and we don’t have to use it all together

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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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May 20th, 2026 at 1pm EST

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