Before and Afters Archives | Page 38 of 51

Before and Afters

the big black box

It all started with a black Friday sale. We had been thinking about getting a flat screen TV for a while and we found the one we wanted on an Internet sale for $1000 off. We decided it was time and pulled the trigger. The TV we owned at the time fit in an armoire in the corner, but that wasn’t going to work for the new flat screen. Despite the sacred DIY rule to never remove a fireplace, we decided to remove our fireplace, which didn’t work and we weren’t very fond of anyway. As soon as we got home from visiting family, the project began. (Guys don’t procrastinate on a project when a flat screen TV is involved.) It was messy, but the demolition only took a few hours. I patched and painted the wall and found a perfect vintage buffet to use as a console. For a while, though,

June 20, 2012 No Comments

Before and Afters

didn’t make the cut

I had to do a lot for my book. A lot. It was so much more work than I anticipated. Weeks of writing, hundreds of pictures, hours of photo editing, weeks of rewriting, dozens of projects and days of staging. After all of the work, some of what I did didn’t make the cut. That’s a good thing. When I’m writing for my blog, I don’t have to carefully edit myself, because I can write another post tomorrow with new content. With the book, we had to edit everything down to the best I wanted to share and the most important words I wanted to say. So, a lot of great, but not perfect-for-the-book stuff hit the cutting room floor, so I’m going to scoop some of it up and share it on my blog. Exhibit A: A dated china cabinet, but one with really cool lines and lots of potential. I

June 7, 2012 No Comments

Before and Afters

Say hello to “Mustard Seed”

Come on…what else could I name the yellow in my milk paint line? Yep. It’s “Mustard Seed” yellow. It’s sort of a warm honey, muted mustard color. I started out with a stronger yellow, but it looked more like school bus than mustard seed, so I had to go back to the drawing (mixing) board and I’m happy with where I landed. I think it’s a perfect yellow for a piece of furniture. Strong, but not too in-your-face-hello-yellow. Since yellow can be in-your-face, I chose to break it up with some decorative painting and a refinished dark wood top. Oh my…the legs on this piece. Wowee. Can I get an amen? Once Lucketts is over, I’m going to write a long post explaining a bit more about my milk paint line and where you’ll be able to buy it and when and all of

May 18, 2012 1 Comment

Before and Afters

Say hello to “Tricycle”

Well, I am totally whipped. I have actually resorted to giving myself pep talks over the last couple of days. “Ok, Marian. Just paint this dresser. That’s all you need to do right now, then you can focus on the next thing.” I have made everyone promise to force me to get in bed early tonight. The truck is loaded (I can’t believe I filled a 17′ truck!), I’m finished with all of my “workshop” projects and my dad is grilling some hamburgers, so I didn’t have to worry about making dinner. Tomorrow we will drop everything off at Lucketts and I’ll refill my space inside. I have a few more projects left to work on Thursday and Friday…sewing pillows, making some decorations for my booth, last minute shopping, getting change, making sure my bag is packed…stuff like that. I’m hoping also to rest and watch a movie somewhere in

May 17, 2012 No Comments

Before and Afters

Say hello to “French Enamel”

Here’s the next color in my line of Milk Paint! I’d like to introduce you to “French Enamel.” Here’s the dresser before… (You can take a moment to revive the wood lover next to you who just passed out at the sight of this beautiful wood being painted.) I know it was beautiful, but it wasn’t in great condition and needed to be fully refinished or painted. So, I painted. I do love and appreciate beautiful wood, so I did refinish the top. I stripped it and wiped it down with two coats of Hemp Oil (an all natural product that will be carried in my line.) The colors in my line are going to be named after things I love (like Shutter Gray) and this color is named after the French enamel pitchers that have always caught my eye. I own one, but was only able to afford it because

May 14, 2012 No Comments

Before and Afters

MMS tee & a French chair makeover

I picked up my t-shirts yesterday! I absolutely love them. Reni did an amazing job with the design and I’m so happy with the printing and the quality of the t-shirts. They are Champion brand and are 60% cotton and 40% polyester, which makes them a little stretchy and will prevent shrinking. I’ll be setting up an online shop soon and the t-shirts will be available for sale there, in addition to my milk paint and some of the random cool things I find and make. The shirts will be $15/each. I’ll do a giveaway for one next week (in addition to a few other goodies.) The batch I just picked up will be coming with me to sell at Lucketts. Well, I’m still paint splattered and dirty and sore and cranking out pieces for Lucketts. If you’re curious what I’m working on, you can check out my Facebook

May 10, 2012 No Comments

Before and Afters

Say hello to “Shutter Gray”

I’m so excited to introduce the first color in Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint line…”Shutter Gray.” So, maybe you’re wondering why I’m calling it Shutter Gray. I’ve decided to name the colors in my line after things I love and decorate with. I have a few awesome chippy gray shutters, so when I thought of a name for gray, shutters immediately came to mind. My gray has a bit more blue in it, but that’s the way I like my grays! The piece I tested it on is a gorgeous French chest-on-chest I picked up last week. …and the milk paint did the awesome thing it does… The piece wasn’t bad to begin with at all. It was just a little….orange. I love how this dresser (and the color) turned out. I’ll be bringing it with me to sell at the

May 10, 2012 No Comments

Before and Afters

hand painting again

For those who don’t know, my business started as a decorative painting/mural business. About a year into it, I realized I didn’t want to paint stuff on everything. Sometimes I just wanted to paint something and leave it at that. More and more, that’s what I wanted to do, so I adapted my business to better reflect my personal taste. I have held onto my artist brushes, though, and every once in a while I pull that old trick out of the bag. Here’s the latest example… I am normally not into this furniture style at all, but I could see beyond the deco hardware and patterned veneer. It didn’t have the “waterfall” lines of some of its contemporaries, so I bought it. (It was also super cheap at a yard sale!) I had the big diamond in the center to deal with and the hardware had carved

May 5, 2012 1 Comment

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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