Before and Afters Archives | Page 8 of 51

Before and Afters

antique crib-turned-daybed

Remember this antique Jenny Lind-style crib I found on craigslist a couple of months ago? Well, I finally got around to sprucing it up and made it into a sweet daybed… The wood was so pretty that I decided not to paint it. Well, and spindles are a complete nightmare to paint as well, so that was an added deterrent. I just removed the hardware the piece wouldn’t need as a daybed, added a piece of memory foam and some batting to the existing crib mattress, and then I made a custom cover for it out of an antique coverlet and a linen duvet cover. I’ve had the white coverlet in my stash for a while. It had a ton of holes in it, so it was definitely a “cutter”. I had just enough fabric to work with to make a cover and then I added some pleated trim from a

May 11, 2017 30 Comments

Before and Afters

two-tone dresser

You know I love my blues, whites, and greens, but I can’t seem to resist sneaking one yellow piece into my booth at Lucketts each year. And I decided, this year, it would be this piece… It was a pretty little dresser, but the hardware was a bummer. One of the handles had been most likely lost or broken and was replaced with something that just didn’t work. At first glance, you might not notice, but if you look a little longer, one is clearly larger and more ornate than the others. So, I removed the hardware and gave the piece a light sanding before painting the body in Mustard Seed Yellow and the drawers in Farmhouse White. I had some issues with red bleeding through in just one spot, so I sealed it with Tough Coat before applying the second coat. I wanted to leave the top unpainted, but

May 9, 2017 25 Comments

All Things Home

slipcovered settee

I usually don’t work on the weekends, but it’s crunch time as Lucketts is quickly approaching. So, after sitting out in the rain most of the morning to cheer my boys on at soccer, my mom and I spent a few hours in the studio to cross some more things off the to-do list. My mom priced the shipment of German dish brushes, hemp twine, and fly swatters as well as the antique pieces I purchased last week. I worked on a few pieces of furniture and styled and photographed the settee I finished on Friday… This started out as a Queen Ann settee I purchased off of craigslist. I honestly bought it because the price was so good. It had a nice shape, but I didn’t expect much from it. It looked a lot like a piece that would be in the waiting room of a dentist’s office. I was

May 8, 2017 22 Comments

bespoke chippy empire

I find it hard to resist a good empire-style dresser. They are impressive pieces that have a balance of masculinity in their massive size and handsome features, and feminine in their curves, glass knobs, and carved keyhole escutcheons. The downside to these pieces is that they are massive. They are tall, heavy, and bulky, and, for those reasons, I made a point to shift my focus to smaller dressers. But, there are exceptions. When a well-priced sturdy empire crossed my path a few weeks ago, I just couldn’t walk away. Here’s how it looked when I bought it and it sat like this for a while… I needed time to think about this one and how I envisioned it. I had considered refinishing the gorgeous wood on those drawer fronts and just paint the body. But, I really wanted to use a color on it and I didn’t see how

May 5, 2017 28 Comments

Before and Afters

hand painted robin’s egg blue dresser

If you like a good old-fashioned Miss Mustard Seed makeover, well, I think it’s safe to say that you will like this post. Today was a great day in the studio. It was busy, but I was able to finish two pieces and photograph a third. I love the sense of accomplishment I feel when a piece is finished and the process of styling and taking pictures is one of my favorite things about my business. So, I was in my element. The piece I’m sharing today is this antique dresser I found on craigslist. It had a sloppy coat of black paint on it, but I knew I could work with that. I usually like to buy pieces that are wood, so I have a “clean slate” so to speak, but black can look almost like dark wood when it peeks under a coat of distressed milk paint. It had

May 3, 2017 45 Comments

Before and Afters

Farmhouse White Buffet

Last week was a push week when it came to getting pieces of furniture from the to-do pile to the done pile. And we made a lot of progress! One of the pieces that we finished (as a team effort) was this buffet, painted in Farmhouse White… I didn’t get a proper before picture of it, because the studio was a little messy and crowded, but here is what it looked like… The warped piece on top was the bottom drawer. Clearly, it had some issues, so my dad took it apart and replaced the bottom and made it so the drawer fit properly. My mom cleaned it up to get it ready to paint and then Emily (helping out in the studio for a few days) painted it. Now, I know. That wood grain is really lovely. BUT…the veneer was completely peeling off of the sides and the feet

April 28, 2017 31 Comments

Before and Afters

…and the two become one

Remember these two pieces? Well, it took a bit of time to develop (three times lifting that hutch up onto the base and lots of looking and discussing to be precise), but these two pieces finally came together to make one awesome, bead board hutch. And wow-wee…some matches were just meant to be. The piece was a group effort. As I shared, my dad and I worked together on rebuilding the base and I removed the rotted doors and all of the flaking paint. From there, Emily and I tag-teamed the painting, distressing, and finishing of this beast. (Emily, by the way, came up for a few days to learn and help. She is based in Raleigh and you can find her at PennyandIvy on Instagram.) She spent the better part of those three days with her head inside this cabinet! It was a lot of painting, but we agreed that it

April 21, 2017 29 Comments

Before and Afters

cabinet base + hutch top =

Remember this cabinet I picked up a couple of weeks ago? I cleaned it all up and removed the doors, that were rotten from water damage, to get it ready for the next step. My dad and I worked together to rebuild the bottom of the cabinet and I nailed on the trim pieces that had come off. And then it was time to try out an idea I had for it. In my stash, I had a random hutch top that I purchased a couple of months ago and I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with it. Sell it as is? Build a base for it? I bought this base cabinet not even thinking of the hutch top, but it finally hit me a few days ago. I have a base cabinet. I have a hutch top. Let’s try putting them together and see how they

April 19, 2017 21 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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