Before and Afters Archives | Page 21 of 51

Before and Afters

All Things Home

hemp sheet slipcovers

One project that’s been on my to-do list for a couple of years was making new slipcovers for the wing chairs in the family room. When things linger on a list that long, it’s because I don’t really want to do them. I know how to make slipcovers and I love the results, but I make them out of thriftiness, not out of a zest for making slipcovers. I usually do my slipcovering and upholstery in spurts, but between Lucketts and getting my house ready for this shoot, I’ve been on a sewing/stapling marathon. I think I’ve done 20 chairs in the last 2 months. Whew! These wing chairs might be in an important shot, so I really wanted them to look their best. The drop cloth slipcovers have held up well for about 8 years, but they are examples of my “early work”and they were starting to look a little slouchy

June 8, 2015 38 Comments

Before and Afters

Lucketts Eve 2015

Today is about resting up for the three day marathon that is the Lucketts Spring Market. I lingered in bed, took a long soak in a hot bath with lavender epsom salts and had a nice breakfast. I’m getting my post done early, so I can get a full night’s sleep before the big day tomorrow. We do have to pack up the van with the final things to take down to the market, but that’s pretty much all that needs to be done. I can honestly say that I have never worked so hard and so focused on a specific event. Now, all I can do is watch how it all unfolds over the next three days. The weather, the crowds, how things sell… I’ll keep you posted. Before I go, I realized I had one more piece of furniture to share. It’s this sweet little wash stand… Here’s how

May 15, 2015 17 Comments

All Things Home

pedestal table & balloon back chairs

The Lucketts Spring Market is just days away and I still have things to show you! I’m going to share more details about the sale, answer your questions and share pictures of everything all set up over the next few days. Until then, here are a few more things that are coming to the sale… When I purchased this table a few weeks ago, it looked so sad. With missing veneer, water damage, a wobbly base and a thick layer of dirt, it was hard to see potential, but the shape of that pedestal was irresistible! Here’s how it looked before… I tightened down the top, so it was sturdy, and cleaned it up, but I left the other dents and dings alone. The top was missing all of its veneer, but no one would ever notice that once I painted it. I applied a coat of MMSMP in a mix

May 12, 2015 31 Comments

All Things Home

the chairs with the ticking skirts

Sewing slipcovers is not my very favorite thing to do, so I saved these until the very end. I kept looking at them, debating if I should just upholster them, which would be much faster or if I should push through and sew the slipcovers. I had a vision for them from the very beginning…ticking slipcovers with ties and ruffled skirts. I knew if I did anything different than that, they would look “off” to me and I would be disappointed that I didn’t just get it done the way I planned. So, I pinned myself down on Thursday and worked on making that vision happen. Here’s how they started… They were sturdy, the wood is gorgeous and the upholstery was in good shape. Of course, I needed to add my touch, though! I made the slipcovers out of a ticking duvet cover that was dated 1913, so both

May 10, 2015 22 Comments

Before and Afters

boxwood highboy

When I bought this piece, I honestly didn’t think too much of it. My parents went to pick up a few pieces from a seller on Craig’s List and they sent me a picture of this one that was for sale, but hadn’t been listed. Sure. Throw it in the truck. I’ll do something with it. This is what it looked like when I got it… I really did hit the jackpot on this Craig’s List listing. A man had a bunch of furniture he was planning to refinish, but got partway into a few pieces, like this highboy, and realized it wasn’t for him. So, he sold them off at a good price. I love it when I can get five pieces from the same place! One stop shopping. That day, anyway. I sanded down this piece and then painted it in two coats of MMSMP Boxwood (I’ve been

May 10, 2015 17 Comments

All Things Home

the bergere chairs & design ramblings

Well, the bergere chairs are finally done! They were some of my earlier upholstery subjects. I was still at the stage when I would take apart a chair and then I would wonder what in the world I was thinking and how I was going to get it all back together. At the time, these were the most complicated pieces I had worked on, so I chickened out and didn’t take them apart all the way. That meant the fabric on the seat back and arm interiors was just tucked in at the bottom. Now that I’ve gotten better at upholstery, I redid them in antique hemp sheets and grain sack…double welting and all. And here they are… It makes me a little sad, but after several years of enjoying them, I’m ready to let them go to a new home. They will be for sale at the Lucketts Spring

May 8, 2015 11 Comments

Before and Afters

And there’s more…

We’ve done so much stuff for Lucketts that it’s been hard to even show it all! So, I have a bunch of pieces to share in this post. One of the first things I bought for Lucketts was this set of chairs. They are so sweet and the design on the backs, to me, looked almost German. We removed the rubber covers on the feet and painted them in MMSMP French Enamel, finished with Hemp Oil. The shutters in the back are painted in Lucketts Green and those will be for sale at Lucketts as well. ($75 for the pair.) The backs of these chairs did a really cool crackle thing all on their own. The set of chairs is $120. I styled the chairs with a washtub stand that was the perfect size, although a little impractical to actually use as a table! It would definitely need a piece

May 7, 2015 13 Comments

Before and Afters

the dresser with the tree…

Just a quick reminder/clarification before I get into the post. The Friday event of the Lucketts Spring Market is a ticketed event, so you have to have a ticket to attend and tickets will not be sold at the gate AND the tickets are sold out. So, if you don’t have a ticket for Friday, Saturday morning at 8:00 am is the earliest you can show up. For details, visit the Old Lucketts Store website. Surprise, surprise. I have another furniture makeover for you today! And, believe it or not, there is still a lot more. Jeff walked in the other day, took a look around the studio and said, “I’m going to call U-Haul to get a bigger truck.” This piece is one that took me a while to figure out. I don’t mean this in a nutty kind of way, but I try to work with the piece of furniture when

May 7, 2015 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.

next art sale

May 20th, 2026 at 1pm EST

Now Available for Preorder

Move Slow & Make Things

A book about creativity, intention, and making things with care. Sign up to receive updates, preorder details, and exclusive bonus content.

From the Studio

Artful pieces for your home and everyday life.

From original paintings and art prints to Pup Club releases and curated goods, each piece is created or chosen to bring warmth, creativity, and character into your home.

From the Studio and Home

Shop the Feed

A handpicked collection of items styled and shared throughout posts, projects, and social feeds. Every product is thoughtfully chosen to reflect a timeless, collected aesthetic.