Before and Afters Archives | Page 28 of 51

Before and Afters

silvertone finds a home & French chairs get a fresh start

I’ve been working on restoring an antique Silvertone phonograph for a few months. I got into painting furniture, because stripping, refinishing and restoring is so tedious and takes forever. Just give me a brush and a couple of hours and let it be done! But, sometimes it’s worth it and I’ve found a labor of love is good for my patience every now and then. I have wanted a photograph for several years and finally got one in a furniture lot I purchased shortly before the Lucketts Spring Market this year. It had good bones and still worked (yay!), but it had been neglected and showed some pretty nasty water damage. I cleaned, stripped, sanded, stained and refinished the piece and, I must say, I am super proud of myself and how it turned out. We do still need to replace the veneer on the bottom of the sides and

August 4, 2014 56 Comments

Before and Afters

what I'm working on…

As I shared yesterday, after a week of dealing with a lot of details of doing business, I was really ready to do something creative. So, I headed to the basement to work on some pieces that were waiting for me. The first piece is a great old kitchen cabinet that belongs to Kriste, my online shop manager. She’s going to start working with me on some creative things as well, which is exciting for both of us. Anyway, her sweet husband scored this for her at a yard sale for $10. What a guy, right? They are going to use it as a TV stand in their new place, but the blue and the decals aren’t working for Kriste. She likes white, so we’re going white with it. I removed the hardware, sanded the piece and then painted it in a base coat of MMS Milk Paint Trophy. I wasn’t concerned

July 19, 2014 16 Comments

Before and Afters

glass glitter milk bottles

Before I get into the project, I want to share that Miss Mustard Seed’s Glass Glitter (used in this project) is the Decor Steals daily “steal” today! They are offering Tiara Silver, Fallen Snow and 14 Karat. I’ve partnered with them for a long time, so it’s fun to see them carrying a product with my brand on it. As always, it’s offered at a discounted rate due to their savvy shopping skills, so this is a good time to buy… I’ve been browsing Pinterest a lot over the past few weeks and have been pleasantly surprised to find a lot of glitter projects and products out there. Hmmm…is glitter trending right now? Some of the glitter went a bit too far for me, but it was fun to see all of the ideas. I love glitter, but I prefer it in small doses…as an accent that adds a little sparkle.

July 15, 2014 43 Comments

Before and Afters

hand painted wardrobe

I realized I had a furniture make over from Lucketts that I never shared! How in the world did that happen? Well, I’m fixing that today. This wardrobe was by far the worst piece of furniture I purchased to sell at the market. I bought it in a furniture lot that included two dressers, this wardrobe and a victrola. All of them showed signs of neglect and had some degree of water damage. This wardrobe seemed to be exposed to heat as well, that eventually loosened the glued joints. So, the back and sides were almost separated. It had good bones and a pretty shape and I have a handy husband, so I took a chance on it. Jeff and his dad glued, clamped and screwed that wardrobe to sure it up, which was not an easy task. The wardrobe was a little wonky and you had to pull it

July 7, 2014 32 Comments

Before and Afters

the hand-painted German-style bed

I never really showed off the finished hand-painted German-style bed for the guest room, so I thought it was high time. To recap, this is the German-style hand-painted bed I used as inspiration. I found it in a magazine about ten years ago and always loved it. I knew the chances of finding a bed like that were pretty slim, so I looked for one with a shape that could work and I planned to paint it myself. I found this bed at an antique store for $100. The high headboard and curved footboard were about as good as I was going to get, I think. It was beaten up and the finished was crackled, probably from being stored in an attic, barn or garage, but that worked to my advantage when it came to creating an authentically antique-looking finish. I painted it in MMS Milk Paint French Enamel. I

May 30, 2014 71 Comments

Before and Afters

the unpainted desk & hemp chair

Despite what some may think, I don’t paint everything. Most of the furniture pieces I buy are in need of some help. They’re tired, worn, spotted with water rings, sporting chipped & bubbled veneer and have seen better days. Because of that, I don’t feel the slightest hesitation about painting them. Some pieces, though, are just perfect as is. Such was the case with this oak desk… The wood and finish were in beautiful condition and the vintage glass knobs were perfect. We did have to add some new stops to the drawers to keep them from sliding all the way to the back of the desk, but that was a quick fix. Usually, I feel that painting a piece brings out the details, but the graining of the wood made the details, like the cubbies and carved embellishments, really shine. So, the only thing I did beyond adding drawer stops

May 24, 2014 32 Comments

Before and Afters

Typewriter Desk Makeover

…and there’s still more! Furniture makeover reveals, that is. I have to tell you that I have really enjoyed the frenzy of painting and upholstery as I was getting ready for Lucketts. With everything else I was working on, I didn’t have much time for it. Truth be told, I was probably a little burnt out on churning pieces out over the past few years and a break ended up being really good for me. I’m now looking around at all of the furniture in my house and I’m looking forward to tackling some pieces that have been hanging out for a while. I’m also feeling inspired to work on some spaces and pieces for others! I’ve always shied away from that, but I think it would be fun. So, we’ll see… In this furniture-makeover-episode, I’m sharing the before and after of this desk. Since it’s prettier, here’s the after

May 23, 2014 34 Comments

Before and Afters

Antique Pine Table Makeover

Would you believe I still have several furniture makeovers from Lucketts to share? The past few years, I got too busy to take before & after pictures and I really kicked myself for it. This year, I made myself grab the camera and take a before of every piece AND made sure I had an after picture of each piece before it was loaded into the truck. This antique pine table was one of my favorite pieces. I guess I had a lot of favorites this year, because this is like the fifth piece I’ve called one of my favorites! I found it on my shopping trip to Virginia. It was one of the pricier pieces I bought, but I really loved it and thought it would make a nice “focal piece” in my booth. Plus, I loved it so much, I didn’t mind if it didn’t sell. It wasn’t purchased

May 22, 2014 28 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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