Before and Afters Archives | Page 3 of 51

Before and Afters

All Things Home

slipcover chaise reveal | tutorial & sources

Back in March, I took some unhurried decorative play in the master bedroom. I just felt stuck in this room. The bones were there, but I was having trouble finishing it off. I couldn’t make up my mind on the smaller pieces of furniture, what to hang on the wall, or how to make it a polished, finished space. During this time of experimenting, shuffling around furniture, and rethinking things, I decided that the ticking fabric on the chaise was limiting my options to some extent. I liked how several fabrics I already owned worked with the , but not the ticking stripe. An easy option was to make a slipcover for the chaise. I covered it in an antique linen sheet and it immediately confirmed that thought. I like the ticking fabric and it’s still in like-new condition, so a slipcover is a perfect way to change the look

July 24, 2020 No Comments

All Things Home

slipcover chaise reveal | tutorial & sources

July 23, 2020 27 Comments

All Things Home

simple footstool slipcover

Between gardening projects and everything else I’ve been working on, I’ve also been getting some sewing projects knocked out. A couple of weekends ago, I cut out the pieces and made piping for this footstool/ottoman I picked up at an antique store a few years ago. I buy these any time I see them for a good price ($40 or less) because they have so many uses! Of course, they can be paired with a chair to make it a little comfier, but they can also be tucked under tables, or used as extra seating or a side table in a pinch. This one was clearly wearing some fabric from another decade, so it needed a simple footstool slipcover to match my house… I used some leftover Aviary Toile since it was going in the master bedroom. I wanted to tuck it under the melodeon to help hide the air

May 28, 2020 36 Comments

All Things Home

blue toile daybed makeover

I hope you had a good three-day weekend! We ended up doing a lot of work in our yard when it wasn’t raining. It was hard, muddy work, but we got so much accomplished! We dug up a bunch of plants and bushes to replace with hydrangeas and hostas, we moved and raked out a big pile of gravel, we built up some areas that were eroding, and I transplanted some perennials to new locations. I even took the time to sketch out a plan and make a list of the plants I need to transplant and purchase, so I won’t be overwhelmed when I go to the garden center. I took a bunch of pictures of the before and our progress, so I’ll share those in another post. Today, I’m sharing about decorating mistakes and the newly-toiled daybed. In decorating, mistakes are sometimes made. It’s not a mistake in

May 26, 2020 49 Comments

All Things Home

parsons chair linen slipcover reveal

I know that my house usually looks clean and tidy in the pictures I share here and on social media. And, I will admit, that I am a bit of a neat freak. I generally like to clean and I love having a spotless, organized, and clutter-free home. But, life happens here. I have middle school boys, a dog, two cats, and a husband who has a higher mess tolerance than I do. Trust me, there are parts of our house that are not pristine! One of the more visible non-pristine areas were the seats of the end chairs at our kitchen table. These are well-loved and well-used chairs and they were looking pretty rough. I was even a little embarrassed by them when we had people over because they looked so grungy. That’s just my own silliness, though. I doubt anyone ever really cared. The chairs are still in

May 18, 2020 42 Comments

Before and Afters

Furniture Dilemmas

I’ve been working on my second Decorating Dilemma and should be ready to post that next week, but it got me thinking… What about doing Furniture Dilemmas? I know my readers love furniture makeovers and, since I don’t have a studio space outside of my home any longer and I’m not getting ready for markets and events, I don’t work on furniture anywhere near as much as I used to. So, since I’m not working on furniture for me, why don’t we work on it for you? I receive e-mails and DMs pretty regularly asking about what to do with a piece of furniture and it would be fun to bring those conversations to the blog. So, here is how it will work… Send a few pictures of your piece of furniture to me at marian@missmustardseed.com with the e-mail title Furniture Dilemma. They can be wood, painted, upholstered, whatever. All

February 20, 2020 33 Comments

All Things Home

Hand Painted Mora Dresser | Part 2

In case you missed part one of this dresser makeover, you can check it out HERE. At the end of yesterday’s post, I said I would show how the dresser turned out as well as how I distressed and finished it, so this post is fulfilling that promise. And here it is… I did a light distressing with 120 grit sandpaper, just to “knock down the newness” of the fresh paint. I also wanted to soften the decorative painting. You can see how I did it in the video… I also replaced the broken caster, added new glass knobs, and finished the piece in MMSMP’s Hemp Oil… This piece still followed my tradition of scrolly decorative painting on drawer fronts, but I changed it up a bit by adding the folk art animals as well as some different strokes. I love the rabbit and I think I need to play

July 23, 2019 50 Comments

All Things Home

Hand Painted Mora Dresser | Part 1

Last week, I finally got around to painting a dresser that’s been hanging out in my garage since October! I put it off originally because the winter weather set in, but then this spring has been busy and it’s been out of sight, out of mind. Jeff cleaned out the garage a few weeks ago and I promised I would paint the dresser and get it out of there. Well, I finally did and I made a video of the process. So, here is how the dresser started… It’s a pretty little piece, but the finish was a bit dinged up. A part of me wanted to sand it all down and do some kind of a whitewash or bleach the wood or something, but a reader of me asked if I would paint it specifically for her. Since I was just going to sell it, anyway, I was happy

July 22, 2019 23 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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