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Furniture Makeovers

Dresser Makeover & New Signs

Oh, I have so much to share, I’m about to burst!!  We had the glitter letter workshop today, I have an exciting event with The Graphics Fairy coming up, I have been using every spare minute to make Christmas ornaments and decor to sell, and I scored some awesome furniture on Thursday.  I’ll share it all soon, but tonight, I’m tired, so I’m just going to show my dresser makeover and the two new signs I made for the shop. Do you remember this dresser?  I bought it at a yard sale a few weeks ago.  It was in great structural condition and someone had even sanded it down for me!  That might be a minus for some people, but it was a huge plus for me.  I painted it with a brush (the old fashioned way), sanded it heavily, and followed it with a rub of dark walnut stain.

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Furniture Feature Friday – Favorties and A Link Party

This week, the theme for my favorites is the pairing of wood and paint.  I love a rich wood top and a creamy base on a piece of furniture.  It’s rich, practical, and really easy to achieve.  Kelli from ReStore, one of my new blog friends, transformed a neglected buffet into a real stunner.  Why, it looks almost exactly like my dresser, so of course I love it!  This girl does great work and takes beautiful photos…and she only has 17 followers.  Can you help her out?  Melissa from Greener Grass turned a cheap, Ikea craft table into an expensive looking piece.  I love how the dark stain brought out the beauty in this wood.  Great work! Stephanie from Bikinis and Briefcases upcycled a very dated dresser into a fabulous kitchen island.  You must check out her full post to see the incredible transformation. I can’t wait to see what you have to

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Furniture Feature Friday – A Favorite & A Link Party

I was looking through all of the amazing furniture posts from last week and I found something unexpected.  A furniture post that touched me…and made me teary eyed.  So, while I generally highlight Frenchy buffets, frilly slipcovers and cool paint jobs, tonight, I am going to share a piece that spoke to me.  Christie from Three Pixie Lane shared a stunning secretary that she purchased to use as a space just for her to display pretty things.  Her “pretties” are similar to ones I have around my home…antique books, sepia photos, a twisted barley pedestal and ironstone, but we also share another treasured collection… …that of war letters written by our grandfathers. She has over 100 letters her grandfather wrote to his wife during WWII.  When I saw the pictures of her letters, neatly stacked on this gorgeous piece of furniture, it reminded me of the time I spent reading, scanning, and

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A Fall Day and A Before & After

Today is a wonderfully brisk fall day here in south central Pennsylvania.  I love fall.  It’s time to pull out the sweatshirts and football jerseys, the dutch ovens and the soup recipes, and the excitement of the holidays is just around the corner.  Today, I’m just going to hang out with my boys and watch the Redskins lose to the Eagles…probably, but I’ll still have fun doing it.  I may even bake some cookies.  Since it’s a lazy day for me, I’m going to share the before and after of the table I showed yesterday.  Here’s what it looked like before.  As I said, it’s a pretty table, but something about it looked a little stuffy and dated.  Is it just me?  Can I not leave well enough alone sometimes?  Well, distressed paint is all the “thing” right now, so that’s what I went with.  I wanted this piece to look really rough to contrast

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DIY Club Tutorial & a Tea Tin Makeover

I am honored to be a guest blogger today over at the DIY Club!  I was challenged with using some of their sponsored products to come up with a DIY project and this is the result.  Would you like to know how to turn a dated burlap shade and a “scratch and dent” Goodwill lamp into something unique and chic?  Check out my full tutorial over at the DIY Club.  On another note, I mentioned that Leslie brought me a bunch of goodies to makeover when she visited me at the grand opening of Wild Rose and Co. Marketplace.  One thing I spotted in the box was a vintage tea tin.  I didn’t take a before picture of it, but you know what I’m talking about.  I decided to give it a new life by painting over the label with chalkboard paint.  I love how versatile and updated it is, now.  This would

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Winners and a Before & After

I have been flying through makeovers and have not stopped to take pictures of some of them…stupid, stupid, so I made sure I snapped a before picture of this stool.  This before picture is horrible!  It was late at night and I couldn’t get the white balance right, but it makes the after look even better, right? The stool was filthy, so I gave it a good scrub and allowed it to dry.  I then stained the top with dark walnut and painted the base in Sea Salt by Sherwin Williams.  I used a resist technique, so the paint would sand off and look “chippy.”  A final coat of dark walnut stain rubbed over the paint furthered the weathered look.  I brushed on a polycrylic to finish it off. Ahhh…much better.  And now you actually notice the very cool wiring underneath.  This is going in my new booth space.  The

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Furniture Feature Friday – A Link Party & Salute to the Insane

This week I am saluting the crazy, gutsy, fearless ladies who walked the line between stupidity and genius and proved everyone wrong who scoffed at them along the way.  I tip my hat to these gals.  Suzanne from Meridian Road bought this piece off of Craig’s List and turned it into… …this.  Whew!  Amazing job! Joining the ranks of the crazy brilliant is Lexi’s Mommy from Paper Flower Drive.  She took this nasty love seat, with beautiful lines, and turned it into… …a bench!  This is so original and it looks fantastic.  I’m really impressed. The last certifiable DIYer is Lindy from Cottage Hill.  Can you believe that this elegant, curvy, and timeless headboard is made out of plywood.  Plywood!!  You just can’t make really pretty things out of plywood, but she did.  Thank you, ladies, for showing me what a chicken I am and I mean that in the best

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Dresser Transformation

What do you do with a dresser that has drawers beyond repair? You take them out and replace them with a couple of shelves, of course…or at least you have your husband do that and then you paint it. The construction of these drawers were ok, but the veneer was in terrible condition.  It was either put new fronts on or take them out.  I opted to take them out.  My husband built two plywood shelves and trimmed them in the original trim that separated the drawers.  Isn’t he clever? I painted the dresser in Creamy by Sherwin Williams and the interior in a pretty blue.  (I will get the exact color of this piece and the dresser I posted about yesterday for everyone who asked about it.) I found a galvanized box that was the perfect size for one of the cubbies.  It’s for sale separately, but hopefully whoever

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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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