Furniture Makeovers Archives | Page 13 of 110

Furniture Makeovers

All Things Home

how to refinish a kitchen table | part 1

Before we even moved in, before we even knew this house was ours, I knew a new kitchen table would be on our list of furniture to hunt for. We’ve been using a small pine table, which fit our last house well, but it’s always felt too small for the four of us at meals. And it was definitely too small for this new space. So, let me take you on the journey of finding a new table as well as how to refinish a kitchen table. (The current table was buried under there somewhere!) If the kitchen is the heart of the home, the table is heart of the heart. It’s where the family gathers for meals, homework, crafts, household business, and devotions. It’s an important piece of furniture and I wanted it to be solid, properly scaled for the room and how our family will use it. I

August 14, 2017 82 Comments

All Things Home

when I just can’t…

I think you will agree that a before and after is more enjoyable than a before and quit-in-the-middle. But that is the truth of furniture rehab or DIY in general. Sometimes projects are abandoned. Several months ago, I bought two upholstery projects. I was on the furniture-makeover-victory high from finishing the tufted sofa, so I felt like I could tackle anything. The “deconstructed chair” that turned out not being deconstructed was one of them… It took me a few months, but I did finally finish that piece. With a happy ending, I might add. This settee was the other one… Before I even started working on it, I received an e-mail from a regular customer asking to buy the settee once it was finished. She loved the style and the size was perfect for her space. Oh, a buyer already! That will be great motivation to get this piece completed and sold.

June 8, 2017 40 Comments

Furniture Makeovers

installing glass in the “last-minute hutch”

Remember the “last minute hutch“? Well, it was so last minute that we didn’t finish it in time to take it to Lucketts. I thought that ended up being very fortunate, since I was contemplating keeping it, anyway. I figured the decision had just been made for me. Then, I receive an Instagram message from someone who wanted to buy it. I really do think things like that happen for a reason and I felt like the decision had been made for me, again. I love the hutch, but given that we’re moving and we are being really picky about what we want to move, it’s best that I sell it to a buyer who has the perfect spot for it now and loves it as much as I do. That was the whole point of buying and painting it, anyway, right? The time will come when I’m buying fabulous

June 6, 2017 25 Comments

Before and Afters

the last-minute hutch

Going on a shopping trip for “just smalls” is a dangerous thing for me. I just can’t help turning over the tags of pieces of furniture calling my name! There were several pieces that I was able to walk away from and I almost made it out the door without this piece, but I couldn’t resist. I had actually checked out and loaded my purchases and then pulled the checkbook out again and I bought it. This is the piece I couldn’t leave… Well, that’s half of it. I couldn’t put the hutch top on it, but you get the general idea. The gold was a little intense for me, but the piece was in great shape and had good bones. The interior was even nice and clean, which was important given what I went through with the primitive gray cupboard! The original paint could still be seen under the

May 16, 2017 40 Comments

All Things Home

finished “French twins”

Now is the time when everything I started gets finished. Well, it’s also the time I buy new things that need to be finished, because it’s my biggest event of the year and I have to give it everything I’ve got, but that’s another post. One thing I finished this week was the sibling to my French twins of 2017… I finished one of them a few weeks ago, but then I shelved upholstery work for a while and opted to work on painted furniture. While upholstery is something I can do, it’s not something I enjoy. I like the end result of the transformation and, unfortunately, the process has to happen in order to get to the finish line. So, I give myself a pep talk and make it happen. They turned out great. The second one, that I had been avoiding for weeks, ended up being a piece

May 13, 2017 27 Comments

Before and Afters

grain sack wash stand

Lucketts 2017 is definitely “the year of the hutch”. I have more hutches and large pieces in general than I have in previous years, but I am trying to round that out with smaller pieces that will be easier on-the-spot purchases. This is one of those small pieces that I picked up a few weeks ago… It really wasn’t bad as it was. It could’ve used a coat of Hemp Oil to freshen it up, but I’ve learned that wood pieces don’t sell all that well for me, so I painted it out in Grain Sack from the MMSMP line…a grayish white that would work nicely with the marble top. The painting was a tag-team effort between Debbie and I. Debbie, by the way, has been amazing. She is filling in, since Kriste is on maternity leave, and I don’t know what I would do without her! She hasn’t done much

May 12, 2017 56 Comments

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

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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