Furniture Makeovers Archives | Page 14 of 111

Furniture Makeovers

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

All Things Home

slipcovered settee

I usually don’t work on the weekends, but it’s crunch time as Lucketts is quickly approaching. So, after sitting out in the rain most of the morning to cheer my boys on at soccer, my mom and I spent a few hours in the studio to cross some more things off the to-do list. My mom priced the shipment of German dish brushes, hemp twine, and fly swatters as well as the antique pieces I purchased last week. I worked on a few pieces of furniture and styled and photographed the settee I finished on Friday… This started out as a Queen Ann settee I purchased off of craigslist. I honestly bought it because the price was so good. It had a nice shape, but I didn’t expect much from it. It looked a lot like a piece that would be in the waiting room of a dentist’s office. I was

May 8, 2017 22 Comments

bespoke chippy empire

I find it hard to resist a good empire-style dresser. They are impressive pieces that have a balance of masculinity in their massive size and handsome features, and feminine in their curves, glass knobs, and carved keyhole escutcheons. The downside to these pieces is that they are massive. They are tall, heavy, and bulky, and, for those reasons, I made a point to shift my focus to smaller dressers. But, there are exceptions. When a well-priced sturdy empire crossed my path a few weeks ago, I just couldn’t walk away. Here’s how it looked when I bought it and it sat like this for a while… I needed time to think about this one and how I envisioned it. I had considered refinishing the gorgeous wood on those drawer fronts and just paint the body. But, I really wanted to use a color on it and I didn’t see how

May 5, 2017 28 Comments

Before and Afters

hand painted robin’s egg blue dresser

If you like a good old-fashioned Miss Mustard Seed makeover, well, I think it’s safe to say that you will like this post. Today was a great day in the studio. It was busy, but I was able to finish two pieces and photograph a third. I love the sense of accomplishment I feel when a piece is finished and the process of styling and taking pictures is one of my favorite things about my business. So, I was in my element. The piece I’m sharing today is this antique dresser I found on craigslist. It had a sloppy coat of black paint on it, but I knew I could work with that. I usually like to buy pieces that are wood, so I have a “clean slate” so to speak, but black can look almost like dark wood when it peeks under a coat of distressed milk paint. It had

May 3, 2017 45 Comments

All Things Home

two full weeks until Lucketts…

I was looking at the calendar today and it had me sweating! I only have two full weeks to finish getting ready for Lucketts!!! Ah!! And, Kriste, my trusty sidekick, has gone on maternity leave. Slacker. So, the pressure is on and it’s time to put the pedal to the metal. Since it is fast approaching, I wanted to share a few details and reminders. The main thing to remember is that the Lucketts Spring Market has moved! If you show up at the grounds of the Lucketts Store, the market will not be there. You will be sad and lonely and will end up making a mad dash to the Clark County Fairgrounds in Berryville, VA, so you can join all the rest of us. There will be over 175 vendors this year, plus a lot of fun new things, like paint demos, a glamping expo, crab pickin’, old

May 1, 2017 24 Comments

Before and Afters

Farmhouse White Buffet

Last week was a push week when it came to getting pieces of furniture from the to-do pile to the done pile. And we made a lot of progress! One of the pieces that we finished (as a team effort) was this buffet, painted in Farmhouse White… I didn’t get a proper before picture of it, because the studio was a little messy and crowded, but here is what it looked like… The warped piece on top was the bottom drawer. Clearly, it had some issues, so my dad took it apart and replaced the bottom and made it so the drawer fit properly. My mom cleaned it up to get it ready to paint and then Emily (helping out in the studio for a few days) painted it. Now, I know. That wood grain is really lovely. BUT…the veneer was completely peeling off of the sides and the feet

April 28, 2017 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.

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