Furniture Makeovers Archives | Page 47 of 110

Furniture Makeovers

Before and Afters

1920's dental cabinet makeover

Can you handle another furniture makeover? The Chapel Market is less than a week away and we’re getting to the end of the furniture I have worked on for the event. I picked this dental cabinet up last week while I was shopping for accessories and “smalls” for my booth. I saw this and just couldn’t pass it up. All of the little drawers and glass knobs caught my attention and the low price convinced me to not walk away, even though I wasn’t officially shopping for furniture. The piece was structurally sound, but it had clearly been neglected in a barn or somewhere moist for several years. This makeover wasn’t going to be about dramatically changing the appearance of the piece, but about making it look and function better. The original trim on the bottom had rotten away and many of the drawers weren’t functioning as well as they

October 19, 2014 24 Comments

Before and Afters

hand painted empire dresser makeover

It has been a marathon getting ready for The Chapel Market, which is just over a week away, but it’s been so fun, too. I am most focused and intentional when I’m working towards a specific goal. And this time has been even more fun, because I’ve had a lot of great help and the amazing studio space to work in. I’ve been relishing it! I have been a little overzealous with filling the “green zone” (aka my mockup booth for the event), because I’m starting to wonder how it’s all going to make it down to Alabama. Has anyone invented a way to beam furniture, yet? That would make things much easier. We have a plan A and a plan B, so hopefully it’ll all fit. It’ll be like playing Tetris. Anyway, here’s the latest makeover… Here’s how this piece started… Now, you know me and paint. I don’t usually

October 17, 2014 30 Comments

furniture feature friday | favorites & link party

I’ve been working away on furniture myself this week, for the Chapel Market, so it’s been nice to take a little break and get some inspiration from last week’s links. Here are a few of the standouts… Danielle from Finding Silver Pennies gives a fall tour of her home and there are so many beautiful pieces of furniture that I just had to share. I especially love this wooden bench with the buffalo check cushion. I love vintage canvas laundry baskets, but it’s sometimes hard to figure out exactly what to do with them. They’re not as pretty, but the lightweight plastic variety we have these days is just more convenient to use. Kathy from Past, Present & Patina turned one into a side table with amazing results! That’s it. A vintage canvas laundry basket just made my list. Lastly, this sweet dresser by Kara from Lilac Shack Furniture caught

October 16, 2014 8 Comments

Before and Afters

say hello to "bergere"

It’s been a while since I asked you to say hello to a new milk paint color! I’m really excited to share our first Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint color from our European color line that will be launched in January 2015. We are introducing six new colors that will be carried in our European & UK markets, but will be available elsewhere on a limited basis…meaning our retailers outside of Europe aren’t required to carry the colors, but some will. I would encourage calling ahead before driving somewhere to buy one of these limited colors. So, the first color I’m introducing is a smokey blue/gray called Bergere, named after the French style of chair that I love so much. (And no, they aren’t all blues!) This is definitely a chameleon color that looks bluer in some light, grayer in others and lighter/darker as well depending on what’s around it. It

October 10, 2014 35 Comments

furniture feature friday | favorites & link party

My brain is totally fried tonight! I did the photo shoot today and it was intense. I know that sounds silly, but we had only a few hours to style and shoot seven rooms, which is a lot when every shot needs to be meticulously examined for a rogue accessory, a lamp cord dangling in view or the reflection of my boots in the glass of a cabinet. It was a little stressful, but so fun as well. Kriste came with me and she was worth her weight in gold. She was money, as they say. Heather, the home owner was such a delight and so relaxed about us messing her house up as we worked from room to room dropping eucalyptus seeds and Japanese maple “helicopters” all about. It was a good day, but the bed is calling my name. Before I hit the hay, here are my favorites

October 9, 2014 12 Comments

Before and Afters

victorian settee makeover reveal

I shared a preview of this makeover yesterday, but here is the full sha-bang (that’s a highly technical decorating term)… This isn’t a typical piece for me to buy, but as you may have figured out already, I like to change things up, so I don’t get stuck in a rut. Buying a piece of furniture that is atypical for me helps me with that. Sometimes I love the piece and then I want to explore that style more. Other times, I enjoy working on the piece, but I don’t fall in love with the style. I really like how this turned out, but I’m not sure you’ll see a lot of stuffy victorian settees here. This is how the piece started out… It was one of the messiest pieces I’ve ever worked on…shedding grass and old burlap every time someone brushed passed it or breathed near it. The fabric

October 8, 2014 33 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

milk crate & a peek at the settee

When Kriste and I went shopping last Friday, I was looking mostly for pieces to sell at the Chapel Market, but I was also looking for one specific piece for a specific photo shoot – a milk crate. I didn’t have a particular style in mind, but I figured I would know it when I saw it. And I did. Kriste and I spotted this beauty and there was a silent acknowledgement at the awesomeness of the milk crate. Maybe there was a slight gasp, but words didn’t need to be exchanged. I turned it around to look at the price. It was $59. I cringed. That’s a lot more than the $20 range I had in mind. I looked up at Kriste, “It’s $59. Do you think that’s worth it?” “Oh yeah.” “Yeah. I thought so.” I’ve learned in my years of hunting for antiques that sometimes it’s better

October 7, 2014 36 Comments

Hand Painted Furniture

the victorian settee & more

Our days in the studio lately are mostly spent painting, since we’re getting ready for the Chapel Market. We crank up the music or sometimes chit-chat about life, mix up some milk paint and work on one piece after the other. We’re making good progress, but there is still a lot to do and I’m feeling a bit behind since I was under the weather a couple of days last week. I’m feeling so much more energetic now and I’m ready to tackle our to-do list. The last time I shared the victorian settee with you, Kriste was putting a thin coat of Tough Coat on it to prevent the original red stain from bleeding through. This has worked for me before with a yellow stain, but I hadn’t tried it on the “dreaded red stain”. I was really putting Tough Coat to the test, because I want to paint

October 5, 2014 16 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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