Furniture Makeovers Archives | Page 50 of 111

Furniture Makeovers

Before and Afters

hand painted buffet makeover

I have always loved sharing my furniture makeovers here and I know they are what put my blog on the map, so to speak. Now that I have this new space to work in, I’m more inspired than ever to work on pieces in my stash and it feels good. I started working on this empire buffet a few days ago. I shared the refinishing, painting and waxing process HERE. And here’s the end result… I envisioned the piece being very light, with a faded quality. I don’t know why I saw it that way when it started out so dark and heavy, but that’s how I pictured it! I was planning to use the original knobs, but the brass piece that held the glass looked really dark against the pale gray milk paint and “bleached” top. I used some new glass knobs that disappear a bit more and allowed the hand

September 9, 2014 61 Comments

Hand Painted Furniture

empire buffet project | white waxing

I spent some more time today on the empire buffet. If you missed what this piece looked like before and how it got to this stage, check out PART ONE. So, we last left the piece with the top stripped off the finish and the body painted in one coat of Shutter Gray MMS Milk Paint with the bonding agent added in. Since milk paint is thinner than most modern paints, the coverage can be streaky in the first coat if the paint color your using is drastically different than the surface you’re painting. In this case, I was painting a really dark wood with a medium gray paint, so it wasn’t going to cover in one coat. This is the stage where some people lose heart… As with most multi-step furniture painting projects, it looks worse before it looks better. I’ve said it many times; do not give up

September 8, 2014 47 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

empire buffet project

Last week I started to get pieces ready for the Chapel Market (on October 25 in Pike Road, AL). I have a pretty nice stash and a plan in my head and now that I have space to work, I’m ready to go! I want my space at Chapel Market to have a cohesive theme this year. Last year, I brought mostly leftovers from the Lucketts Spring Market, so it wasn’t as pulled together as I wanted. It still looked like me, but wasn’t cohesive. I’m planning to work on photo shoots for the second MMSMP look book while I’m working on pieces to sell, so they are going to have a shared theme. And the theme is… French Blue | Farmhouse White I’ve used this theme before for curated collections, but I had to revisit it for a look book. Those who are familiar with me and my style are

September 7, 2014 25 Comments

Before and Afters

Kriste's new cabinet

I did my first photo shoot today in my new studio. To say it was exciting would be an understatement. Every time I enter the space, I smile and feel lifted and occasionally want to clap my hands like a toddler who just learned a new word or basic life skill. It’s exciting at that deep level that makes me feel like I’m going to burst. I felt that way already and then I styled and shot my first furniture makeover in the space. Then the joy went to a new level. I love my new space. I feel so free, unleashed, motivated, driven, focused and like the sky’s the limit…more than I have felt in several months. I don’t think I realized how limited I felt in my house and how much I needed a space. I bet a lot of you saw that more than I did, but I just got

September 4, 2014 43 Comments

furniture feature friday | favorites & link party

My mom and I went out shopping today, but I have to say I was pretty blurry-eyed after shopping all day yesterday with Kriste. You would think that shopping for antiques would be something I wouldn’t grow weary of, but I’ve learned that I need it in doses or everything starts to blend into the cacophony of stuff lining the shelves and crowding booths. I did find some good things today, though, including a few more chairs for the studio, a couple pieces of ironstone and a few other things. I get the keys to the studio tomorrow and I can’t wait to start moving in! I’ll snap some pictures tomorrow. And now, here are my favorites from last week… I’ve been digging pine furniture more and more these days, so I love this cupboard shared at Gracie Blue. The paneling on the door and hardware making this piece so

August 28, 2014 11 Comments

furniture feature friday | favorites & link party

Hello, all! I did have a chance to pick favorites tonight. Yay! I really needed the chill time on the couch after packing look books all day. My back is letting me know. Anyway, the black pieces tonight were catching my eye, so I decided to feature these black beauties… This buffet by Danielle of Antique Recreation is simple, classic and pretty. It was a little wild when she bought it, but she “Danielle-fied” it, which made it a lot more sophisticated. I think the white doors as a backdrop makes it pop as well. I love pieces in the style and scale. I actually have one almost exactly like it, except mine’s painted an off white. It was great seeing it in a black with the rich wood peeking through by Custom Comforts. Lastly, I think this piece by Zoey’s Uber-Chic Loft is really cool. Leaving parts of the design wood

August 21, 2014 14 Comments

furniture feature friday | favorites & link party

I didn’t pick favorites tonight and I have a good reason. It was my youngest son’s 6th birthday. We were eating pizza, Batman cake and ice cream and I was the piece finder for his new Lego set. I then cuddled with him. He started crying as he was brushing his teeth and I asked him what was wrong. Between sobs and big, sad tears he shared, “I’m so sad that my birthday is almost over!” So, of course, we had to snuggle and talk about how great his birthday was. Good reason to miss picking favorites, right? I’ve already enjoyed one party, but I’m ready to enjoy another. Link away… Here are the rules for our furniture get-together… 1.) Your post has to be about furniture. Please, please, please…just furniture. If you find your link has been deleted, it’s not because I’m mean, it’s because your post was not about furniture.

August 14, 2014 18 Comments

Living Room

repurposed petticoat, mini whisks & an apron

I moved around the furniture in my living room on Monday when the piano was moved out. Of course, moving the furniture in one room usually impacts another room as I borrow and steal from other rooms. Fortunately, all of my furniture is on felt sliders, so I just scoot things around until I like them and then scoot them back if something isn’t working. I have learned that I need to live with new arrangements for a few days to see how it works…aesthetically, functionally. Sometimes things that seem crazy end up working. Sometimes when I first move something, I start to question myself, but I think that’s because it’s change. It just looks different and I have to get used to it before I can look at it objectively. The living room is feeling larger, more open and inviting now, but I’m still playing around with it. I’ll share more

August 13, 2014 11 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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