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Furniture Makeovers

Before and Afters

Painting the Dining Chairs

I have been looking for a sturdy pair of oval back chairs to use in my dining room for years.  They were always too expensive or too rickety for practical, regular use.  So, I was ready to buy some from Restoration Hardware, but the day I was planning to press the “purchase” button, I found a set of four chairs on Craig’s List.  Woohoo!!  You can read the full story HERE.  They were perfect, but they were maroon. Not being able to stomach stripping four caned chairs, I took them to have them professionally stripped, which cost $50/chair and saved me hours and hours.  I’ve had them in their stripped, raw state for a few months now and today I started to finish them. These chairs were my inspiration… (photo source) I really liked the chairs raw, but they were a little rough and some of the old white and

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Miscellaneus

Mustard Seed Yellow Photo Shoot

 Today I’m trying to get back into the groove after being under the weather last week.  I’m still stuffy and dragging a bit, but I managed to get some things done.  One of the projects I worked on this afternoon was a photo shoot of one of my milk paint colors.  I thought it would be fun to have a color(s) of the month to give me a focus for the MMSMP Blog (coming soon) and a way to push me away from using the blues, grays and neutrals all the time.  I selected the colors to compliment the seasons.  There are two colors for November – Curio and Mustard Seed Yellow.  I only got around to shooting Mustard Seed Yellow today, so I thought I would share those pictures… Of course, the inspiration for the color is the mustard seed, which obviously is significant to me. For those who

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Furniture Makeovers

the joy of painting to sell

I’m often asked if it’s hard to sell pieces I’ve painted.  Sometimes it is, yes, but there is a real freedom in it, too.  I don’t have to force a piece to work with my existing decor.  I can paint it in whatever color, finish, design, pattern, style I want. Every piece is then a blank slate…     …and I don’t have to worry about where it’s going to fit or if it will provide the right amount of storage or if the hardware is right for the room.     I can paint it for an imaginary room/client and then wait for the right person to come along…who loves it, has the perfect spot for it, buys it and gives it a new home.     I can let go and paint the piece how it looks best in my mind’s eye. I actually find more enjoyment in

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Hand Painted Furniture

apronstringsrevealgallery (550×275)

I’m often asked if it’s hard to sell pieces I’ve painted.  Sometimes it is, yes, but there is a real freedom in it, too.  I don’t have to force a piece to work with my existing decor.  I can paint it in whatever color, finish, design, pattern, style I want. Every piece is then a blank slate…     …and I don’t have to worry about where it’s going to fit or if it will provide the right amount of storage or if the hardware is right for the room.     I can paint it for an imaginary room/client and then wait for the right person to come along…who loves it, has the perfect spot for it, buys it and gives it a new home.     I can let go and paint the piece how it looks best in my mind’s eye. I actually find more enjoyment in

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FURNITURE FEATURE FRIDAY – Favorites & Link Party

Good evening, all!  Tonight, I had practice for our church Christmas play and my husband took the boys out trick-or-treating.  When I got home, I handed out candy and got the cold, wet little boys in their jammies.  My youngest was wearing a Spiderman costume with fake polyfil muscles and it cracked me up.  Our town is little (two stoplights), but it is hopping on Halloween.  The first year we lived here, we just got a small bag of candy, thinking we couldn’t possibly have more visitors than we did in our townhouse in the DC metro area.  Come on.  Everyone knows that townhouses are money when it comes to trick-or-treating!  So, we were floored when we ran out of candy shortly after dark and had to run out to get more. We moved into our home in October, so events like the Apple Harvest Festival and Halloween bring back

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FURNITURE FEATURE FRIDAY – Favorites & Link Party

Good evening, all!  Tonight, I had practice for our church Christmas play and my husband took the boys out trick-or-treating.  When I got home, I handed out candy and got the cold, wet little boys in their jammies.  My youngest was wearing a Spiderman costume with fake polyfil muscles and it cracked me up.  Our town is little (two stoplights), but it is hopping on Halloween.  The first year we lived here, we just got a small bag of candy, thinking we couldn’t possibly have more visitors than we did in our townhouse in the DC metro area.  Come on.  Everyone knows that townhouses are money when it comes to trick-or-treating!  So, we were floored when we ran out of candy shortly after dark and had to run out to get more. We moved into our home in October, so events like the Apple Harvest Festival and Halloween bring back

Read More

FURNITURE FEATURE FRIDAY – Favorites & Link Party

Good evening all!  I was a little bit under the weather today, so I spent a lot of the day lounging in bed with the computer on my lap.  I don’t have many days like that, but my husband all but insisted.  I did sneak out for a quick photoshoot and showered and put on some makeup for a Skype interview with Jeanne Oliver.  Of course, I had pajama pants on.  The nice thing about Skype is you only need to be presentable from the waist up!  So, I had some good time to look through your entries today and the blues stole my heart.  Here are my favorites…  I think this smokey blue dresser by Reeves of The Weathered Door is so pretty.  Of course, you know I love wood tops and the paint job is so simple, but there’s something interesting at the same time.  It has almost

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FURNITURE FEATURE FRIDAY – Favorites & Link Party

Good evening all!  I was a little bit under the weather today, so I spent a lot of the day lounging in bed with the computer on my lap.  I don’t have many days like that, but my husband all but insisted.  I did sneak out for a quick photoshoot and showered and put on some makeup for a Skype interview with Jeanne Oliver.  Of course, I had pajama pants on.  The nice thing about Skype is you only need to be presentable from the waist up!  So, I had some good time to look through your entries today and the blues stole my heart.  Here are my favorites…  I think this smokey blue dresser by Reeves of The Weathered Door is so pretty.  Of course, you know I love wood tops and the paint job is so simple, but there’s something interesting at the same time.  It has almost

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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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