Furniture Makeovers Archives | Page 87 of 110

Furniture Makeovers

Before and Afters

Say hello to “French Enamel”

Here’s the next color in my line of Milk Paint! I’d like to introduce you to “French Enamel.” Here’s the dresser before… (You can take a moment to revive the wood lover next to you who just passed out at the sight of this beautiful wood being painted.) I know it was beautiful, but it wasn’t in great condition and needed to be fully refinished or painted. So, I painted. I do love and appreciate beautiful wood, so I did refinish the top. I stripped it and wiped it down with two coats of Hemp Oil (an all natural product that will be carried in my line.) The colors in my line are going to be named after things I love (like Shutter Gray) and this color is named after the French enamel pitchers that have always caught my eye. I own one, but was only able to afford it because

May 14, 2012 No Comments

Before and Afters

MMS tee & a French chair makeover

I picked up my t-shirts yesterday! I absolutely love them. Reni did an amazing job with the design and I’m so happy with the printing and the quality of the t-shirts. They are Champion brand and are 60% cotton and 40% polyester, which makes them a little stretchy and will prevent shrinking. I’ll be setting up an online shop soon and the t-shirts will be available for sale there, in addition to my milk paint and some of the random cool things I find and make. The shirts will be $15/each. I’ll do a giveaway for one next week (in addition to a few other goodies.) The batch I just picked up will be coming with me to sell at Lucketts. Well, I’m still paint splattered and dirty and sore and cranking out pieces for Lucketts. If you’re curious what I’m working on, you can check out my Facebook

May 10, 2012 No Comments

Before and Afters

Say hello to “Shutter Gray”

I’m so excited to introduce the first color in Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint line…”Shutter Gray.” So, maybe you’re wondering why I’m calling it Shutter Gray. I’ve decided to name the colors in my line after things I love and decorate with. I have a few awesome chippy gray shutters, so when I thought of a name for gray, shutters immediately came to mind. My gray has a bit more blue in it, but that’s the way I like my grays! The piece I tested it on is a gorgeous French chest-on-chest I picked up last week. …and the milk paint did the awesome thing it does… The piece wasn’t bad to begin with at all. It was just a little….orange. I love how this dresser (and the color) turned out. I’ll be bringing it with me to sell at the

May 10, 2012 No Comments

buying & selling antiques

colours & projects

I’m in the phase of getting ready for Lucketts where I spend most of my day in the basement painting, stripping (furniture), sanding, waxing, distressing…you get the idea. I get to the end of this kind of day and I wonder what in the world I’m going to post about. I’ve finished pieces, but they’re still in the basement and I have about seven other things in the works, but they’re really not ready to show. So, I’m just going to share some of what I’ve been up to today. When Mini first arrived to watch my boys for the day, I took a long soak in a hot bath. I was sleepy and a little sore and I just couldn’t face all of the work that needed to be done without a little down time first. After the bath, breakfast and a quick check of my e-mail and I got to

May 7, 2012 No Comments

Before and Afters

hand painting again

For those who don’t know, my business started as a decorative painting/mural business. About a year into it, I realized I didn’t want to paint stuff on everything. Sometimes I just wanted to paint something and leave it at that. More and more, that’s what I wanted to do, so I adapted my business to better reflect my personal taste. I have held onto my artist brushes, though, and every once in a while I pull that old trick out of the bag. Here’s the latest example… I am normally not into this furniture style at all, but I could see beyond the deco hardware and patterned veneer. It didn’t have the “waterfall” lines of some of its contemporaries, so I bought it. (It was also super cheap at a yard sale!) I had the big diamond in the center to deal with and the hardware had carved

May 5, 2012 1 Comment

MMS Milk Paint Boxwood dresser before and after - www.mms2.wpengine.com

Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint

Milk Paint vs. Chalk-type Paints (again)

The number one question people ask me when I tell them about my milk paint line is, “What’s the difference between milk paint and chalk-type paints?” That’s a fair question! It seems like boutique paint lines are flooding the market and it’s causing a lot of confusion. Which one is best for your project? Why would you choose one over the other? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? First, let’s take a look at examples of pieces painted in milk paint… Now, let’s look at examples of pieces that were painted in a chalk-type paint… Now that you can see the looks that can be achieved with both of them, let’s talk about the similarities and differences. What is milk paint and chalk-type paints? Milk Paint: Is a 100% natural paint that’s been around for hundreds of years. It’s called milk paint, because one of the ingredients is

May 2, 2012 No Comments

Before and Afters

fun with film holders

Here’s my little project with the antique film holders I bought last week… As soon as I saw them, I envisioned making them into mini chalkboards. So, I taped off the frame and spayed the film directly with two coats of chalkboard paint. Very simple and very cute (in my opinion.) (And I decided to keep this little alarm clock and I’m selling a different one that I’ve had in my house.) I’ve been very busy the last few days with milk paint stuff (so crazy exciting) and book writing stuff (crazy exciting, too) and getting things ready for Lucketts. I finally got out my paint sprayer to paint the 100+ letters I found at a yard sale a couple of weeks ago. I was considering painting them by hand, but that was a silly thought. I was able to get them all sprayed in about 15 minutes. Work smarter

April 30, 2012 No Comments

Before and Afters

white washed desk & tutorial

Thanks so much for all of your sweet comments and encouragement in response to my recent big announcement! I really do feel like I have a huge group of friends who have been with me through this journey and you’re cheering me on. It’s an awesome feeling and it means a lot to me. The next three weeks are going to be insane. I’m getting stocked up for the Lucketts Antique Market, which means lots of shopping, painting, pricing, packing, upholstering, sewing, glittering, gluing…whew! On top of that, I’m working on rewrites for my book and developing this line of milk paint. I need to find a way to duplicate myself, so I can get it all done and still make dinner and keep my guys in clean clothes! I know it’ll all work out. It always does. So, here’s the latest piece of furniture I just finished today…

April 28, 2012 1 Comment

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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