Artistic Endeavors Archives | Page 45 of 55

Artistic Endeavors

controlling the studio chaos…

As you may have guessed from all of the furniture reveal posts lately (and there are still more to come), the studio is getting pretty full! We have a lot of space (about 2500 square feet), but we have “areas” for different tasks…shipping, storage, sewing, a counter and our desks, workshop area, and a work/staging/photography area. I just realized as I’m typing this out that I should do a video tour! It’s on the to-do list now. So, the work/staging/photography area is the side of the studio that receives the best light and it’s where we are most often. It’s where all of the painting, upholstering, refinishing and staging has been happening and it’s gotten a little out of control over the past few weeks. Okay, a lot out of control. It’s quite the maze. Kriste has been getting twitchy just looking at it. She’s the girl who usually puts all

March 31, 2016 48 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

building a mobile shop counter

A few of you noticed the counter in the background of the cleaning cart turned kitchen cart post. It is actually a mobile shop counter I designed and Jeff built for me! I wanted a counter that had a vintage look and feel, but would be mobile and reasonably lightweight to take to the Lucketts Spring Market and any other future events. While I would love another large, antique counter, they are usually not mobile and definitely not lightweight. Building a new one was really a much better option. So, Jeff and I went shopping for materials, discussing the design elements I wanted to incorporate as well as the practical aspect of how this mobile shop counter needs to function. I wanted beadboard and a wood top. Jeff had the idea to put it up on feet, in case the ground is wet. We also needed a shelf on the

March 25, 2016 30 Comments

All Things Home

oak buffet in-the-works

Last week, a reader left a comment asking for me to show more behind-the-scenes pictures. It was a simple, polite request and it made me realize I don’t do that as much as I used to. I think I always feel like the pictures have to be pretty, “Pin-worthy” images that will be liked and shared. Pinterest, Instagram and the infamous Facebook algorithm really changed what bloggers (on the whole) share and how they share it and I am not an exception. But, that comment got me thinking. As a DIYer myself, I love looking at the before and afters and inspirational pictures, but I also want to know the HOW behind it. While I’ve written hundreds of how-oriented, tutorial posts, it doesn’t mean I can’t share the latest “hows” behind what I’m working on. For those who are new, it might be new information and, for those who have been

March 22, 2016 36 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

the studio is full of possibilities

I was down to just a few things in my to-do stash and that lasted for about two minutes. Kriste and I went shopping on Monday and brought home some great pieces AND my dad scored a few things on craigslist AND I received a few shipments. You know when you get home from the grocery store and dump all of your bags on the kitchen floor? Now, imagine that with furniture and boxes and bags of antiques and home decor. That’s what the studio was like today – stuff all over the floor and in no particular order. It was a little chaotic, but it was exciting, too. And, oh, the possibilities! From our shopping trip, we brought home this pretty oak buffet… It’s almost exactly like one I bought and painted for Lucketts last year… We also got this sweet highboy. It has such a pretty and

March 17, 2016 85 Comments

All Things Home

making a “vintage” chalkboard with milk paint

As I shared yesterday, the past couple of weeks in the studio have been devoted to getting things finished that have been hanging around for way too long. I’ve ignored some of them, because I knew they would be a pain-in-the-rear to work on, like the French chair with nailhead trim (yet to be revealed), and I ignored others because I just didn’t know what to do with them. I knew they had potential and I wasn’t quite ready to give up on them, so they languished in “the stash”. This oversized Eastlake mirror frame, minus the mirror, was one of those pieces, but it was a perfect piece to repurpose. Here’s how I went about making it into a vintage chalkboard with milk paint. Before we get into the tutorial on making a vintage-style chalkboard with milk paint, a bit of history… I picked it up at a yard

March 12, 2016 43 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

busy as bees…

It’s always exciting when the studio starts filling up with goodies. We have quite a bit finished for Lucketts already and I’m enjoying arranging it all for pretty photos and to give myself a sense of what I have and what I need to look for. If pieces are set up in “rooms” and vignettes, then I know if I need some chairs for a table or another dresser to round out an arrangement. Just as the theme helps me focus my buying efforts, making these arrangements helps me as well. And, I must admit, it’s just fun. Kriste and I are pretty much ready to move in. A few of you asked to see the inside of the old kitchen sink and here it is… See what I mean? It would hold a lot of dirty dishes!! Or, it would be a pretty amazing utility sink for a mudroom or laundry

March 8, 2016 19 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

Farmhouse White Cupboard

A few months ago, Jeff and I made a cupboard around a pair of reclaimed doors I bought at an antique market for $40. They hung in my dining room for a few years, but I always thought they would be perfect in a custom-built cabinet. The full tutorial will be available on HGTV.com at some point and I will link to it when it is. I must admit, this cabinet gave me the “building bug” and now I’m ready to do a lot more designing and building. You know…with all of my free time. Anyway, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to paint the doors initially, so I didn’t. I figured I would leave them alone and live with them unpainted for a while. After just a couple of weeks, I knew I wanted to paint them. The cupboard didn’t feel cohesive to me and I felt like the finish looked

November 23, 2015 42 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

busy day at the studio…

The studio was hustling and bustling today. My mom and Kriste came to help, since we had a huge to-do list. We worked together to get everything ready for the workshop tomorrow. We have four lovely ladies attending and I’m pretty excited that it’s a small workshop. I think they are more relaxed and you really have the chance to talk. I also get to pamper these ladies with a fun “buffet” of things to glitter… And pretty ribbons and twine to replace those flimsy, stretchy metallic hangers. And they each get a “Merry & Bright” banner and a full jar of glitter to take home. We included some inspiration on the table as well. While Kriste was working on that, my mom and I were working on the slipcover for my mom’s wing chair (as well as making a video tutorial as I was doing it.) I had too may things

November 21, 2015 18 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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