Preorder Move Slow & Make Things, and enjoy a collection of thoughtful bonus content created just for you!

Dining Room

Antiques

$40 dining room table & chairs

Since we moved into our house in September, I have been hunting for a dining table and chairs.  The dining room has been a bit of a storage room, so it hasn’t felt like too much of a priority.  I was looking forward to eating in there, though, and using the table for puzzles and projects.  And I was looking forward to it looking and feeling more like a proper room.  It was funny…we had our electrical panel replaced and the electrician looked a little stumped when he was trying to label that room.  From the studio, I called over, “It’s the dining room!” I found a few on Facebook Marketplace and at local used furniture and antique stores, but they were either too expensive, not quite the right style or the table or chairs were rickety.  I knew the right set would come along at some point.  I just

Read More
Antiques

Antique French Louis Philippe Vitrine

Remember the piece I purchased from Ekster Antiques?  When I shared it on Instagram, one of my friends (who is a designer and European antique dealer) informed me this is an antique French Louis Philippe Vitrine.  I didn’t know it was called that specifically, but I knew that it was gorgeous and that I loved it.  It was even better than what I imagined when I put “glass front cabinet” on my furniture shopping list for the new house. I was at the Ekster Antiques barn to pick up a piece for my studio, but I kept getting pulled back to this piece.  One of my goals, when it came to purchasing pieces, was to only buy pieces that were “favorites.”  I want to have a house full of favorites, as I wrote about HERE last year.  There was no denying when I stood in front of this antique Louis

Read More
All Things Home

GAP Home at Walmart

Disclosure: This blog post is sponsored by Walmart.  All words and opinions expressed about the are, as always, honest and my own. Did you hear/see that has collaborated with on a new home decor line? As a long-time lover of GAP’s classic style, I was excited to see the products in this collaboration.  GAP’s timeless aesthetic and signature blue & white color palette are definitely on display in this collection and, best of all, it’s paired with Walmart’s affordable pricing. I purchased for Calvin’s bed, but I also bought a from the collection.  If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you know that I love dishes and particularly stoneware.  I was interested in seeing modern take on these tabletop staples. First of all, the dishes are sturdy and beautifully made.  They have a raw edge that gives them more of a handmade feel.  Each piece has clean lines, so

Read More
Decorating

easing into hosting again

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by .  As always, all words and opinions are honest and my own. One of the things I’ve enjoyed in recent weeks is getting together with friends and family again!  We were able to have dinner with some friends on our trip to PA and we had a small get-together with family during our vacation in Isle of Palms.  It got me thinking that it’s time to start easing back into hosting at home.  I don’t know about you, but I have gotten out of the habit of hospitality.  Not just having people over to our house, but seeking out opportunities to spend time with others.  Actually in person, not just over Zoom!  With the US opening up a bit more and restrictions easing, it’s a good time to seek out those opportunities again in ways that are welcoming, yet respectful to the comfort levels

Read More
All Things Home

Christmas Dining Room 2020

Last year, I didn’t decorate my dining room for Christmas, because it was just too much to try to do as my shoulder was still healing from surgery.  This year, though, I was right back to dressing our dining room for Christmas!   I kept it pretty simple, though, and just added some faux greenery to the chandelier, our small tree in a goat cart for our advent stockings, some garland on the mirror, and gingerbread in the hutch. I really wanted to do my usual advent wreath for the center of the table, but the cats picked mine apart last year, so I didn’t do it.  I just used a simple candle ring on a chunky candle in an ironstone bowl as the centerpiece. The greens are just tucked into the chandelier.  You can see a tutorial on my method HERE. Violet let me know she was watching. On the

Read More
All Things Home

organizing the dining room

If you’re going to join my live painting class/demo, I’ve scheduled it for Friday, April 3, 2020, at 2:00 CST.  HERE is the event in Facebook to let me know if you’re joining live.  It will be recorded and you can watch it later if you’re not able to make it. Remember, this is just for fun.  No pressure about having all the supplies or the right supplies.  We’re just going to paint and learn.  It’ll be my first time doing a live oil painting demo, so we’ll muddle along together! I’ve had “organize the dining room” on my to-do list for a loooong time.  Months.  It hasn’t hung out on the list because it’s a big project, it’s hard, or even that I’m avoiding it.  It’s just not that important when the mess is behind closed doors that I don’t open very often.  I only go in them when

Read More
All Things Home

restyling the dining room hutch

When I restyled the shelves in the living room (you can find that post HERE), I ended up raiding the dining room hutch.  Doesn’t accessory or furniture shuffling always cause a chain reaction?  One thing gets crossed off the list and you end up adding two or three more things to the list! Here is how the dining room hutch looked before I raided it… Since I removed almost all of the antique blue and white transferware, I was left with white ironstone and some reproduction jadeite pieces I purchased at Walmart (links are below). I knew I wanted to use those pieces, but mix in some other elements…perhaps wood, silver, or glass.  So, I started playing around, bringing in different elements and sitting them on the shelf to see what looked right to my design eye.  I wanted it to look harmonious, but collected.  I wanted these pieces to

Read More
All Things Home

restyled hutch

I have never really been drawn to the color of Jadeite, to be honest.  It just wasn’t a shade of green I particularly liked.  But, my tune has changed when it comes to that color!  After using the in my green and white summer tablescape last month, I bought a few more pieces and decided to mix them into my antique ironstone and blue & white transferware.  I like how they tie into the colors in the wall mural… They offset the blue and white and look right at home alongside the antiques. I also added a few antique victorian inkwell bottles to tie in with the green. I love it when I can display pretty pieces that I own.  It seems a shame to have them hidden away in cabinets! If you missed it, you can see the green & white summer tablescape HERE. JavaScript is currently disabled in

Read More

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.

next art sale

May 20th, 2026 at 1pm EST

Now Available for Preorder

Move Slow & Make Things

A book about creativity, intention, and making things with care. Sign up to receive updates, preorder details, and exclusive bonus content.

From the Studio

Artful pieces for your home and everyday life.

From original paintings and art prints to Pup Club releases and curated goods, each piece is created or chosen to bring warmth, creativity, and character into your home.

From the Studio and Home

Shop the Feed

A handpicked collection of items styled and shared throughout posts, projects, and social feeds. Every product is thoughtfully chosen to reflect a timeless, collected aesthetic.

Recent Video

Spring Posts

Explore the Shop

Explore the Blog

Categories
error: Content is protected.

Pin It on Pinterest