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

Home Studio

All Things Home

painting checkerboard floors | part 2

When you last saw the floors, they were all taped off and ready to paint.  You can find that post HERE if you missed it. The taping was definitely the most time-consuming part.  After that, it’s pretty much smooth sailing for this project. I initially purchased the same color I used on my kitchen walls – Stonington Gray mixed at 50%.  I wanted the squares to be a very pale blue/gray, so the checkers would be subtle and not too high contrast with the bright white.  I painted the first row of squares, removed the tape and knew, even before it dried, that it wasn’t what I wanted.  The color looks very blue/gray in my kitchen, but in the studio, it looked like a pale beige.  I pondered it for a few minutes and decided I spent waaaaaay too much time and energy taping off those squares to settle.  So,

Read More
All Things Home

Painting Checkboard Floors | Part 1

I’ve had the painting-checkerboard-floors itch for a long time!  Back in 2012 I was contemplating finishing my dining room and living room in a two-toned stained checkerboard pattern (you can find that post HERE), but Jeff didn’t love the idea and talked me out of it.  I was slightly relieved because the prospect of doing all of that geometry made me nervous.  I just wasn’t sure I had the patience or attention to detail to pull it off well. When we moved into this house, I knew the studio would be the perfect candidate to finally try a checkerboard floor, but there was just so much to be done that it seemed to be silly to crawl around on the floor taping off squares for an entire day.  I just needed to get paint on the floors and then deal with more elaborate ideas later. Can you believe this is

Read More
All Things Home

Styling the Studio Bookcase

Some of you might remember when I purchased this pretty oak hutch to act as storage in my studio… I filled it with my decorating and design books with just a small handful of art books mixed in and I remember sharing that I was hoping to build my art resource book library about the time this photo was taken. Well, I made short work of that goal!  I’ve collected dozens of books on the masters, oil painting, impressionism, watercolors, sketching, portraits, figurative work, landscapes, clouds, plein air, still lifes, and books filled with reference images.  The collection has grown to fill most of the first two shelves of the large bookcase in my studio. I pick them up here and there.  Some are new from bookstores (even a few from Shakespeare & Co and the Musee D’Orsay in Paris), many are bought used off of Amazon, and a few

Read More
All Things Home

studio shelf plans

I’m only a few weeks into crocheting and I already have a yarn problem.  Many of you warned me about this, but I knew it was coming.  It was a  foregone conclusion.  I felt drawn to yarn even before I had a good excuse to buy it.  Now that I have an excuse, well…I need to troll the yarn aisles at the craft store to see if anything calls my name.  I am trying to only buy yarn for specific projects or to test out for specific projects, but it’s still filling a basket and already a bit of a jumble. So, I’ve decided it’s time to move forward on an idea I’ve had for a while…building a shelf under the window behind my “guest chair.”   It’s the perfect stretch of wall for a narrow, built-in shelf that will be ideal for storing yarn and books. Here is a rough

Read More
All Things Home

organizing the studio closet

This was looooooooong overdue.  Jeff and I built this closet in my studio in the spring of 2019 and I just threw everything in.  It was a busy season and when things are behind closed doors, I can let them slide for a while.  It was getting out of control, though.  There was an avalanche of frames and photography gear just about every time I opened the doors.  I would growl, get what I needed, and close the doors as quickly as possible.  It’s not how I envisioned using this closet.  This was supposed to give me thoughtful, organized storage for the bulky gear needed for certain aspects of my business.  Instead, it was something I would give the stinkeye when I viewed it from my desk. When a storage solution turns into that, it’s really time to address it and I knew it wouldn’t take much time or effort. 

Read More
All Things Home

studio desk chair & the computer ban

Since I did the office/studio furniture shuffle in February, I’ve been sitting on makeshift desk chairs.  At first, it was a Fench cane chair that worked pretty well, even if it wasn’t the best height or the most comfortable.  But, I could slowly feel the cane seat loosening and it finally punched through (which was awesome for my self-esteem.)  So, in a pinch, I pulled in a dining chair.  It worked fine, but I noticed my back would be aching after a long day at the computer.  I needed a proper desk chair for my studio desk. I looked for months, but I just wasn’t finding what I wanted.  I had to be comfortable, not ridiculously expensive, and I didn’t want it to look like something from the set of Star Trek.  I wanted it to be adjustable, have arms, and the ability to rock. Let me tell you…I looked

Read More
All Things Home

studio closet reveal

The studio closet is finally finished!  I cannot express how awesome it is to have all of that functional storage in this space now.  It was one of my goals this year to make my workspaces more functional and that has been accomplished in my studio and home office. Previous Posts: If you missed any previous posts in the studio closet series, including plans and some process pictures of how the closet was built, you can find them here… studio closet: framing and shelves studio closet progress: building the doors studio closet progress: straightening warped doors with turnbuckles studio closet progress: building the 3rd door & adding catches So, this weekend, while everyone else in my family was occupied, I took some time to prime and paint the closet.  I used Smart Prime by Zinsser as the primer and then Benjamin Moore’s Aura in White Dove in an eggshell finish

Read More
All Things Home

more studio closet progress

Thanks so much for all of the lovely comments on my guest room and for the overwhelming response on my milk paint birthday post!  This group knows how to make a girl feel good.  Thank you!  I’ll announce the giveaway winner in tomorrow’s post. Well, we took advantage of a pretty day last week and finally finished building the studio closet! Now, I need to prime and paint it.  I’m planning to paint it the same color as the walls, Simply White by Benjamin Moore, so it just blends in.  I don’t want it to be too visually imposing, which would be easy since it is quite large. We built the last of the three doors and this time added a Z brace to minimize warping.  The door was still a little warped, but not anywhere near as wonky as the other two were. We did make one bone-headed mistake,

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