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All Things Home

kitchen backsplash details

If you missed the reveal of my new kitchen counters, you can see them HERE.  In this post, I’m following up with some details about the backsplash. I thought it might take a few weeks to have it done, but I was referred to a local “tile guy” who was able to fit our project in around larger jobs.  I had considered doing it myself, but after installing the tile backsplash in my last house, I decided tile work was something that was best left to the professionals.  The end result looked nice, but let’s just say that grout covered a multitude of errors! I selected venatino marble subway tiles from Lowe’s.  It had just the right amount of gray in it, so it would add some texture and color, but would still be neutral.  I decided to have it installed in a 1/3 running bond pattern, with 1/16″ grout

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May 30, 2018 51 Comments
All Things Home

kitchen counters reveal

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by HanStone Quartz.  As always, all opinions expressed are honest and my own. I am so excited to finally share my new kitchen counters! More than one person thought I was a little crazy for replacing granite counters, but they weren’t my taste and we hope to live in this house for a long time.  The kitchen is the heart of the home and we want it to be “us”. And, I have to say, I am completely over the moon with how it turned out.  I have wanted white marble counters for as long as I can remember and now I have beautiful quartz counters (HanStone Quartz in Monterey) that give me the exact look I want without the concern about etching and staining.  They are perfect. Before I gush, here is how the kitchen looked when we first moved in…   What a

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May 29, 2018 75 Comments
All Things Home

a simple fix to a fuzzy situation

You know those annoying little things around your home that you just live with, because you figure that’s just the way they are?  Like a chair with a leg that wobbles or a remote button you have to push at the top right corner to make it work, or the oven you have to set 20 degrees higher than the dial, so it gets to the proper cooking temp? ….or the fuzz and dust that collects around any chair, stool, or table leg that has a sticky felt slider underneath to protect your wood floor?  That’s been bugging me for years!  Sometimes, it’s so bad that it looks like a small furry animal was pinned under a leg. I finally decided to try something different.  On the bottom of each leg of my barstools are plastic caps nailed into wood.  Those are not wood-floor friendly, so I stuck a felt

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May 22, 2018 40 Comments
All Things Home

DIY & ready-made tie-up shades

I’m bringing you a “twofer” in today’s post – a tie-up shade tutorial and a ready-made version! So, a few months ago, I made three linen shades with my mom for my studio.  I did the cutting, pinning, and sewing, and she did the ironing.  With the two of us working together, we were able to get three done quickly, but we didn’t have time to finish the remaining three before she left.  I’ve been dragging my feet since January, feeling like the project would eat up a couple of days of my time.  I finally got to work on them and finished all three in about three hours!  It’s so ridiculous how I can build projects up in my own head when they really won’t take that long. Anyway, while I was stalling, I spoke with Decor Steals about making a reproduction shade for those who don’t sew or

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May 21, 2018 50 Comments
All Things Home

installation of the new kitchen counters

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by HanStone.  All opinions and words are honest and my own. Monday was the day and it was like counting down the days to Christmas.  I think HanStone needs to make an advent calendar to countdown to counter install day.  Filled with dark chocolates and bite-sized samples of coordinating backsplash tile. Anyway, before the install could happen, our fabricator and installer had to come to the house to measure for the new counters.  We used a local company, The Pinske Edge in Rochester, MN.  (And, just to explain, the material for the counters was provided by HanStone as a part of the sponsorship, but we paid for the fabrication and installation.) On the day of measuring, I had to clear off the counters, so they could have full access to those as well as the walls and cabinets.  I was expecting a guy with a

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May 16, 2018 45 Comments
All Things Home

Plans for the steps

I hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend!  I know this particular holiday can be bitter sweet for some, remembering mothers or children they have lost or never knew or had.  But I hope some joy could be found, even for those who are mourning. I celebrated mother’s day by being a mom/wife…cooking pancakes for the boys, making one of Jeff’s favorite meals for an early dinner, supervising chores and Nerf wars, cleaning the house, and yes, even doing some laundry.  I received a button necklace made with only blue and green buttons and white beads.  I was also given a bouquet of white roses, a card with a singing cat, and a piece of my favorite lemon cake.  And I was given some quiet time to paint in my studio.  All around, a pretty nice day. So, today I’m sharing about some more plans I have… One of

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May 14, 2018 47 Comments
All Things Home

pine desk refresh

One thing that has been on my shopping list for a while is a desk for the master bedroom.  Since Jeff has an office at the church, he doesn’t need one at the house.  He occassionally does work at home and requested a desk in our room, since it’s a quiet room, pretty well removed from the rest of the house.  I didn’t know exactly what I was looking for, but I knew I would know it when I saw it.  I was thinking it might be along the lines of a simple writing desk, but when I came upon this pine desk in a local antique shop a couple of weeks ago, it caught my eye and I thought it would work in the space… It had some short-cut repairs, was missing a knob, and it was dirty, but it was solid, had a nice shape, and a pretty

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May 10, 2018 52 Comments
All Things Home

adding layers to the living room

As I mentioned in my post about painting the stairwell walls, I decided to change the color of the living room from Wickham Gray to Stonington Gray.  It’s a very subtle change, but it will ultimately flow better with the rest of the first floor.  Wickham Gray was looking a little green in comparison and, since you can see the foyer and kitchen from the living room, it was feeling off. I needed to finish painting the trim in that room, which would involve moving the furniture and taking the curtains down, anyway, so it made sense to change the color at the same time. You can see the subtle change in color.  Stonington is on the left and Wickham on the right… It’s a little bit warmer, darker, and feels more sophisticated for some reason. (I need to keep telling my boys to turn off the fire!  They really

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May 9, 2018 54 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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