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

Preorder the Book
Facebook Instagram Youtube Tiktok

My House
Decorating

Christmas Kitchen 2024

I shared our Christmas living room 2024 yesterday and, if you missed it, you can see it in THIS POST.  Today, I’m giving a little tour of the kitchen and eating area. Last year was the first year I had the chance to decorate our newly-renovated kitchen for Christmas, so I had a great time with it.  This year, I kept most of the decor the same since I really loved it.  There are a few differences, though. antique baker’s table | hardwood floors | Ilve range | brass pot rail | quartz counters I used the same wreath I made last year (you can find details HERE), but the velvet ribbons didn’t store very well, so I changed those out.  I used the same dried orange slice garland along the pot rail.  I made it last year and stored it in a zip topped back in the basement and

Read More
December 17, 2024 12 Comments
Decorating

Christmas 2024 Living Room

Well, I might be (literally) limping across the Christmas decorating finish line, but I’ve made it.  I added things this year and left other things out, making decisions based on how I felt at any given moment.  Sometimes I had a spurt of energy and was really excited about what I was doing and then other times I thought I might be finished.  In the end, nothing in life hinges on Christmas decorations, so I did what felt fun and most important to me.  While I do share my Christmas decorating online as a part of my job, I am woefully behind, weeks behind, for that to serve its intended purpose.  I’m sure your decorating is done, so you probably don’t need to see mine to get ideas!  But there isn’t a time limit on when ideas can be used or when inspiration will show up at just the right

Read More
December 16, 2024 23 Comments
Decorating

Christmas tree in an antique laundry basket

When I shared about using presents as part of Christmas decorations yesterday, several people asked here and on Instagram about two things: How did I get the Christmas tree to stand up in the antique French laundry basket, and where is the antique goat cart? So, let’s talk about those two things. First of all, I decided to try something different this year with the dining room Christmas tree.  Since it’s only our third Christmas in this house, I’m still playing with options.  I like to keep decorating for Christmas a little open so I can feel free to try new things or change things up from year to year.  I don’t want to do a full overhaul, but use the things I have differently.  So, I decided to leave the goat cart stored in the basement this year and tried putting the dining room tree in one of my

Read More
December 11, 2024 20 Comments
All Things Home

dining room mural | for now

We’re back home from visiting family for Thanksgiving.  We unpacked and put up the Christmas tree the day we got home so we had lots of time to enjoy the lights and ambience through the season.  I also set up a tree in the dining room, which is exciting to see against the backdrop of the mural.  This week, I’ll be working on more Christmas decorating, but before we get into that, I wanted to share what the mural looks like for now.  I still don’t consider it finished because I want to add or adjust a few things, and I’m still strongly considering applying an antiquing glaze to mute the colors and soften the overall look.  I even received the glaze just before we left for our trip, but I decided I would get through Christmas and then decide. So, here is how it looks for now… I love

Read More
December 2, 2024 38 Comments
All Things Home

dining room makeover | the new velvet curtains

Last week, I made a final push to get the dining room mural to a place I could call it “done for now” and put the room back together.  The best part was hanging up the new curtains custom-made for the room by Neutral Curtains.  (As a disclosure, I partnered with Neutral Curtains for an Instagram post and received these curtains as a part of that partnership.  This blog post is not a part of my obligation, though.  I wanted to share here because the curtains are gorgeous and my experience with them was excellent.) The first thing I love about Neutral Curtains is you can order an entire sample book for $1.00, which includes free shipping.  That’s not $1.00 for one swatch.  It’s for an entire book.  I ordered all the books so I could feel the fabric options and see the colors in my own space. And my

Read More
November 25, 2024 18 Comments
1970 home renovation

when the wrong order is the right order

I started working on the dining room mural when there were still nail holes in the walls that needed to be patched.  I was doing so well with taking each step of the makeover in its proper turn.  I painted the ceiling first, installed the molding, caulked the seams, and painted the trim and wainscoting.  After doing it all in the right order, I was ready to get to the fun part and wasn’t going to let spackling slow me down.  I can always fill them in later (which I did.) I had to laugh at myself when the holes in my freshly painted mural became bothersome and I filled them in, sanded, and had to touch up the paint before the mural was even a week old.  I could’ve saved some time by doing things in the right order.  Instead of fretting over a small detail that won’t make

Read More
November 19, 2024 23 Comments
1970 home renovation

woodblock scenic wallpaper

As I’ve shared the process of working on the dining room landscape mural, several people have commented on the “paint-by-number” look. (Not in a negative way, but pointing out the departure in style from my oil paintings.)  I thought I would share more details about this look’s inspiration and how I landed on it.  While the look is similar to paint-by-number in that each color is assigned to a specific place and not blended into other colors, my muse is older than that mid-century trend.  I found my inspiration from a French company specializing in woodblock scenic wallpaper for over 200 years – Zuber. A few years ago, I purchased the book Zuber: Two Centuries of Panoramic Wallpaper and I pulled it out as I was planning this hand-painted mural.  Zuber wallpapers are made by hand by applying a specified paint color to a wood block and then pressing it

Read More
November 18, 2024 27 Comments
All Things Home

kitchen paper towel holder alternative

I decided years ago to ditch the paper towel holder in my kitchen.  I don’t have anything against them, but I just never found one I really loved.  I found one or two over the years that were tolerable and I used them because you need to have a paper towel holder.  One day when I was rearranging the accessories on the kitchen counters at our PA house, I tried something different.  I grabbed a vintage locker basket, dropped two paper towel rolls in, and I liked it.  The locker basket put an end to tippy paper towel holders that never felt quite right for my style.  I used it for years in our PA house, MN house, and when we first moved to our current house in Maryland.  As I started playing with the final touches of the kitchen renovation, the locker basket didn’t feel right in this kitchen,

Read More
November 12, 2024 20 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.

Facebook Instagram Youtube Pinterest Amazon

next art sale

May 20th, 2026 at 1pm EST

Get Early access →

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.
Explore the shop →

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.
Shop Now →

Recent Video

Spring Posts

Explore the Shop

Explore the Blog

Categories
error: Content is protected.

Pin It on Pinterest