martha's shutters

Yesterday I shared with you some of my favourite shutter shots, and today as promised I want to tell you about a talented lady, a friend of mine, who repurposes old shutters for use inside the home, as well as creating other beautiful screens and bedheads.

Martha Alberti works from her Linen Flower Studios in Marietta, and uses her expertise in paint finishes to create and restore.   This beautiful fire screen is a new item to her store, don't you love the personalised monogram?

She also applies monograms to the bedheads she makes, and can supply the letters required by each client.

Martha is married to the French artist Fabrice Alberti, and although they lived near us  in France for many years, they are now based in Marietta, US.  Their home is witness to their incredible talent and sure eye.

Martha lives by the motto,  "Start where you are, Use what you have, Do what you can".  She loves to rescue old and unremarkable furntiure and transform it into something special.  In her own home she has painted her kitchen cabinets, tables, shelves as well as larger items such as armoires.

Clients bring her pieces of furniture that are too good to throw out, and that can be transformed by Martha into beautiful 'antiques' with real age and character.   She spends a lot of time, using a combination of paint and waxes to give real depth and patina to each piece she produces.

If you have an old pair of shutters at home that you would like to use as a bedhead, Martha will transform them for you, painting and distressing until they are perfectly shabby chic.

Hope you feel inspired, if you would like to contact Martha about her work, just check her out at Linen Flower Studio.

(PS  Don't forget about the Parisienne Farmgirl giveaway if you haven't entered yet, last day tomorrow!)