the winner:
Random.org picked Kristen Hasbrouck as the winner of an original shutter headboard by Linen Flower Studios. Kristen, ENJOY your one-of-a-kind creation!! (Jealous…just a tad.) And thank you, Linen Flower Studios, for a fabulous giveaway!
the goods:
Win this simply incredible handmade shutter piece {shown left} by Linen Flower Studios. Valued at $300, it can be used as a headboard for a full-sized bed, hung behind a sofa for some architectural drama, or used in a mudroom or kitchen to hang photos or reminders. We. Are. In. Love!!!
the giveaway:
To enter to win this beauty for your home, simply:
1. Visit Linen Flower Studio’s website: www.linenflowerstudios.com.
2. Comment below, telling us either your favorite Linen Flower piece - or- what piece of yours you’d love to have refinished by Linen Flower Studios. {We love the monogrammed firescreens–oh my!!}
But before you jet, you just have to meet the fabulous artist behind this piece. Her life is simply looooovely!
The lovely Martha Alberti
the artist:
We’d like to introduce you to Martha Alberti, the talented artiste behind Linen Flower Studios, whose gorgeous furnishings and home accessories can be found in local shops, including Ivy and Twine and The Magnolia Room in Marietta. Here’s a bit more about Martha– a truly inspiring lady with a romantic French past (and talented French husband to boot).
LBD|LRW: What inspired the name of your company, Linen Flower Studios?
Martha: Why would I name my furniture-painting business something better suited to an enterprise selling towels and sheets? The reason is a bit sentimental: I spent many happy years living in a cottage in the heart of Normandy surrounded by fields awash in the ephemeral blue flower that linen produces in late spring.
Linen fields in bloom.
The name also reflects my favorite palettes of Paris gray, taupe and French blue which go so well with antique linens and the natural interiors that are so much in fashion these days.
LBD|LRW: Tell us a bit more about your life in France. It sounds romantically perfect!
Martha: My husband Fabrice is French, and altogether amazing. We lived in France together for 15 years, raising our children in Normandy. There, we worked as artists, learning and mastering high-end decor techniques. Now, we live back in America, in Marietta, where we are still both pursuing artist careers: me through Linen Flower Studios, and my husband through a career as a set painter and artist for the TV and movie industry in Atlanta. He currently paints sets and commissioned portraits for The Vampire Diaries.
Linen Flower Studios' monogrammed firescreen
LBD|LRW: Do you miss France, or are you glad to be back in America?
Martha: Although I have precious memories of my past in France, I live by the motto: “Start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can.” Marietta is a community that believes in itself and supports its local businesses. This is where I am…and what a lovely place to use what I have and do what I can!
LBD|LRW: Your technique for repurposing furniture is dimensional and just, well, fabulous! There’s so much depth to your finishes, above and beyond typical paint-distress-done pieces. What’s your secret?
Martha: My paint finishes are designed to have depth and patina using a combination of technique, paint and hand tinted waxes. Slight or pronounced imperfections and distressing add to the charm of my artisan finishes.
LBD|LRW: And you apply these artisan finishes on everything from someone’s existing furniture to old shutters! What other creative goodies do you offer?
Linen Flower Studios' lovely antiqued finish
Martha: I make monogrammed headboards, which are an original design, handmade and painted right in Marietta, by myself. I can also repurpose used louvered doors or shutters by fashioning them into adorable headboards, room screens or decorative panels, and I design and create monogrammed firescreens, and wall sconces. Many more items are also in production!
I paint almost anything, really, from lamps and chandeliers to wall units for housing big screen TVs. {I just don’t do kitchens because I don’t work “off site.”}
I also do gilding and can repair antique frames. In some cases, paintings are in dire need of restoration. I refer those to my husband, Fabrice, who is a professional artist and highly experienced.
LBD|LRW: The crazy thing to us, really, is your pricing. We’d honestly expect to pay at least double what you charge for your work.
Linen Flower's refinished iron daybed
Martha: I cater toward the young housewife who wants lovely things but is on a budget. That’s who I want to own my pieces. All my prices can be found on my website, but repainting a 5-piece dining room table and chairs is around $200 to $250. Refinishing small occasional tables are as little as $45 depending on the details.
LBD|LRW: Martha, we are so happy to know you! Thank you for sharing your amazing talents with us!
the guide:
Linen Flower Studios www.linenflowerstudios.com
Call Martha at 678-354-5028 (before 7:30 p.m. please 
E-mail Martha a picture of your furniture for a quote to refinish: cmlart@aol.com
• Essential Cleansing, Gentleman’s, Acne or Teen Facial
the lucky duck
The Mansion on Peachtree
We’re talking true works of art made from melt-in-your-mouth secret recipes with decadent icing that seems to come straight from heaven. 
the guide:
Kicking off this new year with resolutions of cooking more, expanding your family’s menu, maybe revamping your serving or cookware? Well, we’ve got you covered, girl! Remember the fabulous goods we introduced you to from 
