About Marie

Welcome! I'm Marie, the gal with the paint-splattered apron behind Interior Frugalista (iF) and I want to help you nest for less.

Meet Marie, the blogger behind Interior Frugalista, and how her passion for budget-friendly DIY, upcycled furniture and home decor, and crafts began.

I am passionate about seeing the potential of second-hand finds and breathing new life into them. Whether it be a tired but well-made piece of furniture, home decor that is looking a little dated, or a room that could use a facelift without spending a lot of money. My motto is, that having a beautiful home isn't about how much you spend.



"Your home is an art canvas and like pages in a book, every room can tell a story." ~Marie

My passion for DIY and thrifty upcycles came out of necessity after buying our first and second fixer-uppers. Determined not to let a tight budget stop us from creating a home that we love, our homes have been renovated with sweat equity.



Upcycling and DIY come naturally as my parents were masters at turning lemons into lemonade. My father, a mechanic by trade who refurbished some of his customer's used cars for our own use, was also a skilled craftsman. He and my uncle built a wooden boat that was used at the family cabin for over 40 years. Even the cabin was a tiny run-down shack that they completely renovated and sold for ten times more than they paid for it.



My mother was a talented artist who sold her paintings at local art shows. Along with painting, she made beautiful crochet and knit blankets. When we were children she knit our family of nine matching wool Canadian Moose cardigans to wear when we traveled in our refurbished camping trailer.



As a child, while my six siblings were outside playing, I was either in my bedroom cleaning and rearranging the furniture OR at the kitchen table with my deluxe pack of Laurentian pencil crayons sketching home interiors and exteriors.



When my children were in high school I earned an Interior Redesign/Home Staging certification, proving that it's never too late to learn new skills and try new things. Interior ReDesign speaks to my frugal-loving heart because it's all about styling beautiful rooms using what is already in the home.



At 51 I took a furniture painting course using milk and chalk paint finishes that changed my life. It reconnected me with my long-neglected artistic side and stirred my passion for creative expression. It's what led me to upcycle furniture and home decor both for my own home and to sell locally.



But the biggest skill set I've learned is to let the mind step aside while intuition takes the wheel. Trusting my gut instincts did not come easy but it has served me well. Because when you silence that critical, doubtful voice in your head, your best creative work emerges.



Every project at iF includes a step-by-step tutorial to help guide you along the way. My goal is that you come away feeling inspired and empowered to reconnect with your creative side too. Because the possibilities my friend, are endless!


Interior Frugalista - reimagine secondhand finds into reloved treasures.

WHAT YOU WILL FIND
Furniture Makeovers
Upcycled Home Decor
Budget-Friendly DIY
Seasonal Ideas



You can also find my projects on Pinterest and you can reach me by email at marie(at)interiorfrugalista(dot)com Thank you for visiting Interior Frugalista.



Featured In:

Country Sampler Farmhouse Style Winter 2022
Country Sampler Gardens 2019


Featured At:

Bob Villa  The Spruce  Country Living  HGTV  HuffPost
Shutterfly and Architecture and Design



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