Better After: August 2009

White Coffee Table

Aug 31, 2009

Someday, probably when I'm really old and my kids have outgrown their "get-dirty-and-stay-dirty-for-as-long-as-possible" phase, I'm going to have an all white house. Katja from Nestled In has a headstart on me with her lovely coffee table, made over with high-gloss white. So shiny!

Sophie the Sofa

Tam over at Get it Girl Style inherited this formal living room set from her grandmother. She had it professionally recovered in a modern linen, restained the wood and named the beauty "Sophie!" I think Grandma would be proud!

Graphic Chairs

These sad old chairs got a makeover with an artistic twist, thanks to Rita from Curbside Creations. (love that name!) I like that she resisted the urge to completely repaint them, and let a little bit of the original red shine through.

Monogrammed Chair

Aug 29, 2009

If you can recover a chair, you're pretty cool in my book. If you can recover AND monogram a chair, you deserves a special crown or something. Thanks to Katherine for sharing this great project from her blog, Classic Campbell. (Hence the "C," just in case you thought it stood for "Chair," which hey, maybe it does, who knows?") Also, check out her blog to be really jealous of where she buys fabric.

Cute Ottoman

Aug 28, 2009

Though I have never crossed paths with Gwen from Murphy Grace Home, I am almost positive that her before ottoman is the mate of a scary orange living room chair I grew up with. I love, love the fabric she recovered it with. It's very hip in a vintage way. Neo-Vintage? Did I just coin a new term?! A quick google search tells me that no, I did not. Darn it.

Round Coffee Table

This little table was cute, but it had the blues. Specifically, the I'm-Not-Quite-The-Right-Color-of-Blue Blues. Talia from This Little Life of Mine gave it a fresh coat of paint in a cheery blue-green, and now it's fab!

Vanity Chair

Aug 27, 2009

Morgan - aka Mrs. Priss to those in the know - took pity on this sad, stained little chair, and now she's sitting pretty! (That was really cheesy. I apologize.) It really is pretty, though. The after shot looks straight out of a magazine. I want one!

Outdoor Rug Redo

Here’s another chapter from the “Wait, I Can Paint That?” textbook. Most “outdoor” rugs are ~~extremely boring and ugly~~, uh, not very exciting, especially when you get them on the cheap. But the creative possibilities are endless with just a few supplies, as DIY Maven Joann demonstrates in this project. Don't you think it looks very nautical? I love it!

Bathroom Stripes

I showed my husband the before picture of this bathroom, and he said “Are you sure that’s the before? It already looks cool.” Yes, but how much cooler does it look with that little red stripe? Karen from Strictly Simple Style wanted the added touch of red, but not the time and commitment, so she simply soaked RED RIBBON in liquid starch and stuck it right on the wall! Great idea for apartment dwellers. Or commitment-phobes, like me! Thanks Karen!

Gold Shelf

Aug 25, 2009

Today's before and afters all have one thing in common. See if you can guess what it is.

Ok, ok, I'll tell you.

It's white paint! Monica from Monica Wants It! knew she had a prize on her hands when she first found this gold shelf. That's because she has vision. Me on the other hand... I would have probably just given it to my sister as-is as a practical joke or something. But all it took was some white paint and a cleverly placed dowel, and now she has a rockin' ribbon display and craft storage. Cute!

Gold Mirror

Here's another fabulous makeover by Michelle over at Three Men and A Lady. What once was a tacky gold mirror is now an eye-catching bulletin board. I love the burlap fabric, it really makes it look fresh.

Headboard Update

This next redo is the type of thing that makes me stay up well past my bedtime, scouring Craigslist. Lucky from House No. 8 took this headboard from outdated to updated with our good friend, white paint. Doesn't it look so lovely against that dark wall? Thanks Lucky!

Wine Rack Redo

The wonders of white paint will never cease! Georgianna from The Crafty Corner turned this tired old store display wine rack into the perfect bathroom shelf. Looks great!

Country Shelf

I don't know about you, but I grew up in a little country town where stuff like this 'before' shelf was all the rage. Heart cut-outs. Geese on everything. Ruffles on everything. A lot of hunter green and burgundy. {shudder}

Well, those days are far behind us now, but that doesn't mean we can't rescue some of those country chic artifacts! AJ from Trash2Treasure cleverly uses appliques to camouflage those cut-outs and help welcome these forgotten items into modern society! Her blog is FULL of fun stuff like this, I hope to feature her work again soon!

Staircase

Aug 24, 2009

I've always been a fan of before and afters, but Centsational Girl Kate really got me hooked. She's got such a great eye and great style, and she is always up to her elbows in some amazing project!

Check out her stunning staircase. I love it so much. It makes me want to sweep down it in a formal gown. It makes me want to cry. I want to cry, because in my last house I had a staircase just like this and consigned myself to live with the ugliness. If only I would have known its potential!

Ikea Dresser

File this under TO DO STAT: Would you believe the before and after are even the same dresser? I love this one. It's just gorgeous, and I don't throw that word around a lot. I've been on the hunt for new nightstands. Sadly, I am still using a $5 round "nightstand" with the three rickety dowel legs, boringly covered with a beige tablecloth that I've had for at least 8 years.

Check out Eric's website at DMD for more pictures and full instructions. Thanks Eric!

Tea Lamp

I know times are tough these days, but if you can manage to scrape up a couple of quarters, you can do this easy little project! Heather from Way Out West paid 50 cents for this lamp at a thrift store and made it over with paint and fabric she had on hand.

I like to feature all kinds of before and afters, from big room renovations to little projects like this, because even a small change can really lift your spirits. Thanks Heather!

Office Redo

Another great makeover from Christy at Beachbrights. Her office has undergone several reincarnations as she's moved from home to home. One of her secrets to making every room appear so much bigger is by stacking cabinets. I also like how she left the top cabinets open for attractive storage. Wanna know another secret? Those cute black and white storage boxes were made with electrical tape!

Swordfish Tray

Here's a fun little project you could do in an afternoon. (Although I won't lie, I'm kind of fond of that swordfish!) Thanks to Lindsay over at That's so Cuegly !

Girly Desk

Melissa from The Cutest Thing You've Ever Seen has some serious girly style going on. Check out the little desk she took from plain jane to prom queen! I love the doorknob accent, just another one of those things I would have never thought of!

High Fashion Headboard

Love this one! Today's first before and after comes courtesy of the talented Amy, who turned this terrifying headboard into the chic centerpiece of a bedroom redo. It really does look like something you'd pay a ton of money for! I especially love the high gloss, black lacquer look and how it pops against that great orange wall.

Jewelry Holder

Aug 21, 2009

One more for the weekend comin' atcha. Sigh. She is so beautiful. I love the black detailing. Thanks to Faizura from Dear Wednesday for this lovely mirror frame turned into a jewelry holder. I have vowed to try this on something soon. I don't even have a speck of turquoise in my house, but that's about to change. Maybe it will inspire you! Weekend projects, here we come!

Lil' Benches

Michelle from Three Men and A Lady gave these ho hum little benches a hearty dose of style with white paint and clever vinyl lettering. If only making kids sit still was that easy. My kids seem to think I've written words like "please jump!" or "eat a popsicle on this!" or "write with magic marker here!" on all my furniture. Anyway, I just love her clean, modern style and hope to feature her again soon!

Black Chair

This makeover comes to us from Glamma Fabulous, who I am lucky enough to know in real life! She is definitely not afraid to break the rules. That's what I love about this redo: She wanted a black chair but didn't want to mess with reupholstering it (although the woman is so amazing she can probably reupholster in her sleep). So she simply spray painted the entire chair, fabric and all! She says the fabric is only slightly harder to the touch. Looks fabulous!

Laundry Room

Aug 20, 2009

This laundry room had some things going for it before: high ceilings and some nice crown moulding. But Christy from Beachbrights took it to the next level (ugh, that's such a cliche phrase ... Kicked it up a notch? OK, worse. You know what I mean). Anyways, she worked her magic and made it appear to triple in size! I love the little cabinets on top, they are actually just standard cabinets from Home Depot. So much extra storage, and I love the subway tile back splash and the fun animal prints. I'm jealous!