Better After: October 2009

Tricks and a Treat

Oct 30, 2009

Here's a little Halloween trick for ya. You know what else is "better after?" Anyone! After some serious Photoshopping, that is!

Do you despair when you see makeup ads featuring pore-less faces? Or smirk at the Victoria Secret models splayed across the catalogue, like, do they even NEED push-up bras? Ever wonder why Madonna, at age 51, barely looks a hair over 21? Well, she doesn't.

Seriously, whatever you do, don't let some pretty image in a magazine get you down, because only about 5% of the images we see in print have any sort of basis in reality. I just made that statistic up. But it's probably true.

Tyra: not flawless, but still fierce!

Riiiiiiiight.

Jessica Alba is so slender and well-lit in the magical land of Photoshop.

Even the wrinkles on her clothes disappear!

If you want to be on the cover of a magazine, prepare to have half of your arm shaved away. Click for a bigger look.

And no, it's not just the ladies!

Oh, Justin, don't be mad at me. You know I love you.

Rowr.

Happy Halloween!

Darlin Harlequin

Don't despair if you are a renter and don't have much artistic allowance in your home. Here's an easy and non-permanent way to get a little dose of design on your walls. Better After reader Tara had a friend cut out these vinyl decals to create a striking harlequin backsplash in her kitchen.

Looks great, and you know what I think? I think anyone who likes harlequin is automatically a fun person by default. Don't you agree? Thanks Tara!

Christy's Dining Room

I think this before and after is a great example of staging a home. The first picture looks alright, there's some nice furniture and interesting elements in the room. But truth be told, it looks more or less like a place to toss your purse, not show off.

But the second pic, wow! Not a lot has changed, the basic layout remains the same. But with the added pops of color and the graphic black and white fabrics, it definitely grabs your attention and says "Look at me!"

Glad to oblige.

Thanks to Christy at A Lil' Welsh Rarebit for sharing!

Project Hutches

Oct 29, 2009

"Make it work," as Tim Gunn would say, and that's exactly what Sachiko from Tea Rose Home did when she took this:

and this:

and made this:

Let's take one more look!

Blue Cricket Projects

Rebecca has a great site going on over at Blue Cricket Design, full of all kinds of activities and projects. She even grouped a bunch of her before and afters all in one post! I like to think that she did it just for me, so I could easily share them with you!

First up: she found a piano for sale in the classified ads and painted it red. I love it!

Then, she gave this distressed old bookcase a new distressed-on-purpose paint job and some sassy little curtains.

And finally, what might be my favorite, this lovely dresser redo. I love how the distressing brings out all the swirly detail in the wood and how the old handles pop against the new color. Great stuff! Check her blog out for more HERE.

Rachelle's Kitchen

Rachelle from Fingerprints on the Fridge must be pleased with her kitchen, number one, because it looks great, and number two, because her oven isn't smack dab in the middle of it anymore. Check out her blog for many more pics and to see how she did this for under $2200!

Secret Server

Oct 28, 2009

At first glance, this might look like a typical dresser redo. A little paint, a little fabric, voila! A dresser redo! But, this innocent little dresser is hiding a dirty little secret.

Ok, not really. But it is hiding something...

A network server!

"What? You mean YOU don't have to make a place for your network server at home?" says Kristi from Addicted 2 Decorating.

So maybe you aren't married to a network administrator, but be that as it may, this is still a brilliant way to hide a less than attractive element in a room. Check out her blog for more pics and the tutorial HERE.

Nice Use of Chartreuse!

Amy sent me this lovely desk redo, made with decorative paper and spray paint. What started out as a boring old desk from Craigslist ended up as a one-of-a-kind piece! I bet kids would be almost excited to do their homework here. Also, be sure to check out her kitchen makeover on her blog A Little Busy. Thanks Amy!

Red Room Redo

You know how I feel about red walls. Iffy. Sometimes ... they can be a bit ... much. Here's a perfect example. Trish's old dining room felt dark and cavelike, despite the 11.5 foot ceilings. The lone, north-facing window was fighting a losing battle against all that overpowering red!

But with the perfect shade of buttery yellow, just look at the transformation! Somehow it looks 3 times bigger! See more lovely photos of the after at her blog, The Old Post Road.

Up is Down

Oct 27, 2009

Hang on to your heads! Here comes a before and after REVERSAL! This chair went from white to brown! No, not a typo! Started out WHITE, then went to BROWN!

Kathy from Creative Home Expressions wanted to give these chairs a more grown up look and went with a deeper, richer fabric and brown paint. She also glammed one up for her vanity by adding a skirt. Thanks Kathy!

White Hutch

So many lovely hutch redos, I'm really starting to get a twitch to do one myself. Twitch? Itch? You know what I mean. This one comes from Linda at Handed Down Treasures. Looks beautiful. You can't go wrong with white, you simply can't! I defy you to show me an example!

Bright Lights

Here's a small change that made a big difference, and it didn't even involve spray paint or a staple gun! (At least, I don't think it did.)

Alisa shows us HERE what a little bit of under cabinet lighting will do to brighten up a space. Try it, it's fun! All the cool kids are doing it.

Games n' Tea

Linda at Linda's Little Bits. tackled several big projects. One, making this unloved dining room set into a colorful table perfect for playing cards and whatnot, and two, assembling several mismatched pieces into a cozy little space perfect for sharing a spot o' tea! Thanks Linda!

Molly's Table

Oct 26, 2009

Oh, this one is so cute. It makes me sigh. The lines are fabulous. The colors are just perfect.

Molly got this set for $40 on Craigslist. After a few coats of paint that she already had, some fabric from a slipcover that matches her couch and a lot of TLC, she gets to enjoy this:

And one more! Check out this cute little detail in the back.

No, YOU rock, and you know that!

Well, I am honored to say that Better After has been the recipient of several awards! Many thanks to Lindsey from My Creative Attempts , Linda from Linda's Little Bits , Annie at

Birdcages and Butterflies, Jody at Shabby Rags to Fancy Riches, and Karen at Strictly Simple Style!

Whew! I feel all warm and fuzzy! Thanks ladies!