Better After: January 2011

Underdog

Jan 31, 2011

Once upon a time, fluffy florals interspersed with manly stripes in everyone's favorite color combo — mauve and maroon — was all the hip rage in fabric. Or something. I do recall having curtains similar to this in our family room growing up, so I guess it was really hot for a while there.

Once upon another time, a fabric made with alternating bands of four dark and four light threads woven in a simple two-over, two-under twill, or traditional houndstooth check as it came to be known, was also all the rage... and continued to be hip for hundreds of years. I'll choose the fabric with the lifespan of centuries, thank you. From Beth (via her Aunt Amy) at Theo Zone.

Ornate AGAIN!

I hope you aren't tired of ornate mirror makeovers, because I seem to be obsessed with them lately! This one comes from Nealy at Bambina Babe, and I love the unexpected pop of color it adds to her daughter's darling nursery.

Scroll on down and you'll see before and afters of the nursery itself. That way we can pretend this is really a bedroom makeover post, and not yet another ornate frame makeover post! Thanks Nealy!

The End... Table.

This post is inspired by my super awesome thrift store find this weekend! (It was 50% off Saturday at Goodwill, who can resist I ask you, WHO?!) My sister-in-law Kalli and I found a lovely Thomasville buffet in perfect condition for $75.

Ok, so it is technically her find, since she bought it and all. One of my more annoying traits is that I lack the ability to pull the trigger. I hem and haw. I pace around and bite my fingernails, while she took one look at it and declared, "I'm getting it!"

Now I live with regret, but I also live with the buffet since she couldn't fit it in her car! Ha! Anyway, this lil' end table makeover from Cindy is the same kind of thing I'd like to see happen to that buffet, soft gray and oh-so-subtly distressed. Super sweet. See it on her blog Cameras and Chaos.

I love when you stare at me...

Jan 28, 2011

"Ain't nobody dope as me, I'm dressed so fresh and clean... so fresh and so clean clean!" That's the song that popped into my head when I first saw this lovely dining room redo from Nicki at The Vintage Farmhouse.

Is it not so fresh and so clean clean? Before it just felt heavy and clunky. Too much stuffy stuff going on. From the bulky hutch to the fussy drapes to the yellowed furniture, this room needed a breath of fresh air! I love the new white on white, it really helps the the antique accessories looks whimsical and dreamy, whereas they might look too little-old-lady-ish otherwise, y'know? Do ya?

So yeah! Have a great weekend! Go listen to that song I was talking about HERE, if you wanna.

Chairleaders

My grandma has a chair just like this. She calls it 'the utility chair.' True, it is very useful, but useful doesn't have to mean boring! Christy gave her chair a graphic punch with apple green and some Greek key fabric from JoAnns.

You know what? I went to JoAnns two days ago looking for fabric, and there was nothing nearly this cool there. I think probably because there is an abundance of senior citizens in this area and the store probably caters to their tastes, but seriously, all I could find was like, teddy bear fleece. Check it out on her blog The Reluctant Blogger.

And speaking of cool fabric, here is another gem from the ladies at Fiber and Fire. Andrea and Patricia prove once again that there is no excuse for a boring chair!

Mirror, Mirror

More uses for old frames and mirrors! Will it ever end? These mirrors were so-so on their own, but they made for show-stopping jewelry boards once Danielle got her hands on them. I love the combination of the paint and fabrics she chose. Love this idea. My jewelry currently hangs from a bunch of tiny nails in my closet wall. Nothing cute about that. See the tutorial on her blog I Create It.

Norwhat?

Jan 27, 2011

From time to time I will get a submission from someone far far away, in this case, Norway. Since my Norwegian is a little rusty (or nonexistent), I rely on the help of Google Translate in these situations. Google Translate is about 65% accurate and 100% hilarious.

For instance, it reports that Heidi and Trudy wrote this about their tables: "It can be quite attractive to a total break to get some tension in the interior which at times can be "overdose" of the same style. Then such småmøbler quite superb."

Hmm. I think ... I'm not sure what that's about. I need a Google Translate Translator.

Anyhoo, these little nesting tables are quite superb. A lot of detail work and love went into them. You can see many more projects over on their blog The Painting Paint Shop, (at least, that's what Google Translate told me to call it.)

For reals this time.

Swoony McSwoonerton! I'm in lusty love with this frame turned headboard. Isn't it a genius idea? I post a lot of projects where I say to myself "Yep, I'm totally going to make that one." Then I never do. But this one, yep. Totally. Going to make it!

Nadine at BlueDogz Design gives the full tutorial on her blog and makes it sound easy! Fabric is from my boyfriend, IKEA, total cost about $45! Most excellent job Nadine!

XY to XX

Sadly, some people still live in the stone-ages of strictly-enforced gender-assigned toys. I know I got a few funny looks when I told people we were getting our 3-year-old son a play kitchen for Christmas last year. Whatever dudes, he loved it. This year he got an E-Z Bake Oven. Who knows, maybe he'll grow up to be the next Mario Batali. Hopefully minus the grungy orange Crocs. We encourage open minds, just not that open.

Anyhoo, here are a couple of girly-girl toys that Better After reader Lisa refried for her little boy. How cute is that Edelweiss-inspired playhouse? Answer: really cute. You can see more pics from Lisa right HERE.

Bath and Body Work

Jan 26, 2011

If you'd like to redo your bathroom in record time, just pull a Rachel and Rob and take a sledgehammer to it the week before some major event, like say, Christmas, or a baby shower that you are hosting.

Then, before you know it, your dated bathroom will look like a dream spa! (Warning: This only works if both you and your significant other are handy with the power tools and willing to devote all your spare time to sweaty manual labor).

Check out lots more pics on their blog First Home Makeover.

Ooooh, so pretty.

Closet Encounter

Sarah was not a fan of her closet. Truly, there was not much to get excited about. A couple rickety wire shelves and ... that's about it.

So she glammed it up with the girliest shade of paint on the planet: hot pink. I posted another hot pink redo a few days ago, and people just about flipped their lids, either loving it or really, really hating it. I personally like it.

So, hang on to your retinas, because here it comes! Hot pink fan or not, you have to admit, it is WAY better than the before. It looks like a mini-boutique! Thanks Sarah!

Benchmark

Isn't this a cute little bench? I want to find a cute little bench. Universe, take note please! This bench belongs to Liz, and there sure wasn't anything wrong with it. In fact it already matched furniture in her home. But that's not how Liz rolls. She needs contrast! Punch! Shajazz! So she gave it a coat of yellow and a couple of sweet accent pillows, and now it pops oh-so nicely against her aqua hutch.

See it on her blog Liz Marie. (Dear Universe, I would also like a couple of those bird pillows, while you are at it).

Holly How-to

Jan 25, 2011

How did Holly turn a humdrum living room into a catalog worthy spread? We'll never know. She did this before she had a blog! There's no step-by-step documentation to prove that she didn't just win the grand prize in a redecorating contest or rob a Pottery Barn truck. Guess we'll have to take her word for it. Great job Holly!

Check out her blog Chic and Lovely to see what a difference just adding the mirrors (that I covet) made.

Hex-a-gone

Holy woah. This itty-bitty kitchen, (if a room possessing only a sink and an oven even qualifies as a kitchen) was undeniably, unequivocally ugly. That tile! The pink walls! The only redeeming grace were the two large windows, but even they made it impossible to accommodate any sort of storage or workspace.

Lindsey from That Saint Paul House reports that the previous owners must have never cooked. Maybe it really was just a hallway with a spare oven, who knows! Maybe they just cooked on the floor, which would explain the strange burn-like patterns on the tile. In any case, it is fully functional and lovely now. Thanks Lindsey!

Sweet Surprise

Jan 24, 2011

Lynne from A Little Chippy surprised her girls on Christmas Day with a dreamy bedroom makeover! What fun! Of course, it didn't happen overnight. Everything you see in the before picture was parked in her dining room for a month during the ordeal. So where her husband's former office went after all was said and done, I'm not sure... maybe he's still in the dining room! Thanks for sharing Lynne!

Ruffle My Feathers

So, it's not like you've never seen a reupholstered chair before. And you've probably even seen a chair that's been reupholstered using nothing but plain ol' drop cloths too. But have you ever seen a chair reupholstered with drop cloths and adorable rows of teeny tiny ruffles?!? Ruffles! I repeat, tiny ruffles!!!

Have you??

Well, if not, you have now:

Ack, so cute. From Jaime at That's My Letter.

Campaignless

So, what did you do this weekend? Did you hit up the thrift stores and find any treasures?Amanda from Heart Tree Home found this amazing campaign style dresser at a thrift store for 25 bones! I can see how the untrained eye would skip right over it. That greenish wood tone is rather nasty. If 'queasy' was a stain color, this dresser would be on the label. And it doesn't do much for the aging hardware either. But with a new backdrop of glossy white, the weathered bronze now looks ultra-hip. Me likey. Thanks for sharing Amanda!

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Vrooooooom! A giveaway! (now closed)

Jan 21, 2011

A fun little giveaway is literally coming your way!
It gives new meaning to the phrase "pass the salt..."

Kelley, one of my favoritest people on the planet, AKA Glamma Fabulous has offered one of her handmade, super cute sets of salt-and-pepper shakers to a Better After reader!

She says "These fun salt-and-pepper shakers will zoom across your table, providing record speed conversation starters that will delight boys and girls, ages 1-80! The app. 1"x1"x2" glass Salt and Peppers are attached to the metal Matchbox size cars with strong epoxy.

I actually have some of these fabulous salt and pepper shakers that I made 10 years ago, and they are as good as new today. My family LOVES them and our dinner guests are always surprised and delighted to use them. Fun!"

Kelley is always coming up with something fabulous, and I mean ALWAYS.

Check out her blog Life and Art with Glamma Fabulous for all kinds of fabulosities such as:

How to fit 26 People on your Christmas card

How to make a paper maché Elvis

How to toughen up a frilly girl stroller

How to stencil Conan O'Brian on a onesie

The salt-and-pepper shakers are also available on her etsy, along with whatever else is striking her artsy whims at the moment!

To enter to win, simply leave a comment here!

**** GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED!****

Thanks for playing, have a great weekend!!

Armoire than a Feeling

Before you embark upon whatever glorious plans you have planned for this weekend (I personally will be going to the exotic beaches of Laundry Island, don't be jealous) first feast your eyes on these colorful armoire makeovers!

First one is from Kim who redid this armoire for a friend's nursery. It is super cool. I bet that baby girl will hang onto this through teen-dom and beyond. See it on her blog Stacking Up Smith's.

Next, Faith redid this familiar looking armoire (Faith, did you buy that at Target circa 2005? I used to have the exact same one, yup.) into a crafting cabinet! Check out the interior on her blog Faith of All Crafts.

And last, Shalynn from A Drop in the Bucket was bored with her armoire and couldn't take it for one more second! So a not-so-mellow yellow paint job did the trick.
I like yellow, but somehow I've never successfully incorporated it into my home. I tried once with a little yellow bookend on my nightstand, but it drove me crazy and I finally hid it in a drawer. Maybe I just like to think I like yellow. I like yellow in your house, just not mine.
What about you? Is there a color you like, but it just isn't you? Have you ever forced yourself to like a color? The world wants to know!