Better After

15 In living room

Flushing the Fuchsia

There were a lot of things Shannon didn’t love about her home when she first moved in, but one thing she DID love was that rose colored carpet. So lush. So eye-catching. I’m kidding, of course. It was frighteningly fuchsia and she had it ripped out within four hours of getting the keys.

But there really were a lot of great elements to this room: good size, great light, and original built-ins flanking a fireplace that had never even been used! Eventually she brought everything up-to-date with fresh paint, new flooring, and tons of details that totally vibe with the home’s retro charm. (Anything look familiar in here?)

Get the full rundown of the two-year process it took to get to this point on her blog Sewing Barefoot.

January 20, 2014 By Lindsey @ Better After

25 In kitchen/dining

How much paneling could a painter paint?

Even though this picture was taken in broad daylight, as evidenced by the sunlight blazing in through the windows, and even with the overhead light turned on, it still managed to be a deep, dark hole of depressitude. That is just way too much woodsy wood for one room. Way too much woodsy wood for one room. I made a tongue-twister!

Anyway, Abby was on a mission to de-darkify her home, and even hard-core wood lovers would agree that this is a change for the much better. Unless those hard-core wood lovers enjoy cooking in coffins, because that’s what this felt like before.

Love that she left the dark planks on the ceiling, it makes for a cool contrast, much like she did in her dining room makeover. See more of Abby’s kitchen on her blog Chapter 37.

January 17, 2014 By Lindsey @ Better After

12 In living room

Don’t disguise, de-emphasize!

If you love your TV, but don’t love how it has to be the center of attention on your wall, there are a few solutions for you. I’ve seen TVs hidden behind swinging doors, hidden behind framed artwork, lowered into those special TV hiding cabinets, hidden behind a wall screen or tapestry, and even hidden in a secret compartment in the ceiling that swings down at the touch of a remote.

All of that sounds like a huge pain in the rear. I just want to sit down and watch The Wendy Williams Show intelligent documentaries whenever I feel like it, without any extra hassle.

Kim at Tidbits and Twine has my favorite solution of all: incorporate your TV into a gallery wall. Looks fantastic and interesting, and the TV blends right in. This look works best with a lot of black frames and accessories, obviously to work with the color of the TV. (Unless you happen to be the .001% of the population who has a TV in a color other than black).

Want more? Here are a few of my favorite gallery wall makeovers right here.

January 16, 2014 By Lindsey @ Better After

78 In chairs/ottomans/seating/ tables/dressers

Gray Pair

Miriam at Prudent Projects has a thing for grey, and so do I! Grey is my favorite. In fact, I was even hoping to name this baby boy Gray. It’s a solid boy name, not too common but not too zany either. I really like it. Sad news alert: my husband has vetoed it. His rock-solid reasoning is “I asked people at work, and they thought it was weird.” Well, in that case.

I mean, sheesh. Let’s make all our decisions by asking people at work, why don’t we. That’s why I try not to tell anyone our baby names until after the baby is born and named. Then you get their OPINIONS. And then you name the baby that anyway. And then it’s awkward.

So, I’m not telling you our baby’s name yet, but that’s because now we don’t even have one. Hit me with your suggestions! I’m hoping to find a one syllable, not too common, but not unheard of name that sounds good with the last name ‘Allen.’ Oh, and that the people at work will approve of. (eye roll)

ANNNYWAY, without further ado, here are Miriam’s lovely makeovers featuring the ever calm and soothing gray. First, this sad settee:

Is now so fresh and so clean, clean! I would love to have this tucked in any nook of my home. It’s the perfect size. Love the gray suede too.

And Miriam also took this dresser from offensively orange to nice and neutral, with a gorgeous walnut stain to really set it off. See more on her blog here.

January 16, 2014 By Lindsey @ Better After

18 In bathroom

Rock the Shower

Oh, foreign bathrooms! You are so foreign to me! Yes to a bidet, but no to a shower? Me no understand.

But maybe that’s a universal thought, because Marta, who lives in Spain, was more than happy to remove the bidet in favor of a full-size shower with a gorgeous rock wall. She repositioned the sink, and swapped it for a space-saving design, and ditched that weirdly embedded mirror too.

It looks like three times the bathroom now! Check out her blog Canela y Naranja for a closer view of all the lovely details, including her genius idea for adding storage in a teeny space. (Spoiler alert: it’s CD shelves from IKEA!)

January 15, 2014 By Lindsey @ Better After

2 In kiddie/ tables/dressers

Splintered and sad to striped and rad!

When Amanda first laid eyes on this dresser, she had to have it; even though when she first laid hands on it, she probably got a few splinters. But she was on the hunt for a dresser for a 3-year-old girl, and a friend just so happened to be hauling this one to the dump.

So she snatched it up in a hurry and hauled it home for a little sanding and paint. That was all that held it back from pretty princess-y perfection!

Notice that decal on top? Probably expensive vinyl or something equally fancy? Guess again! She made that with her printer, and not even a laser printer (like Pinterest has led us to believe was necessary). What a rule-breaker! See the how-to on her blog New Eyes and Extra Colours.