Better After

How to tell if you need to repaint that thing.

Maybe you are new to the furniture refinishing game, and you don’t know how to tell if an item is in need of a new paint job or not. Don’t you worry. I’ve created a handy questionnaire to help!

Does This Thing Need a New Paint Job:

1. Is the entire item painted in one heavy coat? Knobs, hinges, keyholes, insides of drawers included?

2. Does the paint have obvious drips and globs?

3. Super obvious?

4. Like, an angry 3-year old probably painted it?

5. With his bare hands?

6. Are there visible strands human hair stuck in the paint?

If you answered yes to any and/or all of these questions, congratulations! Your item needs a new paint job.

Stephanie knew right away that she wanted to repaint her old vanity that had all of the problems listed above. But she went above and beyond simply painting … see for yourself.

Isn’t that pretty? It’s gift wrap applied with a homemade modge podge! The knobs from Hobby Lobby were a splurge, but worth it. Beautiful job Stephanie! See more on her blog Attic Angel.

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November 27, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

2 In decor/ tables/dressers

Lines and Spines

After a recent visit to his chiropractor, my husband came home and informed me that because I spend a lot of time on the computer, my head is now out of alignment with my body. “Mmmhmm, yep. See how your ears don’t line up with your shoulders?”

What? I didn’t ask for an evaluation pal. I thought he was just going to get adjusted, apparently they included a free chiropractic degree that day too.

So now I’m all paranoid. I try to sit up straighter and pull my head back behind my shoulders, which looks really natural and not at all weird. Funnily enough, it’s causing me back and neck pain. I was fine before! I’m beginning to think this is all a racket his chiropractor dreamed up to make more money.

What does that have to do with this makeover from Amalia? Not much. But maybe all the straight lines on this dresser made me think of my poor, technology-weakened spine, trying so hard to hold my bowling ball head on straight. We’ll go with that.

Anyway, this dresser was a commission for a client, and I think it looks fantastic! Traditional and quirky at the same time. See it on her site LINESCAPES.

And when you do check out Amalia’s work, you’ll quickly see that she has a style all her own. She likes to take on small projects, like boxes and trays and other odds and ends, and the results are always unique, but still recognizable as HER work. Pretty cool. See this optical illusion-ish box right here.

Looking to create the perfect, personalized gift?

Check out our sponsor PhotoJewelryMaking.com

for everything you need to make your own photo jewelry!

November 26, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

8 In kitchen/dining

The French Open

It’s always so fun for me to see a makeover from a foreign country. This one comes from Sally who lives in the French countryside. And, understatement alert: her kitchen was a wee bit cramped. I mean, her sink was partway underneath a cabinet, which looked like it couldn’t fully be opened without smacking into the spice rack.

But if that’s the price you pay to live in the French countryside, I’ll take it!

However, Sally was willing spend a bit more to bring her kitchen up-to-date, most of which involved electrical, ceiling and other such work. But she still managed to give it a ton of style too, mixing tile on the backsplash and nixing the cupboards for glass shelves to make it feel way more more airy and open. Très magnifique!

Looking to create the perfect, personalized gift?

Check out our sponsor PhotoJewelryMaking.com

for everything you need to make your own photo jewelry!

November 26, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

5 In decor

Pumpkin Patch

Dang! I meant to show you these pumpkin makeovers a little earlier in November, in case you wanted to recreate them for some easy fall decor. Is it too late? Half the people I know already have their Christmas trees up, and pumpkins are like, so last week.

But hey, Thanksgiving hasn’t even happened yet! There’s still time to confiscate your kid’s Halloween bucket and make a centerpiece to wow your family and impress your friends. This burlap-covered cutie comes from Jenn at Endlessly Inspired, and you can check out the whole how-to right here.

And don’t worry if you can’t manage to get your hands on a Halloween bucket. Susan at Homeroad created this glass pumpkin out of a simple round jar. I bet you could walk into your local thrift store and find about 30 of these things right now. How pretty would a whole row of shiny glass pumpkins look glistening in the candlelight upon your table? I think very pretty.

Be sure to check out her blog for a few more clever re-purposed pumpkin ideas!

Looking to create the perfect, personalized gift?

Check out our sponsor PhotoJewelryMaking.com

for everything you need to make your own photo jewelry!

November 25, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

8 In outdoors

Killer Pillars

I love a good exterior redo, and Kathryn’s at Makin’ It In Memphis doesn’t disappoint. I love the new door, the new pillars, the new window, the new porch swing, the new paint color, and even the new bushes!

Because what is there to love about juniper? Not a lot. Juniper, you are officially my least favorite plant. (Well, I guess there are worse ones. Like poison ivy and hemlock and the Giant Pitcher Plant (google it, yikes), but you are still on the list).

But back to Kathryn’s makeover! After some trial and error with the pillars, she finally figured out the perfect placement and proportion. Don’t you love how open it looks now without all the wrought iron railing? Me too.

Looking to create the perfect, personalized gift?

Check out our sponsor PhotoJewelryMaking.com

for everything you need to make your own photo jewelry!

November 25, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

8 In outdoors

More Rafterhouse!

I’m back as promised with a few great exterior makeovers from Rafterhouse. If you missed my first post, Rafterhouse is a local company here in Phoenix that’s been getting a lot of buzz thanks to their super supremo house flips. I’m a total groupie fangirl and sharing some of their best work today.

Earlier I showed you some of the fabulous transformations Rafterhouse has done inside their homes. Now … I bring you the exterior eye-candy.

Ok! Enough chit-chat. Let’s go!

So cute right? Who doesn’t love a red door?

And who knew this ugly duckling could be hip again?! Check out Rafterhouse’s Facebook albums for more interior pics of this MCM ranch.

Ok, truthfully, this one looked like a meth lab.

After, oh yeah, I’d raise a family there.

Let’s swing around to the back:

Ah-OO-gah! There’s no way this is the same house!

Last one, one of my favorites. As if the yellow door wasn’t adorable enough, they went and added a yellow gate too. Adorableness overload! I”ll bet it stops traffic now.

You’ve got to get an up-close look at this one, and you can right here.

I hope you enjoyed seeing a little bit of what Rafterhouse (who has never heard of me and isn’t paying me a cent!) has been offering our design-deprived Phoenix. I can’t wait to see what they do next.

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Looking to create a perfect, personalized gift?

Check out our sponsor PhotoJewelryMaking.com

for everything you need to make your own photo jewelry!

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November 22, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

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Living Rooms

Kitchens

Furniture

How to tell if you need to repaint that thing.

Lines and Spines

The French Open

Pumpkin Patch

Killer Pillars

More Rafterhouse!

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