Better After

7 In decor

Tick-tock ya don’t stop.

Remember how earlier today I showed you a mega-awesome kitchen makeover from Vel? Did you gape in wonder at it, then hang your head in despair because a makeover of that magnitude is far from your reach at the moment? Despair not, my dear friend. You too can make makeover-magic happen any day of the week! Here’s a fun little project from Ronda that would take less than an hour from your day, and around $3 from your wallet.

Yep, she only paid $3 for this little clock at the thrift store, but wasn’t loving how dark and serious it was. Why so serious, clock? You are cute! Lighten up! So she used some paint she already had (on both the outside and the inside) to revive it to match her decor, and boom! Instantaneous gratification. Check it out on her blog Batchelor’s Way.

September 10, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

12 In kitchen/dining

A kitchen do-si-don’t.

I love a sparkly new kitchen makeover, and this one certainly sparkles! But before we get to that, can we talk about this funky before? The previous owners of Vel’s home were big fans of modern design, but mostly brown. Brown walls, brown cabinets, brown floors, brown counters, lots of brown. And they were also probably big fans of square-dancing, because that teensy island was situated nearly seven feet away from the rest of the kitchen. That’s a wide open space! Great for do-si-dos, not so great for transporting a boiling pot of pasta from the stovetop to the sink.

But that was then, and this is now, and the now is fantastic! So much more usable and lovely, and about 10x as much storage too. Check it all out on Vel’s blog Life & Home at 2102.

I love how Vel transformed all the wasted space above the cabinets, that’s my favorite trick for making a kitchen seem much bigger. And can you see the sparkly backsplash? In. Love.

I love this great little office nook too. Check out her blog for a tour of the whole room, there’s so much more to see!

September 10, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

7 In chairs/ottomans/seating/ desks/hutches/buffets

Save the Glam!

If you’ve just made the long and treacherous commute to work, (or in my case, shuffled down the stairs), and find yourself in need of a little Monday-morning-back-to-the-work-week-pick-me-up, here is a visual treat for you! A kelly green desk makeover from Krista at Goodwill Glam, who funnily enough found the desk and chair at Savers. But Savers Glam doesn’t quite have the same right to it, does it? But Glam Savers kind of does. I picture a Power Rangers type gang of savvy shoppers, saving the world from unglamness one ugly chair at a time. I would join that gang.

BUT ANYWAY, I love this makeover. I’m sure I’d be excited to sit down and work everyday at such an energetic desk, and I’d give my right thumb for that amazing lamp too.

Hey iPad users! Please hang tight with me. We’re still trying out the new format, even though I know it went back to normal for a while there over the weekend. I’m working on all the issues you brought up to me, so hopefully we can get everything working successfully for everyone soon. #fingerscrossed

September 9, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

8 In bedroom/ kiddie/ Uncategorized

Paneling of Experts

Is someone you love suffering from the unfounded belief that painting wood paneling is a crime? Have your efforts to convince them otherwise fallen on deaf ears for too long? I can help. Evidence A: this adorable girl’s room makeover by Abby. White, bright, and full of light! If ever there was a case to be made for painting wood paneling, this is it. Would this room be nearly as child-friendly and full of whimsy without it? I submit that it would not!

Lots more to see in this room (including a secret passage! Ok, so it only goes into the closet, but still cool) over on Abby’s blog Chapter 37.

September 9, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

11 In tables/dressers/ wood

Dresser Doozies

Some people might say you need another dresser like you need a hole in the head. Well, guess what? I have several holes in my head, and I need them very much. I use them for things like eating and breathing and hanging earrings in. Dressers are equally useful. You can stick one in just about any room in the house! Bathroom dresser? Sure! Back porch dresser? Why not? Kitchen dresser? Now you’ve gone too far. Just kidding! You go ahead and put a dresser in the kitchen if you want to.

Here’s a great selection of dresser makeovers that are sure to please just about everyone.

Sarah at Funcycled aded some feminine flair to this bulky boxy thing with flashy new knobs and a distressed paint job. I love how she played up the original keyholes!

And speaking of keyholes, here are a few more on a dresser that Reeves found on Craigslist. It didn’t look too bad as-is, but the wood had already been stripped, and apparently the veneer too, because it had that weird fuzzy feel to it. You know what I’m talking about right? Kind of velcro-y to the touch? Anyhoo, she brought it back to touchable-ness with a soft plum paint job and added a hint of modernism with stripes. Check it out on her blog The Weathered Door.

Better After reader Jane deserves a pat on the back or five for committing to tackle this sad sack of a dresser. The potential under there was obvious, but man! So much work to get to it! I don’t think I would have been brave enough. But luckily she was, and she went the extra mile too, emphasizing the great little carved details with gold paint.

This dresser would have also received a ‘talk to the hand‘ from me if I had passed by it in the thrift-store, not that I truly go around saying outdated slang phrases to furniture in public, but you know, but not Elisha! She saw right past the corny country details and fussy scalloped edge, and actually made it the best part of the whole darn thing! See more from Elisha at Pneumatic Addict.

Here’s a fun one from Shanna at Restoration Redoux. You might first look at it and say, “Sure Lindsey, it’s a great makeover, but I wouldn’t really call an all-black dresser fun.” And then you would silently shake your head at me and think to yourself that I must not get out much.

Well, ha! Did you know it was hot pink on the inside? Did you? Huh? Who’s the fun one now?

(It’s true, I don’t get out much).

And finally, a recent makeover from Virginia at Live Love DIY. What I love about this dresser makeover is number one: it looks friggin’ awesome, and number two: she had already made it over once before. That tells me that hey! If you spent a bunch of time and paint and/or money on a makeover and didn’t looooove your results, by gum, don’t give up! Give it another try! You might hit gold.

Sent me a dresser makeover recently and didn’t see it here? Don’t fret. An army of elves is working their way through my majorly backlogged inbox as we speak. Ok, not exactly. But let me know if you’ve got any for hire. Have a makeover you’d like to send my way? I’d love to see it! I’m always accepting submissions at BetterAfter(at)live.com

September 6, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

10 In other rooms

Entryway iCandy

Announcement: If you are viewing Better After on an iPad, things are probably looking a little weird right now. I’m trying out a new format that is supposed to make tablet reading easier for you! It’s a different look, but pretty simple to figure out once you play around for a minute. The major difference is that instead of scrolling and scrolling down the post with your finger to read more, now you only have to do a simple swipe, like turning a page. If you have any suggestions for tweaking things, I’d love to hear it.

If you are not reading this on an iPad, well disregard that whole message. I wish I had another announcement to share with you about making your life easier. Let’s just look at this entryway makeover from Cami at Tidbits. It probably won’t make your life any easier, but I bet it will make your eyes happy!