Better After

7 In decor/ miscellaneous

Locker Love

Remember the thrill of opening your school locker and seeing a little love-note flutter out, left there by some anonymous admirer who had secretly jammed it though the vents? Admittedly, this only happened to me like, twice, but I imagine it’s the same feeling teens today get when they receive a text from a crush or somesuch. Although texting hardly sounds romantic. You whippersnappers don’t know what you’re missing!

Jenny decided to rekindle the flame in her own home with some school surplus and paint, giving these industrial old lockers a shabby chic look to blend nicely with her decor, and giving herself a bunch of extra storage in the process. Now that’s love. See more on her blog Ava Blake Creations.

The Ugly Lamp Contest is coming soon! Send your original picture to betterafter(at)live.com,
subject line ‘Ugly Lamp’ by August 10th to enter! More info HERE.

July 30, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

14 In bedroom/ kiddie/ other rooms

So very un-cherry.

Sure, this before crib is quite nice, but don’t you think deep dark cherry-wood is a bit serious for baby? So grown up! Unless you plan on eventually transitioning the crib into a bookshelf for grandpa’s den, why not try something bright and colorful? It’s good for their cognitive development, you know. The baby’s, not grandpa’s I mean.

Looking closer at the crib, I can see a few paint swatches of things to come. Can you guess which one Helen at Picked and Painted chose?
(update: link fixed!)

Aqua! And oh my goodness, look at that sweet little peanut inside. I think she likes it!

Coming soon! Send your original picture to betterafter(at)live.com,
subject line ‘Ugly Lamp’ by August 10th to enter! More info HERE.

July 30, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

3 In desks/hutches/buffets

In-credenz-ulous!

Kids, gather ’round and let Auntie Lindsey pass on a few pearls of wisdom. Lesson number one: don’t judge a book by it’s character. Or … something like that. What I’m saying is, if you are scrolling through Craigslist one day, and you find a hulking laminate credenza of boringness, try to look past all that. Imagine what it could become if you painted it, raised it up on little feet and added some flair in the form of gold push plates! What are push plates, you ask? Hush dear children. Google it on your phones or something.

Lesson number two: When you go to pick up your credenza, please take a friend and advise a third party of your whereabouts, because who knows what kind of creepers you might find on Craigslist.

Lesson number three: learn all this and more from Heidi, who will even give you an up close look at her lovely golden push plates and even where to order them on her blog Heidi Schatze.

Coming soon! Send your original picture to betterafter(at)live.com,
subject line ‘Ugly Lamp’ by August 10th to enter! More info HERE.

July 29, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

13 In kitchen/dining

Charmed, I’m sure.

This kitchen was outdated, but it wasn’t without charm. Although … the more I look at those ‘charming’ scalloped edges, the less they make sense. I almost have the urge to hang Christmas stockings off the one underneath the sink.

But Liz is in the business of flipping houses, so the folksy cuteness was shown the door in favor of a streamlined modern look that will appeal to far more buyers. She seems to know exactly what she’s doing, she’s currently flipping her seventh house! Check out all the progress this kitchen made on her blog It’s Good To Be Home.

PS: The Ugly Lamp Contest is coming soon! Send your original picture to betterafter(at)live.com,
subject line ‘Ugly Lamp’ by August 10th to enter! More info HERE.

PPS: I’d be thrilled if you’d like to take a look at my most recent Sunday Sweets post on Cake Wrecks: Wonderland Treats.

PPSS: Good news! The nice folks at Map My State had such a great response from you that they are extending their 20% discount code through Friday, August 2nd! Just use BETTERAFTER at checkout.

PPSSSST: I don’t really know how these abbreviations work.

July 29, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

11 In desks/hutches/buffets

Seriously Studious

Are you ready for school to start again? I am! I’m so ready for a regular routine. Our summer has been nothing but either insanely excessive busyness, or endless hours of Minecraft. What is it about that game anyway? My kids are obsessed! Even my 4-year-old daughter loves it. It ain’t the stunning graphics, that’s for sure.

Anyway, while you’re out shopping for notebooks and binders and pencils, why not swing by your local thrift store and see if you can rescue a desk? You still have time to fix it up right for your young scholars, or just for you! (I still get giddy around back-to-school time, and can’t help but buy myself a few new supplies too).

Here’s some inspiration from Sarah at Funcycled who sanded down the top of this desk and stained it with one coat of Minwax Espresso, then painted the bottom half with Old Navy by Benjamin Moore. I love the rustic gray on top, and the padlocks as drawer pulls. So cute!

Rachel knew she could improve this rolltop desk that she bought off Craigslist, and (spoiler alert!) she was right. A quick glance might leave you thinking she simply repainted it, but look closely! She replaced those beefy handles with a set of feminine knobs found on eBay, then added little bun feet to give it an extra lift. I love how putting just a few inches of air between the desk and the floor can take it from clunky to graceful. It’s like high heels for furniture! Check out more on her blog The Olde Farmhouse On Windmill Hill.

Coming soon! Send your original picture to betterafter(at)live.com,
subject line ‘Ugly Lamp’ by August 10th to enter! More info HERE.

July 26, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

4 In tables/dressers/ wood

Stain of the Union

Kate knew she had found the perfect piece for experimenting when she brought home this $30 Craigslist table. If anything terrible happened, well, she was out a mere $30. Luckily, nothing terrible happened at all. Magic happened! She sanded it down to the raw wood, then taped and stained a subtle Union Jack design on top. And lest you think it was all in the name of trendiness, Kate is actually from the UK, so she can rightfully Union Jack any old thing she wants! See her process on her blog Magic City Thistle.