Better After

0 In Uncategorized

Dezign With a Z

Now this is a story all about how my life got flipped, turned upside-down. Wait. That’s actually not this story at all. This is a story all about how your life is about to get flipped, especially if you are on the lookout for some great wall decor. It’s going to flip your mind! Nobody says that. But anyway. Here’s the point: Have your heard of Dezign with a Z? If not, I think you are going to love them.

They are purveyors of high-quality vinyl art for your walls, but stop right there. It’s more than that. This vinyl will actually DO things! Things like hold your coats, tell the time, and glow in the dark.

my butler coat rack (ack! my fave!) lemon clock custom key rack

Fun! So many, many great designs, uh, dezigns, and almost all of them are customizable from the size, to the color, even to the orientation.

fiesta bunting custom glow-in-the-dark airplane even dots

They were kind enough to offer me the All In One Whiteboard Coat Rack Mirror to review, and I was thrilled. A mirror? Plus a whiteboard? Plus a coat rack? This vinyl decal couldn’t work any harder for me unless it knew how to unload the dishwasher.

(Admittedly, I photoshopped in the “Karate” part. I recently discovered that all of my dry erase markers are lidless and dried out, gee I don’t know who
could have done that.)

I couldn’t believe the size of this thing – 55″x35″— but it also comes in smaller sizes too. It comes in 24 colors, but I chose black because ~~I’m boring~~ it matched my black garage door. Everything you need is included: coat hooks, screws, even a little squeegee thing to help apply it to the wall. The mirror is a super lightweight acrylic, so there is no danger of it leaping off the wall to an untimely death. In fact, all you need to hang it is sticky tape (also included).

Here’s my advice: get someone to HELP YOU. These decals are not small. I tried to do the first half by myself and ended up with a few wrinkles, but they really aren’t too noticeable. As I wrestled with it before I finally gave in and called for back up, I was worried that it was going to rip or tear. Nope! It held strong. It’s really a sturdy, high-quality vinyl, and I am happy to recommend this product to you.

So, check out Dezign with a Z for tonnnns more decor options, from wall-sized murals to children’s growth-charts, even custom business decals for your car or office. And here’s a nice little bonus: Better After readers can save 10% on your entire order with the code YAY10. Yay!

Have a great weekend friends!

This post was sponsored by Dezign with a Z, all opinions are 100% my own.

June 28, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

40 In desks/hutches/buffets

Boom! Heirloom.

Something about this armoire seemed sad. Probably because the top of it was shaped like a frown. And that color was so lifeless too. Doesn’t it look like it needs a hug? Man, I’m getting bummed out the more I look at it. But, hold on to your flip-flops, because you won’t believe what Sarah at Funcycled did with it. AMAZIFIED it. Seriously. Amazing.

Sarah reports that those hand-carved onlays did not come cheap, but they added so much to this piece that whatever she paid was worth it. It’s positively heirloom-worthy!

PS: I’ve gotten some comments from a few readers lately saying that they’d really like to see the before and after pics side-by-side on this ol’ blog too. So let’s try it out, shall we?

Boom!
What do you think? I can see the appeal, but it’s also like … 20 seconds of extra work for me, so I don’t knowwwwww … I’d love to hear your thoughts.

June 28, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

9 In office/ other rooms

Office Works

Living room, schmiving room. Are you skydiving in there? Are you hosting dance parties? Are you meeting new people and trying new foods and having zany fun adventures? No! So why pretend that any sort of living is going on in the living room? Why not convert it into an office, which A) you will probably use way more anyway, and B) makes no pretenses. An office is an office. Everyone knows what happens in an office. Bidness.

Checkout Brooke’s empty front room turned office-center-of-serious-productiveness right now, with an added bonus of an adjacent foyer makeover. Note the planked wall, my favorite! Much more to see on her blog Start At Home.

June 27, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

15 In tables/dressers/ wood

Into the Night

I don’t want to freak you out or anything but … THE END IS NEAR!!!!! THE END IS COMING!!!! IT’S TOO LATE TO PREPARE!!!!

Just kidding. I mean, the end really IS near, but you still have a tiny bit of time to prepare. I’m talking about the end of Google Reader, of course. It’s dying on July 1st, which is a bummer for all you feed reading readers out there. But don’t worry! There are a few good alternatives. I’ve fiddled around with Bloglovin and Feedly, and both seem to do an adequate job, and have a really easy one-click process for importing your Google Reader feeds. But you’d better do it soon!

And if you have no idea what all this blabber about the feeds and the importing means and just want to see a before and after already, then here you go:

Before: a set of nightstands that Brit from House Updated had kept around for 10 years, even though she never really loved them in the first place. When it came time to makeover the room, she still couldn’t find any other nightstands that she loved all that much either. That’s when she gave this set another look and decided with a few small changes, they could actually become the nightstands of her dreams!

And I love this little set of MCM nightstands from Beck at Beckwith’s Treasures. I know there are a few purists out there who gasp at the thought of a little paint on this type of piece, but I think it brings it perfectly up-to-date without compromising the style. I mean, if there was a distressed petticoat ad stenciled across the top or something, then we’d have to have a little talk, but I think it looks spot-on like this!

June 27, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

9 In kitchen/dining

Bowling me over!

It’s so hot outside, I’m freezing! You know what I mean? I’m sitting here directly under the air conditioning vent, and every time it kicks on it freezes me half to death. So I have a little jacket that I wear until it kicks off, or until I notice that I’m marinating in my own sweat, whichever comes first, and then it it kicks on again and we start the whole cycle over. I think this calls for a frozen hot chocolate.

If that’s not enough oxymoron action for you, how about Jane’s awesomely awful kitchen? From the fruit basket wallpaper border to the bowling-alley-grade formica, head to toe, it had to go. Well, the cabinets were nice and sturdy, so they just got a paint job, but everything else was moved and improved. So much better!

Here’s a better look at those bowling alley countertops. I don’t think they’ll be missed much. Read more about Jane’s new butcherblock counters and her stunning backsplash on her blog at {So Much} Jane and Eugene.

June 26, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

7 In tables/dressers

Side Striped

Thanks for all the birthday wishes yesterday! And my mouth was watering with all the birthday dessert traditions that you shared too. Key lime pie, pineapple upside-down cake, double dessert for the birthday girl, yum. Maybe my new tradition will be birthday-dessert-week! Which would then be followed by live-at-the-gym-month.

In other news, here’s something else to make your mouth water, if your mouth waters at the prospect of a fabulous makeover. Check out the off-centered two-toned paint job Natalie did on this ratty old piece. It’s like a whole new dresser! They don’t even look related! See it on her blog Natty By Design.

June 26, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

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