Better After

Do The Shuffle: A Stereo Cabinet’s Story

Poor old stereo cabinet. It appears to have gotten in a fight and lost. Wires dangling, drawer agape, it even looks like it has a black eye. “I’ll show you, you new-fangled iPod and your un-earthy capacity for storing music! Get back here you son-of-a-whippersnapper, and fight like a man! A … very old man!”

OK, so maybe he took a beating from the digital music age, but the old bloke proves he’s still as relevant as ever. Now he’s proudly serving as a flat-screen TV stand for Better After reader Lesli, who took him in and nursed him back to health. (And I wouldn’t be surprised to find an iPod or two inside those nice deep drawers).

March 25, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

14 In bedroom

Accent Wall or Accent All?

Dare I say it? Is the accent wall trend … dead? I’m seeing less and less of them anymore. Don’t get me wrong, there are still plenty of cool accent walls made with stencils and/or other details, (this one from Mandi at Vintage Revivals comes to mind), but are the days of painting one wall a drastic color and leaving the others blank gone for good? Did they really ever provide that oomph factor anyway? Or was it more like a “Hey, you forgot to finish painting” factor?

Take a look at this bedroom makeover from Rita at Suburbs Mama and see what you think. The new cohesive wall color makes the whole room seem twice as big! Doesn’t hurt that I want to ~~steal~~ uh, borrow every beautiful accessory, pillow, and item of furniture in here either. Fabulous job Rita!

PS: We have a HomeRight Steam Machine winner! Congrats Laura Wilson, I will be emailing you ASAP!

March 25, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

8 In Uncategorized

Fab Love

I was recently invited by one of my favorite decor destinations, the fabulous Fab, to share a few of my top picks from their site. So I thought, “Hey! This would be a great time to figure out some inspiration for Blake’s room!” As you may know, I am in the process of making over my oldest son’s bedroom. Actually, it’s not a makeover, just a “make,” because it didn’t even exist a few months ago. My dad enclosed our old loft to make a new bedroom, so we are basically starting from scratch in there.

I haven’t done much yet, but I have pulled together a color palette we both agree on, and a ‘rustic/industrial/modern juxtaposition vibe’ that I agree on and he … will understand someday. Eleven-year-old boys, sheesh.

Oh, the fun I had perusing all of Fab ‘s offerings; everything is so unique and whimsical. I can’t wait to share!

1. Ceramic Bulldog Bank 2. Orange School Chair 3. Rowley Rug 4. Marquee ‘9’ Light

5. Brooklyn Bridge Vintage Print 6. Green Gorilla Pillow 7.Orange Strip Bedspread & Shams 8. Reclaimed Wooden ‘B’ 9. Black/Gray Zig Zag Pillow 10. Chalkboard Map 11. Cu’ku’ Ru’ku Tree Clock

Clearly we’re going with orange, green, and charcoal, which is totally manly and yet boyishly fun, don’t you think? Man, I love all of these things so much I wish I could just reach into the computer ala WonkaVision and have his room done today. That would throw his younger brother into a hysterical fit. He’s very concerned that his room is not getting enough attention since we’ve been working on Blake’s room lately. So I made him a couple throw pillow out of some old curtains the other day, and you’ve never seen a six-year-old boy so excited about throw pillows. Hmmm, maybe HE should be in charge of this project.

Stay tuned, I hope to have more of Blake’s room ready to share soon! And please check out Fab for great deals on oodles and boodles of home decor and more. Have a great weekend friend.

March 22, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

15 In tables/dressers

Graphic Content

Did you know that Google Reader is going away?! If you are currently reading this in Google Reader, then you already know what a big fat bummer that is. I’ve heard Feedly is a suitable substitute, but I haven’t tried it out yet. Anyone with feedback on that? Of course, you can always still visit me here. I’m not going anywhere! I’m not a fan of change!

But speaking of change, you surely know by know that the Catholic church just got a new Pope, which was what inspired Marian at Savvy Salvage Girls to create this papal-themed wine-rack. Before: not worthy to hold crayons in the church nursery. After: Redeemed! Check out her page for up-close picture; the detail in her graphic is really mind-blowing.

And for some more graphic-goodness, check out this table from Melissa, aka The Friendly Stripper. FURNITURE STRIPPER, that is. She hand-stained this lotus flower on the top, then distressed it just enough to fade out the edges. Great effect.

PS: LAST DAY to enter the HomeRight Steam Machine giveaway! Right here.

March 22, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

12 In kitchen/dining

All Tiled Up

Go big or go home, and if you’re already home … see option one. That’s what Chelsey decided for her kitchen makeover when she created a tile backsplash that extended all the way up her walls, around the corner and across an archway into the other room. Imagine if she had only tiled the space in between the cabinets and the counter. Big whoop. Her kitchen isn’t huge, which means there is no room to be underwhelming! She made an impact; she added height and depth, and I dig it immensely.

See all the details of her kitchen makeover on her blog Things To Be Stroud Of.

March 21, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

5 In tables/dressers

Dresser Caresser

Hoo boy, do I love these dressers I’m about to show you. So let’s cut to the chase! Not only did Ashley do a great job with this dresser, I also love the way she’s accessorized it. The gray, the metallics, the natural elements, it’s just a charming little scene. I would stop and stroke it lovingly every time I walked by. Or go out of my way to walk past it, kind of like I did after I weeded my front yard and it looked good for half a week.

See more from Ashley on her blog The Houston House.

When Holly sent me the following dresser, the email was titled “Masculine Dresser.” And I took one look at the before picture and was like, “Yeah, good luck with that.” I mean, switch the knobs, paint it blue? It’s still going to look girly. But no! How wrong I was! How much I still have to learn! It really is the manliest little thing ever. I love the upholstery tack details in the corners and the thrift store leather belts as handles. Check out her blog Holly Do to see more, like how she hid those seashells!