Better After

17 In outdoors

Youthful Exuberance

I’m not one to judge a book by it’s cover, but I would have assumed that this mauve-colored home probably belonged to a sweet little elderly couple who enjoyed quiet nights watching Wheel of Fortune and taking the Jazzy out for a spin around the block once in a while. Not the case! It actually belongs to Better After reader Jen, her husband, and their brand new baby. Since it was really showing its age, they decided on a dose of the home-exterior equivalent of botox: fresh paint, colorful doors and some much-needed landscaping. Now it’s a knockout!

The Ugly Lamp Contest is coming soon! Submit your ugly lamp to me at BetterAfter@live.com by August 10th!

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July 23, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

6 In chairs/ottomans/seating

Stoo, Stoo, Stoolio

So, did you win the $150 MirrorMate giveaway? If your name is Kimberly, aka proudyaya, you did! Hooray! I will be in touch today! Also, (shameless plug) I sometimes forget to mention this, but did you know I am a regular contributor on Cake Wrecks, one of the best websites in the webiverse? It’s true! I write most Sundays, which is when they post nice cakes instead of the usual hilarious wrecks. It’s called Sunday Sweets, and you can check out my most recent posts HERE.

So let’s talk about this dipping trend. I really need to get in on it. I just think it looks so coolio. Like this stoolio. Sorry, I’m just looking for something to say that sounds better than ‘stool.’ A very tall bench that seats one? A rounded, armless, backless chair? Eh. I guess it can’t be done. But making them look awesome CAN be done, as proved here by Tanya at Dans Le Townhouse.

The Ugly Lamp Contest is coming soon! Submit your ugly lamp to me at BetterAfter@live.com by August 10th!

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July 23, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

466 In Uncategorized

$150 MirrorMate Giveaway! (now closed)

(giveaway now closed)
Remember my master bathroom makeover? I hope you do, I just barely
showed it to you a week ago. If you’ve already forgotten, maybe you
need to see a doctor or something. But hopefully you didn’t because I
think it was pretty dramatic. Let’s take another look:

Would you believe only three things were involved in the making of this makeover? The new tile, a couple light fixtures, and the biggest bang for the buck: my new MirrorMate frame!

I think it makes a ridonkuously huge difference in there.

MirrorMate offers tons of frames in every style, for just about every mirror. We went with Pemaquid Black and I simply love it.

Everything about this process was so easy. Ordering was easy; MirrorMate provides you with a handy little measuring form that spells out exactly where and how to measure what.

Delivery was easy, it arrived quickly and was packaged extremely well, in some sort of indestructible bubble wrap that had my kids very frustrated.

Putting it together was super easy, and hanging it couldn’t have been easier if a team of MirrorMate employees had shown up at my house and hung it themselves. The whole process (minus drying time) took literally 10 minutes.

I am beyond pleased with my MirrorMate frame, I would recommend them to my friends and grandma without hesitation, and now you have a chance to win $150 to spend on a MirrorMate frame of your own!

Entering is easy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck, I hope you win! Random winner will be chosen Monday, July 23.

Have a great weekend!

Disclosure: MirrorMate provided me with a mirror frame of my choice to review, all opinions are 100% my own.

July 20, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

25 In desks/hutches/buffets/ tables/dressers

Distressing News

Ever since I started this ol’ blog, one of the quickest ways to transform a piece of furniture has always been the tried and true “paint it white and distress it” method. Well, after all these years (ok, three), I’m happy to report that that still looks great. Seriously, you can’t lose with white paint. Ever. Unless you mistakenly grab it instead of your self tanner, but in my case, no one would even notice the difference, so I rest my case again.

So cast your eyes on the following white and distressed pieces, starting with this adorable scalloped table from Yael at Yael Home. I think this would be cute even if you painted it the ugliest color in the world. What is the ugliest color in the world? Puce? Discuss.

Lesli found this little stereo cabinet for $15. She gutted all the contents, including a speaker filled with mouse poo, yikes, and painted it a fox blue and glazed it with a dark gray. Fox blue and dark gray you say? But it looks white in the picture, so I’m counting it! Now she uses it as a perfectly sized computer desk.

I love the simplicity of this makeover from Helen at Picked and Painted. Perfection.

And lastly, this great buffet transformation comes from Better After reader Nicole, who originally hesitated over the $49 price tag at Goodwill. (You’ve got it good Nicole, this would have cost easily

$2 million dollars at my Goodwill. Ok, that might be a slight exaggeration). I might have been turned off by the chunkiness of this piece, but that’s exactly what I love about it now that it’s painted. Oh white paint, you tease!

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July 19, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

13 In desks/hutches/buffets

A Mostly True Story

Yael had looked far and wide for a hutch to display her ever growing collection of fabric. She finally found the perfect piece, but knew deep down that the color wasn’t right. So after many loving hours spent sanding and painting, her masterpiece was finally complete and ready to move into her home! Then, tragedy struck. It wouldn’t fit down the stairs. Doh! Utterly disappointed, Yael had no other choice than to sell her beloved hutch.

At least, I’m pretty sure that’s how the story went. Yael is from Israel, and Google translate is having a heck of a time deciphering her blog for me. I might have just made that entire story up. See for sure on her blog Yael Home. (A title I think I also made up).

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July 19, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

5 In tables/dressers

Grading on a Curve

Gradients have it made in the shade, am I right ombre!?

Sorry.

That was so lame.

I’ll just get right to it then: gradient makeovers coming atcha!

I’m loving this mod remake from Bambi at Crafting Occurs. Looks so crisp and clean compared to that haggard thing it used to be.

So many great shades of blue out there, why limit yourself to one? It’s like an open marriage, only with paint … and not … you know … weird. From Shalynn at A Drop In The Bucket.

This one might not be a true gradient-type makeover, but it utilizes various shades of paint in a row, so it qualifies in my book. Plus, I really like how the three units are now combined to look like one. From Better After reader Anisha.

And now we are back where we started, with more gray gradients. (Say that five times fast! Never mind, I just tried and it’s actually not that hard). This campaign cutie comes from Jenna at Sharing my Jennarocity.