Better After

172 In Uncategorized

Flood Wood Care Review!

When I was contacted by Flood® Wood Care to try out their new product, I did a little dance because I definitely had some wood that needed some care. Behold, my terrifying gate:

This picture, sadly, makes it look about 10,000 times better than it actually was. Splintered and fading, this pathetic thing is literally three feet away from our front door. Doesn’t make for much of a grand entrance. We haven’t done anything to it since we’ve lived here, other than replace a broken board a few months ago. See if you can spot it. (You totally can).

Anyway, the time had come to do something about this eyesore, so I hurried myself down to The Home Depot to pick up some Flood® OneCoat Waterproofing Finish and get going!

THEN, while I was The Home Depot, I saw this cute little unfinished Adirondack bench and thought that might make a more exciting redo for your viewing pleasure than my crusty old gate, plus it was on sale, so I brought that home too.

Tada! I was very pleased with this product, it was much different that any other stain I’ve ever used. It was a lot thicker and went on just like paint, instead of a typical runny stain. It was such a simple process. I just used a regular paintbrush, but you can use a roller or a sprayer too. Whatever floats your boat. It also dried very quickly, but that might be because it was about 109 degrees that day.

I LOVE that it protects the wood! It didn’t really sink in what it meant by “waterproofing” until I accidentally sprayed with the hose later and was wowed by how effectively it repelled water. We chose the cedar color by default, because that was all our Home Depot had in stock, but I think walnut would be pretty too.

Flood also has a several great prep products available too, if your project requires it, like Flood Wood Finish Remover and Flood Cleaner/Brightener Concentrate. Perfect for decks, play-sets, fences, you name it!

Oh, and for the grand finale, here is my stained and waterproofed gate:

I think the neighbors cried.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Flood Wood Care for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

June 15, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

24 In kitchen/dining

Shudder Island

Woah. I think my brain just threw up. This kitchen was absolutely painful! That light! The wallpaper! And what the everloving heck is going on with that shutter situation on the island?

This room was definitely first on the to-do list when Lauren and her fiance bought this 1968 “fixer-upper.” I might have called it a “tearer-downer” but they weren’t scared, and managed to turn it into an absolutely breathtaking beauty. They paid for this renovation by auctioning off those original antique appliances. Ha ha, I’m kidding. But seriously, they probably could have.

See lots more on Lauren’s blog Home on Garden Ct.

I think the little desk nook is my favorite part!

June 14, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

12 In kiddie

Fired Up!

When Wendy’s husband suggested a little ‘pole’ action to spice things up, she reluctantly agreed. Not like that, pervs. I’m talking about the pole in this this fireman-themed bookcase! Wendy scored this bookcase for a mere $10 on Craigslist and knew it would be the perfect place for her one-year-old son’s beloved fire-trucks.

So she painted it red, glazed it and added the mod-podged plaque, but it was still missing something. Her husband (who just happens to be a fireman) talked her in to adding the pole, and the whole look came together! It’s simply a wooden dowel primed black and painted a metallic gold. Looks fantastic.

June 14, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

10 In living room

When you give a girl an idea …

We all know what happens when you give a mouse a cookie. But what happens when you get a great deal on a flat screen TV? You bring it home and mount it over the fireplace, of course. Then you have to redo the fireplace, since it is the focal point after all. But why stop at the fireplace, when you could also add a built-in bookshelf like you’ve always wanted? Better paint the room while you’re at it. Ugh, now the old couch doesn’t match. Obviously you need a new one. You know what else would be nice? Installing some spotlights! Whew! That only took five months, a lot of sweat, and a hefty chunk of change. But man, that TV was such a great deal.

From Elaine at My Not So Rose-Colored Life, great job!

June 13, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

10 In desks/hutches/buffets

The case of the disappearing diamonds.

This little hutch was a diamond in the rough. Kind of. More like, it had a lot of dorky diamond doo-dads that Sherri wasn’t quite sure what to do with. Luckily, as she went about this makeover, she accidentally dropped the door and the diamond panel slid right out. Happy with this twist of fate, she went with it and created a cute shabby little hutch instead. I think it has so much more personality now, don’t you? See more on her blog Design Disorder.

And speaking of personality, this old hutch needed a new identity after a flashy new flat screen joined the family and rendered her clunky TV storing services obsolete. Poor thing. So Kim dolled her up with a stenciled paint job and Anthropologie knobs, and now she’s feeling good from her head to her shoes. Knows where she’s goin’ and she knows what to do. Ooh ooh ooh ooh oooh! She’s got a new attitude! Wow, those Patti LaBelle lyrics just came out of nowhere.

June 13, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

6 In decor

Horsing Around

If you’ve been wanting to hop on the Chevron-Trend Train, but feel like it might be pulling into Overdone Station, or that it’s not quiiiiiiiite your style, fear not. Jennifer from The Owen Family has incorporated a little chev-to-the-ron in her makeover here, and managed to make it look both rustic and timeless.

Not only that, but she totally chunked up that wimpy frame for a substantial piece of art. I love this idea. She just found a bigger frame, inserted a piece of plywood she had painted to match, then glued the horse print right on top. I’m putting this in my “I want to make this” file!