Better After

4 In tables/dressers

Drifting and Dark

I’ve been out thrifting plenty of times and seen this type of furniture. Very ’80s. Rounded edges. Light stain. No hope of ever un-eighties-ifying it. At least, that’s what I always thought, but big surprise! I was wrong! If just so happens that if you give it a whitewashed look by applying a light coat of chalk paint and roughing it up a bit, it will turn out very driftwoody and beachy. I really am impressed!

See the whole tutorial on Wendy’s blog HerBallistic Garden.

Korrie from Red Hen Home also found herself in charge of making over a dresser with a similar style. Only she got all Darth Vader on it and went to the dark side with an espresso gel stain. I’ve never used such a product, but Korrie really sings its praises, and I can see why. It looks fan-flipping-tastic. Apparently the gel stain also has a chocolate pudding-like consistency, which is reason enough to give it a try right there.

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May 3, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

7 In kitchen/dining

Designer Refiner

Here’s a handy checklist to tell if your kitchen is ready for an update:

Does your kitchen have …

A fruit-themed wallpaper border?

ANY type of wallpaper border?

Highlighter-hued ‘accent’ paint?

A single boxy florescent light fixture?

A puny island nary big enough for a cutting board?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any or all of these, then it’s affirmative: your kitchen would benefit from a makeover. Better After reader Rita was well aware that her kitchen was rocking the equivalent of blue eyeliner and teased bangs, so she was happy to finally bring it into this decade. I love that the layout remained basically the same, obviously there were some good bones under all that fruit!

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May 2, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

10 In miscellaneous/ tables/dressers

Nooks and Books

Shelly made over this corner hutch as a charging station for her iPad and phone and things of that nature. This is about an infinity percent better than my current charging station, which is the floor by my bed. She replaced the shelves with a glass insert to let the recessed light shine through and dressed it up with wallpaper backing and new hardware. She was reluctant to paint over the “Brazilian mahogany,” as the seller had informed her, but not so much when she got it home and realized it was MDF with mahogany veneer!

And Katie resuscitated this $20 Goodwill bookshelf with a mixture of whatever paint she had lying around and a walnut stain. She says, “I used a blue that started out as Harbor Blue, but then I added a bunch
of gray and white paint until I liked what I had. [When staining] it’s almost
irrelevant what color you have underneath … When I know that I’ll be staining something, I really just
use what I have and go with the flow.” A very zen-like approach! It definitely worked in her favor and now she has a beautiful backdrop for her white dishes. Ohm.

See more on her blog Clarendon Lane.

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May 2, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

12 In kiddie

Play Gourmet

You may remember Kate’s high-class play kitchen from a while back, but what good is a play kitchen without a play store? Where are you going to drive your play car to buy your play groceries? And what if you happen to be throwing a play soiree for your imaginary friends? Empty cereal boxes just won’t cut it, sir. Here you can purchase fromage and baguettes, and play produce that looks so realistic it puts the real fruit in my real kitchen to shame.

Fantastique! See all the details from Kate on her blog Kate’s Creative Space.

May 1, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

4 In bathroom

Bath up to batten, entryway on deck.

Alicia wanted to update her entryway, so she gave her bathroom a makeover. Totally makes sense, right? Well, only if you happen to know that she was planning on doing board and batten in the entryway, and having never actually done it before, she tried it out in the bathroom first. That way if it was a total disaster, the UPS man would never have to know. Luckily it turned out great, and the whole bathroom got a bright, light makeover because of it. (And only for $60!) Check out more on her blog Thrifty and Chic.

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May 1, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

7 In tables/dressers

From Amish to Amped

Brittany was on the hunt for a ‘romantic’ girl’s dresser for her daughter’s room. This $20 Craigslist find was more like a sturdy Amish person’s dresser: frill free. Not that Amish people aren’t romantic. I know this to be true because I’ve been reading a lot of Amish romance literature lately. (Seriously, it’s a real thing. And very chaste. The steamiest thing that ever happens is like, holding hands and blushing in the barn. Or a chaperoned buggy ride.)

But anyway! Brittany wanted more from her dresser, so she painted it white and used an overhead projector and a cellophane bag (true!) to complete the hand-painted design. It’s perfect! Check it out on her blog Interestosity.