Better After

11 In kitchen/dining

Here’s the Story …

The Brady Bunch called. They don’t want their table back. That’s probably why it found its way to the auction floor where Allison from Vintage Charm and Restoration scooped it up. She wasn’t afraid of those astro-turfish seat cushions, or the overall state of neglect and grubbiness. She had much more than a hunch that it would somehow form an awesome dining set, and she was right! Don’t you love the colors? Rocky River and Manor House. I’ll leave it up to you to decide which is which!

February 3, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

26 In desks/hutches/buffets

Sunday’s Freebie

The most incredible thing about this transformation is not the actual transformation, although, it’s pretty fantastic, wouldn’t you say? I would. Love the toile fabric, it almost looks like sassy black lace behind the lattices! Anyway, I’ll get to my point. The most incredible thing about this transformation is …

… that Sunday from A Sunday Afternoon found this glorious little buffet for FREE on craigslist!
FREE! That makes my eyes burn with white hot fury. WHY!? Why is our
“free” section of Phoenix’s craigslist so impossibly LAME!? This would never happen here. Ever. Don’t believe me? Well guess what pardner? I have proof. Here is a small sampling of what you can expect to find for free on any given day here in Phoenix:

Seething with jealousy yet? I know I shouldn’t expect much from the ‘free’ section, but c’mon. It should just be called the “I’m too cheap to hire someone to haul my crap away” section. Who do you really expect to come driving across town to pick up your old VHS? Or go to all that work to dig out your dying landscaping under the pretense of scoring a ‘free’ cactus? Only the type of people you don’t want knowing your address.

February 2, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

15 In bathroom

From ’60s 2 Stunning

Jean had a bit of a problem. Take a long hard look at this before picture, and you can probably guess what it was. YES! She was out of handsoap! Oh, and her bathroom was severly outdated.

Fortunately, Jean happens to be the mother of Kristi from Addicted 2 Decorating! What luck! Kristi came over and whipped that old bathroom into showroom shape by knocking out a few walls, reconfiguring the plumbing, personally designing the stunning new vanity, applying a Venetian plaster treatment, hanging a chandelier, adding wainscoting and glass tile, and buying some handsoap.

You simply must see the whole room! Get a closer look HERE.

February 1, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

7 In tables/dressers

A Little More Than Paint

Torn between the “I Could Never Paint Over Classic Wood Furniture” camp and the “I Would Paint Over My Grandmother if She’d Hold Still” camp? Struggle no more. You can meet in the middle of BOTH camps! You won’t even have to climb out of your cabin window, sneak past the camp counselors and steal a canoe to do it!

See how Gloria got the best of both worlds on her site A Little Paint.

February 1, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

14 In desks/hutches/buffets

Vanity Flair

Are you a vanity-using type of girl? Or are you a stand-at-the-bathroom-counter-with-one-foot-in-the-sink-while-you-do-your-makeup type of girl? That’s what I am. (The foot in the sink thing is weird, I know, I inherited that from my mom). But I’ve never once sat at a vanity whilst applying my makeup; I guess I just prefer to stand. How’s about you? Sitter or stander? I suppose I could pose this question to my male readers too, but we’d be talking about something else entirely.

ANYWAY, what I’m trying to say is, check out this fabulous vanity makeover from Melissa at Living Beautifully. It just might convince you to take a seat! Can you believe everything you see here — I’m talking accessories and all — was less than $50?!

January 31, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

10 In bedroom/ living room

Modern and Homey, Homie.

As you may know, I am a big proponent of “using what you have.” That’s why my family ate a spinach-asparagus-rice-and-cheddar casserole for dinner last night. True. It wasn’t as bad as it sounds. Ok, it was. I was too tired to go grocery shopping. But shopping around your house for items to use in a makeover instead of spending extra cash at a store? That’s a recipe for success!

So check out these room redos that made magic out of a little refreshing and rearranging instead of a total renovation. First this bedroom got a major update with some new linens and a homemade headboard! Yup, nothing much more than plywood under there! See the tutorial on Sandi’s blog Making it Homey.

And resident staging expert Robin from Madison Modern Home de-brownified this monotone living room with fresh paint and a lil’ furniture swapping. Robin says she was aiming for a casual, coastal vibe by incorporating colors of sand, sea and sky, while trying to avoid “beach” cliches (like lighthouses) Check and check. And that spooky hovering puppet is gone too, so double bonus!

Thanks ladies!