Better After

11 In tables/dressers

California Girls

Leah was wanting to replace her IKEA Hemnes dresser with something that had a little more vintage appeal. But guess what? Those Hemnes dressers are actually pretty sturdy and mouse-poop free, which is not always a guarantee when dealing with antique furniture. So she decided to stick with it and add a little pizazz instead with textured wallpaper and trim instead. I double love it! Check it out on her blog California Callahans.

And just in case you were lusting for more dark furniture with a vintage vibe from a California girl, check out Summer’s sewing desk. She battled raging winds, the likes of which California had never seen – just to complete this project. Patio furniture was flying around her, but she persevered! I love the pulls; I’m so glad she didn’t replace them, or lose them in the wind! See more on her blog Shades of Summer.

December 22, 2011 By Lindsey @ Better After

5 In decor/ tables/dressers

Knack for Mosaics

Achin’ for some mosaic-in’? Don’t you fret, because I’ve got a few mosaic makeovers coming your way!

First, this lovely dresser from Emily at Running in Heels. It didn’t start out that way, no sir. It began as an overly glossy charmless and chunky little thing in no one’s favorite color: hunter green. (I apologize if this is your favorite color.) Emily gave it all kinds of character with mismatched knobs and a distressed blue, but let’s talk about that top! What a cool idea to mosaic it and then frame it! File that under Things My Brain Would Have Never Suggested To Me.

We’ve seen a lot of Meg’s fabulous work on Meg and Mum’s, but what’s Mum been up to? I’ll tell you! She’s been making a beautiful mosaic on what was formerly a plain jane lazy susan! Do you know what inspired her? You’ll never guess, so I’ll tell you again! Her mousepad!

And finally, have you been searching for a clever way to incorporate your scratched CDs into your holiday decor? Me neither. But now you can! And you should! It’s like saving the earth and spreading holiday cheer at the same time. Total double karma points.

From Caitlin at Hardly Housewives.

Thanks for sharing ladies!

December 22, 2011 By Lindsey @ Better After

2 In decor/ desks/hutches/buffets

All That and a Side of Fries

Nydia isn’t one to turn down free furniture, so she happily accepted this curio cabinet from her mother-in-law, never mind the fact that she doesn’t actually own any curios. I’m not sure if “curios” is even a noun, let alone a word, but I envision it as things like Precious Moments figurines, fancy candlesticks and such. You know what I’m talking about.

Anyhoo, Nydia decided it could serve a purpose as a mini-china hutch, and used white dishes to contrast the new black paint, and I think it looks pretty darn good! See all this and more on her blog The Evolution of Home, like when she compares her mother-in-law to steak fries, and yet it somehow manages to be quite complimentary! Ha!

December 21, 2011 By Lindsey @ Better After

4 In chairs/ottomans/seating

Chair up, Charlie!

This chair was so forlorn it actually appears to be frowning. See the droopy eyes and the sad mouth? It’s making me feel all depressed. I hate when I feel sorry for inanimate objects, it’s the same feeling I get when I see all the dried up Christmas trees that no one bought! Why do I feel so sad for you old trees? You were already dead to begin with! Aaaah, make the stupid sadness go away!

Ahem. Anyway, so Phyllis had kept this chair kicking around for years until one day she could bear its pleading eyes no more. A light coat of turquoise spray paint, some bright outdoor fabric, a grand total of about $10 spent, and now this chair has something to smile about!

I find so much inspiration in seeing these quick, little changes that make such a big difference. See more from Phyllis on her website Phyllis Dobbs.

December 21, 2011 By Lindsey @ Better After

4 In tables/dressers

Set Sail

Here’s a little Furniture Makeover 101: When updating a dresser, please keep in mind that new pulls do not go NEXT to the old pulls! You are supposed to REPLACE them! I thought this was common knowledge, but apparently someone out there needs a refresher. Perhaps they bought all eight nautically-themed knobs without realizing that only six were needed to get the job done. No sense in wasting the other two! That would be foolish!

Kelli rescued this overly-knobby and smurfish blue dresser from itself by simplifying it with a lovely distressed white. She spray painted the original pulls and kept them to the much more reasonable amount of one per drawer. See it on her blog Lolly Jane Boutique.

And here is another dresser that started out plain and ended up blue, with vintage teardrop pulls to doll things up too. And I love the look of the layers and layers of paint peeking through. Uh, I totally did not mean to rhyme that whole paragraph. From Helen at Picked and Painted, who really has this technique down pat. Thanks ladies!

December 21, 2011 By Lindsey @ Better After

1 In kitchen/dining

Kitchen To-Go

This kitchen was not that bad, if “Fast Food Restaurant from the ’70s” is a look you desire. But Jane had her heart set on something a little more current and a lot less mustard colored, so just about everything in the whole room had to go. Fresh paint, a new backsplash (so pretty!), new appliances and cabinets, and did you see the dishwasher cover too? Neato! Check out the entire process on her blog Urbane Jane.