Better After

Boy Blue

Friends, guess what? I am headed to LA this weekend to see Electric Light Orchestra in concert! When I saw that they were touring for the first time in 30 years, I felt strongly that it was my duty as a citizen of Earth to see their show. Did you not feel compelled in your heart to do the same? Do you not like ELO?? Of course you do. Strange Magic? Give that a listen. Evil Woman? Who doesn’t like that one? Everyone doesn’t not like it, that’s who. I said what I said.

So those are my weekend plans, and other than that, I don’t really know what else to do with myself in LA. It’s not a city I am familiar with. If you have some favorite LA haunts, will you share?

If you don’t have weekend plans that include a Xanadu singalong, I feel bad for you son, but here’s something you can do: go find a pair of outdated nightstands, take off the outdated doors, and give them makeover in navy blue. Play Mr. Blue Sky in background as you paint. You’ll have so much fun and a sassy pair of nightstands to show off when you’re done.

Cute huh? Check them out on Carrie’s blog Thirty Eighth Street where you can find the exact shade of blue she used.

August 3, 2018 By Lindsey @ Better After

10 In decor

I’m Shook

Here’s a little quick-hit for you today from Jennifer Squires who gave her plain closet door a Shaker-style makeover. It was supposed to be a quick-hit anyway, but then I wanted to be sure I was correct with the terminology, so I googled ‘Shaker style furniture.’ A deep-dive into Wikipedia later, and I now know everything I ever wanted and needed to know about that topic. Here’s a summary:

“Shaker furniture is a distinctive style of furniture developed by the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, commonly known as Shakers, a religious sect that had guiding principles of simplicity, utility and honesty. Their beliefs were reflected in the well-made furniture of minimalist designs.”

Then I laughed at the irony in giving a completely plain door a ‘Shaker-style’ makeover, when Shaker-style aims to embody minimalism, but I’m realizing now as I’m typing this that this is probably only funny to me, I don’t know you guys, I’m tired.

REGARDLESS, it looks awesome. I’m going to Shaker-style up every plain door that crosses my path from now on, and you can too.

Such a simple way to add interest to your home. Check out Jennifer’s blog to see how!

And speaking of shaking like we totally were, here’s a link to one of my very favorite Jack White songs, I’m Shakin’, which will surely set your day on fire and make you dance, you don’t get a choice, you must dance.

July 27, 2018 By Lindsey @ Better After

36 In bathroom

Pink About It

Fun fact: now that I’m divorced (that’s not the fun part) and have been in my own home for over a year, I’ve felt totally free to decorate with whatever the heck I want. And whatever the heck I want is usually pink. I have pink dishes, pink rugs, a pink sofa, pink pillows, pink blankets, pink paintings, pink vases, and I keep wanting to paint my piano pink try and stop me. (You are picturing something super tacky right now, but don’t worry. There’s more to it than that. I will take pictures for you sometime, I promise. I’m not a regular blogger, I’m a bad blogger).

Anyway, I had so much gray in my life for so long (figuratively and decoratively) that pink just feels good … it feels so happy and optimistic to me. You can’t go wrong with pink. Actually that’s a lie. You totally can. I ordered a pair of chairs for my kitchen table last week, and as soon as I opened the box I knew I had to send them back, because they were such a violent, aggressive pink.

I DO have a picture of that, straight from my phone, please enjoy:

And here’s what it was supposed to look like:

Big difference yeah?

There’s a lot of right and wrong ways to do pink, and the trending pink is very soft and pretty. It almost leans toward a rosy beige rather than red.

Here’s a perfect example from Carmel at Our Fifth House.

If I wasn’t in a rental, I would probably be painting my bathroom vanity pink too. I love this so much.

What do you think? Are you with me on Team Pink??

July 20, 2018 By Lindsey @ Better After

46 In kitchen/dining

The Island Grill … no, not that one

This before kitchen may very well be the kitchen of someone’s dreams. Surely it has some things going for it OTHER THAN THE GAS RANGE IN THE TINY ISLAND WHAT ARE PEOPLE THINKING.

Sorry, I just have really strong feelings about what should and should not be integrated into a kitchen island design. The complete list is: anything. No sinks, no cooking apparatus, no built-in cutting boards, no inset fruit bowls, no none of it but thanks for asking even though you didn’t.

I’m not here to hate on your kitchen island. If you love having a big, fat sink spewing dishwater all over the counter where people are trying to eat or do homework nearby, that is totally your call girlfriend, and I support you, and if you need a cook-space that is open for business on all four sides, waiting for any opportunity to serve up a dish of deep-fried fingers, that is 100% your decision and I respect that, but as for me and my house we will serve … not that.

And since Chateau Kitchens. are masters of the kitchen remodel, and they opted to send that gas range packing in favor of a gloriously uninterrupted expanse of island, I feel pretty good about it.

What are your thoughts? Are you a die-hard fan of the island sink/range/trash receptacle/etc?

Change my mind!

July 3, 2018 By Lindsey @ Better After

9 In tables/dressers

Sock It To Me

I’ve featured roughly seventy-five billion dresser makeovers on Better After over the years, and in that time I’ve seen it all. Sometimes, I hate to say it, but sometimes it’s hard for my socks to be knocked all the way off anymore. Maybe my socks are just a bit jaded. They’ve been around too long, they’ve seen too much, they’re a little too cool for school.

But you know what? This dresser makeover by Lindi at Love Create & Celebrate sent them soaring across the room. So don’t worry too much about my socks just yet.

KNOCKED. OFF.

How cool is that gold inlay? Head over to her blog to see how she did it in literally minutes!

Tell me tell me, what did your socks think?

June 29, 2018 By Lindsey @ Better After

12 In bathroom

Powder of Positivity

You know what the world needs? A little more positivity. Right? Who’s with me? Let’s practice right now. Rest your eyeballs on this bathroom’s before photo and say nice things about it. I’ll go first.

Wow! The toilet is soclose to the sink! One could wash their hands before they’ve even finished their business! What an efficient design.

How about that ultra-high, super-small mirror? No more wasting another minute of time obsessively examining after-dinner belly bloat from every angle. Not possible here, no ma’am. Out of sight, out of mind!

Sponge paint! What a delight! So nostalgic! Takes me right back to my youth in the ’90s. A simpler time, we can all agree on that.

Now it’s your turn. Let me know if I missed anything. But first, give your eyeballs a break and scroll down to the magnificent after ….

You thought I was being dramatic with the ‘magnificent,’ but no. It 100% deserves the superlative. From Laurel at Laurel Home who positively worked magic in this little jewel of a powder room.

June 14, 2018 By Lindsey @ Better After

Older Posts

Newer Posts

Living Rooms

Kitchens

Furniture