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Living Rooms

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16 In decor/ outdoors

Expiration Date

Better After reader Chris  found this old milk jug by the side of the road.  She knew it had potential to be something great, so she kept it around.  For twenty years!  Finally one day she decided to just fix the darn thing up already.  So she painted it white and added some vinyl lettering, and now it’s a welcoming little showpiece on her front porch. 

Is there something that has followed you around for a long time, maybe even decades, waiting for a little love and attention?  Well, here is your wake up call!  Make it happen and fix that darn thing up already!  Why not do it today?





June 16, 2011 By
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12 In tables/dressers

Against the Grain

In case your knowledge of French consists of that one semester you slept through in college like me, here is a refresher.  Faux bois, pronounced “foe bwah” and definitely not “fox boys”  is a term that means “fake wood.” You may be asking yourself what the heck that has to do with anything. Obviously Kari’s wood table here is anything but fake, and besides,she painted over the wood in the end anyway. 

But look closely!  No, CLOSER.  Do you see the faux bois grain in yellow on the top?  Isn’t that great? She accomplished this with her faux bois rocker tool, which I want to try because it looks so easy and yet delivers really groovy results.  (ha, pun!)  See more from Kari at Encore Decor.






June 16, 2011 By
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9 In chairs/ottomans/seating

Holly, Heather and Molly

Once upon a time, there were three gals named Holly, Heather and Molly.  They each had some sort of seating device. Holly had a rocker, Heather had an old piano bench, and Molly had herself a chair.  None of the these things were too bad looking, except for all of them.

So Holly rescued her rocker from the early stages of decomposition and replaced the worn out seat with a flower pot!  So cute, if not slightly uncomfortable.  (ha, I kid!) See it on her blog Hoosier at Heart.









Heather’s tired old piano bench looked like something that nobody bought at the church rummage sale.  So she paid a mere $7.50 for it, plumped up the cushion, replaced the fabric (with birds!) and swapped out that lame little support rod thing for an honest shelf. See the process on her blog Feather’s Flights.
















 


And finally Better After reader Molly rescued this harp-back chair from a trip to the dump with damask fabric and a turquoise paint job.  She gave it some heavy distressing, which helps the chair hold its own against the graphic fabric.  Great job ladies!   

















The End!

June 15, 2011 By
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5 In kitchen/dining

Velvet Revolver

I bet this dining room was someone’s “formal set” back in the day, meaning it only got used about once a year.  If I had chairs covered in mustard-colored velvet, I’d probably only pull them out once a year too, and not because I was worried about staining. (other than from my throw up) The whole set just has this sickly yellow vibe happening, from the velvet to the tabletop to the funky speckled finish. 

Luckily, this set got another go-round out of life when Korrie ditched the putrid hue in favor of striped dropcloth slipcovers, a fresh coat of Behr Pillar White, and about four coats of stain up top.  AND she overachieved and did a matching hutch, but you’ll have to check that one out on her blog Red Hen Home.





June 15, 2011 By
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14 In desks/hutches/buffets

Blessed Union

June is famous for weddings, and here’s one to celebrate: The coupling of  Marian’s random bookcase and broken hutch.  Perhaps they don’t sound like a match made in heaven, but once she joined them in holy matrimony (and dressed them up for the occasion) their differences complemented each other beautifully!  Here’s to a long and happy life together!

See more from Marian at Ruby Slipper Designs.


 


 







 


 

June 15, 2011 By
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4 In tables/dressers

Bluebiquitous

This style of dresser is extremely ubiquitous.  Ubiquitous, according to my word-of-the-day calendar, is something “existing or being everywhere: constantly encountered : widespread.”  Yup, that sums it up.  You and your grandma probably already own dressers just like this, and if not, you could each hit up craigslist and own one today.   And then you and your grandma could paint them together!  I bet your grandma would like that.

Liz had one of these dressers, and I love what she did hers: monochromatic blue, right down to the handles.  Plays so nicely with the yellow wall and accessories.  See more on her blog Blue Eyed Owl.





June 14, 2011 By
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