Better After

Beachy Dreams

Now that Christmas and all the festivities of the New Year are over, who’s ready for spring? Me too. Winter, what’s your point? Why do you continue to exist after Jan 1st? You done worn out your welcome.

So today let’s check out these beachy redos that have me thinking about warmer weather from Annalisa at … um … ok, this is another foreign blog, I think it is called Loggettoripensato? Or something? And the link doesn’t take you exactly to this redo? But I tried really hard to find it for you. And you have to scroll waaaay down to see anything. My Italian is a little rusty. Translation: nonexistent. Sorry! But it’s a great pair of redos all the same!

January 7, 2011 By Lindsey @ Better After

11 In chairs/ottomans/seating

This Chair is Just Right

Do you need a stool but only have access to a few chairs? Well, if you also have access to some sort of cutting device, then you’re in business, my friend. Sole chopped down these traditional chairs and recovered them with IKEA fabric to make a pair of super funky stools. Check it out on her blog Cachivache Decora, which the often unreliable Google Translate tells me means Furnish Trash in espanol? Oh, Google Translate, you are a riot!

And this chair was donated to Melanie from MMB Creations, whose reputation as a chair whisperer had spread. She rehabbed the rain-damaged mess into a shiny, spinny little seat for her grandson. I know my kids would love a little red chair just their size for twirling. Thanks ladies!

January 7, 2011 By Lindsey @ Better After

13 In bedroom

Grand Slam

This before bedroom was a little boy’s dream, if that little boy happened to be really into playing baseball. Or watching baseball, as 95% of the mural consisted of the spectators. Strikes two and three come in the form of the wallpaper border and overall dim and claustrophobic feel that were weighing this room down.

Alicia from Thrifty and Chic stepped in as a pinch hitter and turned it into a home run (oh, you’d better believe I’m getting as much mileage as I can out of these baseball puns!) and guestroom extraordinaire for her client. All told, the damage was less than $500, and that included buying most of the furniture! Score!

January 7, 2011 By Lindsey @ Better After

6 In decor/ miscellaneous

What’s Old is New

I think I’m finally conquering my inner OCD–ness. In the past, I would typically freak the freak out at the sight of distressed furniture, chipped dishes or anything but perfect symmetry. Having kids definitely helps, especially when they are kind enough to add their own distressing to the furniture. But thanks to many of you too, I’ve started to embrace things that are weathered, slightly shabby or imperfect. “It adds character!” is something I have started to believe rather than say through gritted teeth.

So here are a few redos, or maybe we could call them ‘undos‘ that took something newish and made it old! The old me would be breathing into a paper bag, ha!

This bookshelf from Patrice at Duplicity Furnishings went through one heck of a painting process to get it looking that bad (as in, good!) Paint, primer, sand paper, mod podge, wax, spit, gristle, ok, maybe not the last two, but you get it.

And Erin from Cultivating Home did a DIY job on these votives to produce one of my favorite looks, mercury glass! Mercury glass is a favorite look at Christmas time, but I think it is lovely any time of the year. Like, a big mercury glass vase used to plant white tulips in the spring or somesuch. Thanks ladies!

January 6, 2011 By Lindsey @ Better After

9 In kitchen/dining

In a Pickle

The only thing worse than orange fakey-oak cabinets might just be pickled fakey-oak cabinets. Pinkish, shiny, and when paired with a white formica, as with Mary’s before kitchen here, a big bowl of uninspiring blahness.

So change was in order, starting with a fresh coat of Dried-Thyme on the cabinets and updating just about everything else. My very, very favorite part is the tile backsplash, it literally made me sigh out loud. See it up close on her blog Humble 1021.

January 6, 2011 By Lindsey @ Better After

7 In desks/hutches/buffets/ tables/dressers

Bird is the Word

Birds! Will they ever go out of style? I don’t think so. Birds have been used as part of decor in every age of time, from caveman hieroglyphics to carvings in the Egyptian pyramids to tapestries in Buckingham Palace to oven mitts in my grandma’s kitchen. I think it’s safe to say that birds are here to stay. And hooray for that. Where would we be today if those cavemen had decided to decorate with, like, ferrets or something?

Here are a couple of birdy redos for your viewing pleasure!

First from Suesan at Frou–FruGal who redid this vanity, and replaced those droopy flowers in the center panel for a hand-painted, embossed design by using drywall spackle and glazing over it! Genius!

And here is a great side table that Nicole found for $3.99 at Goodwill and gussied up with aqua paint and one sweet little birdie. Check it out on her blog Noshings.