Better After

18 In decor

Window Pain

What started out as a weathered old window has ended up as a weathered old mirror. How in the hay did that happen?

Elizabeth from ECABonline reports that soon after she acquired this leaded-glass window, it suffered a near deadly fall from her mantle. Several panes cracked and the rotting frame totally gave way. She decided all was not lost and decided to just hang the glass alone, but with an extra touch.

She says, “I used Krylon’s Looking Glass paint to turn the window into a “mirror” of sorts – it’s shiny and reflective, but not in the way a brand-new mirror would be; rather, it’s cloudy and antique-looking. I actually rather love the effect.” As do I! Nifty heavy-object-hanging tips over on her site too, check it out!

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functional handmade crafts and repurposed goods

December 2, 2010 By Lindsey @ Better After

13 In chairs/ottomans/seating

Birds and Roses

You might start slowly scrolling down this post, looking at this before chair and thinking “Not bad. Fabric could be worse, and it has a great shape… oh. Oh, yikes. Yeah, this one needed a redo.”

Then you will continue scrolling down to the glorious after, gasp loud enough to wake the neighbors, and shed some tears of adoration. Then you will say, “I have to see more!” So I will leave you with this link to Courtney’s blog: Courtney Out Loud

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functional handmade crafts and repurposed goods

December 1, 2010 By Lindsey @ Better After

1 In tables/dressers

Toybox Turned Table

Lots of interior designers teach that you should “shop your house” before heading out to buy something new. At least, I saw that on TV a couple of times, so it must be true.

Sometimes the perfect piece is right there under your nose, or buried under a pile of toys, in Lisa’s case. She needed a coffee table and had a toybox. The toybox was just the right dimensions … hmmm. Certainly her kids wouldn’t mind if she hijacked it, repainted and distressed it and moved it into the living room, would they? Probably not, because I’m pretty sure it ended up storing toys all the same. Looks great Lisa!

See more on her blog Room by Room.

This post brought to you by:

functional handmade crafts and repurposed goods

December 1, 2010 By Lindsey @ Better After

3 In decor

The White Way to Glaze

You really do learn something new everyday. Today I learned that enameled glitter can deteriorate over time, leaving my cute, sparkly Christmas decorations of last year looking like vomited-upon Halloween decorations this year.

But on a happier note, today I also learned that there is such a thing as white glaze and it looks super cool. Beth from Sawdust and Embryos shows us the way with this funky and fun desk organizer. Love the effect of the white behind the orange!

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functional handmade crafts and repurposed goods

November 30, 2010 By Lindsey @ Better After

10 In kitchen/dining/ miscellaneous

Floorplan

Back when she was trying to get her High Heeled Foot in the Door, Camila (who now blogs at Effortless Style) decided she needed a dose of “WOW” in her kitchen. Did she replace her cabinets, knock down walls and buy all new appliances? No, she painted her kitchen floor jade green. How’s that for “WOW,” eh?

It looks pretty spectacular to me. I admit that when I’m feeling dramatic, the craziest I get is painting my fingernails. It takes guts to break out of the ordinary. But, don’t be afraid to add some “WOW” to YOUR home, wherever it may be. It’s a whole heck of a lot better than “Eh.”

This post brought to you by:

functional handmade crafts and repurposed goods

November 30, 2010 By Lindsey @ Better After

5 In tables/dressers

Stand-ard Deviation

Amanda was minding her own business at the thriftstore when this mid-century modern dresser jumped out at her and demanded to be taken home. Not one to ignore such requests, she did just that.

But first the dresser needed a little fix-me-up. So she redid it in a cool gray and added a contrasting zebra pattern on top. (Hand painted yo!)

But the biggest difference to me is how she simply got the dresser up off the floor a few inches by screwing in some new legs. I think that makes it seem much more substantial and able to stand alone, and not like it might possibly be one half of a whole, which is what it seems like in the before. Does that make sense? I’m rambling. Anyhoo, check it out on her blog The Secret Life of the Staging Chick. Thanks Amanda!