Better After

Bless My Bench

Is your bare front porch begging for a bench? Does your foyer seem sparse without several soft seats on which to sit? Hmmmm. What to do when a single chair is just not enough?

Claire saw the solution to this dilemma from a mile away and simply screwed her three freebie chairs together to form a single unit. She added some Gorilla Glue for good measure, a coat of black spray paint, and a cushion with a cover she made herself to top it all off. Now she has a fabulous piece of furniture, plus bragging rights whenever anyone comes over and says “Well bless my soul, where ever did you get that adorable bench?!”

See it on her blog Bless My Nest.

November 24, 2010 By Lindsey @ Better After

6 In kitchen/dining

Tear Down my Walls

Kelly from Tearing up Houses had a clunky, cornered kitchen. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more bizzare layout! It would appear that the fridge is in another room entirely. Nothing that knocking down a few walls can’t fix! I love how it turned out and there are a gazillion more pics of all the details over on her blog! Check it out!

November 23, 2010 By Lindsey @ Better After

5 In chairs/ottomans/seating

Bye Bye Butterfly

Ok, I admit it, I really like this before bench! A swarm of colorful butterflies for your behind! But according to Christina from Christina’s Adventures, it was in grim shape. She cleaned it up with a black and white motif and wouldn’t you know, she sold it right away on Craigslist!

November 23, 2010 By Lindsey @ Better After

9 In miscellaneous

File this under Fabulous

Just because something is functional, it doesn’t mean it can’t be beautiful. In fact, in this day and age, I can’t really think of much that hasn’t been beautified in some way. Laptops, cellphones, brooms, cupcake liners, paper towels, license plate holders, dog collars, you name it, someone has probably figured out a way to stamp a design on it or bedazzle it.

And now we can add filing cabinets to the list. This particular filing cabinet used to the the president and CEO of Boringcorp, but now it shines with a cheery yellow paint job and damask fabric–ified drawer fronts. Check it out from Hannah at Young and Crafty.

November 23, 2010 By Lindsey @ Better After

3 In desks/hutches/buffets

I wanna hutch you all over…

I have some serious hutch envy going on today thanks to these two new redos from Loulou. (Rhyming, hooray!) The first hutch was a Craigslist find, intended to be refinished and sold. However … it was just too darn cute to get rid of, so it found a new home in Loulou’s dining room.

I love the two tones of gray and that french country look, I think it’s my favorite. Have I ever actually been to the french countryside to know if they truly incorporate this gray-washed distressed wood look over there? No. But I like to pretend I know what I’m talking about.

See it on her blog The Life of Loulou.

And here’s another one! I haven’t managed to make over ONE hutch in my lifetime, and Loulou seems to do it every other day. ‘Zing. (That’s short for amazing, thanks 30 Rock!)

She redid this cabinet for a shop owner who wanted a display for a new line of candles. Smart thinking to leave the interior dark to provide a contrast for the display, no? See it HERE.

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November 22, 2010 By Lindsey @ Better After

2 In kiddie

Retro Redo

At some point in time, this classic little schoolhouse desk got a Bubblegum Barbie makeover. Yipes. Jaime planned to use it on her main floor, so she knew the pink would have to go. With a lot of paint stripper, steel wool and fresh paint, this little desk looks as good as old! Which is even better than new! Check it out on her blog That’s My Letter.