Better After

11 In tables/dressers

4 Desks Ya’ll

I am … not really sure what this desk is all about. It looks to be antiquish. There’s that flip-up part, but it doesn’t really make sense as a vanity, because Molly added the mirror herself in the after. Why would an antiquish desk need a flip-up thing? (try not to be amazed at my technical jargon-speak). Not to keep a keyboard in, obviously. To efficiently clean clutter off of one’s desk in one quick sweep? To deter really dumb thieves? I’m confused.

Anyhoo, like I said, Molly made up her mind that this was going to be a vanity and added the mirror and decoupaged some cuteness inside and now it makes much more sense. See it on her blog Pieces of Molly.

Patty took her top off to make this dramatic desk redo possible. Not like that, pervs! She took the top off of this desk and replaced it with an abandoned leaf from another table! I like how it went from pastel and … well sort of babyish, to all grown up and stately.

More to see on her blog Nuestras Aventuras en Texas.

Belinda found this little desk at a flea market and transformed it from unremarkable to unforgettable with a little help from everybody’s homeboy, black paint. And I do believe that is fabric mod-podged right on the drawers. Straight up nifty, yo.

See it on her blog, The Seam Rippers.

Isn’t this one lovely? From Kathleen at Between Blue and Yellow. Once again I stand upon my chair and applaud the fact that she used the original hardware. Anything else looks so out of place on a piece as clearly timeless as this. Can you imagine it with stainless steel rod knobs from IKEA or something? (I’m sorry IKEA, you know I still love you baby).

Thanks ladies!

October 1, 2010 By Lindsey @ Better After

10 In desks/hutches/buffets

Pop Goes My Heart!

You know that phrase “butter face?” Guys use it to describe a girl who has a nice body … but then … there’s her face…? It’s horrible, true, but kind of describes this old hutch. There’s the lovely lower half, and then that clunky, junky upper half that I’m convinced came from a separate entity altogether, because they don’t jibe at all.

So Lisa simply removed the offending half and refinished the top, painting the rest white, and I’d say she’s a perfect 10 now! Check it out on her blog Popcorn Served Daily.

October 1, 2010 By Lindsey @ Better After

15 In kitchen/dining

Tammy Time

You hear of people wanting to create “spa-like” bathrooms and “retreat-like” bedrooms, so why not kitchens too?

That’s what Better After reader Tammy decided when she finally had enough of her busy, cluttered kitchen. It definitely wasn’t lacking color or character before, but it wasn’t super cohesive or easy on the ol’ eyeballs either. I just want to take a moment to say hi to the old formica “wood” countertops, totally had those in the house I grew up in!

I love the new serene feel! It looks so high-end, but she let me in on a little secret… it’s an IKEA kitchen with a few Craigslist finds mixed in! Amazing. I also love the two toned cabinets, it keeps it open and light and grounded at the same time, which is something it was lacking before. Nice job Tammy!

September 30, 2010 By Lindsey @ Better After

9 In tables/dressers

Orange Bloodbath

Could this before dresser BE any more terrifying?

It looks like Garfield met a tragic end at this scene. Or Snooki.

Nicole had to do something, anything, to make this dresser an item she could live with. She also didn’t want to spend much, so she used supplies she had on hand and transformed it from nightmare to sweet dream. All for free.99! (That sounds funnier when you say it out loud…)

Check it out on her blog Home for Hire. Thanks Nicole!

September 30, 2010 By Lindsey @ Better After

8 In other rooms

You’ve heard the saying …

Denise’s entryway — with its hardwood floors and unique corbels — would have looked good even if it was dressed in a burlap sack. And wouldn’t you know, it is!

Denise wanted to add even more oomph to her entryway, so she used burlap fabric for a unique wall treatment, along with board and batten that she rigged herself. I also love the new black door! See more on her blog The Painted Home.

September 30, 2010 By Lindsey @ Better After

7 In tables/dressers

Redo Redo

HGTV (and probably this very blog!) would have you believe that before and afters are as easy as frozen pie. Step one: Find ugly thing. Step two: Paint. Step three: Enjoy beautiful new thing!

Sometimes it is as easy as that and sometimes it takes a lot of work. And sometimes you may not like the results of your makeover! But don’t fret! A post-makeover makeover is all that’s in order.

That’s what Carla did when she first redid this coffee table in blue and discovered that it was too… well… blue. So, she lightened it up, distressed it a bit and added stenciled detailing across the top. Perfecto. Don’t be afraid to redo your redo! Check it out on her blog Creative and Happy.

And dude! Check out what she did with her rarely-used bathtub! Love this idea. Find it HERE.