Better After

11 In tables/dressers

As Good As Gold

I love gold. I give gold two thumbs up and a high five and a blue ribbon and a gold medal, naturally. If you are wanting to incorporate a little gold into your home or have been dying to try it on a makeover, picture me standing nearby waving my gold pom-poms cheering you on!

But then, picture me dropping my pom-poms and grasping you by the shoulders for a serious talk. Listen. Don’t overdo it. Don’t paint your furniture top-to-bottom gold.* Are you Kanye? No you are not. A solid gold paint job can look cheap. That’s opposite of the effect we want!

Try a subtle enhancement with a dipped look, like Draven at Draven Made did here.

Or add some visual interest with a stencil, like this beauty from Jen at Girl in the Garage.

It’s so fancy, you don’t even know!

Here’s another tip: Be sure to use a high quality paint, and take your time. The last thing you want in a gold-paint job is brush streaks. Gold spray paint will give you a nice finish, but the colors can vary dramatically. This post does a great job illustrating the variations in some popular brands.

PS: *This rule does not apply to gold-leafing your furniture. Wowza!

From Mari at Crab + Fish.

February 10, 2015 By Lindsey @ Better After

10 In bedroom

You Guest It.

You know that saying, “Go big or go home?” That’s what Eden did here. Although it’s a guest room, so she probably meant “Go big and stay home. My home, that is. Stay at my home. As my guest. Nevermind.”

But she really did go big, with a nine-foot-tall headboard! That’s one way to make your guests feel special. Good luck getting rid of them. They’ll probably be expecting to wake up to breakfast in bed and a freshly ironed newspaper now.

Eden reports that this entire makeover was done for about $350, with the headboard costing $120 of that. Most everything else was Craigslist, thrifted, or homemade, including this nifty armoire makeover.

It was nearly twenty years old and showing its age, so Eden stained it and gave it a dry-brushing treatment to match the headboard. Lovely!

See more at DIYHER.

February 9, 2015 By Lindsey @ Better After

19 In miscellaneous

Free Home Decor Catalogs

There’s nothing quite as exciting as getting a fresh stack of catalogs in the mail (there probably is, but I don’t get out much), but it recently dawned on me that I haven’t been getting as many since we moved into our new house. Time to get myself back on those mailing lists!

I have compiled some of my very favorites for you. True, I might not order from a certain few until I win that Nigerian lottery, but they are all fabulous for inspiration. And free!

The links below take you directly to the catalog request form for each site. Soon you’ll be cozied up on the couch, snuggled under a fuzzy throw, mug of cocoa and fun new catalog in hand. Or however you choose to live your life.

Anthropologie // Z Gallerie // Ballard Designs // Arhaus

CB2 // Pier One // Wisteria // Pottery Barn

West Elm // IKEA // Serena & Lily // Restoration Hardware

And here’s a tidy little alphabetical version. Don’t miss out on Home Decorators Collection, Grandin Road, and Birch Lane, those are recent additions to the list below. Did I miss any? What are some of your favorites? I’d love to grow the list!

I would truly appreciate it if you pinned and shared this post!

February 7, 2015 By Lindsey @ Better After

14 In kitchen/dining

I am stealing your ceiling.

I always say that anyone can put a bed in a bedroom. Everyone knows that a dining room needs a dining table. But the basics just aren’t enough if you want an amazing room. If you want to really WOW, you’ve got to go for some extra oomph. Something flashy, something unexpected, something more.

For instance, let’s take a look at this dining room. It had a pretty chandelier and a substantial mirror. The table was the right scale for the room, the chairs seems nice. There’s a rug. Whatever. It’s fine.

Which is fine.

If you are aiming for fine.

But who wants fine when WOW is right around the corner?

WOWWWWWW. Wowzeroni. Wowy McWowwerPants. Wiggety-wiggety-WOW.

The ceiling (the ceiling!) was made by cutting pieces of wood cut to mimic the pattern in the wallpaper. But even you cropped it out, this room would still be a jaw-dropper. So stunning.

From Jessie aka The Design Daredevil who knows how to deliver the WOW.

February 6, 2015 By Lindsey @ Better After

19 In chairs/ottomans/seating

Crossing Over

Did I ever tell you about the time I won a blue ribbon in the county fair when I was a child? I probably didn’t, it’s a pretty boring story. I’m going to tell it to you anyway.

So, I didn’t raise a pig, or grow a record-breaking turnip. I didn’t bake an award winning pie. It was for cross-stitch. Cross-stitch. Like what geriatric pilgrim women did for fun in the 1800’s. I stitched the word ‘PEACE’ in white thread on pink fabric, and someone gave me a blue ribbon for it, probably because they just felt bad for the weird little eight-year-old who liked to cross-stitch. Like, go kick a ball or something, you poor kid.

But I still do a little cross-stitching occasionally, because I am an 80-year-old woman at heart, and proud of it. And cross-stitch is totally hip these days anyway. I was just ahead of my time, yeaaahhh.

So get ready for some cross-stitch that will blow your mind.

Ka-BLAM! Is your mind sufficiently blown? Isn’t that genius? I love it so much.

From Larissa at Prodigal Pieces who totally deserves, like 10 blue ribbons.

February 5, 2015 By Lindsey @ Better After

13 In desks/hutches/buffets

To have and to hold stuff.

I had some technical difficulties yesterday and wasn’t able to get a post published, so I apologize. If you even noticed, that is. If not … uh … I’m NOT sorry, and forget we ever had this conversation.

And now, back to your regularly scheduled blog!

__________________________

We are gathered here today to witness the blessed union of two mismatched souls.

Two individuals that never really amounted to much on their own. He: a dresser the color of fry sauce. She: a lackluster set of bookshelves.

But together, (and with help of some paint, trim, and MDF) they create a perfect, powerful unit of unity! And a great place to put all your DVDs and stuff!

From The Fancy Farmgirls as featured on All Things Thrifty.