Better After

10 In bathroom

Hello? Is it a fabulous bathroom you’re looking for?

Oh! What a feeling! When there’s beadboard on the ceiling!

Maybe that’s not exactly how Lionel Ritchie sang it, but I’m sure he wouldn’t mind a slight change in the lyrics to celebrate a big change in this bathroom. (Side note: if you’re looking for a great karaoke song, I recommend ‘All Night Long’ by Lionel. It’s a real crowd-mover. There’s even a little break where you can get a conga line going if you hustle).

Anyway, Heather at The Heathered Nest turned this ugly duckling into a swan with beautiful tile work and a glass shower in place of the dreary shower stall from before. And of course, that ceiling!

“Hey wait, where’s the glass shower?!” you exclaim. Keep scrolling honey bun, it’s down there. I just wanted to share this picture first so you could savor all that lovely tile!

Fabulous work Heather!

February 2, 2015 By Lindsey @ Better After

24 In bedroom/ kitchen/dining/ living room

Take Me To Church

Here’s a little something different for your Friday, and it’s kind of my dream come true. No, not the dream of Gwen Stefani and I being best friends and having a lip sync battle with Jimmy Fallon, my other dream best friend/next door neighbor. This is my dream of renovating a public building into a private home. (Preferably in between Gwen and Jimmy).

My dream started from a show called Generation Renovation, where people would turn things like old post offices and auto showrooms into beautiful homes. My favorite episode was when a couple renovated an abandoned junior high school. As they were giving the tour, the man swung open a set of double doors at the end of a hallway, and bam: a full-size gymnasium! Why is that show not on anymore? That show was the best.

So this makeover is right up my alley. It’s an old church turned ballet conservatory turned private residence in New Orleans. Now, I can’t say that I’m on board with all the changes and ‘updates’ that were made here. Some of them make me cringe, truly. But it’s still SO fascinating! And I’d much rather see a historic space being used and loved, rather than untouched and left to rot.

This is the exterior, no before and after shot here. It looks pretty much untouched, other than that apparatus on the roof.

Boarded up windows and peeling paint become a perfectly presentable bedroom.

Half walls were added to carve out some living spaces, like the wall to the right in this kitchen.

Look at those soaring ceilings! And the windows, drool! And there still looks like plenty of space to host a ballet performance.

Last I checked it was for sale, if you want to cough up two and half million for it. There is a blog called 1527 Harmony, although it hasn’t been updated, but you can see much more from realtor photos here and here.

What do you think??

January 30, 2015 By Lindsey @ Better After

10 In bedroom

Green Tween

When it comes to closet doors, less is more. Just kidding. Who made up that math? More is more! Just take a look at these before doors and try not to fall asleep. Not very exciting, right?

Would Gwen Stefani allow these closet doors into her life? (I ask, because Gwen Stefani is my spiritual style guide. Whenever I shop for my home, I pretend she is shopping with me. Whenever I get dressed in the morning, I look in my closet and ask myself “What would Gwen Stefani wear?” The answer is usually “None of this crap!” but I try all the same).

But look now! So stylish! So chic! I bet Gwen would adore them. I’ll ask her what she thinks next time I see her. (Ok, I’ve never actually SEEN her, but the universe will realize that we are supposed to be best friends and bring us together eventually, I’m sure of it.

Do you have a spiritual style guide? If so, tell me who!

But back to the makeover. Obviously these fabulous closet doors do not exist in a vaccum, they are connected to a tween bedroom that got a couple of updates and a killer wall color as well.

Ooh! With a color that bold, you don’t need much else. Gorgeous.

See more on this bedroom from Kris at Driven by Decor, and get more details about the closet door makeover here.

January 29, 2015 By Lindsey @ Better After

12 In tables/dressers

Something seems a little fishy.

Perhaps you have strolled through the thrift store, or scrolled through Craigslist, wanting deep in your heart to find an item of furniture to makeover, but not knowing where to start. Unsure if you have the vision. Doubting you could pull it off.

“This dresser looks cool,” you say to yourself. “Maybe some new handles, definitely a pretty paint job. But I don’t like the feet, and what about that weird scrolly piece at the bottom? I don’t even know. I give up.”

*SLAP* (That is me slapping some sense into you. Kindly, of course). Don’t give up girlfriend! Look what it can be with new handles and a pretty paint job! And guess what? Turns out the skirt was easily removable. No problem at all. Susan pried it off and added an updated set of feet, and so can you, and it looks amazing, and so can yours!

See it at Saw Nail and Paint.

“Ok,” you are thinking “I can do this! Yeah! Look, here’s another dresser now! Oh, but it has a funky rattan paneling thing happening on the drawers. Hmmm, I don’t know how I’d fix that. I give up.”

Honey, please. Haven’t I taught you anything? That’s not even real rattan. That’s a piece of plastic molded to look like rattan. Pop that sucker out and replace it with some v-board, like Jann at Newton Custom Interiors did here! Boom. Instant classic.

Now it’s your turn. You tell me. What would you do with this mega-bland particle board console? New handles and trim? A brightly colored paint job?

Trick question. The answer I was looking for is “cover it with fish.” I just like to keep you on your toes.

From Paula at Sweet Pea.

January 28, 2015 By Lindsey @ Better After

8 In bathroom

On a Roll

Some updates were long overdue in this bathroom. These included: everything. When a fresh roll of toilet paper is the best thing a bathroom has going for it … well, it’s time for a change.

So au revoir vintage toilet! Adios outdated wallpaper! Sayonara shrimpy shower, bye-bye broke down vanity!

And helloooo miles of tile, gorgeous new cabinets and counters, and a spacious new shower. I love the herringbone wood-look tile on the floor, but my favorite part is how much bigger the whole room looks with the clear shower doors and knocking that right wall open. It’s only about a foot wider now, but it makes such a big impact!