Better After

17 In desks/hutches/buffets/ miscellaneous/ tables/dressers

Red Strokes

I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but do you remember that music video by Garth Brooks approximately 100 years ago, back when I was in middle school, for his song The Red Strokes? Oh man. Go watch it if you want to see a very passionate (and skinny) Garth Brooks pounding his heart out on a piano in what looks like a giant puddle of blood, but is actually red paint. Stick around for the guitar solo. It’s so fantastically terribly wonderful.

Anyway, that song always comes to mind whenever I share red makeovers, and I’ve got a handful of them today.

OOOHHH, the RED STROKES!!!! Passions uncaged!

Here Christina at Phoenix Restoration fearlessly updated some campaign-style nightstands, which just led me on a 15-minute search through my local Craigslist to see if I could find some myself. Unfortunately I could not. The Phoenix Craigslist continues to be a garbage pit of overpriced yard-sale castoffs.

Julie at Simple Redesign was instructed to give this piece a ‘chippy antique’ look by a client, which she achieved by using Old Fashioned Milk Paint in Barn Red.

If you’ve ever used milk paint, you may have been disappointed by its super-matte finish. It is flatter than flat. No worries though, a topcoat is all it takes to bring it to life. Julie used a low-gloss sealer to give this buffet just the right amount of shine.

Now it’s time for my favorite movie quote:

“A gun rack? I don’t even own *A* gun. Let alone many guns that would necessitate an entire rack. What am I gonna do … with a gun rack?”

Well Wayne, you could always take up gardening. How about that?

Astral Riles added a pegboard to the back of hers, and now she’s got a handy gardening station to liven up her yard.

Whenever Tami at Curb Alert is busy with projects, her daughter likes to tag-along too. She stays busy by practicing her painting alongside her mama on this child-sized desk.

But Tami thought it was time to use the desk as less of an canvas and more of a desk, so she took over and gave it an adorable ‘back-to-school’ themed makeover. No worries though, her daughter has moved on to a new art piece. Maybe she’ll be blogging her own makeovers soon enough!

And finally, a simple red on an outdated hutch. Doesn’t it look so classic? Sarah also changed the hardware and added an antiquing glaze, and if you like the paint color, she’s got the exact specifications over at FunCycled.

January 9, 2015 By Lindsey @ Better After

12 In innovative idea/ miscellaneous

Gone to the dogs

Do you have a crate-trained dog? We used to. His name was Paulo, and he was an Italian Greyhound. Still is, actually. We had to give him to my mom when we moved into our rental last year. I never liked putting him in the crate, because heck, I wouldn’t want to sleep in a crate, but he liked it and felt secure in there. But now he’s broken that habit, and spends his evenings sneaking out with my dad’s dog, a trouble-making airedale named Rusty, who is nothing but a bad influence on sweet Paulo and has probably convinced him to try smoking a cigarette behind the shed.

Maybe if his crate was as cute as this one from Mindi, these wayward teen years could have been avoided. Made from an old crib, it’s actually a bit too big for an Italian Greyhound, but I bet Rusty would fit in there real nice.

To see more, head over to My RePurposed Life

January 8, 2015 By Lindsey @ Better After

8 In bathroom

Waine’s World

Let’s talk about wainscoting for a minute. There is some misinformation out there that needs to be cleared up. Here’s what we know:

It is not spelled ‘Wayne’s Coating’ although it IS pronounced that way. (I have actually seen it spelled that way before though, *full body shudder*).

It is often interchangeably used with the term ‘board and batten’ which is simply another form of wainscoting.

The standard height is 36 inches, but it can go anywhere from 54 to 72 inches to an entire wall. But please, please, don’t go any lower than 36 inches. I once saw a house with what appeared to be two foot tall wainscoting, and it looked so incredibly strange. Perhaps they were uninformed, trying to cut costs, or weren’t doing wainscoting at all, rather attempting to chart a course in the virgin waters of monstrously huge baseboards. We’ll never know.

But what we do know is this: wainscoting done right looks awesome and adds an element of elegance to any room, even the plainest-Janest little bathroom you could imagine.

I love the height that Tamara used here, and the combo of blue walls and the green vanity is so fresh and fun! See more on her blog Provident Home Design.

January 7, 2015 By Lindsey @ Better After

11 In office

Shrining Shoes

Most people like to take advantage of the fresh start of a new year by purging and decrapifying their homes. It just feels good. Out with the old!

But pay attention! Are you truly organizing, or just rearranging your junk? For instance: a new shoe-storage system is fantastic. A new shoe-storage system for shoes you haven’t even worn in the last year is a big fat waste of time and space. Don’t do it. Just let them go, man. You’ll feel so freeeeeeeee!

Check out how Kerby made better use of this closet by converting it into a bright, organized office space. No more shrine to unworn shoes. I bet she sighs with contentedness every time she walks by. I would!

See more at Life-Love-Craft.

January 6, 2015 By Lindsey @ Better After

6 In kitchen/dining/ other rooms/ tables/dressers

2014 Highlights, all wrapped up!

Well, hi there! I took a longer than expected break thanks to a rip-roaring sinus infection that has extended into the reaches of my soul. I feel like there is an elephant standing on my head, and there is also an elephant standing on that elephant’s head. It’s been magical.

We’re going to finish wrapping up 2014 today, even though you are probably sick to death of 2014 wrap-ups by now. But it’s not like I can just leave it halfway wrapped up people! We have to wrap it all the way up!

So here’s the last of the best of 2014, my particular favorites from October to December. It wasn’t that long ago, so just pretend you don’t remember.

My favorite offering from October was this sleek dresser makeover from Katie. Navy paint, copper pipe, it’s just the chicest little thing.

I love the addition of the legs, furniture always seems so much more furniture-ier when it’s not sitting squat on the floor.

Tanya’s kitchen makeover in November proved that even if you can’t have your dream kitchen RIGHT NOW, you can still love your kitchen.

Now she can enjoy it in all its bright and budget-friendly splendor, while she saves up for the remodel of her dreams.

And lastly, December brought us the pinnacle of man-caves from Tara and her brother-in-law “Too-Far-Frank.” Where most man-caves stop at a big TV and a mini-fridge, Frank ventured beyond into wood floors, exposed brick walls, and a beautiful custom-built bar complete with his own logo; thusly living up to his nickname.

Happy (still) New Year!

Checkout the rest of the 2014 highlights here, here, and here.

January 5, 2015 By Lindsey @ Better After

3 In bathroom/ kitchen/dining/ living room

2014 Highlight reel, part III

It’s New Year’s Eve! Are you going to party like it’s 1999? Do you have fabulous plans? Are you going to kiss a special someone at midnight? I, on the other hand, will be partying like I’m 99, and probably sit around my house and go to bed early. There might be a game or two of Boggle involved, it things get real crazy. Still hoping for the lip-syncing party to spontaneously happen though. I’ll keep you posted.

Moving on with a few more A+ Better Afters from 2014, with this fireplace makeover from Sarah Jane in July. It was somewhat controversial, a bit to stark and modern for some viewers, but I loved it and still do. Minimalist but not boring, that’s right up my alley.

July was also my inaugural Better After Gives Back, where I organized a surprise makeover for a deserving person, and it was probably the highlight of my entire year. I can’t wait to do it again, hopefully bigger and better in 2015!

For some reason, there was an abundance of bathroom makeovers in August, so it was tough to narrow it down to one, but this bathroom makeover by Jill will always be a favorite, probably because she’s one of my favorites. But her bathroom totally deserves a spot on the list. She did 95% of the work in here herself! She’s amazing.

August is also one of my favorite times of the year, thanks to the annual Ugly Lamp Contest. This year’s winner, ‘Beef Femur’ will always have a special place in our hearts, unless somehow you’ve managed to successfully wipe it from your memory. Here’s a refresher: