Better After

2014 in review, part II

Marching right along with the best that 2014 had to offer on Better After, here comes APRIL:

This kitchen makeover is, hands down, one of my favorites. Coral, navy, striped ceiling? Yes, yes, all of it yes! Danika blended kitchy and retro with modern and hip and did it perfectly.

High fives to anyone who paints stripes on their ceilings. And a shoulder rub, cuz ow.

MAY had a lot to offer, and I highly advise taking a stroll through the archives if you get a chance, but this adorable play bakery makeover by Sarah was top of my list. It’s so sweet it just melted my heart. Donuts will do that to this girl.

And I’m still shaking my head from what the pros at Rafterhouse were able to accomplish with this local eyesore. Choosing my favorite makeovers from the year is like asking a mother to pick her favorite child. Of course she will say they are all her favorite, but deep down, if she’s being truly honest with herself, she has one. This is mine. See more here! The kitchen will knock your face off!

If you missed the first part of the best of 2014, check it out here.

December 30, 2014 By Lindsey @ Better After

7 In Uncategorized

Wrapping it Up: 2014 in review

Ahh, yes. Welcome to that weirdo week between Christmas and New Year’s. There should be an official name for this time of year. It’s so strange. You’re coming down from a Christmastime high and kinda bummed out, but at least New Year’s gives you something to look forward to, but not really, because everyone knows New Year’s is the lamest holiday of all. These are all my feelings anyway, perhaps yours are different. My experience with New Year’s is that you basically sit at home and watch people on TV having fun.

However, I AM trying to institute a new tradition with my family this year: a lip-sync battle! If you’re a fan of Jimmy Fallon, you know how it works. It’s my dream to battle him someday, so I need all the practice I can get. I’ve already picked my song: California Luv. I can do both Tupac and Dr. Dre’s parts, so I’m prettttty sure I have this victory clinched.

Anyway, enough about me, how was YOUR Christmas/Holiday Season? I hope it was wild and wonderful and you got everything you wished for, and you didn’t get what you think is the beginning stages of bronchitis, but ENOUGH ABOUT ME.

This week I’ll be wrapping up 2014 with highlights of my favorite posts from each month. It was a good year. I’m sad to see it gone so quickly.

Let’s start with JANUARY! (Yes Lindsey. Of course we start with January).

We welcomed the arrival of our sweet baby boy and also enjoyed this fabulous porch/exterior makeover from Lindsey & Drew.

From afar it looks pretty nice, but get cloooooser …

Cloooooooserrrr!

Almost a year later and I still want to be a squatter on this porch. Beautiful.

FEBRUARY I had baby boys on the brain and fell in love with this nautical nursery makeover from Kim.

Love the touches of red on the closet door panels.

The corner curtain rod makes great use of what could have been just an awkward space. Now it looks like an architectural asset. PS: That chair is painted!

MARCH was a great month, too many incredible projects to choose from. But this gold stenciled bedroom makeover from Pam really stuck in my brain. It went from so basic and plain to a stunning sophisticate.

I’m also a sucker for gold and white and ostrich.

She’s a classy dame, this one.

That wraps up today, come back tomorrow for more highlights from 2014! Did you have a favorite from this year? Can you believe it’s almost over??

December 29, 2014 By Lindsey @ Better After

9 In decor/ wood

Christmas!

Merry Merry Christmas to you from me! I hope your holiday season has been filled with joy and delight and happy feelings.

I feel the need to give you, dear reader, a huge thank you for being here and hanging out with me and supporting Better After. Every kind email and sweet comment you send my way truly makes my whole day, and makes chugging on with this blog (heading into it’s sixth year!) worth it.

I couldn’t do it without you being so generous to share your projects and talents with me, so I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Keep those submissions coming! I can’t wait to see what you come up with for 2015!

I will be taking the rest off the week off, and will see you soon for a yearly wrap up of my favorite Better Afters of 2014.

And now, an adorable pallet makeover from my gal Julie at Redhead Can Decorate.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays my friend!

December 25, 2014 By Lindsey @ Better After

2 In decor

Hanging stockings with great care.

Hanging Christmas stockings can be tricky business if you don’t have a cute mantle or stair railings or even a decent shelf. I remember taping ours to the wall many years ago in one of our first apartments. Real festive Lindsey.

Here’s a genius idea that I wish I would have thought of back then: a coat rack! Spiff it up with some peppermint paint and new knobs and you’re all set for the big day. Plus, unlike stockings taped to the wall, they won’t fall down immediately when you actually try to put things in them. But seriously though, who could have possibly seen that coming?

From Sarah at FunCycled.

December 24, 2014 By Lindsey @ Better After

10 In living room/ miscellaneous

Two-Faced Fireplace

Merry Christmas Eve Eve! I hope you are snuggled up by a fireplace somewhere, enjoying some cocoa and twinkling lights, and not, like me, about to venture out for some last minute shopping. I’m scared.

I feel 0% like battling crowds right now but only thing my 8-year-old son has asked for this year is a pogo stick, so I should probably try and make that happen. Isn’t it nice when their wishes are so easy to grant? Next year it will probably be iphones and $300 headphones and a tattoo. *sniff* They grow up so fast.

But for now, lets get cozy with Eden and her makeover. Check out the before. What in the world was that? A pointless arch with a pointless window, and it looks like it even has some extremely pointless doors within it too. What a terribly ineffective way to break up two rooms! Although it does give a spectacular view of the backside of the TV, so there’s that.

Here’s a thought. Why not a double-sided fireplace?

YES! It looks like it was meant to be this way all along. So-hoo much better. Let’s check out the other side:

Just lovely. That view is so much more welcoming than the TV’s butt.

See more from Eden at DIYHER.

December 23, 2014 By Lindsey @ Better After

5 In desks/hutches/buffets

Aztec Trend Report

Remember how the Mayan Aztec calendar supposedly predicted the end of the world late last year? Either those guys were way way off, or what they didn’t realize way back when was that their calendar didn’t predict the end of the world at all, it simply predicted a beginning. A revival! The rebirth of an Aztec-themed trend! Yep, I bet that’s totally what happened.

In any case, Aztec-inspired images are all the hot rage right this instant, from clothing to art, to of course, furniture. Here’s Bre at brepurposed‘s take on the look: