Better After

16 In tables/dressers

Ikea Rast Hacks that will BLOW YOUR MIND INTO OUTER SPACE that’s how far your mind will be blown.

Ok, that title is a little dramatic. I’m just trying to keep up with all those websites and their overly sensational headlines. You know the ones. “NINE THINGS THAT YOU NEVER KNEW ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL!”

I was going to give you a few more headline examples, but then I clicked on “THIS BAT HOSPITAL WILL RESTORE YOUR FAITH IN HUMANITY,” one thing led to another, and somehow three hours of my life passed by.

Annnyway, I’m serving up some Ikea Rast hacks today, so let’s get to it. (But seriously, read that bat hospital story sometime, bats, so cute, who knew?)

Mary was inspired by a $350 hand-painted piece at Anthropologie. She knocked the zero off the end of that price tag by sketching up her own version on the $35 Rast. See it on her blog At Home on the Bay. Bonus points for whoever can name that skyline without peeking at her blog first!

Lucy went for a traditional feel with her Rast, adding some chunky trim all around and a new thicker top. Get the explanation on her blog Give Everybody Nice Sweaters, although she doesn’t explain the name of her blog, and now I’m really curious. I mean, I don’t disagree. Everybody deserves nice sweaters. Please tell us more, Lucy.

If one Rast makeover is good stuff, what do you call THREE Rast makeovers? Probably something like a TRYFEKKTA. (IKEA joke!) Caroline at The Feminist Housewife turned three dressers into one cohesive unit with a simple stain job and colorful new knobs of joy and happiness.

And last we have this looker from Bee at Windgate Lane. Mmm mmm. So great. There are literally THOUSANDS of ways you could hack a Rast. There should be a worldwide Rast Hack contest. Everyone would bring their best Rast work, and there is a judge for this contest, and I get to be that judge, and the judge gets free meatballs. Who’s in? Somebody tweet IKEA, let’s make this dream happen.

November 7, 2014 By Lindsey @ Better After

14 In laundry rooms

Pinterest Pipe Dreams

Are you one of the countless women who suffer from a debilitating condition known to regularly cause mood swings, irritability, irrational behavior, and an increased need for chocolate? I’m not talking about PMS. I’m talking about PMMS: Pinterest Makes Me Sad.

You may have PMMS if you find yourself crushingly disappointed that the new enchilada recipe you tried was not in fact “LIFE CHANGING!!!!!”

You may have PMMS if you feel the need to hang your head in shame because your kids gave out store-bought Valentines at school.

You may have PMMS if the mere sight of an Elf on the Shelf sends you to a dark place.

You may have PPMS if gazing at pin after pin of perfectly styled and spacious laundry rooms make you despair even setting foot in your average-at-best laundry room.

But there is help. Help is called Reality, and I’m here to give you a dose. Reality is, plenty of people have small dark laundry rooms that probably smell a little funky and feature things like exposed pipes and bare light bulbs. That’s OK! You can still work with that to create a pretty space.

Lisa embraced all the pipeage that was happening in here and made it part of the room with some bright red paint. I love how it looks against the happy aqua walls. It’s like a sculpture! See it at Two Loose Teeth.

And Becky decided to disguise the pipes and cinderblock wall of her laundry room with a pretty stenciled pegboard that she hung right over the top. A functional facade. Fabulous, fun, and feasible.

See how she did it on her blog Organizing Made Fun.

November 6, 2014 By Lindsey @ Better After

10 In miscellaneous/ Uncategorized

File Sharing

Did you know file cabinets could be stylish and awesome? You probably did, but did you know they can also be terrifying? True story: years ago I was visiting someone in their office, and brought my preschool-age son along. He wandered around the room while we were talking and found a tall file cabinet, and somehow managed to pull open every single drawer. I turned around just in time to see the cabinet tipping forward, weighed down by all the open drawers, and inches away from crashing down on him. It was super scary. So FYI, that can happen.

But let’s go back to the realm of happy, non-terrifying file cabinets, like this stunner from Charlotte at Ciburbanity. Before: an office-approved clunker the color of Metamucil.

After: a purple ombre partay! It makes me want to FILE STUFF, like, fiercely.

And here’s another from Tami, the wood whisperer I featured yesterday. She worked her magic on this oudated cabinet, and the result blows my mind! What? How? She reveals her tricks on her blog Curb Alert.

November 5, 2014 By Lindsey @ Better After

25 In miscellaneous/ wood

Once upon a wardrobe.

The old wardrobe sat quietly to the side, trying to hide her tears. The church yard sale was almost over, and she hadn’t been sold. Of course she hadn’t. Who would want to drag her home? She was nothing but tattered junk. Old and worn through, no good to anybody anymore. Her beauty had long since faded, sure, but she had foolishly hoped she could still be useful. Her hopes sank further as she heard the snickering of teenage boys preparing to toss her in the dump pile.

But what’s this? They weren’t headed to the dump pile; they hoisted her up and placed her in the back of an SUV! Somebody had bought her? Why, this was too good to be true.

She arrived at her new home and stared face-to-face at her new owner, but she still refused to believe it.

Tami seemed like a nice lady, but she couldn’t possibly repair all the damage that had been done over the years. And why would she want to try? But still, the old wardrobe seemed to whisper, “Don’t give up on me!”

And Tami listened.

Through the blood, sweat, tears, curses, ridicule, and hours of labor, Tami listened. She coaxed out the beauty that was within her all along.

So don’t forget to remember that story whenever you have one of those days where you feel like a pile of junk too. You’re not! You have more worth and beauty that you know! I said so, and I know about these things.

See more to the story at Curb Alert.

November 4, 2014 By Lindsey @ Better After

10 In kitchen/dining

Flingin’ the gingham.

Happy Monday to you. Did you get a chance to enter the Kalaty Rug giveaway? Prize is valued at up to $1000, so hop on it girlfriend!

Next, here comes a stellar kitchen makeover to jump start your week. When Suesan bought her home, she initially thought she would paint the walls and rip out the carpeting in the kitchen and be done-zo. (Pause for long and hearty laughter). Ahahahahahaha, NO.

It never happens like that. One thing led to another, yada yada yada, and now she has a super hip kitchen that I would categorize as both craftsman-ish and industrial-y. Those are the official terms, I believe.

One great change was framing out the windows with that delicious trim. Now the view can do the talking instead of being drowned out by the sad moan of the gingham curtains.

Look how awkward it was before! The cabinets and countertop actually extended beyond the door frame! No no no, that won’t do.

You can see that Suesan cut back on cabinets, but the new open shelving still gives her plenty of storage while looking ultra cool. It’s like a coffee shop I’m not hip enough to patronize.

And no more carpet! That’s one that should have made the list of deadly sins. Wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, gluttony, and carpeting a kitchen. I mean, it’s not even debatable.

Much more to see on her blog Frou Frugal.

November 3, 2014 By Lindsey @ Better After

5 In decor

It’s Halloween somewhere.

Soooo, you are probably a little Halloweened out by now. I am, and it’s my favorite holiday! But I forgot to share this sweet little makeover earlier, and it simply needs to be shared. Bonus: you can probably get these buckets on clearance right now, so let’s pretend that I’m not forgetful and scatterbrained and call that a win.

Great, right?! Get your hands on a Halloween bucket and stone-look spray paint, and you’ll have yourself a perfectly spooooky Halloween planter. For next year.

From Jenn at Endlessly Inspired. Check out her blog for more pumpkin-inspired makeovers, she’s got a few!

And while you’re in the clearance aisle picking up your bucket, grab a few (or 40) more, so you can make this jumbo Halloween garland I spotted at my neighbor’s house. It even lights up! I’m not sure how, but I’ve got 364 days to figure it out.

PS: Check out the Kalaty Rug giveaway going on now, prize is valued up to $1,000!

November 1, 2014 By Lindsey @ Better After

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