Better After

8 In chairs/ottomans/seating/ desks/hutches/buffets/ tables/dressers

How to Stain Your Dragon

Sorry. I can’t tell you how to stain your dragon. I just thought that was a catchy title. Side note: my 7th grader just wrote on a school report that his favorite animal is a dragon. Do you think I should tell him? I mean … 7th grade. And no, I’m afraid he isn’t talking about a Komodo dragon.

Anyhoo, stains aren’t often things we purposely want to apply, unless we’re talking about furniture of course. “Hey, I stained my carpet today.” That’s a bummer. “Hey, I stained my table today.” Yay! See what I mean?

So buckle up for a little ride down Stained-On-Purpose Street.

Starting with Sarah at Backwoods Babies. Not only did she attend to this $15 sewing table’s badly damaged veneer (more proof of that on her blog), she gave the top some attention too, with a harlequin diamond design.

I like how stain can have a more subtle effect. This bench would feel much different feel if Sarah had painted those chevrons on rather than stained them. See this bench makeover right here.

But who has two thumbs and says stain has to be subtle? Not this girl. And not Beth, who happens to be the Stain Master. (I feel like that name has already been used somewhere…) Here is just one of her many examples of the stain-shading technique she has perfected. Learn all about how to do it too on her blog Sawdust and Embryos.

September 4, 2014 By Lindsey @ Better After

4 In kitchen/dining

The journey of 1000 miles begins with a single door.

Have you been wanting to do something crazy lately? I’m not talking real crazy, getting yourself on the news crazy, I just mean like, fun crazy! Maybe you’ve been thinking, “Hey! I should paint my pantry door aquamarine. Why the heck not?” Yeah man, just do it! I can’t think of a single reason why you shouldn’t.

Of course, then you will probably have to paint your kitchen cabinets, replace the hardware, add some beadboard, and change up your decor entirely too, but other than those four itty-bitty issues … why not?!

From Jessica at Realtor Jess.

September 3, 2014 By Lindsey @ Better After

5 In tables/dressers

A party over here, a party over there!

The other day I saw a hipster guy with the oddest hairdo. It was kinda shaved on one side, with a curly off-centered mohawk on the other, culminating in a tail-like cascade of hair down the back. “What is this magnificent thing?” I thought. “It’s like a mullet? A side mullet? A side-mullet-mohawk? I feel very unhip.”

Which brings me to Bre’s side table makeover. It’s not just business in the front, party in the back anymore. Times have changed, people. Get with it. It’s party in the front, bigger party on the side. That’s what all the cool kids are doing these days. I’m pretty sure of it.

See more from Bre on her blog Brepurposed.

Aaand, party time:

Woo, fun!

And speaking of hipsters who were way ahead of their time, I now present for your viewing pleasure, my friend Amanda and her 5th-grade side-mullet, which she attached to a lamp in a ploy to win the Ugly Lamp Contest:

It is my favorite thing ever. I think it deserves an award of its own.

September 3, 2014 By Lindsey @ Better After

15 In laundry rooms

Clotheslined!

Take a long hard look at this before picture, and tell me if you can guess what this room was. It’s really tricky.

That’s right, it’s a laundry room! The washer hookups gave it away, right? That, and perhaps the super huge wallpaper border o’ laundry. Thanks wallpaper border, but I think we can figure things out without your help. Besides, this is a laundry room. As in indoors. There are no sun-dried clothes flapping in the gentle breeze here. That’s like putting outhouse wallpaper in a bathroom. I would not be surprised to find that something like that really exists.

Kelly bid adieu to the border in exchange for some truly useful cabinets and shelves, and a heaping helping of style, right down to the painted linoleum floors. How about that incredible light fixture, eh? Oh, her husband made it, NBD. Sigh. My husband is good at making burritos. So … there’s that.

Much more to see on her blog View Along the Way!

September 2, 2014 By Lindsey @ Better After

9 In decor/ tables/dressers

Two For Tea

Well, ‘ello mate! Would you care for a spot of tea? Maybe Jen’s before cart wasn’t all that appetizing, but who could resist sneaking a scone from it now? Not me. I am powerless around scones. (Although, I’m talking about American scones AKA sopapillas, AKA puffy puffs of frybread. English scones are much more biscuit-y. But yes, I’ll have one of those too. I guess I’m just powerless around carbs).

Anyway. Tea cart, snack station, whatever you want to call it, it’s adorable. I love the cross-braces Jen added on the sides. She tells you how to do it on her blog A Thousand Words, and she makes it seem super easy!

September 2, 2014 By Lindsey @ Better After

8 In kitchen/dining

Seeing Things in Black & White

Happy Labor Day! It should really be called Day Off of Labor Day. Except I am planning to use it to do a few projects around the house, and I suspect many of you might do the same, so Labor Day it is!

However, my daughter Mia, who is five, declared that she is throwing a pool party at the neighborhood pool; and has spent the entire weekend making posters and inviting strangers, so we might end up at the pool too.

So here is something to tickle your eyeballs before you head off to the pool or BBQ or hardware store. Judy and Jess transformed this awkward space into a showroom-worthy dining room. I mean, it is stunning. Makes me want to do my entire house in black and white. And my wardrobe. Everything. Outside of my car. Inside of my fridge. Whatever.

Head on over to their site Verandah House to see all the delicious details!