My Homemade Life: Before & After

Before & Afters

I often find myself watching those design shows on HGTV and feeling like an impatient child - Are we there yet? When can I see it? Hurry Up!

Waiting with such anxiety and wondering what the creative "After" will look like. Just like a kid, I can't wait for the end of the show so I can finally see the finished product.

Here are some pretty incredible Before & Afters. So many talented people out there doing some jaw dropping transformations.

Keep checking back, cause I love these things!

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Spring is slowly approaching and that "organizational" feeling I always get around this time of year is starting to rear it's ugly head. So I thought it was appropriate to start off with this closet before & after.

Ahh much better......

This one is amazing. A very basic re-do turns this not so welcoming kitchen, into a wonderfully cozy one.

So DARLING!

Here I go again with the "organizing" photos. My spring cleaning senses must be trying to tell me something.

I wish my basement looked like that.

Check out this ho-hum vintage 70s dresser. Wait til you see what happens.

So Handsome!

This before & after, utterly changes the entire look of this entry way. Goodbye ugly carpet.

Beautiful Beautiful hardwoods. Love it.

Look at these incredible wrought iron southern-style backyard chairs. All they need is some tender loving care.

Makes me want to sit right down and have a Mint Julep.

I love when forgotten little nooks & crannies get a make-over. It makes me smile.

Just a little fabric tucked into the back, and wow, cute cute cute. LOVE the vintage turntable.

This poor old forgotten dresser got a stunning new life.

So pretty and new again. There she sits in the entry way, just waiting to say - "Welcome. Psst look how pretty I am".

Oh this poor little kitchen. It tried so hard to keep up with the other kitchens. Thank goodness their owners were so creative.

Oh so 70s. Watch what a creative person did to bring this piece back to life.

Uber creative. Look, they added legs too! So Mod.

You won't believe this one.

I can't even believe my eyes. Now I want a darling little bench to put my purse and keys on when I come home!

Monday, February, 1, 2011

So clean and bright! Oh I love white! Splash of green with the plant - cute!

I simply love this next before & after bathroom transformation. If you notice, the tile and sink were not even changed out. Just the color on the walls and some accessories here and there. Fantastic re-do! What an amazing change with just a little bit of effort and a creative eye.

Teeny bathrooms need love too:

There's nothing that makes me feel happier than when I see a wonderful old vintage item come to life again. That's what my cousin does with old 1950s table cloths. A stain or two here and there can make a darling piece of history literally unwanted by some. But she makes them new again by making aprons out of them. So precious.

Never ever in a million years would I have thought to paint a dining room hutch, a light turquoise blue. Or to pick out that wallpaper. But it makes me so happy, I want that room!

How oh how many times have I seen a lamp like this at a yard sale or thrift store. Lots of times, and I just walk right by.

A little bit of white paint, and a new shade, and wow, looks like something from a Pottery Barn Catalog!

Gorgeous gorgeous chair transformation. Maybe one day I can have a piece of white furniture in my house. And if there ever comes a day when I can. I want this chair!

Wood makes my heart a flutter. I simply love wood and the miracle and beauty of it's grain. It makes me sad to see a beautiful piece of wooden furniture that no one has taken care of. Look how this piece has come to life with just a little tender loving care.

Can't you just imagine the husband and wife, back in 1958, going to the furniture store and picking his out? He probably had to use his entire paycheck to purchase it.

Now it can have a whole new life, pretty and shiny again.

Here's some instructions on how to make a very sad piece of older wood furniture, come back to life again. Old furniture has so many memories, and such character. If you treat them right, these pieces will be around for you to enjoy for years and years.

Instructions:
1. Map out the “trouble” areas on your piece, such as stains, water damage, ink and scuff marks and sand them lightly. When working with wood, always remember to sand with the grain. If you start sanding like a crazy person, you will ruin your finish!

2. When you’re done sanding, clean the piece with Murphy’s Oil soap. This gets all the dirt, dust and grime off the piece and leaves a nice, clean surface for you to work with.

3. Apply the Watco Teak Oil. Soak your rag and rub the entire piece down. Wait 10 minutes and with a clean rag, wipe off the excess oil. Depending on how thirsty the wood is, you can do two or three coats of the oil. One of the great things about using oil to refresh furniture is that it restores the color and grain and seals the finish from the inside out.

4. When you’re done oiling and the piece is dry to the touch, you’re ready for the final step. Apply the Howard Feed-N-Wax generously with a rag and after about 20 minutes, wipe off any excess.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Love this. I wish I was more gutsy to paint stuff with bright colors like this orange. So cute.

It's all about Curb Appeal isn't it. Great re-do of a front porch! Love this.

I've seen these little printer drawers before but never ever would imagine turning it into something like this! So colorful and so ultra creative!

Wow, check out this dreary dark family room re-do. It doesn't even look like the same room. Amazing!

Boy what the heck is happened to this room below? Poor Poor kitchen, how can she ever be saved?

Oh my gosh look how pretty she is now! I guess anything's possible! Never give up!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

I think this could possibly be my all-time favorite before & after pic!

Isn't that wonderful? Oh I WANT this darling patio chair. I want FOUR of them!

This next one makes me want to run out and buy an old dresser!

Isn't that dresser darling! LOVE IT!

Attention......Attention. I can't say enough about this before & after photo listed below.

I don't have any little girls, but if I did, I would do this for her. This is probably the cutest, most creative before & after I've ever seen. If you want to see how they did this from start to finish, go here:

Child's Kitchen

OK FOLKS, ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?

I'm showing these pictures below, because I am having heart palpitations over this floor! I WANT this wood floor in my kitchen. I can't even look at this photo cause I'm getting a panic attack. It's not so much the actual decor of the kitchen....but the flooring. My eyes went straight to the floor. I can't look anymore, jealousy is over-coming me.