the best of before and after

Nothing brings me more delight then a successful makeover.  From the metamorphosis of my very own husband in our 16 year marriage to a good eyebrow wax, I'm all about improvement.  I love the idea that with a little vision, some love, and a bit of elbow grease, a below average, plain, or non-functional space can be transformed into an inspiration.  In the words of Nate Berkus, "Your home should rise up to greet you".

I love stopping by {Better After} for some instant gratification.  Check out this Kitchen makeover by Gina at A Sense of Design.  We all love a good game of checkers, but they're not to be played on the kitchen floor.   

Great job Gina!  See more of this renovation {here}.

One of my absolute favorite inspirational blogs is Velvet and Linen.  It's the fairytale of a designer married to an architect and all their hopes and dreams put to real life.  No, not jealous for a second.  I love the way she documents all of their work including adventures to local flea markets, galleries, and antique shops.
If I had all the money in the world, I'd hire Brooke and Steve to design my dream home. OK, I'm going to keep dreaming.

Here are a few noteworthy changes that took place over at the Giannetti Home.  Please enjoy the master bedroom.  

 

A before and after of their powder room.

 

Brooke and Steve are in the process of building their dream home, appropriately named Patina Farm.  See the 3-D model they just built {here}.  I'd be completely content living in it. 

This bathroom makeover is proof that miracles did not just happen in the Bible.   

.....a hallelujah moment.

And here is some pure inspiration.  Eddie Ross pulled off this design for a couple in a 1920's Cape Cod style home. 

My favorite part is the way he made the space seem so much bigger.  See more {here} including Eddie's favorite gray wall paint. 

Here's a fun and impressive B & A from Better Homes and Gardens. 

The skirted sink is so clever and the bright yellow walls are the perfect pop of color.  They even made the tiled floors and walls work without having to rip out and install new materials.  Way to save a buck!
  

Lately I've been paying much more attention to curb appeal.  I've educated myself about trees, plants, and flowers that grow in AZ I'm even beginning to get a bit of a green thumb.  I love the exterior of a home that says the people inside it take pride in their little piece of the world.   

This family did a complete makeover to the exterior and interior of this home in 20 days.  It never ceases to amaze how a few hedges and some colorful flowers can really liven up a nest.

See more of this home's interior transformation {here}.

More from the amazing {Cote de Texas}.   Here are some be fore's of this out dated beach bungalow.

Wait for it.....

It' so much lighter and brighter and reflects the outside indoors.  I love the crisp, white walls and light furniture with accents of color.  Clean and simple.

In the 8th grade my friend Tiffany had a canopy bed with floral jabot window treatments and I thought she was the luckiest girl alive.  It looked something like this.....Oh Mommy!

Maybe Tiffany hired Lauren Liess from Pure Style to make over her out-dated bedroom and turn it into this.

Here's the best part of the whole room. This painting would make anyone feel like they lived right on the crystal shores of Bora-Bora.  See more of this spectacular design {here}.

We can't do a make over show without including {Miss Mustard Seed}.  She has talent oozing from every pore of her body and always has a transformation up her sleeve.  Here's a B & A of her dining room. 

The window looks twice as big and the slip covered chairs are charming and adorable.  With all she accomplishes, I wonder if she ever gets a chance to sit on them!

Here's a B & A of her guest room including a tutorial on how to re-create those exposed board walls.  See all the details {here}.

 
And now for the grand finale, unarguably the best transformation in the history of transformations.....

Brace yourselves.....

It's the home of Jennifer at The Old Painted Cottage.  These pics are worth a million words. 

Speechless.  Thank you Jennifer for giving renewed hope to abused and battered homes across America.  You've got some serious VISION!  See more pictures of Jennifer's quaint cottage {here} and visit her adorable shop of curious finds {here}. 

Hope this made you want to run out and buy a gallon of new paint or tackle that guest room that needs some TLC.  Stay tuned, next week I'm going try my hand at painting fabric on furniture.  That's right, I'm doin' it!