before and after Archives - Real Life Notes

Living Room, Two Ways

March 7, 2013 by Jill 3 Comments

While I was doing our taxes the other day (UGH.) I had to look up the current market value of our rental home (DOUBLE UGH DEPRESSING.), but while I was doing that depressing, onerous task, I came across pictures of our rental home as the renters had decorated it. It was really fun to see what they'd done with the place. And fun to see the different ways that two different people would decorate the same space. So let's compare: That was how the living room looked when we moved out. And … [Read more...]

Finally, Our Modern Glamour Bedroom Reveal

February 13, 2013 by Jill 7 Comments

Okay, so back a million years ago (Okay, in October 2012), I promised a bedroom makeover and showed you all our terrible bedroom and my gray and yellow bedroom moodboard plan. Then half a million years ago (Okay, in December 2012), I showed you one step of the makeover, my nightstand transformation. And now, today, I'm finally back with all the beautiful pictures and full details of my bedroom makeover! The bed made such a big difference to me. It's the first real bed we've ever owned. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: before and after, home, home tour Tagged With: bedroom, lorrie house

HOHOHO! A Santa Figurine Makeover

December 18, 2012 by Jill 4 Comments

I found these tacky little porcelain Santa figurines at a thrift shop and decided to give them an uplift. I brought them home, spread them out on a cardboard box in the backyard and gave them a good coat of white spray primer. Then I used a shiny white acrylic paint from Michaels and brushed on two coats. I like the shiny, snowy sheen it gives them. White spray paint would have been faster, but I was working with what I had on hand already. Once they dried, they joined my Christmas tree … [Read more...]

Filed Under: before and after, life, projects Tagged With: Christmas, dining room, holidays

Nightstands: From Drab to Fab

December 14, 2012 by Jill 3 Comments

Okay, it's been a long time since I first showed you this mood board for our bedroom. But the gray and yellow bedroom that Phil promised me for my birthday is now done. Or close enough that I'm calling it done. So I'm back today to share how I turned two dark, gloomy nightstands from the Salvation Army into light, cheery, fun nightstands for our bedroom. When my mom and I went to Salvation Army to buy dressers for my younger sisters (check out Lucy's Comic Book dresser!), we ended up with two … [Read more...]

Filed Under: before and after, home, life, projects Tagged With: bedroom, lorrie house

DIY Rustic Modern Open Shelving

November 30, 2012 by Jill 4 Comments

When we first moved in, I wasn't sure what to do with this big expanse of open wall in our dining room. Now that we've gotten settled in a little bit more, it became clear that I needed more baby-safe display space. So I decided to construct some awesome rustic, yet modern open shelving for this wall. I was inspired by some cool stainless steel modern brackets I found at Ikea. But I decided to DIY the shelves to give them a rustic look. The modern brackets with more rustic shelves gives … [Read more...]

Filed Under: before and after, home, projects Tagged With: dining room, lorrie house

How Far Would You Run to Meet John and Sherry?

November 18, 2012 by Jill 8 Comments

I'm not sure how far I would run, but I know how far I did run: 5 colorful kilometers! Yesterday was the awesomest day EVER. It started with the Color in Motion 5k and it ended with meeting John and Sherry from Young House Love in real life!! First things first, due to my inability to write all my commitments down on the calendar, I'd signed up to run the Color in Motion 5K, which started at 9 am in Fair Park. But then there was also the YHL book signing at West Elm at 11am. What to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: before and after, life, weekend

Comic Book Dresser

November 1, 2012 by Jill 8 Comments

I've done it again! I've transformed another dresser. In addition to Jaye's chalkboard dresser, my sister Lucy and I turned a boring Salvation Army dresser into an incredible comic book dresser. [pinit] As per usual, I forgot to get a true "before" picture. I know, I know, such a bad blogger. It's just that I am so excited to get going on the project that I forget! Here's the best "before" shot. Just imagine a plain honey-colored 5-drawer chest of drawers. Not hideous, but super … [Read more...]

Filed Under: before and after, projects Tagged With: furniture

Jaye’s Chalkboard Dresser

October 12, 2012 by Jill 27 Comments

Jaye needed a new dresser in her room. The cheap organizer from Target that we had been using as her changing table and dresser just wasn't cutting it anymore. So I decided to upgrade to an awesome orange Chalkboard Dresser. I bought this dresser from a local thrift shop. It's a sturdy piece, but I wasn't loving the paint job or the knobs. So I headed to Home Depot where I got paint the same color as our old living room. I sanded the dresser and started painting with my paint and primer in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: before and after, life, projects Tagged With: diy, furniture, lorrie house, nursery, pinterest, pinterest challenge