Worn wooden school desk with attached chair on a porch, labeled "Before."
Before &amp After: Clara’s Two-Toned Desk
Ginger wanted to hand down her own childhood desk to her daughter Clara, but due to water damage and “the remnants of various stickers I put on there long ago (oops)” she needed to give it a refresh first. See how it looks now:Great job Ginger! We see desks like this all the time at flea markets and usually dismiss them as too dowdy, but bright paint totally modernizes the look.
Carrie McBride
Apr 11, 2011
Before &amp After: Gina’s 1-Hour Doll Stroller Refresh
You may be looking at this thinking, “I have that exact same stroller at home.” While yours is also likely pink (the non-pink doll stroller is akin to the Holy Grail), you’re probably referring to the state of disrepair this one is in. From how quickly they fall apart, you’d think these kids were pushing around bowling balls not little baby dolls.
Carrie McBride
Apr 8, 2011
Before & After: Kids’ Artwork Display Wall
Heidi is a hoarder. She doesn’t have dusty stacks of newspapers lying around or dozens of cats, she hoards her son’s artwork. And who can blame her! Determined to display his cute scribblings and paintings, she strung a small line of rope and hung his artwork with clothespins. Finding this inadequate, she took a tip from another blogger and went big. Really big. Find out what humble material has solved her problem:Yep, chicken wire!
Carrie McBride
Apr 6, 2011
Before & After: Over the Stairs Mudroom
This family may not have a big entryway but they have a wide staircase which they turned into a mudroom of sorts with tons of storage for every family member. See how great it looks now:Even seeing other people get organized makes me feel good. I imagine these cubbies will fill up a lot more over time and not look quite as pretty, but what a great way to maximize this space along the stairs.
Carrie McBride
Mar 25, 2011
Gavin’s Winning Woodsy Nursery
Child’s name: Gavin (7 weeks)Location: Phoenixville, PA Room size: SMALL. I really don’t know the size. But it’s our smallest bedroom in the house. When Amanda entered (and won!) the Small Kids, Big Color contest, we all followed her into the woods and agreed that it was indeed awesome. The contest’s five photo limit left many of you, not to mention us, craving more of this memorable space.
Carrie McBride
Feb 1, 2011
Graham’s Fabric Fabulous Nursery
Name: Graham Age: 7 weeks Location: Michigan Room size: 10’x10′ At first glance you might not guess that this creative, colorful space is primarily a mix of Ikea and diy projects, but it’s true. Amy and her husband Andy transformed a guest bedroom into a bright, perky, modern space for their newborn son, Graham, and we’re entranced by the results.
Carrie McBride
Jul 29, 2010
Violet’s Small, Sloped, Splendid Space
Name: Violet KathleneAge: 2 Weeks, 2 DaysLocation: Central PennsylvaniaRoom size: 12′ x 7′ How to create a cohesive, beautiful nursery in a small room with sloped ceilings? Planning. Violet’s mom, Lauren, gathered inspiration, made a plan and recruited family to pull off some terrific DIY projects. The result is this fresh, dreamy space filled with light and soft touches. It melds modern and classic pieces into a contemporary space that feels timeless at the same time.
Carrie McBride
May 28, 2010
Small Space Crib Review: The Stokke Sleepi
My husband and I decided we’d allow ourselves one splurge purchase for our baby. We had admired the Stokke Sleepi crib, but decided it was just too expensive – not just for our budget, but in principle. But when we started trying to figure out how to incorporate a crib into our home office space, the smaller Stokke started looking better and better.
Carrie McBride
Apr 24, 2009