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Second-hand furniture, décor & gifts
We're bringing back the past. But better than before.
At Better Than Before you'll find a carefully curated selection of items for the home, including our reclaimed furniture and home décor as well as handmade items that are perfect for you, or to give as a gift. We have a little something for everyone.
We specialize in sourcing solid furniture pieces that need some TLC and give them a new life with paint and/or stain. We also love to work with customers who own treasures that they want updated to fit their current décor as well. Visit our store if you're in the market for furniture, or contact us about refreshing your own piece.
At Better Than Before you'll find a carefully curated selection of items for the home, including our reclaimed furniture and home décor as well as handmade items that are perfect for you, or to give as a gift. We have a little something for everyone.
We specialize in sourcing solid furniture pieces that need some TLC and give them a new life with paint and/or stain. We also love to work with customers who own treasures that they want updated to fit their current décor as well. Visit our store if you're in the market for furniture, or contact us about refreshing your own piece.
Unique and handmade grab-and-go gifts
Hi, I'm Kerri...
the Decorator for the DIYer. I grew up in a modest Cape-style house in a middle-class neighborhood with a stay-at-home mom and a dad who worked his tail off as an iron worker. My parents provided for us very well despite my dad's inconsistent work, due to their great money management and creativity.
Our house was always well-maintained (thanks to my dad's skills), with nice furniture and pretty décor (thanks to my mom's skills). My mom was the queen of DIY, repurposing and thinking out of the box. And my dad was one of those guys who could build or fix anything.
As a kid, I was a tomboy who'd rather play in the dirt with Matchbox cars with my brother and the neighborhood boys. And I was the little girl who asked for a tool box for Christmas! If I wasn't playing with the boys, I was drawing. My girl friends would play with my Barbies while I sat and drew pictures. One of my dream gifts was a box of 64 Crayola crayons. The box even had a sharpener built in!
I've loved anything creative as far back as I can remember. Whether it was sketching Tippy the turtle from the pack of matches, dreaming of doing what Darrin Stephens (from Bewitched) did for work at the ad agency, designing Lincoln Log homes, or "painting" pictures on the sidewalk with a cup of water and a watercolor paintbrush, I always wanted to be creating.
I guess it's no surprise that I ended up wanting to help homeowners make their homes beautiful using what they already own, and repurposing old furniture. Growing up, I gained an appreciation for buying well-made furnishings, looking for function and need, and being mindful of ways to create, re-create, and decorate beautifully on a budget. Thanks, mom and dad for the life lessons I didn't know I was learning!
the Decorator for the DIYer. I grew up in a modest Cape-style house in a middle-class neighborhood with a stay-at-home mom and a dad who worked his tail off as an iron worker. My parents provided for us very well despite my dad's inconsistent work, due to their great money management and creativity.
Our house was always well-maintained (thanks to my dad's skills), with nice furniture and pretty décor (thanks to my mom's skills). My mom was the queen of DIY, repurposing and thinking out of the box. And my dad was one of those guys who could build or fix anything.
As a kid, I was a tomboy who'd rather play in the dirt with Matchbox cars with my brother and the neighborhood boys. And I was the little girl who asked for a tool box for Christmas! If I wasn't playing with the boys, I was drawing. My girl friends would play with my Barbies while I sat and drew pictures. One of my dream gifts was a box of 64 Crayola crayons. The box even had a sharpener built in!
I've loved anything creative as far back as I can remember. Whether it was sketching Tippy the turtle from the pack of matches, dreaming of doing what Darrin Stephens (from Bewitched) did for work at the ad agency, designing Lincoln Log homes, or "painting" pictures on the sidewalk with a cup of water and a watercolor paintbrush, I always wanted to be creating.
I guess it's no surprise that I ended up wanting to help homeowners make their homes beautiful using what they already own, and repurposing old furniture. Growing up, I gained an appreciation for buying well-made furnishings, looking for function and need, and being mindful of ways to create, re-create, and decorate beautifully on a budget. Thanks, mom and dad for the life lessons I didn't know I was learning!
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160 Plaistow Rd (Rte 125), Plaistow, NH
603.479.3041 (green awning Plaistow Commons Plaza, next door to Moe's Sandwiches) Hours:
Mon & Tues - by appt. Wed - Sat - 10am - 5pm Sunday - 10am - 3pm |
© 2025 Better Than Before Home Furnishings & Design LLC
